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Welcome Mets Fans, to the Home of the WFC Philadelphia Fightin' Phillies

It's that time of year again.  Several times a summer, New York Mets fans invade Philadelphia for the series with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park -- the normal sea of red and white in the seats at the ballpark takes on a rude orange tint.

Typically, the influx of Mets fans in our stadium annoys me.  I'm proud of the home field advantage fans provide for the Fightins and so when Mets fans fill up a third or more of the stadium...  I just don't like it.

But this year, in a way, I'm almost looking forward to it.  I want those New Yorkers to see the 2008 flag flying high, the 2007 and 2008 NL East flags right next to them.  I want them to see the small smiles that haven't left our faces since October, I want them to hear the "Rah-ooooool!" that greets Raul Ibanez and see how the whole place subconciously bobs their heads when Chase Utley's "Kashmir" plays over the public address system.  I want them to feel the bass-y ring of liberty bell in right field.   Suck it in friends to the north, suck it in...

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Given the championship celebrations, the rainy weather, and of course the untimely passing of Harry Kalas, we as phans have been kind of wrapped up in our own little world, not paying much attention to what has been going on with the Mets (9-12).  This morning, I took a quick run through the Mets-centric blogosphere.  Here's a smattering:

• Phillies-killer Brian Schneider is on the disabled-list and is eligible to be activated for Sunday's game, though it looks like his return has been pushed back. [Metsblog]

• "I realize the lack of solid pitching and clutch hitting will take precedence here, but I am equally concerned with our alarming rate of errors (both mental and physical) in the last two weeks. It seems the team doesn’t have an edge and lacks focus at the worst possible times." [Brandon Eddy, Metsblog]

• Though the Mets are getting on-base at a nice clip (.362), they aren't driving those runners home. [Baseball Crank]

• An examination of the worst view at Citi Field, the Mets new home.  It's obstructed, yet unobstructed. [The Mets Police]

• "Sure it’s a big series but I think it’s to the Mets benefit that they are playing in Philly since they are so concerned about fan reaction. Remember the words of Bobby Knight, 'when you start listening to the people in the stands, you end up joining them'. It seems that it’s not a lack of focus with the Mets but misplaced focus that is doing them in." [The Eddie Kranepool Society]

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Advance Scouting the Tampa Bay Rays

Here it is.  The last "Advancing the..." of the season.  Four more wins and the Phillies are the World Champions.

To find out more about the Tampa Bay Rays, we turn to Cork Gaines, lead writer at Rays Index.  Gaines has contributed to MLB Trade Rumors, The Hardball Times, Deadspin as well as numerous scientific journals for his day job.

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First things first.  The Phillie Phanatic is clearly a creature from the Galapagos Islands that answered his calling here in the States to cheer on baseball in Philadelphia.  Anyone can tell that just by looking at him.  But the Rays mascot?  Who and what is he? She?

Ha! This one stumped us for a while also. I used to think he was a hairy ray, as in a fish, which wouldn't make much sense. Turns out he is a "Sea Dog". An interesting side note is that Raymond has gone through a renaissance this season, much like the Rays. Prior to the season, Raymond went under the knife and had a makeover. As you can see in THESE PHOTOS, Raymond went from Wilfred Brimley to cute and cuddly. And while the Phanatic and the San Diego Chicken are in a league of their own, Raymond is now right at the top of the next wave of mascots. Never shy, Raymond is a tireless worker, often working overtime. 

The Rays' closer situation seems a bit murky.  Troy Percival has been on and off the DL with knee and back problems.  Six pitchers earned saves for the Rays in the regular season and a seventh, phenom LHP David Price got the six final outs in the ALCS Game 7.  So.  Who's the closer?

For the last month Joe Maddon went with a closer-by-committee, with Dan Wheeler receiving the bulk of the 9th inning duty. The problem is, Maddon is a big believer in "closing" the game in the 7th and 8th inning. The two relievers that Maddon has the most confidence in are JP Howell and Grant Balfour, although The Mad Australian struggled in the ALCS. So when big outs are needed in the 7th and 8th inning, those are the pitchers you will see. As for Price, game 7 was a big breakthrough but it is difficult to gauge what that will mean for the World Series. Maddon clearly has confidence in Price so it will not surprise me to see him in the 9th inning at some point, but he has yet to work back-to-back days so the opportunities will be limited. 

