Good evening my friends out West and you night owls. Getting hungry. My favorite after midnight diner food is an omelet and rye toast. Breakfast food is always good.

We had an interesting post during the game on the issue of clutch hitting. It doesn’t always come after the seventh inning. I remember a conversation I had with Ryan Church during spring training about stats.

The topic was a “do your job stat.” Every at-bat comes with it a defined objective. Runner on third, get the run home, even with an out. The Rays did it twice in the first inning. The Mets? Well, we’ve had that conversation more than a few times this summer.

Another good game tonight. You get the feeling this one could go the distance.

As far as the Mets were concerned today, the Mets finally finalized their coaching staff. Howard Johnson stays, which was surprising to some degree considering all the finger pointing about their inability to consistently perform with runners in scoring position.

Whatever is on your mind, here’s your message board. I’ll respond in the morning.

Posted under New York Mets

When you come down to it, it’s not a “must have’’ list of the Mets’ own free-agents. Sure, they’d like lefty Oliver Perez back, but nobody really expects it, and truth is they can live without him.

The follow is a list of the Mets’ free-agents to be and those players arbitration eligible.

FREE AGENTS

-LF Moises Alou: Say good-night, Moises.

-INF Marlon Anderson: Nice knowing you.

-RHP Luis Ayala: Could be brought back.

-OF Endy Chavez: Could be brought back, but never as a starter.

-2B Damion Easley: I like him, but Mets should go younger on the bench.

-RHP Orlando Hernandez: Time to write his autobiography.

-RHP Pedro Martinez: Doesn’t want to retire, but is only fifth starter caliber right now.

-2B Ramon Martinez: Made impact, but age won’t let Mets consider him for job.

-LHP Oliver Perez: Wants mega bucks. Doesn’t deserve them.

-LHP Ricardo Rincon: Won’t be missed.

-OF Fernando Tatis: Deserves to return.

-RHP Matt Wise: Good-bye.

ARBITRATION ELIGIBLE

The following are arbitration eligible: RF Ryan Church, LHP Pedro Feliciano, RHP Aaron Heilman, RHP Duaner Sanchez, RHP John Maine and OF Angel Pagan.

Posted under On the Table

The Mets scheduled a telephone news conference for tomorrow to announce a new contract for general manager Omar Minaya. After Minaya, the Mets are then expected to finalize a contract for manager Jerry Manuel.

I’m sure plenty of you have thoughts on this, many of them heated as the Mets lost on the final day of the season for the second straight year.

This season brought several defining moments in Minaya’s career, beginning with the trade for two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins. Minaya also traded prospect Lastings Milledge to Washington for outfielder Ryan Church and catcher Brian Schneider.

The Mets, and Minaya, were criticized for their handling of Church’s concussion, and for circumstances surrounding the firing of manager Willie Randolph.

Minaya’s first order of business will be signing manager Jerry Manuel to an extension and patching a bullpen that blew 29 save opportunities.

Posted under New York Mets

And who is more of an empty barrel than Mike Francesa?

His comments stating Ryan Church hates New York were irresponsible and baseless. When you’ve got nothing in a job like his, you have to throw something against the wall and hope it sticks.

Instead of talking to Jon Heyman for his take, why not get Church on the phone? Francesa has the juice to make that happen, but he won’t do that.

When I covered the Yankees, he would come down to Tampa to do his show from the pressbox, but in all those years, not once did I see him in the clubhouse. So, for me, it’s hard to believe it when he passes something off as fact.

There have been so many things, like saying the Mets had no shot at Santana, that were passed off as fact. We should start a list.

Posted under New York Mets

If you have a question, I’ll try to give you an answer. I’ll post in the morning and plan to answer by the end of the day.

Here’s what we got the first day of this feature.

1. Jon asks: Since there’s no way to acquire all the players needed to fix the Mets, “Should I just stop caring now?’’

Answer: No. You’ve come this far, you might as well hang on. Seriously, they came within a game of the playoffs in a mediocre division. Assuming their bullpen can’t be that bad again, and having Ryan Church healthy for a full season, if the Mets for the most part keep the status quo they should be better.

2. RMKMets wonders whether all the demoralizing losses have caught up with the Mets.

Answer: I don’t think so. I don’t think that kind of malaise will impact every body, and that there will be enough of a turnover so it won’t happen.

3. PG wonders where Mookie was on Sunday.

Answer: I’ve asked, but was told he couldn’t make it. Nobody would say why.

Posted under New York Mets

Have been walking around the stands and listening to people. Mixed feelings. Shea has never been state-of-the-art, even from the beginning. But, it has been home to many of you. A place to escape a bad day, a play to dream, a place to shed tears, and most of all, a place to dream.

It’s always sad to say goodbye to a ballpark, because it is the site of so many memories. But, where blacktop will cover what is now the outfield. But, you can’t build over memories, just as you can’t build over dreams.

We say good bye to Shea Stadium today, but not really because there is still the dream of playoff baseball, and with it maybe more memories.

Now, wouldn’t that be something?

For you trivia buffs, here are the lineups, the answer to a future question.

Florida Marlins

CF Cameron Maybin
C John Baker
3B Jorge Cantu
1B Mike Jacobs
LF Josh Willingham
2B Dan Uggla
RF Cody Ross
SS Alfedo Amezaga
LH Scott Olsen

METS

SS Jose Reyes
CF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
3B David Wright
LF Nick Evans
2B Ramon Martinez
RF Ryan Church
C Ramon Castro
LH Oliver Perez

Posted under New York Mets

Johan Santana came to New York with as much pressure on him as any other coming to this city. Santana more than did his job this afternoon, coming back on three days rest to throw 117 pitches in a 2-0 victory over the Florida Marlins to keep alive the Mets’ season for at least another day.

“I made up my mind I was going to do it,” Santana said of the complete-game shutout. He said the chanting of his name by the crowd motivated him and he was as proud of this effort as any in his career.

As to why he wanted the ball, he said, “there was no tomorrow.”

Well, thanks to Santana, there is for the Mets. If you were at Shea today, tell us what you saw. If you watched on TV, tell us what you thought.

Posted under New York Mets

I like it. Ramon Martinez is back at second base. He’s the best alternative with Damion Easley not 100 percent. Catcher Brian Schneider, who didn’t play last night because of a sore back returns to the lineup.

Here’s the METS lineup vs. Florida:

SS Jose Reyes
LF Daniel Murphy
3B David Wright
1B Carlos Delgado
CF Carlos Beltran
RF Ryan Church
2B Ramon Martinez
C Brian Schneider
RH Mike Pelfrey

Posted under New York Mets

Well, what do you know, Ramon Martinez is playing second base. After last night, play the guy who has a chance of making something happening. Luis Castillo is just frustrating to watch.

Here it is, the lineup the Mets hope will save their season.

METS

SS Jose Reyes
LF Daniel Murphy
3B David Wright
1B Carlos Delgado
CF Carlos Beltran
RF Ryan Church
2B Ramon Martinez
C Brian Schneider
RHP Pedro Martinez

Posted under New York Mets

So far, it really doesn’t matter who the Mets put at second base. Neither Argenis Reyes nor Luis Castillo have produced. You know, I felt a sense of comfort with Damion Easley at second base. I’m not saying he’s the answer, but he’s better than either one of them. When the Mets are constructing their bench over the winter, I hope they don’t overlook Easley.

Here’s tonight’s lineup:

METS

SS Jose Reyes
LF Daniel Murphy
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
RF Ryan Church
C Brian Schneider
2B Argenis Reyes
LH Oliver Perez

Posted under New York Mets