National League (MLB)

We Knew This Mets Season Would Be Weird, But We Had No Idea Aliens Would Be Involved

It's a dirty job, but someone had to do it. Seems that the Mets swapped cities with the Toronto Blue Jays and traded up for their Triple-A franchise. Now, if you want to see the Mets' next hot pitching prospect, Zack Wheeler, you'll have to fly to Vegas. But the Mets didn't just acquire a new minor ... More >>

Oh Dear God -- It's Time for Another Mets Season

It's a drab, uninspiring team from the starting lineup to the rotation to the bullpen, but at least they'll look good. The 2013 Mets have eliminated all traces of black from their uniforms and replaced it with the traditional blue and orange. For home games they'll wear the occasional blue jerseys w ... More >>

Where to Get Cheesesteaks and Tofu Desserts in Hell's Kitchen

Welcome to Drinks, Dinner, and Dessert, in which we share three picks in one neighborhood, keeping an eye out for deals, off-the-menu items, and new stuff to check out. This week, get off the C train at 50th Street and use these suggestions to guide you through Hell's Kitchen.

Jon Stewart on R.A. Dickey: How Will the Mets Screw This Up?

According to R.A. Dickey's agent, Bo McKinnis, negotiations between his client and the New York Mets are solid in terms of "a series of potential structures and lengths." What, then, are the sticking points? Bo says, "We've got a difference in terms of the actual dollars per season." In other ... More >>

The Sleazy Mets

Last month, Mets GM Sandy Alderson called R.A. Dickey "one of our two core players" in the Mets organization - the other, of course, being David Wright. On Thursday, Alderson changed his tone: "It would be a little unusual to trade Cy Young winner " - everyone is assuming, rightfully so I think, th ... More >>

Free Will Astrology: October 31–November 6

Dickey V. Gonzalez In Battle For Cy Young Love

Tonight's matchup of the Mets and Washington Nationals gets about as anticipated as a game can get with no postseason at stake. The Mets, after all, have had just two Cy Young winners in their 50 year history -- Tom Seaver (1969, 1973 and 1975) and Dwight Gooden (1985). I don't know whether R.A. Di ... More >>

Melky Cabrera Juiced! Say It Ain't So!

All season long, Yankee fans have been tearing their hair out watching two former pinstripers, Melky Cabrera and A.J. Burnett, outperforming their Yankee selves by a wide margin. Since the Yankees have a tendency to bring nearly all ex-bombers back for another try (a practice they may have abused in ... More >>

Relief For Mets Is In Sight -- And His Name Is R.A. Dickey

Late Saturday afternoon Mets fans got a surprise when Terry Collins brought in R.A. Dickey to pitch the 9th inning. Dickey gave up a home run to Juan Uribe, a .181 hitter. It was irrelevant since the Mets were trailing 6-5 and did not score in their half of the 9th.Nonetheless, it was an interesting ... More >>

How Does The Mets 1962-2012 All-time Team Stack Up to The Yankees?

Last night, SNY broadcast the Mets All-time Team 1962-2012 from the 92nd Street Y. I love programs like this -- the video clips, the debates on old ballplayers, et al. The voting panel of the Daily News' John Harper and Mike Lupica, the Post's Mike Vaccaro, MLB.com's Marty Noble, and Mets broadcast ... More >>

In Mets-Rays Match, Will R.A. Dickey Reach MVP Status?

I'm trying to remember -- was last night the first time ever that Yankees fans rooted for the Mets and vice versa? The two teams helped each other out by whipping the others' division rivals, and in doing so, I think, helped give good definition of their teams' respective character. The Mets, beati ... More >>

Get Your Mets No-Hitter Tickets! (Actual No-Hitter Not Included)

Bummed that you missed out on history when Johan Santana (with assists from Mike Baxter and Adrian Johnson) hurled the first no-hitter in Mets history? Now you can remedy that retroactively, by buying "reprinted" tickets to Johan's no-no from the Mets website: As a loyal Mets Fan, we are pleased to ... More >>

A New York Team Didn't Sign Roy Oswalt?