A few years ago, I saw B.J. Upton murder a ball off the scoreboard in centerfield in a spring training game in Orlando.  The kids got a ton of talent, and has been hot in the playoffs so far after being hampered with shoulder problems all year.  Is he 100% and ready to do some damage in the World Series?

He is not 100% physically, but for the first time since April he might be 100% mentally. Upton tore the labrum in his shoulder early in the season. The injury will require off-season surgery. While he is OK to play, he admitted that he was afraid to swing hard durig the regular season and often let certain pitches go if they were in a certain spot, because he was afraid to aggravate the injury. When healthy, he destroys fastballs with one of the quickest bats in the game. But most of the season, he laid off fastballs and waited for breaking pitches due to the injury. But then the postseason started and something clicked. All of the sudden he is driving fastballs again. He seems to have put the injury out of his mind and we are finally seeing the bat we saw back in 2007. 

Rocco Baldelli is another player coming off of an injury [isn't he always?].  What can we expect from him in the Series?  Will he be the regular RF?

He will be in right field against lefties. So with Hamels and Moyer, you will see him a lot. The big problem with Baldelli's disorder is that he tires very quickly, so he can't play everyday. If the Phillies were starting Hamels and Moyer back-to-back you might have seen Rocco DH in the second game. But with the current set up look for Rocco in RF and Willy Aybar at DH against Hamels with Gabe Gross in RF and Cliff Floyd at DH in game 2. 

Here in Philly, we've talked a lot about how the Phillies will handle the designated hitter situation in Tampa Bay.  But there's a flip-side.  How will Joe Maddon handle the non-DH situation here in Philly?  Will his  decision weaken the Rays defense at all?

From a strategy point of view, it will be interesting. The Rays never sac bunt. They had the fewest sac bunts in baseball this season (23). But they did sacrifice a bit more in NL parks this season. In 9 games they utilized the sac bunt 3 times. In games with a DH, Maddon only sacrificed once every 7.7 games. It will also be interesting to see how he juggles the lineup. Maddon uses a platoon system at RF and DH. Rocco Baldelli and Gabe Gross are the right fielders with Willy Aybar and Cliff Floyd at DH. My guess is that will not change with Aybar and Floyd sitting in Philadelphia. Floyd is not a big loss, but Aybar was a huge bat in September and so far in the postseason. His bat will be missed. 

Speaking of Joe Maddon, he seems like an interesting guy, and I'm partially concerned about him riding his bike down Kelly Drive and someone shoves him into the Schuylkill River.  At any rate, almost as old as the game of baseball is second guessing  your favorite team's manager.  How does that pastime work for a Rays fan?  Does someone as unconventional as he is bring more or less criticism?

Papa Joe does makes a lot of unconventional decisions but this season it seems that his moves are working at about a 99% clip. That has earned him the benefit of the doubt. In the ALCS some questions were brought up (especially after game 5) but the criticisms were fairly muted. Soemtimes I can't figure out what he is thinking with the bullpen and I still can't figure out why he thinks Gabe Gross is a better late-inning defensive RF than Fernando Perez, but other than that, Maddon has been gold this season. 

Care to make any predictions?

Joe Maddon has preached "one game at a time" all year long and in the postseason they continue to play as if it is these are just mid-May games. If the World Series goes like the regular season and the postseason so far, it sould be fairly scripted. The Rays will take an early advantage. At some point in the series, they will be on the brink and as they have been doing since June, the experts will tell us that the clock is about to strike midnight. And just when everybody thinks the Rays are dead, they will do what that have done all year. They will win. Basically, what I am saying is RAYS IN FOUR.

We'll see about that.

Advance Scouting the Los Angeles Dodgers

In what will hopefully be the next to last installment of "Advancing the..." for the season, BS&S.com turns to Jon Weisman of Dodger Thoughts, one of the longest running blogs in the baseball blogosphere.  Jon is also a writer and editor for Variety magazine and a contributor to SI.com.  His thoughts [what else?] on the series are below.

