When the Mets hit the road after winning two of three at Citi Field versus San Diego, one thing was pretty clear at 8 and 18 on the road, they would need to start winning road games in order to compete for a playoff spot. The Mets have responded by beating bad baseball teams, sweeping both Baltimore and Cleveland to up that record to 14 and 18. Yes, we cannot get too excited about beating terrible baseball teams, but good baseball teams take care of business against teams like Cleveland and Baltimore and even better teams sweep those lousy teams.

The Mets now have won 7 in a row and are 10 games above .500 for the first time this season. The Mets have trimmed the fat off this team and certainly now have team chemistry. I get spooked when I hear about them talking about John Maine and Luis Castillo’s returns. As long as this team is hot, you cannot touch the roster, crap, even Beltran can take as long as he wants to come back with the way Angel Pagan is playing.  I think the Mets need to think about how well they are playing and how excited everyone seems and the chemistry this team is playing with before making any changes.

The Mets of course, will face a major challenge this weekend as they go to the house of horrors that is Yankee Stadium to face the defending world champs. The Yanks, however have been hit by the injury bug and were just steamrolled by a struggling Philly team the last two games. The Mets need to take advantage while the Yankee bats are silent and get two of three in this series. Winning a series at Yankee Stadium, combined with an 8-1 road record should have the Mets flying high as they square off with the AL central’s top two teams at Citi Field next week.

It’s been a little while since I made a post. That’s not for lack of Mets watching or commentary, it’s just a busy life often times keeping me from even starting up my laptop. I apologize profusely and look to get back on track now. World Cup fever has gripped my house these days, but I find myself more often then not watching the Mets. This is quite a statement on how the Mets are playing these days.

I am starting to believe in this team. I am not trying to say I think they are going to win anything, what i mean is I think this squad with the new infusion of some youth could work. It’s not perfect by any means, and I still have a bit of a grocery list for Omar Minaya, but the core of this team is something to build on.

Much has been written about the Mets “core” over the last few years, that being the likes of Wright, Reyes, and Beltran. But I think the squad as a whole took a much different shape over the last year or so with the additions of personalities of Francouer and Davis, as well as the jettisoning of players like Delgado, Heilmans, Ollie P et all. They seem to genuinely enjoy playing right now and they seem to have a lot of fight in them.

As much as I hate to see hokey crap like the pie-in-the-face theatrics after games, it’s nice to realize that no team over the last few years would have done such things. They just didn’t seem to have any cohesion and at best had a divided clubhouse. Today they seem to be a good group that actually likes each other, and it seems to be from an influx of youth rather then an addition of experience.

The Mets still need another high end arm, and with the money they saved over the off season by not signing one, coupled with the money they are saving at first base and catcher, it’s time they plunked some of that down. I don’t want to see a gutting of the farm system for one player, but it should not be a money expense that shies the Mets away from anyone, I don’t care how deep Maddoff had his hands in Freds pockets.

They could still use a more consistent bat in the lineup, someone with a high OBP would be nice, but truthfully I don’t really know where I would put them. In fact it’s looking more and more like Beltran will actually make it back, and up till about a week ago it looked like it would be at Jeff Francouer’s expense, but now that he’s hot again I don’t know who to sit.

We rant on and on here about what’s wrong with the Mets, and ferociously point out the Front Office mistakes, but I have to say I am really appreciating the change in makeup of this team. It’s refreshing to watch people that actually enjoy playing a game for a living.

This is not a rumor I’ve heard but something I would love to see happen. The Mets have been linked to Kevin Millwood and I have even read Millwood would except a trade to Flushing. Well, we are now in need of a second baseman and I say lets go after Ty Wigginton. Now I do not know what the O’s would want for the package of Millwood and Wiggy but I can see the Mets as legitimate contenders with those two coming on board.

Think about a lineup of Reyes, Pagan, Bay, Beltran, Wright, Davis, Wigginton, and Barajas. A pitching staff of Santana, Pelfrey, Millwood, Niese and Dickey. This then allows Takahashi to hit the pen and give it some depth. I would also add Maine to the pen and release Ollie. Maybe the Mets can even jettison Ollie to Baltimore, I’m sure it would be worth 12 million to move him somewhere where he will never hurt us.

The Orioles are now 21 games out of first and behind four great teams, I am sure that they understand that their season is already over and if given the right package would move these two veterans, that I am sure would love to get into a pennant race. Not only that Millwood and Wigginton have what it takes to succeed in NY. Millwood pitched many big games against us and Wiggy obviously was a good player before Wright came up.

I doubt this would happen but it would be a great move to change team and fans morale, make us more gritty and give us the talent to exercise those demons and make the playoffs once and for all.