Will Mo Finally Add Cy Young To Resume?

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mariano Rivera is a ridiculous human being. Via Rob Neyer:

• Here's a freak stat for you: Since the 12th of June, Mariano Rivera has exactly driven in as many runs as he's allowed: one apiece (freak stat via Cazzball).

Jeez. I think this man has to be the Cy Young. Sorry, Zack Grienke and Justin Verlander.

You Heard It Here First: Mets Will Play Until The Last Day Of The Season

I've been saying it to my friends and now I need to say it in public so I can be on record: despite how bad the Mets are playing, they will start mounting a comeback this season, springboarding a huge showing against the Rockies this week and push towards a playoff berth. They will play on the last day of the season with a chance to make the playoffs.

And they will lose again.

How is that for torture for Mets fans?

Some more fun links for Metropolitan fans:

• Deadspin looks into that unbelievably bizarre press conference. Amazin' Avenue has the transcript of the press conference. ShysterBall is amazed that Mets can even make the firing of Bernazard a crazy affair.
  
• Adam Rubin responds!
• Buster Olney says that Omar Minaya has shifted the glare to himself now and his own clock is ticking. Rob Neyer notes that Minaya is losing control.
• Deadspin on a sort-of-maybe apology from Minaya
• The New York Times looks at Bernazard's career before this debacle
• Deadspin takes a few more rips at the Mets (picture courtesy of Deadspin, too)
  

And, lastly, I don't know if SNY showing the whole press conference, the interviews afterwards, talking about it on the network and running clips of the meltdown on their website is one of two things: transparency from a team not trying to hide from its mistakes or complete and utter disdain for the fanbase which it seems to want to torture at every turn. It absolutely amazes me that a team that once employed drugged out Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry, (allegedly) women-crazy David Cone, firecracker-wielding Vince Coleman, poker-playing Rickey Henderson, reporter-threatening Bobby Bonilla, bleach-spraying Bret Saberhagen, sexually-harassing Steve Phillips and Mo Vaughn could only now be deemed a total mess.

Either way, it keeps A-Rod off the backpages so as a Yankees fan, I can't complain

Red Sox Moves: Plus LaRoche, Minus Lugo, Wake DL'ed

The Red Sox have made some moves lately. They designated Julio Lugo for assignment, they called up Clay Buchholz, they DL'ed Tim Wakefield and now they have traded for Adam LaRoche.

And since no matter what the standings show, Yankees fans are interested in the going ons on the other side of Connecticut, let's look at those moves:

Julio Lugo looked like a bad move from the beginning. The Red Sox have had a lot of pains trying to fill shortstop since Nomar Garciaparra worked his way out of Boston. Edgar Renteria didn't work and was paid to leave. Julio Lugo hasn't been much better. And Jed Lowrie has been beseiged by injuries. The Lugo downfall started when he lost playing time to Nick Green this year and, I believe, the last straw had to be when Lugo missed a workout and the team traveled without him (even though it supposedly wasn't his fault). Then when they tought about DFA'ing him, the Mets, Cubs and Cardinals asked about him, knowing full well, as MLBTradeRumors wrote, that the Red Sox would have to pick up most of the entire remaining salary. Rob Neyer wrote that it wasn't Lugo's bat that was hurting the Sawks, it was his glove. In the end, Lugo was DFA'ed and Ken Rosenthal thinks that in the end Lugo will just be flat-out released.

The Red Sox then had one pitcher come and one pitcher leave. Clay Buchholz came back from the minors to make the first start of the second half. The Red Sox said they made the move to give more rest to their starters--which makes some sense-- but I think the real reason was to showcase him in case someone was interested in trading for him. And then they put their top winner, Tim Wakefield, on the DL. I think that Wakefield's win total has been better than he's pitched, but this is still a loss for the BoSox.

Then the Red Sox went out and got themselves Adam LaRoche in a salary/personnel dump by the Pirates. This is the second time in a year that the Red Sox have been invovled in a trade with a LaRoche brother; Andy Laroche, Adam's brother, joined him in Pittsburgh via the Manny Ramirez 3-way trade at the 2008 deadline. Adam LaRoche is a decent hitter, but much better in the second half. Rob Neyer wonders why they made this move, though I think that LaRoche will be a good bench bat and fill-in at 1st, especially if Lowell needs to get some extra rest.

Great Tweet by Behind The Moat on the acquisition: I bet Adam LaRoche is excited to go to the Boston R...ooh, a bird! http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/12806524/ #mlb

And, lastly, to make sure this was somewhat about the rivalry, Peter Abraham writes about Red Sox owner John Henry taking a shot at the Yankees. Maybe he should start worrying about his own team slipping in the standings ;)

Hal Steinbrenner, Phil Hughes, Jack-O and Other Yankees Links

• Peter Abraham on Hal Steinbrenner: "The Yankees once had the most outspoken owner in sports. Now they have one of the quietest. Widely respected within the organization, Steinbrenner emerged as his family’s leader and the caretaker of an empire."
• Joel Sherman on Hal Steinbrenner: "Obviously, winning is the strongest inducement for fans. But part of that four million going through the turnstiles annually was about George Steinbrenner's penchant for making his organization must watch."
• Rob Neyer and Marc Craig both agree that Phil Hughes has been brilliant as a reliever but should ultimately be a starter. And Neyer says something I've been harping: "With all due respect to all the fine and wondrous relievers out there in Baseball Land, isn't Hughes yet another nail in their coffin, value-wise? Good relief pitchers are merely failed starters"
• According to Buster Olney the Yankees have the fourth hardest road to the playoffs in the American League. The good part? The Red Sox have a harder schedule. The bad part? The Rays have an easier schedule. The hardest part: "The Yankees actually have two West Coast trips remaining, including one more visit to their own private hell in Anaheim."
• Chop-n-Change has an interview with Jack-O of Bill Simmon's B.S. Report fame. Heeeerrrrre's Johnny! "The attention I've received from appearing on the BS Report has been kind of surreal, but very, very fun. As Bill and I have commented to each other, the conversations that we have are ones that we would have anyway (although there would probably be more swearing and political incorrectness) so it's funny that people seem to enjoy listening in."
• Erik Boland of Newsday says that despite injuries and inconsistencies, the Yankees are actually in good shape. "For a team that has suffered significant injuries to the lineup (Alex Rodriguez), the rotation (Chien-Ming Wang) and the bullpen (Brian Bruney) and a horrendous early-season slump of one of its three prize free agents (Mark Teixeira), the Yankees enter the second half with the second-best record (51-37) in the American League and lead the wild-card race. Really, that's the bottom line."
• Jon Heyman doesn't think that the Yankees are going to get Roy Halladay because the Blue Jays won't trade within the division. Even if they did, Heyman doesn't think the Yankees want to clear out their farm system of the best prospects: " and/or The Yankees are reluctant to "gut their system,'' according to one rival executive. The Yankees could easily form a nice trade package by including one of two young talented right-handers -- Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes -- plus catching prospect Jesus Montero and outfield prospect Austin Jackson."