Wright Tries to Sabotage Yankees Season

Yankees catcher, Francisco Cervelli, was seen using David Wright's glove on Monday night. Cervelli was sent out to play thirdbase by Joe Girardi after Alex Rodriguez left the game with a calf injury and Ramiro Pena was replaced by a pinch-hitter.

We know a few things about David Wright and Francisco Cervelli. First, they're both a little weird. Wright has those perfectly sculpted salon-style eyebrows that I can't help look at even though they give me the creeps.

Meanwhile, Cervelli just has D-Bag written all over him. He's all about the over-exuberant 6th-inning fist pump during a Thursday afternoon game in April, and he reminds me of that guy in your Sunday baseball league that thinks everyone else is bushleague, even though he's the one that's acting like a tool and was playing catch on the infield dirt before the game.

So maybe these guys hang out on those Monday days off. Or, maybe this was David Wright's way of trying to hand off some of those strikeouts to the Yankees.

Mets Make Key Deadline Deal

With just 13 seconds left before the trading deadline, the Mets have traded GM Omar Minaya back to the Montreal Expos for the Youppi! costume.

Seriously, Minaya, it's time to go. There's the door. Your lying creepshow is over. Thanks for nothing.

Mustrash Talk

Let's Go Have a Beer, Doc

Wally Backman.

South Georgia Peanuts.

South Coast League.

2007.

This is a classic minor league ejection from a former backyard Mets-Thing legend.

The New Big Train

How angry is manager Jim Riggleman right now? The Nationals had Stephen Strasburg pitching in the minor leagues until last night, when he went off for 14 strikeouts against the Pirates in his major league debut. The Nats are actually contending this year. They could have used this kid in April and May. Riggleman should walk into GM Mike Rizzo's office and punch him in the face.

Maybe the Nationals were resting Strasburg, just waiting for June to come so he wouldn't log too many innings this season? Nope. They were pitching him. He threw 55 minor league innings in 11 starts before Tuesday night.

OK, so maybe they didn't think he wasn't ready? Nope. The kid finished his minor league stint with a 0.79 whip and 65 punchouts. Noone could possibly think he wasn't ready.

So what kept him in the minor leagues?.... Money. The Nationals simply tried to limit "Big Train" Strasburg's major league service time this season, which would make Strasburg ineligible for salary arbitration after the 2012 season. Basically, this would keep the Nats in control of his salary a little bit longer.

Of course, the Nats management says that all this minor league nonsense was part of Strasburg's "development plan", but I'm not buying it.

I think they simply made a mistake. Let's just say Strasburg started the season with the Nats, there is nothing that would make me believe that he wouldn't have pitched extremely well. The Nats could have had an extra 11 sellouts in his starts, and began making up that extra money they'll just end up paying him in the end anyway. Meanwhile, they'd have tons more fans and more W's in the standings.

I know some of you are saying that the Nats did a great job here. They got Strasburg some valuable minor league experience, meanwhile pumping up the hype machine to unbelievable heights. Last night was better than the two perfect games thrown this season, and the Jim Joyce game, combined. Then Strasburg lived up to the hype by going out and dealing while the whole baseball world was watching. Perfect.

Decent argument, but the Strasburg hype was already at stratosphere heights when he was in college last spring, and you can ask Mike Leake about whether he needed any minor league experience.

Riggleman is pissed.

Reyes 3rd? No. Wright 5th.

Lost in all the we're moving Jose Reyes to the 3-hole drama, was the best decision Jerry Manuel has made in a while.... moving David Wright down to the 5th spot in the batting order.

Mets-Thing correspondent, Cribs, has been calling for this move the last two seasons. Wright simply puts too much pressure on himself and his swing has turned into some kind of twisting upper-cut while he's stepping in the bucket.

Since moving down in the order, it is quite obvious that he is calmer in the batters box and taking more relaxed swings. His numbers since 4/23, the first day he returned to the 5-hole....

.343 BA, .368 OB%, .629 SLG%, 2 HR, 11 RBI

I, Davis.

On April 17, the Mets decided that they'd seen enough swings and misses out of firstbaseman Mike Jacobs, and designated him for assignment. Meaning, cut, see ya, get out of here you bum.

On April 19, the Mets decided that they'd call up firstbaseman Ike Davis, their 2008 1st round draft pick. The entire team was struggling. They couldn't sustain a rally offensively, and couldn't pitch.

After calling up Davis, the team has been on a 10-1 tear. Coincidence? We think "NO".

Davis has simply solidified the firstbase position. He has hit well so far and drawn some walks. Defensively, he doesn't look like the most gifted guy with the glove, but he looks the part and the infielders appear to be more comfortable letting throws go with his long arms over there to receive them.

We could be looking at the Mets firstbaseman of the next ten years.