The Texas Rangers are probably the best team in baseball, and that is, in large part, because they are also the smartest. Nolan Ryan took a gamble today, and it's the best kind of gamble: one that doesn't cost a lot of money and one with a good probability of delivering some dividends. Roy Oswalt i ... More >>

BATTER UP

The Mets face off against the Phillies

The Mets Are Above .500 -- Compliments Of David Wright

On Opening Day if someone had offered you a bet that after 41 games the Mets would have a better record than the Yankees, would you have taken it? I think you would. I would have taken it in a heartbeat. But after the Yankees' loss to Cincinnati yesterday in a dreary 5-2 game, and the Mets 6-5 vict ... More >>

Mets Thief Charles Samuels Banned From Citi Field For Life

A Queens man who's been part of the New York Mets organization for more than 30 years is officially banned from the team's ballpark for life after pleading guilty to stealing more than $2 million worth of Mets memorabilia from the franchise.Additionally, former Mets clubhouse manager Charles Samuels ... More >>

Good News for Mets Fans: We're Just $83 Mil More in the Hole!

And you thought losing Jose Reyes was bad. A short time ago, U.S. District Court Judge Jed S. Rakoff ruled that Mets principal owners Fred Wilpon, the Wilpon family, and their businesses and charities must pay at least $83.3 million to the trustee -- that's Irving Picard, in case you haven't been ... More >>

Six New York Acts That The Mets Should Consider For Future Post-Game Concerts

As the baseball season nears, the announcements of the season's schedule of promotions steadily increases, and over the weekend the Mets announced that for their 50th anniversary they'd be throwing a three-show postgame concert series in 2012. The lineup: the hesher-pop outfit REO Speedwagon (June 1 ... More >>

Are the Mets Not Playing Kosher?

If some can claim that Barack Obama violates religious freedom by forcing insurance companies to provide birth control, then what can we call the situation developing at Citi Field? Yesterday, Judge Jack Weinstein tossed out a lawsuit brought by Kosher Sports against the New York Mets for prohibiti ... More >>

We're Mad-off as Hell! There's a Site for Frustrated Mets Fans

​Are you as sick about the loss of Jose Reyes as I am? Have you had it with the bullshit excuses from the Mets front office about Reyes's injuries? (Didn't Mickey Mantle have a lot of injuries? Would you have signed Mickey at age 28, the age Jose is now?) Are you angry at the insult to the Me ... More >>

Mets' CBA Quandary: Should Wright Stay or Should He Go?

The new five-year collective bargaining agreement signed by baseball owners and players yesterday features a list of tweaks to rules big and small: Among other things, fair/foul calls can now be overruled by instant replay, teams can activate a 26th man for doubleheaders, and those shatter-prone map ... More >>

Euro Crisis Meeting; Earthquake in Turkey; Gaddafi's Autopsy

​EU leaders are in Brussels today for a crisis meeting on how to resolve the Euro's financial woes. Germany is resisting calls to increase the bailout fund and cut Greece's debt. Bloomberg reports "measures on the table include writedowns of as much as 50 percent on Greek debt, 100 billion eur ... More >>

Those Glorious '86 Mets — Hey, Where Are the Celebrations on Their Silver Anniversary?

Strawberry!Did I miss it, or has someone written tributes to the 1986 Mets that I didn't see? October 18 marks the 25th anniversary of the first game of the great 1986 World Series, and we just passed the 25th anniversary of perhaps the greatest division series ever, the one with the Houston Astros ... More >>

Jose Reyes: A Franchise Player the Mets Can't Possibly Replace?