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As an East Coaster, my sense is that the Dodgers team that takes the field on Thursday is significantly different from the one that played most of the year.  Manny came over in August, the younger players such as Andre Ethier, James Loney, and Matt Kemp seemed to have raised their game as of late...  In other words, it seems like the team as it is currently functioning now is much better than the 84 wins that they ended up with.  Is that true?

The long story short is that the Dodgers haven't had their two best offensive players this year, Rafael Furcal and Manny Ramirez, in the same starting lineup for more than a handful of games.  Given that it took half a season for the underperforming Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones to be sidelined, and that Derek Lowe has been at his best since August 1, yeah, the October bunch is better than its 2008 record indicates. I wouldn't say Loney and Kemp raised their games of late, and Ethier has also had hot streaks in the past. The point is that the best guys are playing, and playing without having to look over their shoulder. (That being said, it wouldn't be a shock to see Nomar Garciaparra or Jeff Kent get a spot start over Loney once in this series.)

How will Rafael Furcal factor into the series?  Will he start in every game? 

He'll start as long as his back holds up.  His play in the Chicago series was quite encouraging, but with that part of the body, you're always holding your breath.

Does Tommy Lasorda really hate the Phillie Phanatic or is he just having fun with it? 

Both?

Will we see left-hander Clayton Kershaw start a game for the Dodgers?  How has the 20-year old adjusted to the playoffs? 

I think it depends how the first three games go.  Kershaw hasn't pitched in a game since September 28.  My hunch is that Joe Torre will trust Lowe on three days' rest more than he'll trust Kershaw on two weeks' rest, but I don't really know.

As a token of goodwill, Charlie Manuel likes to bat Chase Utley and Ryan Howard back-to-back so that the opposing manager only has to make one trip to the mound for a reliever.  Nice huh?  When it comes to crunch-time and Utley and Howard are due up, what lefty will Joe Torre call in and how much confidence do the Dodgers have in him to get the job done? 

Ideally, the Dodgers will have two options in Joe Beimel (.641 OPS allowed against lefties) and Hong-Chih Kuo (.557 OPS allowed against lefties).  Both are strong, with Kuo being particularly awesome this year. But Kuo has had a sore arm in recent weeks, so we don't really know what will happen there. Cory Wade and Takashi Saito are righties that have done well against lefties, though Saito also has possible health issues.

Care to make any predictions? 

Not really - you could have four close games and one team could lose all four.  Of course, if you watched the Dodgers and Phillies in August, you knew that...

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In addition, Jay Jaffe, another long-time Dodgers-biased blogger pens a fairly even handed preview of the NLCS at Baseball Prospectus [subscription NOT required], though he does pick his team to win in six games.

Advance Scouting the Washington Nationals

One hundred and fifty-nine down, three to go.

If the Phillies sweep their series with the Washington Nationals this weekend, it matters not what the Mets do in their three-game series with the Marlins.  Should the Phils win 2 out of 3, the worst they can do is end up with the Wild Card.

With those scenarios in mind, it's worth finding out from someone who follows the Nationals closely the type of team the Phillies will host this weekend.  The author of Nationals Enquirer was kind enough to oblige and answer some questions.

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The Nationals have a tendency to try and play spoiler this year as much as possible. Can the Phillies expect a fight this weekend?

I wouldn’t say the Nationals have a tendency to try to be a spoiler; it just sort of works out that way because, well, they stink, and inevitably they wind up playing contending teams in the NL East (i.e., the Mets and Phillies) in games that count late in the season. And of course when you’re facing a bunch of professional choke-artists like the Mets, you’re bound to win a few. 

With that said, the Phillies should expect the Nats to play hard this weekend, especially given the bad blood that has emerged between the two teams since last summer (when John Lannan broke Chase Utley’s hand with a pitch) which flared up a few times since then -- most recently earlier this month after Utley’s home plate collision with Nats’ catcher Jesus Flores (for the record, The Nationals Enquirer staff didn’t think it was a dirty play by Utley). We’ll see if there’s any carryover this weekend. At the very least, we’re hoping for a bench clearing brawl to keep it interesting (for us). 

It appears as if the Nationals front office is in turmoil. Will that be a distraction to the players? 

