Sports Shorts

This past Friday, the New York Mets announced a blockbuster trade. In a three-way trade, they received two starting pitchers Kris Benson and Victor Zambrano and gave up 3B Ty Wiggington, their best leftie pitching prospect LFP Scott Kazmir in addition to prospect RHP Jose Diaz. That night, the Mets began a three-game series at their archrival, the Atlanta Braves, even slotting Benson into the rotation for Saturday's game. The Mets had been foundering a little after the All-Star break. They were hovering around the .500 mark but were still in the hunt for the NL East. This kind of trade sends a message to the players: "We think you can win now! We're going to give you the tools to do it. Now go out there, play ball and show us what you're made of!"

Unfortunately, the Mets players showed us exactly what they were made of and were promptly swept by the Braves putting them nine games back.

Now don't get Base10 wrong, there is plenty of baseball left to play. But if history is any predictor, the Mets will fold up until it doesn't matter any more and then go on a streak when all the pressure is off. Time will tell. As for Base10, if the Mets want him to be a consistent viewer, they'll have to win some.

Roger Clemens was ejected from a youth softball game because he disputed a call made against his ten year-old son Kacy. What kind of message does this send? Some would argue that sports figures shouldn't be accorded role-model status from their young fans, but this is Clemens' son! Roger Clemens the pitcher will surely go to Cooperstown. But there is something that Yankees fans knew before he came to work in the Bronx and something that Mets fans have known all along: Roger Clemens the man is a jerk.

With the likely sunset of the Mets, Base10's attention naturally turns to football, and the preseason is here! Training camps have started and now football fans are treated to a steady stream of trivial information: what WR caught a couple of passes, what RB fumbled, what CB made an interception, who the coach is particularly fond of that week, and most important, who is the come-from-nowhere, feel-good, Wayne Chrebet-like success story in camp. Stay tuned. Base10 actually enjoys the preseason since it gives the fantasy football owner a chance to see the rookies and lesser known veterans in action. Base10 will comment more on this as the preseason progresses but reminds readers that the Hall of Fame Game is this coming Monday!

- posted by Base10 @ 12:08 PM