I'll admit from the start I liked it, thought it was a novel idea to perhaps even ####e up the long and arduous baseball season. Now however it needs to end, because other than a few geographical rivalries which bring in big box office numbers, there's really no point to it anymore.

It is only May and some teams in both the American and National League are already done with each other for the rest of the year. How crazy is that? Or that fact that some divisional rivals won't play until late July, long after they've already played multiple teams from the other league. Additionally I also believe that the schedules of teams playing within the same division should be hacked from 18-19 games down to 13-15 games.

Even those big rivalries have been over saturated with the Yankees-Mets, Dodgers-Angels, White Sox-Cubs, A's-Giants playing against one another six times. Heck that's only one less game than those teams play against some opponents in their own league!

On a few other notes of why this idea has lost its spark: 1.) The games are on virtually everywhere all the time, one can simply order MLB Extra Innings and watch any team, any player any time. That is also another reason why the popularity and viewership of the All-Star game has dropped over the last decade or so. 2.) With free agency players switch teams and leagues and cities practically all the time. 3.) For every good rivalry there's always a Houston-Minnesota series.

Maybe it doesn't have to be completely abolished but it would heap a great deal to mix it up a bit.

Before one starts clamoring for Johan Santana, I would just ask you to take a moment and look at your starting centerfielder.  Now granted Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy could use some extra seasoning in the minors but, dealing them would've also meant dealing Melky Cabrera and that would've been an even bigger mistake.

Now my opinion on the pitchers is that by sending them down they have the opportunity to fine tune their stuff and perhaps by beating up on some minor league competition, build up some confidence along the way.  I'm a big believer that Darrell Rasner, just named International League pitcher of the week, can be an adequate 4th or 5th starter and as much as it pains me to say it they are paying Kei Igawa $ 46 million so at least try to get something out of the guy.  There's nothing to say these guys can't be brought back up in early June and perhaps if they weren't limited to a certain amount of innings and were allowed to be stretched out, maybe they'd go six or seven innings instead of three or four like a reliever.

But onto our beloved centerfielder "Leche."  Ok so you want to tell me the Yankees could've signed Torii Hunter or someone like him to replace Melky?  Fine, but he may be the next Bernie Williams and may already be the best centerfielder in New York.

 Thus far in 2008 Melky vs. Carlos Beltran has two less runs scored (17-15), five more hits (24-19), three more homers (5-2), two less RBI (13-11), one more stolen base (3-2), better batting average (.289-.224), lower OBP by one percentage point (.359-.358) and a higher slugging percentage (.494-.412).  Mind you the calendar can flip to May and all of this could just as easily go out the window, however people are taking notice.

As for the "Bernie Baseball" comparison, adding up the first three years for Bernie (1993-1995) and Melky (2006-2008): Bernie leads in hits (443-302), runs (240-156), doubles (89-52), triples (14-10), homers (42-20), RBI (207-134), stolen bases (33-28), Melky has struck out less (140-258), Bernie walked more (189-109), both batting averages are fairly even.

Though Bernie did seemingly take off with his power numbers in his "third year" of 1995, he was 26, Melky is still only 23.  In any event the one player the Yankees may be estatic they didn't trade for Johan Santana is wearing number 28. 

Roger Clemens is overrated as a post-season starter.  Yes I give him credit for having a lot of guts and trying to give it a go in Game 3 of the ALDS.  However for all the regular season greatness, from the seven Cy Young's to the 350 plus wins and the 4,000 plus strikeouts, Clemens has disappointed in the playoffs on more than a few occasions.

Roger isn't the only geriatric to let the Yanks down in the playoffs (see Kevin Brown and Randy Johnson) and the fact that he gave the team a shot in the arm which Carl Pavano, Kei Igawa and countless rookies couldn't along with imparting his pitching knowledge onto Joba, Phil and Ian is priceless.  However for all of his accolades and accomplishments, if one had to pick a pitcher to start Game Seven of a World Series, Rocket might not be in your top 20.  Certainly not ahead of the likes of Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Walter Johnson, Whitey Ford and Tom Seaver.

Thus let us chronicle the playoff failures of Roger Clemens shall we.

His team has lost 17 of his 34 playoff starts. He's either coughed up leads (8 different games, one in 2002 he blew 3 separate leads), or has left prematurely or controversially.

With Boston during the 1990 ALCS in game 4 at Oakland he gets tossed by umps with two runners on, they score, A's win 3-1 and sweep the series 4-0.  With New York in the 1999 ALCS game 2 at Fenway Park he gets blasted, the Yanks lose 13-1 for their only playoff loss that year.  In the 2001 ALDS game 1 vs. the A's, Clemens gives up solo HR's in 1st and 4th, leaves in 5th with "pulled hammy" Yanks lose 5-3.  In the all important 2003 ALCS game 7 vs. the Red Sox he gets lit for 6 hits and 4 runs in 3 innings.  With Houston during the 2005 World Series game 1 at Chicago, Clemens gives up 3 runs and 4 hits over 2 innings and leaves with a "pulled hammy," (sensing a trend here?)  With the Yankees again most recently in the 2007 ALDS against the Indians, Clemens was unable to get out of the 3rd inning with a pulled hammy, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits.  Which could've prompted Suzyn Waldman to say "Oh my God, Roger Clemens is sitting on an ice box!"  You know for that busted hammy. 