Only if the checks don’t get cut. I guess you’re asking if the turmoil could be a distraction next season; because at this point we’re talking about a 99-loss-and-counting team with 3 games to go before they get to go play golf for the next five months. Distraction, disinterest, etc. set in months ago (which is not to say I think the Nats will simply lie down this weekend – see my previous answer). But yeah, there have been lots of rumors swirling recently about strained relations between the Lerner Family (Principal owners) and Stan Kasten (team president), and Stan Kasten and Jim Bowden (GM). But if there’s going to be a shakeup of any kind in the Nats’ FO, which will be (pick one) either Kasten stepping down or Bowden getting canned, my guess is that it will happen quickly (think: Monday, September 29) and will not bleed over into next season. At this point though, I’m guessing nothing changes. 

Who's hot? Who's not? 

Hot? Left-handed reliever Mike Hinckley, who back in 2005 was the top ranked prospect in the Nationals’ organization (which, considering MLB’s scorched-earth policy on the Expos farm system, isn’t saying much), then got injured and struggled mightily in the minors for the last few years before earning a September call up. Since being called up, he’s got a 0.00 ERA in 11.2 innings, 8 strikeouts. He's one of the few feel-good stories for the Nationals this season. 

Can we skip the “Who’s not?” question? Thanks. It’s been a long season. 

Any particular player or prospect on the current roster fighting hard so as to impress for next year? 

There are a few guys in that category, namely the aforementioned Hinckley. I’d probably put CF Roger Bernadina (who hasn’t shown he can handle major league pitching, but has wheels and is solid with the glove) in there too, since he’s got an outside shot at being a fourth outfielder next season. Then there’s a whole boatload of slick-fielding, can’t-hit middle infielders jockeying for position (Alberto Gonzalez, Anderson Hernandez, Emilio Bonifacio). 

But maybe the most interesting guy to watch this weekend is veteran reclamation project Odalis Perez, who managed to resurrect his career in Washington this season – he went from signing a minor league deal in the spring, to Nats’ Opening Day starter, to becoming one of the most consistent starters in their rotation (much better than his 7-11 record indicates). He’d probably love to come back to Washington next year, but there’s a chance that with another solid start under his belt to finish up the 2008 campaign, especially against a team like the Phillies, other teams might start sniffing around. His performance to-date this year has guaranteed him a job somewhere next season, the question is where and for how much money. 

Finally, John Lannan and Odalis Perez, both left-handers, are listed as the probable starters for Friday and Saturday. For Sunday, game number 162, Shairon Martis, righty, is schedule for Sunday. What kind of pitcher is Martis? 

Because of last night’s rainout, the starting assignments have gotten shuffled around a bit. Martis, who has shown flashes of potential but has been inconsistent in four starts, will pitch out of the bullpen. Rookie Collin Balester, who was slated to start last night, will pitch tonight; John Lannan will go Saturday; Odalis Perez will go Sunday. Weather permitting, of course. 

With any luck, they’ll play all three games this weekend, and like the Nationals, the Phillies will start their off-season late Sunday afternoon.

What can you tell us about Balester?

Balester was one of the top rated pitchers in the Nats' minor league system going into the season; got called up in from AAA Columbus in July, and has stuck around in the rotation since. Fastball in the low-to-mid 90s. He's shown flashes of his potential, but has been mostly inconsistent -- and not just from game-to-game, but from inning-to-inning, really. Got knocked aroundhis last time out (against the Padres, no less). Hasn't won a game (or been involved in a decision) since August 26th.

Advancing the... San Diego Padres

Beginning tonight, the Phillies return to town after a 5-2 road trip and host the Padres for a three-game series.  In the first game of the series, Greg Maddux is scheduled to face off against Cole Hamels and coincidentally, both of these pitchers came up in the Q/A's that Geoff Young and I did with each other in previewing the series for our readers.  Young writes Ducksnorts, one of the original baseball blogs, as well as Knuckle Curve, Baseball Digest Daily, and The Hardball Times.  Look for my answers to his questions at Ducksnorts and below are his answers to mine, another installment in our "Advancing the..." series.

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Greg Maddux seems to be up to his old tricks again this year, and they really are old tricks.  How amazing is he to watch?  Think he would be drafted if he were coming out today?

