The Good News
1. There is no way we lose tonight.
2. Kaz Matsui placed on the DL. His bruised knee is suddenly serious. His bats, on the other hand, have been blissfully bruise-free for months. (Rimshot.)
3. Mike DeJean released. Hopefully we also set fire to his personal effects. Let us never, ever speak of him again.
The Bad News
1. Mister Koo takes DeJean's place on the roster. Minaya said we'd need left-handed relief against the Phillies, Yankees and Nationals. Well, yeah, Koo is left-handed.
2. Gerald Williams recalled. Yes, Gerald Williams. Gerald Williams, the embodiment of the complete and utter pointlessness of the 2004 Mets. Gerald Williams, living monument to the blinkered, Taliban-level conservatism of baseball front offices. Gerald Williams, who cannot possibly mean anything to the future of this baseball team. Gerald Williams.
Are they trying to torment us? I no longer claim to have the slightest use for Matsui, and I know Keppinger's hurt, but I could name 16 to 20 outfielders from the farm system I'd rather see than Gerald Williams.
I take it back. There is a way we can lose tonight. Quite an accomplishment, Omar.
Pissy Next-Day Addendum: Ice got the call, says Omar, because Valent wasn't doing too well and because Ice is a defensive replacement, can be used to pinch-run and has “experience in the clubhouse.”
Oh, c'mon. I'm a believer in clubhouse chemistry — I think Pedro has been a major upgrade over Cliquemaster Al off the field as well as on it — but this is ridiculous. Lenny Harris was a great clubhouse guy. So was Mo Vaughn. It didn't help much — winning on the field would do a lot more to make a happy clubhouse than the warm feeling everyone might get from the sight of Gerald Williams. (And if the idea is to tutor Victor Diaz, I'm all for it — sounds like a fine project for summer nights in Norfolk.)
Can Gerald Williams (.223 AVG, pathetic .273 OBP, one steal at AAA) possibly be the best on-the-field answer? What about Ron Calloway (.359 OBP, 12 steals), who might possibly have a future as a fourth outfielder, as opposed to the Iceman. What about Prentice Redman? Angel Pagan? What about nearly anybody else? What on earth were they thinking?