The Mets and Everything Else

I just can’t focus on baseball anymore. I don’t know what it is. Well, yeah, actually I do. The Mets are playing in the worst stadium in the world out in Puerto Rico against the Marlins and everybody on the team seemed as if they were sleeping.

It’s not just that the Mets lost. It was how they lost. Reyes actually mishandled a ground ball on that awful artificial turf, J. R. Dickey’s knuckler wasn’t knuckling in the high heat and humidity, and, wonder of wonders, Jason Bay actually hit a homer. That was when I was sure I was in the bizarro world.

Anyway, it didn’t feel like a major league game, it didn’t look like a major league game, and it smelled like something very distasteful, except to dogs, who of course will eat anything and usually leave whatever’s left on my lawn.

Two more of these and I’ll begin throwing up.

Truth be told, I’m getting a little concerned. When Santana doesn’t pitch like Santana, there’s every reason to worry. When Angel Pagan isn’t playing, I fret a little more. And the fellow playing second base concerns me a little (Tejada).

But then I remember we’re still not into the break, and, all things considered, if you had told me the Mets would be in contention at the break back in May, I would’ve been thrilled. Those were really the dog days of Gary Matthews and Mike Jacobs, John Maine and Ollie Perez, Reyes batting third, and Omar and Manuel worrying big-time.

Everything they’ve done since those meager times has worked. Ike Davis, Takahashi (who pitches tonight), Jonathan Niese, Reyes back leading off, and all is Wright with the world, heh-heh.

So why worry? Enjoy and try to forget about the soccer for a while.

Watching Japan and Paraguay take it into overtime, or extra time to be exact, I’m thinking it might be more exciting to get on my roof and remove the disgusting wet leaves from behind the chimney. After watching just about every game, or pieces of every game, I’ve come to one conclusion…soccer’s fun to watch if either team has any real strikers.

Otherwise, it’s watching grass grow. As excited as I was to see the U.S. team do so well, they were lucky to score , pouncing on rebounds more often than not. They had teamwork, no doubt, they played hard, but the closest thing they had to a striker, Altidore, just never seemed to get anything done. He could run, he could jump, he could spin, he could do everything but look like a striker.

If he were a wide receiver in football, he’d be Braylon Edwards, a guy who can do all those great athletic things, but catching the ball is not usually one of them.

And soccer needs to take advantage of technology. Either use instant replay on goal chances or get refs who can see, or who don’t cheat. They’re worse than the MLB umps behind the plate if that’s even remotely possible. The officiating in FIFA’s premiere event has been horrendous, costing the U.S. at least two goals and practically eliminating England from the tournament.

Watching the Dodgers play the Yankees the other night, Jonathan Broxton, the great Dodgers closer, got no strike calls on the corners while Mariano Rivera struck a Dodger out on a ball at least a foot outside. It’s disgusting really. The only reason there isn’t more of an outcry is that the baseball season is so long. And they say the calls tend to even out. I say….not always.

At least Wimbledon’s been exciting. I’ve been half watching those matches and it’s nice to have a changing of the guard, which seems to be happening to a large extent, especially on the women’s side. Venus Williams just lost to an unknown with great legs named Pironkova and Clijsters just lost too. And I’m watching now a great match between a Kanepi and Kvitova.

Of course, Serena’s still in there so I’ll be sure to NOT watch the final. Watching her match against Sharapova, it was kind of amusing to see her waste one of her hateful , baleful stares at the umpire for what she perceived as a bad line call, only then to realize that she could challenge if she so desired, which she of course did not. If only she were half as classy as her sister Venus…..

Japan and Paraguay are in a shootout as this is written. I wonder if the umps can screw this up. Paraguay scores on their first attempt. (This is pretty cool). Endo now scores for Japan. Paraguay goes up 2-1…just barely. Japan ties it. So far the shots have been great. Paraguay scores once again as the goalie guesses wrong. Now Japan misses, hitting the bar. Things look bleak for Japan. Paraguay hits again. Japan has to put this next one in and does, right down the middle as he fakes the goalie out. Now Paraguay calmly puts their last shot into the net. Cool finish for sure.

On the LeBron front, the Nets just dumped Xi, thank God, and increased their number under the cap so they can grab two premium free agents. If you think they have any chance of landing LeBron, you’re really an optimist, and really nuts.

I still think King James will wind up in Chicago. And good riddance. I can’t imagine what brand of team basketball would ever be played with a James on the team. I know one thing. Whoever gets him better have a center. If not, they won’t be getting past LA.

But soccer, tennis, basketball and football are only background music, especially prior to the Fourth Of July. I’ll just feel better when the Amazin’s are back in the good ol’ USA and back in a real live major-league stadium, if not the friendly confines of CitiField.

And a nice pick-me-up for the dog days of August would be a big, live-armed pitcher.