Maddux is a treat to watch. His fastball runs about 83-85 mph these days but it still has that great movement in toward right-handed hitters. Maddux pitches like a guy who throws 10 mph faster and works both sides of the plate. It's amazing how many bats he breaks. I also love watching him field his position. With all the Gold Gloves on his mantel, I thought that maybe some of that was reputation, but he really gives the Padres an extra infielder when he's out on the mound. As for whether he'd be drafted with his current skills today, I doubt it. He lacks size and velocity. If he worked in the high-80s, then maybe.

From our perspective, it looks as if Randy Wolf, a former Phillie, used the Phillies this offseason as a way to leverage more money from the Padres.  How's Randy doing for you guys?

Something tells me this guy
wouldn't be drafted either.

Considering that Wolf took a pretty hefty cut from what the Dodgers gave him last year, I can't complain. On the field, he dominated in his first three starts (including a no-hitter into the seventh against Colorado), but has been knocked around a bit the last two times out. Both of those came against the Diamondbacks, who are knocking everyone around right now. It's early, but I've been pleasantly surprised by Wolf so far. I remain skeptical of his ability to make it through an entire season healthy.    

Last season, it looked like Justin Germano might be the one the Phillies let get away.  This season doesn't look as good, how short of a leash is he on?

Germano is 2-12 with a 5.57 ERA since June 15 of last year, so I'm thinking the leash is pretty short. Mark Prior's timetable isn't clear, but Clay Hensley is rehabbing at Triple-A Portland. Hensley finished 10th in the NL in ERA in 2006. If he's healthy, he's a better option than Germano, who right now is benefiting from a profound lack of viable alternatives.     

The Padres are off to a poor start that there a lot of expensive players, particularly in the outfield, on the team.  Doing so now would be very premature, but at what point does management try to unload them?

I would think we'll have a pretty good idea after 60 games or so. Brian Giles might have some use to a contending team (hopefully the Padres), but I don't see Jim Edmonds being movable.     

Petco Park is so spacious and Citizens Bank Park is the exact opposite.  Do you think it can get inside the head of Padres hitters when they come here, getting too aggressive and trying to do too much?

This seemed to be more of a problem when the park first opened. Last season the Padres really took advantage of Petco, outscoring their opponents by a healthy margin. They also accounted for 61.5% of all home runs hit at Petco, which was the highest percentage of homers hit by a home team in MLB in 2007. That said, I expect that it does wear on guys at times. What's really killing the Padres on offense right now, though, is the inability to do anything while leading off an inning. As a team, they're hitting .150/.214/.210 in those situations, which is unacceptable at the big-league level.

Thanks Geoff!

Advancing the... Milwaukee Brewers

Continuing the "Advancing the..." series at BS&S.com, we turn to Jeff Sackmann, contributor to BrewCrewball.com, The Hardball Times, Beyond the Boxscore, and Heater Magazine, as well as creator of the wonderful sites Minorleaguesplits.com and Collegesplits.com.

By the way, as a quid pro quo, I answered some questions for Jeff at BrewCrewball.com which will appear later today at 2PM EST.

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Here in Philadelphia, we have Ryan Howard, a hulking, slugging, strikeout-prone, home-run launching, clumsy fielding first-baseman, who reminds people of Cecil Fielder, a player who had some great years in his late-20's and was done at the age of 34.  Presently, Howard's batting average sits south of .200 and people are beginning to wonder if a long-term deal might not be the best thing for the Phillies, rather, go year-to-year in arbitration and let him walk as a free agent at the age of 32.  Similarly, the Brewers have a similar first baseman whose batting average also sits south of .200 and who reminds people of Cecil Fielder even more than Howard, for obvious reasons.  Are there the same misgivings about along-term deal in Milwaukee? 

The bigger concern around here is whether Prince--and his agent, Scott Boras--would even consider a long-term deal before he hits free agency.  There's also the possibility that his defense will deteriorate; he keeps himself in very good shape and is a better all-around player than his dad was, but he isn't a very good defender, and that's more likely to get worse than get better.  As for the batting average, Fielder has been hitting the ball hard even when the results haven't come, so I don't think that a slow start is causing any reevaluation. 

Jeff, you've been consulting with major league teams recently.  Without breaking any confidentiality agreements, what can you tell us about the work you've been doing? Most importantly, are you having fun with it? 