In six of his playoff starts Clemens has blown 2-0 leads: With the Red Sox in the 1986 World Series game 6 at Shea Stadium against the Mets, 1988 ALCS game 2 vs. the A's, 1995 ALDS at Cleveland.  With the Yankees during the 2000 ALDS game 1 at Oakland, 2002 ALDS game 1 vs. the Angels.  With Houston in the 2004 NLCS game 7 at St. Louis, 2005 NLDS game 2 at Atlanta, 2005 NLCS game 3 vs. the Cardinals.

His teams have a 2-4 record in World Series.  He has a 4.61 ERA in Division Series play.  Left game 4 of the 2003 World Series at Florida, losing.  Had a 13.50 ERA in 2005 World Series against Chicago.  Is only a career 4-4 in LDS play, 5-4 in LCS play.  Has only 1 complete game and one shutout in 33 career playoff starts. Don't get me wrong great regular season pitcher, mediocre playoff pitcher.

And no doubt Clemens has pitched teams to the playoffs. However aside from his 2000 ALCS and World Series, (you know the one where he threw the bat at Piazza), his playoff numbers haven't quite lived up to the regular season. He essentially piggy-backed onto the Yankee dynasty after they won 125 games in 1998 and he's never won a post-season MVP award. As much as it pains me as a Yankee fan, in the playoffs I'd take Curt Schilling over him in a heartbeat to win a big game. Rocket needs to prove more.

The playoff stats and record bear it out, Clemens is overrated in the playoffs. He's never even won more than 1 game in a playoff series. Has seven post season series where his ERA in that series was over 5.00. His last three post season starts he has three strikeouts combined. He wasn't able to win a game in the 2001, 2003, or 2005 World Series. He won an MVP and Cy Young award in 1986 and couldn't win a game in the World Series against the Mets. He's certainly wasn't a lock this time around in the 2007 playoffs. 

So Roger thanks for the memories, but we've got plenty of young pitching for 2008.

Exactly 50 years after the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants left New York brokenhearted, the New York Mets left their fans in stunned disbelief not seen by New York National League fans since Bobby Thomson hit the shot heard 'round the world off Ralph Branca in 1951, sealing what was both a monumental collapse and comeback in one felt swoop.  How fitting they played the Florida Marlins on fan appreciation day at Shea, especially given that now fans of both teams know what it is to have something of great potential taken away from them.

For the first time ever a team leading by seven games this late has blown it.  Obviously a good, hot Philadelphia Phillies team did what they had to do and took care of business.  However to lose eight home games in a row (Citi Field can't come fast enough) including games to the likes of the cellar dwelling Marlins and Washington Nationals is clearly unacceptable.  And from the owner on down there wasn't one voice being publicly adamant about this team whipping itself back into shape.  Clearly someone must take the fall.

To their credit, since Omar Minaya and Willie Randolph arrived the Mets have done nothing but win.  However if I'm the Mets Rick Peterson and Rickey Henderson have to go and Willie must be allowed to bring in his own coaches.  The Mets did hit well with HoJo as hitting coach, but at first base the Mets would do well to bring back fan favorite and former fellow coach with the New York Yankees Lee Mazzilli as the first base coach and as for pitching coach how about another guy Willie and Mets fans know all too fondly, Mel Stottlemyre.

In the off-season Minaya did nothing significant to upgrade the roster.  He went from the clutch but oft-injured Cliff Floyd to the clutch but oft-injured Moises Alou in leftfield.  Kept Julio Franco who served no purpose because they were tight in their Texas Rangers days.  Then instead of retaining Chad Bradford and Darren Oliver who'd pitched brilliantly out of the pen and Heath Bell, he brings back Mr. Steroid Guillermo Mota whom he knew full well would be suspended for 50 games right off the bat and he trades Brian Bannister to the Kansas City Royals where he won 12 games this season for the second coming of Mel Rojas in Ambiorix Burgos. 

This all the while knowing he had two 40 something's prone to break down at any second in Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez.  Couple that with the fact he had to know Pedro Martinez and Duaner Sanchez would be out until at least August if not later.  In addition this might be more the ownership than Omar, but knowing this about the rotation and their troubles at leftfield and second base, they could've gone after a Gil Meche type or the most logical fit for versatility Alfonso Soriano.  Finally at the trade deadline they need pitching (and who doesn't these days), especially bullpen help and what do they get?  A nice player in Luis Castillo, but certainly not anybody who's going to put you over the top.

Mets fans were left fuming, perhaps it was from frustration of the former New York Yankee managing in their dugout or the former Atlanta Brave pitching on the mound. Perhaps they should've have known better than to have been teased once again.  Perhaps they should've just listened to Jimmy Rollins all along, that in fact they were just doomed from the start.