Great Moments in Mets History: Keith Hernandez Falls Asleep During Game

Ironically, I also dozed off during the Mets game the other day. Their play is really that dull. I mean how many times can you watch David Wright flail wildly at pitches two feet out of the strike zone before you just pass out?

At least I had an excuse since I was firmly ensconced in my comfy recliner. Keith Hernandez was actually doing the brodcast. I love his reaction when they wake him up.

One of baseball's guiltiest pleasures is sneaking in a nap when you're watching weekend baseball on the couch. New York Mets announcer Keith Hernandez apparently shares my belief because he snuck in a self-described "cat nap" during the extra innings of Saturday's 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants.

I can't say that I blame Mr. Mustache for taking some quick shuteye because announcing so many games per year as a member of a great broadcasting team has to get tiring.

Computer Glitch Puts New York Mets in Playoffs

The bad news for Met fans? Well, your season is still over. The good news? You're not subjected to four-hour games as Joe Girardi wears out a path to the pitcher's mound for another inexplicable move.

Hey, Mets fans, that awful season was just a bad dream -- if you believe StubHub.

The company sent an e-mail Monday offering tickets for Mets’ playoff games.

“Be there alongside your New York Mets as they chase baseball immortality,” the e-mail said. “Go to StubHub, where you’ll find a fantastic selection of tickets to every playoff game — so you experience the championship chase live and in person.”

StubHub said e-mails were sent to fans promoting several teams not in the postseason.

“This was due to an e-mail glitch,” spokeswoman Joellen Ferrer said in a statement. “We regret the error and apologize for any inconvenience or confusion this may have caused. Follow-up e-mails will be sent to every person that received the e-mail, notifying them of the error on our part. In no way does this affect any transactions that have taken place on StubHub.”

'That's An All-timer If True'

You think the New York Mets have been a bumbling, stumbling embarrassment this season? Well, you can chalk up much of their misery to an unusual spate of injuries that have left them physically decimated. Though in a year of on-field gaffes and miscues, this off-field behavior by their VP of player development may be the biggest black eye.

The Binghamton Mets clubhouse nearly turned into a scene out of WWE Raw recently, when VP for player development Tony Bernazard removed his shirt and challenged the Double-A players to a fight during a postgame tirade, multiples sources told the Daily News.

Bernazard particularly went after middle infield prospect Jose Coronado, using a slang term associated with a woman's anatomy, a source indicated. The confrontation happened about 10 days before the All-Star break, according to insiders.

"That's an all-timer if true," an AL official said upon hearing the account, which was corroborated by multiple people with ties to the Mets.

Considering the Mets' Double A and Triple A teams are a combined 45 below .500, the Wilpons have more than enough ammunition to send this clown packing. This may be just the final nail in Bernazard's coffin. If that isn't, maybe this is.

The shoddy treatment of people in the system has led to mocking of the VP behind his back.

The News reported Tuesday that Bernazard, one of GM Omar Minaya's top lieutenants, recently erupted at the organization's manager of baseball operations. During a game at Citi Field, scouts took their customary seats in a row behind home plate. Bernazard showed up during play and wanted a seat occupied by a D-Backs scout. Bernazard's deputy, already seated in the row, suggested to the Mets VP that he wait until the half-inning ended, to minimize the disruption. Bernazard ripped into his deputy with a profanity-laced tirade as scouts and patrons watched in disbelief.

If this nonsense isn't enough they were shut out by the lowly Washington Nationals last night and today wake up to the five most dreaded words in sports: First place New York Yankees.

'The Players These Days Don't Seem to Know the Basics of the Game'

Finally, help is on the way for the beleaguered New York Mets.

Jerry Manuel's coaching staff just got a lot bigger.

Boasting more than a millennium's worth of experience, a feisty group of elderly Long Island softball players filmed an instructional video yesterday that they hope will re-introduce the not-so-Amazin' Mets to the game's fundamentals.

"I may not be able to get around like I used to, but I know the basics," said Ed Ottinger, 74, of Seaford. "And I think the Mets need a little help with that."