My partner, Kent Bonham, and I aggregate and analyze college baseball stats.  It's more or less the same project as Retrosheet, only updated daily, and covering about 350 college teams at this point.  Sometimes it's fun, but there's always a danger involved in turning a hobby into a job. 

J.J. Hardy is killing my fantasy team.  Which is more of an aberration, his 2007 season or his start for '08? 

He's better than his .214 batting average would suggest, but he isn't as good as his ridiculous April of last year.  275/325/425 seems about right to me, and while it might not give your fantasy team what it needs, it (and Hardy's solid defense) is enough for the Brewers. 

What pitchers are the Phillies likely to see in the series with the Brewers and what can we expect from them? 

You've lucked out.  Ben Sheets is missing his start, so it's Dave Bush Wednesday.  Bush historically has strong peripherals, but he has a unique talent for allowing the double to the gap.  He pitches to contact, and as his pitch count climbs, pitching to contact starts to look a bit like batting practice.  Jeff Suppan goes Thursday, and he's the same guy he's been for years.  A pretty good bet for six innings, and not a very good bet for dominance. 

When the Phillies meet the Brewers, the Brewers will have just finished up a 3-game set with the Cardinals.  Are they for real? 

The Cards are better than I expected, but I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop with their starting pitching.  Maybe I'm just stubborn, but I refuse to believe that Braden Looper is even a reasonable option in a major league rotation.  And they're getting good production from what should be a very weak bottom of the order, which usually consists of guys like Yadi Molina, Adam Kennedy, and Cesar Izturis.  I've
adjusted my guess from 75 to 80 wins, but it'll be awhile before I'm willing to go higher than that. 

It's been five years.  Would it be possible for Randall Simon safely walk down the street in Milwaukee? 

Oh yeah.  I think if he brought a case of Miller Lite he'd be welcome at most of the pre-game tailgates.

Advancing the Mets

The Advanced Scouting series returns for the three game set the Phillies are about to embark upon in the not-so-friendly confines of Shea Stadium.  For this interview, we have input from D.J. Short of Mets Blog, Dan Scotto of Mets Geek and Greg Prince of Faith and Fear in Flushing.  Without further ado, their thoughts to my questions...

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When the Mets acquired Johan Santana, nearly everyone with an opinion thought he put the Mets back on top in the NL East.  That remains to be seen, but what kind of difference has he made so far for the Mets in this young season?

Short: The impact is tangible. Spring Training would have been an ugly place to be had the Mets not acquired Santana. Make no mistake, Mets fans have not forgotten how last season ended, but the Santana trade allowed Mets fans to finally look forward to the new season instead of dwelling on 07's end. Also, with Pedro going down the first week, we learned that it pays to have a young, durable ace who can be relied upon every five days. Even on a day like Sunday, when you could tell he didn't have his best stuff, he kept the Mets in the game for as long as he was in there. Can't ask for much more than that.

Scotto: I think the Santana transaction has made a huge difference in a bunch of ways. I can imagine a scenario where the Mets hadn't traded for Santana, and Pedro got hurt on Opening Day, soon after the collapse and a relatively inactive offseason. I imagine that the whole thing would be very demoralizing, not to mention frightening, as far as the pitching staff itself goes. For fans, I think Santana has given us a reason to hope. The Mets were an aging team that had just finished one of the worst collapses in baseball history. Now they're an aging team that just finished one of the worst collapses in baseball history... but one that also has the best pitcher in the game in his prime. It makes it a lot easier to swallow, certainly.

Prince: Two starts, one win, not quite dazzling but definitely the stuff of aces. Santana's been good for seven innings twice and if we are to assume pitchers get stronger after their first couple of starts, that bodes well for a staff whose bullpen is a game of Lotto most days.

I tend to think that the way the NL East shook out in 2007 was more about how the Phillies played in September than how the Mets choked or fell apart.  What's your opinion?  Based upon what you have seen so far in '08, would you say there is a carry over?

Short: I think it depends on what side of the fence you are on. In September, I saw teams that the Mets should have easily handled (Marlins, Nationals) give them fits. Jose Reyes couldn't buy a hit, or a stolen base, even. The starters couldn't last more than five innings, and the bullpen, who was missing Billy Wagner in some crucial situations, was dangerously over-extended. It was a tragic cocktail that led to the Mets demise. An average, even sub-par month, and they would have won the division going away. It took a historic collapse to make it happen. I'm convinced of that.