​Judging from the enthusiasm being displayed on the radio call-in shows, Mets fans may be putting a little too much stock in Jose Reyes' resounding statement on Friday that he's not going to go with Scott Boras as his agent in upcoming contract negotiations. That is, if they are assuming t ... More >>

Five Novelty Songs That Were In Heavy Rotation During The Z Morning Zoo's Golden Era

​Today the AV Club has a feature up on enjoyable novelty songs that namechecks (among others) the sitcom-created boyband 2ge her, the musical works of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Barnes & Barnes' seminal "Fish Heads," not to mention good old "Weird Al" Yankovic. Any discussion of novelty s ... More >>

The New York Mets: I'd Buy That for a Dollar!

​So what's the story? Can David Einhorn take over the Mets for just $1 in three years or can't he? According to the usually reliable Mike Ozanian at Forbes.com yesterday, "In three years hedge fund manager David Einhorn could gain control of the New York Mets for $1. "Last month, Einhorn ... More >>

TAKE ME OUT

Minor-league ball is back

Blaming Mets Stars: Just a Prelude to a Fire Sale?

​Now it's Jason Bay who we're told symbolizes what's wrong with the Mets. You might have thought it was Bernie Madoff, but a couple of weeks ago it was Luis Castillo, and this week it's Bay. According to ESPNNewYork's Rob Parker, "It may sound a bit harsh, but in reality, Bay represents all th ... More >>

Why The Mets Are Only Going to Get Even Worse

​Just when you think things can't get any worse for the Mets, you think they can get worse. As Bill Madden points out in today's Daily News, the Mets don't have much to look forward to in the free agent market this winter "when the two biggest sluggers coming to the market, Albert Pujols an ... More >>

Jose Reyes To the Yankees? Sad to Say, It Might Happen

​Every Mets fan knows the answer to this trivia question: Who has played the most continuous games in a Mets uniform? Ed Kranepool, of course, with 1,853 games. But do you know who number two and three are? David Wright (1,006) and Jose Reyes (926). Those of us who have enjoyed watching ... More >>

Luis Castillo Gets Scapegoated by Sandy Alderson: Who's Next?

​If the Mets' handling of Luis Castillo is an indication of things to come, the so-called rebuilding of the team is going to be a lot of smoke and mirrors and scapegoats. Make no mistake, that's largely what Sandy Alderson has done by releasing the man who's been the team's second baseman for ... More >>

Forget Wilpon/Madoff Mess. If Johan Santana's Not Back Soon, Forget the Mets.

Santana: A wing and a prayer​Forget Bernie Madoff, Fred Wilpon, and all the other off-field disasters the New York Mets organization has been through over the past few months and focus on one thing: If Johan Santana is not back by the end of June or at least early July, and back the way the way he ... More >>

Who Wants to Be the Next Mets Owners?

​This morning's New York Post made it a lot easier to set up your office "Who's going to end up owning the Mets once the Wilpons have to repay their Madoff money?" pool, by running a helpful list of rich guys who, it claims, are in the running to buy at least a share of the Amazin's. Less help ... More >>

If Mets Go Under, Who Pays for Citi Field?

​If the last ten days in the life of Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon were a baseball game, they would have been shut out, made 17 errors, and hit into a game-ending unassisted triple play. (That last feeling, admittedly, is one that they're already familiar with.)

The 10 Best Rightblogger Rants of 2010: Obama vs. Jesus, The Sperm Donor Menace, And More!

What a horrible year it's been. There's been something to annoy everyone, and everyone took full advantage: The health care bill, the Tea Party, the BP spill, the Ground Zero Mosque, the Glenn Beck and Jon Stewart rallies, the Republican Comeback, the enhanced TSA patdowns, WikiLeaks -- and every bi ... More >>

Pirates-Yankees 1960 Tonight, Thanks to Bing Crosby

​Bing Crosby didn't know it, but when he took off for Paris on October 12, 1960, he left us all with a wonderful Christmas present. Bing was part owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates and fearful that his National League champions were no match for the Mickey Mantle-Roger Maris-Whitey Ford Yankees. ... More >>

With Cliff Lee, Will the Phillies Rotation Be the Best Ever?

