LAS VEGAS – Mets manager Jerry Manuel arrived at the Bellagio late last night [around 11:30 p.m.] in advance of his conference with the media at 4:00 p.m. today.

- The Yankees will reportedly offer Ben Sheets a two-year offer today.

- The Mets will meet with free agent reliever Chad Cordero today. They met with closers Brian Fuentes and Trevor Hoffman yesterday. They will probably want Cordero in a set-up role.

- The Red Sox seem to be interested in Brian Schneider.

- Adam Rubin reports in the Daily News, Fuentes could also recieve a two-year deal.

- There seems to be a lot of clubs asking the Mets about Aaron Heilman.

Posted under Free Agency, Hot Stove

Good evening folks. What I’m hoping for tonight is for the Rays to prolong the Series and drag it out to seven. Just like the Red Sox did. Remember the beer commercial that had “man laws.”

I’m thinking there should be some baseball laws, too. The home team should win on Opening Day and the World Series should go seven. And, it would be nice if the National League won an occasional All-Star Game or two.

Anyway, I can tell by the nature of a lot posts that you guys are itching for the Hot Stove Season. It will be here enough. But, we’ve got a World Series to finish.

Posted under New York Mets

Lots of good discussion last night in Mets Chat Room. We’ll keep it up every Monday night in the off-season and, of course, we’ll talk during the World Series.

Woke up this morning with these items:

-The Mets and WFAN have re-upped their contract. It was a no-brainer. This is as good a time as any to ask who is your favorite and least-liked WFAN personality.

-Joba Chamberlain got into it with after being heckled by a Red Sox fan in a Nebraska strip club. Evidently, he was missed Crash Davis’ lecture that day. The papers said the Yankees would give Chamberlain “a second chance.” Really?

-The Yankees and Dallas Cowboys are in bed together. Legends Hospitality Management, a name that indicates a believe they are better than everybody else. It’s about concessions and merchandising sales. I’m waiting for the day when they merchandise oxygen.

Posted under New York Mets

Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli, who is from Rhode Island, on beating the Red Sox in the ALCS: “This might sound funny to everyone, but I don’t want to go home and have to see every single person that I know rub it in my face every single day for the rest of my life. And that would happen [if we lost]. I’m 100 percent serious. To beat those guys and not have to listen to everyone where I live, it’s a nice feeling.”

Baldelli will be a free-agent after the World Series and would fit in nicely in the Mets’ outfield.

Posted under New York Mets

Game 7. The ultimate in sports.

The Rays let the Red Sox back into the ALCS, and now Boston is on the verge of coming back for a third time since 2004 from a 3-to-1 deficit to advance to the World Series.

Whatever happens tonight, history will get made. Hope you join us tonight.

Posted under New York Mets

It has to be a good morning somewhere. Boston, perhaps? Gotta think they didn’t get much sleep in Tampa last night. If you’re the Rays you have to be a little concerned. The Red Sox have come back before.

Twice they’ve been down 3-to-1 (including 3-0 to the Yankees in 2004) and rallied. This is a team with a backbone. And, with Jon Lester pitching tonight, you have to like their chances. The decision to go to the bullpen instead of giving Scott Kazmir a shot to work out of trouble could be the turning point to the series.

Of course, I’ll blog the game with you tonight. I’ll also have a post up at 1 p.m., for those watching football.

Should be a fun day.

Posted under New York Mets

For all the talk of the thrill of Game 7, let us not forget, the appetizer is Game 6, and history has graced us with a lot of great memories of that game. The Buckner Game and the Marathon in the Dome are two you must surely remember.

Perhaps well have another tonight. How healthy is Beckett? That’s a major storyline for tonight. The reports are he’s lost up to four mph. off his fastball. The Rays handled him earlier in the ALCS.

However, the key to me is scoring early for the Rays. If they let the Red Sox get out to a big lead it will only fuel the momentum they created by stealing Game 5. The Red Sox believe they can come back as they did against the Yankees (2004) and Indians (2007), and the Rays have to quash that belief.

The Rays know they let Game 5 get away. They know this series should be over. But, it isn’t. They lost and must not lament. If they do, they’ll play again tomorrow, and that’s not to their advantage.

Posted under New York Mets

The Mets are quiet this afternoon and the ALCS is heading back to Florida. What a game last night. It’s a perfect time for Loose Threads, for you to tell what’s on your mind.

Loose Threads is this blog’s message board for anything and everything.

Some things you might want to discuss:

1. Do you think the Red Sox have turned it around?
2. Your thoughts on the Phillies’ chances regardless of their opponent.
3. The ever popular, who should the Mets keep or get rid of.
4. What about the Players Association sticking up for Barry Bonds?

If you’re dry on the Mets or baseball, how about:

5. Your favorite Rolling Stones song.
6. College football this weekend.
7. What about the NFL?

Posted under New York Mets

Like the millions who would watched last night, and like most of the guests to this blog, we watched the Tampa Bay Rays whip the Red Sox to advance to the World Series. … You mean they didn’t?

We watched a historic comeback last night. Down seven, the Red Sox blitzed the Rays to stay alive and send the ALCS back to Tampa down 3-to-2. The Red Sox have Beckett and Lester going the next two games, Saturday and Sunday, so it’s not crazy to be thinking they might pull it off again.

Do you believe that will happen or will the Rays’ magic ride continue?

Posted under New York Mets

Good evening.

Well, do you think the Rays will close it out tonight? A lot of people are saying if the Red Sox stay alive, that with Beckett and Lester, they might have an advantage in Games 6 and 7. It’s not that unreasonable an assumption.

But, in a surprise move, tonight the Rays are starting Scott Kazmir, whom the Sox rocked in Game 2. Good or bad move?

We could have an interesting night.

Posted under Talkin Baseball