One week in, it's hard to really tell if it's crossed over. Jose Reyes is definitely the player to watch this season, though. I'm still not sure if his struggles were a mirage or not.

Scotto: Oh, as a Met fan, I'm always going to be more critical of my team than complementary towards the other team, but that's just the nature of being a fan.

The Mets played below .500 from early June onward. In September, their starting rotation and bullpen both imploded, and their lineup stopped hitting, save David Wright and Carlos Beltran.

But really, credit where its due: the Phils played out of their minds down the stretch, and they beat the Mets in the final eight games that they played. It wasn't like the Phillies lucked into it; they really earned it.

Prince: History was definitely a team effort. That is to say the Phillies couldn't have done it without the Mets and the Mets couldn't have done it without the Phillies. One refused to lose, the other chose not to win. Oh well. For '08, I assume the Phils have a little more
confidence than they would have had they not surged to the division title. The Mets look a bit lost right now, but that could just be first-week shakeout. We won't know about carryover until we're a month into the season. If it makes you feel any better, I'm not looking forward to seeing the Phillies, not out of fear, just because I don't need September 2007 flashbacks so soon.

Pedro Martinez has been diagnosed with a mild hamstring strain that will keep him out for 4-6 weeks.  How long would a moderate hamstring strain keep him out of action for?  Would a severe one necessitate amputation?  In all seriousness though, how long do you think he will really miss?

Short: I have no idea what to believe anymore with Pedro. At this point, I have to say that anything the Mets get from him is bonus. The Mets have played the better part of the last two seasons without him, and they acquired Santana, so their identity is not dependent on him anymore. Frankly, I wouldn't mind him sitting out until the All-Star break and come back strong and rested. But I'm not holding my breath on that one, either.

Scotto: Heh, good question. I don't really mind if they hold him out for a little bit longer than they would normally, with a standard pitcher injury. I think that a well-rested Pedro down the stretch would be a useful component, and as a 36-year old guy with arm problems and now leg problems, he's best described as "fragile." If he gives you 20 good starts this year, you're quite happy as a Mets fan.

I really don't know enough about sports medicine to give you a good estimate, but I'll predict he's on the mound at Shea before Memorial Day. That's not a particularly bold statement, but as a fan, I try to keep my expectations low.

Prince: We're not a doctor and we don't play one on our blog, but we have learned that Pedro time clocks differently than any other kind. If you take the forecasts literally, that baseball activity resumes in four weeks and you throw in the rehab starts and the inevitable setbacks, I'd be surprised to see him back before July. This way I'll be pleasantly surprised if he makes it back by June.

As of right now, the Mets are 2-3, which is perfectly fine for this time of year, but lets say the Mets are 10-14 or so on April 31st, how much longer is Willie Randolph the manager?

Short: If the Mets start 10-14, people will be freaking. Talk radio will be buzzing. Wallace Matthews will be calling for his resignation in Newsday. The Wilpons will give him a vote of confidence. All true. But unless a team in the division seriously pulls away from the pack, it's no reason for Willie to pack his bags. If the Mets are 14 games back like the Yankees were last May, get back to me.

Scotto: Fascinating question. I would bet that Randolph keeps his job if the Mets make the playoffs, and gets fired if they don't make the playoffs. In season, though, I think it would take a truly disastrous start to prompt a Randolph firing. Perhaps... 15-30 or something along the lines of what Oakland or Houston did a few years back. If they're just hovering at 22-23 or something at that point, though, I think Randolph will face a hostile New York media but won't have much reason to lose sleep.

Prince: Well, if the Mets have any kind of record on April 31st, you'd have a scoop, given that there are 30 days this month [Mets and their fancy calendars!]. But seriously...it will take an immense letdown for Willie to be let go in 2008. Ownership values stability almost as much as results at this point and I don't think they want to go into the Citi Field era with a reputation as an organization in flux. Things would have to get pretty bad for Willie to be in serious trouble before the All-Star break. A few games under .500 after one month won't move the needle, though it might make for a few headlines.

This is the last season for Shea Stadium.  Will you miss it next year? Personally, I couldn't wait for the Phillies to say goodbye to Veteran's Stadium a few years ago...