​Does the acquisition of Cliff Lee give the Philadelphia Phillies the best rotation in baseball history? That's a little premature, but you can certainly make a good argument. Right now, Roy Halliday, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels certainly look to rank with the 1954 Cleveland In ... More >>

Jerry Manuel Has Great Year, Gets Fired By the Mets Anyway

​Bye-bye, Jerry. Lost so far in the blizzard of post-Omar Minaya commentary is real discussion about whether or not Jerry Manuel should also have been fired. For those of us who like and respect Manuel and think he did a good job of keeping a potential circus atmosphere under control, the ques ... More >>

ELI EXPRESSWAY

Don’t even think about driving to the Giants game

Jamba Juice to Expand Coffee & Breakfast; Pizza Hut to Slash Prices

​In an effort to turnaround lagging sales, Jamba Juice says it's considering expanding its new hot coffee service, as well as breakfast, and may add drive-thru locations. [Nation's Restaurant News] Mets slugger Carlos Beltran has had so many meals at Sofrito that he is now a partner in the re ... More >>

Francisco Rodriguez: The Mets Only Now Realize He's Not a Nice Guy?

​In case you weren't sitting in front of your computer last night at 8:29 p.m. EDT, you might have missed the announcement that the Major League Baseball Players Association filed a grievance against the New York Mets in support of Francisco Rodriguez. The only surprise is that it took the uni ... More >>

Bobby Thompson's Famous Homer and Yogi's Famous Saying

​On October 3, 1951, the Giants' Bobby Thomson - who died yesterday at age 86 - did more than hit the most famous home run in baseball history. He also inspired one of baseball's most famous sayings. The Yankees had clinched the American League pennant just a couple of days before the Giant ... More >>

Three Days at Shea: All Heaven Broke Loose

​Clip Job: an excerpt every day from the Voice archives. October 23, 1969, Vol. XIV, No. 54 Three Days at Shea: All Heaven Broke Loose by Joe Flaherty It is no small wonder that H.L. Mencken was a cranky fellow. Living in Baltimore can do that to a man. Its proximity to New York is so close, ... More >>

Mets Suspend Francisco Rodriguez for Two Days as Punishment for Assault Arrest

​The New York Mets closer known to fans as K-Rod was arrested yesterday for punching his father-in-law, Carlos Pena, at the lounge for players' families at Citi Field, and today the Mets announced his slap on the wrist: a two-day suspension without pay, which means a loss of $125,683 of Francisco ... More >>

With Mets One Win from a Pennant, the Voice Actually Goes to a Game!

​Clip Job: an excerpt every day from the Voice archives. October 2, 1969, Vol. XIV, No. 51 Young-at-Heart Mets Wait Till This Year! by Michael C.D. Macdonald The first game ever played at Shea Stadium had proved to be my last visit with the Mets. Feeling apart from the "new breed" of mid-sub ... More >>

GRAND SLAM

The Mets take on the St. Louis Cardinals

Johan Santana and Jerry Manuel Get Beaned by Daily News

Give the guy a break!There are some curious grades in today's Daily News midseason report on the Mets and Yankees. Andy Martino, evaluating the Mets, gives Johan Santana just a B . And Jerry Manuel gets just a B-?

At Gay Pride, Rightbloggers Try to Keep It On The Down-Low, But Some Out Themselves

Pride Week's a fun time to rightblogger-watch, because rightbloggers just don't know what to do about the gays. They must know straight America is losing its antipathy toward gay people -- Hell, even TGI Fridays is down with Pride. And some insist that the gay-hating stuff is behind them, too. Bu ... More >>

Ron Darling On Turning 50: Please, No Party

​When Ron Darling made his first start for the New York Mets on September 6, 1983 (a well-pitched 2-0 loss to the Phillies), he became the first Yale University alum in 23 years to reach the major leagues. His 13-year tenure also included stints in Montreal and Oakland, a Gold Glove Award in 1 ... More >>