The rangy outfielder with deceptive speed said that he and his crew of septuagenarian swatters had grown tired of the Mets' bumbling ways and hoped that the Tom Emanski-style video might wake them up.

Things came to a head when the group convened for one of their three weekly doubleheaders after Luis Castillo's infamous flub of a pop-up against the Yankees in June.

"They griped that we're 70 and we're better than these guys," said Howard Cannon, a spokesman for the Bristal assisted living company that sponsors their league.

Sonny Richards, 71, said that the Mets season had come to resemble a blooper reel of dropped pop-ups, baserunning atrocities, and inexplicable balks.

"The players these days don't seem to know the basics of the game," he said. "It's all in fun, but we wanted to show them how to do the simple things."

Yes, the simple things. Like catching popups and busting it to first base, the latter of which they've been allergic to for several seasons. The basics that most of us learned in Little League.

Slick gloveman Sal Frosina, 71, lamented the loss of fundamental baseball knowledge that ruled the summertime pickup games of his youth.

The former Brooklyn Dodgers-turned-Mets fan said that the kids who didn't know the basics of tagging up, putting the body in front of grounders, and backing up plays at the plate were left to watch their buddies have all the fun.

"When I was growing up, if you didn't know the game, you didn't play," he said. "It was that simple."

Speaking of the Mets, if you're waiting for real help on the field rather than fielding abuse from retirees, be prepared to wait a long time.

If you're wondering why the Wilpons won't open their wallets, according to this fish-faced freak, it's because Bernie Madoff cleaned them out to the tune of $700 million.

NO wonder the injury-plagued Mets can't hire some hitters, it turns out team owner Fred Wilpon lost $700 million in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. Estimates put his loss at below $500 million, but Wilpon's pal Larry King told GQ it was $700 million. "Freddie says he's not angry, he's betrayed," said King, who lost $2.8 million.

Don't expect to see Madoff pal Chuckie Schumer throwing out the first pitch any time soon.

Hmm: NY Mets Affected by Swine Flu?

Considering their best player, Carlos Beltran, has been sidelined for several days by a reported stomach virus, this news could be ominous.

The Mets, undermined by persistent injuries and, more recently, by illness, now confront a potential medical issue that could have greater consequences. An SNY employee, a producer who accompanied the team on its charter flight from New York to Pittsburgh on Sunday, has been sent home because he has flu symptoms.

No fear of swine flu exists, but an awareness does. The club's trainer, Ray Ramirez briefed the team about the symptoms of swine flu Tuesday. Assistant general manager John Ricco said the club is confident that the illness bothering Carlos Beltran and John Maine is not a form of the flu but rather a stomach virus.

"Right now no one on our team feels any of those types of symptoms" -- high fever, joint aches and fatigue, Ricco said.

Ricco said the SNY producer -- the employee's name was not released -- was to be examined. But the club didn't anticipate knowing the results of any tests for about a week.

Beltran, who hasn't played since he was removed from Saturday afternoon's game, underwent more tests Tuesday and, as the club awaited results of those tests, he returned to the team's hotel. Maine, ill since Sunday when he was removed from his start, said he felt marginally better. He did some of his normal between-starts conditioning work. The club still believes he will be ready to make his next start, scheduled for Friday night in Washington.

Consdiering Queens has been ground zero for New York's swine flu cases, it's quite plausible some members of the team could be infected. For a squad already ravaged by injuries, this could potentially be a crushing blow if indeed anyone is infected.

'Don't Take My F- - -ing Picture!'

Poor Jonathan Papelbon. Getting taken deep by a scrub from the Mets has him coming unglued. A shame he can't accept defeat like a man.

Talk about your sore losers!

Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon took out his frustrations on Post photographer Anthony Causi Saturday night, hurling a towel at the lensman after blowing a save opportunity against the Mets.

Papelbon had just surrendered a two-run homer to backup catcher Omir Santos -- leading to a 3-2 Amazin' victory -- when Causi had the audacity to do his job and photograph the closer as he sulked in the Sox dugout in the bottom of the ninth.

Papelbon screamed, "Don't take my f- - -ing picture," according to Causi, before throwing his towel at him

It should be noted: Papelbon missed Causi.