Short: Shea Stadium certainly has it's fair share of charm and history, but a new stadium is long overdue. It won't take me very long to get over it. I'll put it that way.

Scotto: I tend to subscribe to the "It's a dump, but it's our dump" mentality of someone who grew up going to the occasional game there. My memories of the place will remain forever, though; I had the privilege of being at the post-9/11 game at Shea and I will never forget that night. I also strongly resent the significant seat reduction at the new park. It will be almost impossible to get tickets in the early going.

With that said, I think that they needed a new stadium pretty badly. The only thing I would ask of the Mets would be to place "historical markers" in the parking lot where Shea is knocked down, like, "This was where Tommy Agee made a great catch during the '69 World Series," "This is where the ball went through Buckner's legs," and "This is where Robin Ventura was mobbed by Todd Pratt in Game 5 of the '99 NLCS," "This is where Endy Chavez made the greatest catch in Mets' history," etc. I think it would be a nice touch.

Prince: Right now, it is an article of faith with me that I will miss Shea. It's been my home since I was 10, not just my home away from home. I think Shea is unique among the parks of its era, not just another cookie-cutter if you got to know it really well (consider the
horseshoe, the original mod '60s exterior, just the friendliness of it in its youth). One year from now if I'm sitting in Citi Field and having a Citizens Bank like experience, I might be wondering "what did I think I was going to miss again?" But the memories are in Shea and
the 55,000+ seats are in Shea, so I don't think I'll flip that fast. You have to be a Mets fan to love Shea, but I'm a Mets fan, so I do.

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Thanks again to Greg, D.J., and Dan.  And, may the best team win this week, unless of course thats not the Phillies!

Advancing the Washington Nationals

Beginning with every series the Phillies have this season, we'll interview a writer who covers the opposing team.  The interviews will be called "Advancing the ________".  "Advancing" as in "advance scouting."

As part of our Opening Day Series, I interviewed Charlie, the author of The Nationals Review about, what else, the Washington Nationals.  Oh, and also Teddy Roosevelt.

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The Nationals outfielders hardly resemble the ones from '07.  How are the changes shaping up?

For a team that hasn't had a CF since they've moved to DC, it's real exciting to see Milledge out there. He appears to be ready to play full time, and has already displayed the kind of gap to gap line drive hitting that we expected. Dukes has yet to show what he is capable of, although his power his definitely there, he'll need some time. Wily Mo should spend most of his time demolishing lefties, while avoided righty starters. Either way, all potential aside, it looks stronger than starting Nook Logan, Chris Snelling and Ryan Church.

Ten years from now, will Ryan Zimmerman be known as a light hitting thirdbaseman who can really pick it or will he be known more as a great all-around player? [Ed. note:  This question was asked before Zimmerman hit the walk-off game-winning home-run in the very first game every held at Nationals Park on Sunday night.]

Ten years from now Ryan Zimmerman will be considered a great all around player. At only 22 he's already shown that much. The question is whether he can hit .290 and 25 HRs or .325 and 35 HRs.

Manny Acta seems to be pretty popular in the Natosphere.  Where does he stand in terms of the league's managers?

Manny is extremely well-liked among his players, the media, and the team ownership. He is a hands on guy who throws BP, spends hours in spring training going over baserunning at each base for all his players, and isn't afraid to say what he means. After one season he's shown that he can motivate a team and manage well, while showing the patience and diligence needed to coach a young team.  Ranking him among the rest of the league is a bit premature... but I'd still take him over Dusty Baker.

Complete the following sentences....  "The Nationals will finish _____th in the NL East, despite great _________.  __________ was their downfall."

The Nationals will finish 4th in the NL East, despite great young talent, a solid roster and a great bullpen. Lack of major league-ready starting pitching was their downfall.

Who wins a footrace, the Teddy Roosevelt mascot or the Phillie Phanatic?

I've gotta take Teddy over the Phanatic on this one. TR was the youngest president, an avid outdoorsman, and scaled San Juan Hill with the Rough Riders.  The Phanatic has a little too much junk in the trunk, as evidenced by his 90" waistline. Now if you had asked about racing that bookworm Thomas Jefferson, I might take the Phanatic.