"I guess he missed with two pitches that night," Causi cracked.

Ouch.

Papelbon ought to grow up and act like a professional.

Causi contrasted Papelbon's behavior with that of Yankee closer Mariano Rivera. The fotog recalled taking a picture of Rivera last month at Fenway Park just after the ace reliever blew a save against Boston.

"He knew I was shooting him, and he didn't say a word," Causi said. "A true champion realizes you got to take the good with the bad."

'When In Doubt, Boo the Pols'

New York Governor David Paterson was feeling the love at the opening of Citi Field last night.

7:00: Wow, there is someone Mets fans hate more than Oliver Perez: New York governor David Paterson. Paterson was booed mercilessly when introduced before the game. So was just about every other state politician they announced (you get the feeling fans didn't necessarily know all of them, and didn't really care. when in doubt, boo the pols). MLB commissioner Bud Selig also was booed. New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg got a nice ovation, though.

Bloomberg had some nice seats right behind the plate and later picked up a foul ball. I can't locate video of it, but a ball was fouled back and apparently the fence gave way and the ball fell down between the wall and fence. Replays later showed Bloomberg holding up the ball. Hopefully he gave it away to a fan. The grounds crews may want to shore up that area so nobody gets hurt.

Stop the Presses: Dennis Kucinich Is Making Sense

It's not often I find myself in agreement with kooky Congressman Dennis Kucinich, but he's dead right in this case.

Two members of the House of Representatives are demanding that the Mets scrap their $400-million naming-rights deal with financially troubled Citigroup because of the bank's receipt of federal bailout money.

Reps. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Ted Poe (R-Texas) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner requesting he "dissolve" the contract with the Mets to name their stadium Citi Field. The Mets' home opener there is set for April 13.

In an interview yesterday, Kucinich said the financial behemoth is in no position to lay out cash to have its name on the Queens stadium. "It's just totally unacceptable that Citigroup should be able to spend $400 million in naming rights when they're the recipients of a massive federal bailout," he said.

Kucinich and Poe wrote that Citigroup's financial footing "has changed drastically" since the naming rights deal was struck in 2006. The agreement calls for Citigroup to pay $400 million over 20 years for the naming rights.

The Mets "are fully committed to our contract with Citigroup," said Jay Horowitz, the team's spokesman.

This will be a never-ending PR disaster for the Mets.

Uh, Citigroup? About Those Stadium Naming Rights...

So now that the feds are bailing out Citigroup, isn't it time the troubled outfit voluntarily withdrew from having its name on top of a new baseball stadium?

The good news for the Mets is they still have a name and a sponsor for their new stadium.

The bad news for a franchise that has had two straight late-season collapses is that it is now linked with a bank trying to stave off its own collapse.

Citigroup, which agreed in 2006 to a 20-year, $400 million contract to name the Mets’ new stadium Citi Field, has absorbed billions of dollars in losses because of the subprime mortgage crisis and the floundering economy.

Granted, that $400 million deal is almost chump change compared to the billions they're getting from taxpayers.

But how is it going to sit with investors and employees out of a job to see this outfit with their name on top of a ballfield?

I've never been crazy for corporate sponsorship of athletic facilities, but that genie was out of the bottle years ago.

Here's an idea: Since New York is the bluest of blue states and renaming schools and streets after Barack Obama seems to be all the rage, why not just be done with it and name it after him?

'I'm a Gangster. You Go Gangster On Me, I'm Going to Have to Get You'

Nice to see the harmonious mood of the New York Mets locker room now that Willie Randolph is gone.

OK, this sounds very tongue-in-cheek, but who the hell talks like this about one of their players?

No, Jerry Manuel wasn't glad he had to make a point about his authority as manager one batter into his first game at the helm.

Manuel met resistance from a helmet-tossing Jose Reyes on Tuesday night, when the shortstop's left hamstring tightened and he didn't want to leave the game. Reyes eventually headed for the showers, and shortly afterward apologized to Manuel for the well-intentioned insubordination.

"I told him next time he does that I'm going to get my blade out and cut him. I'm a gangster. You go gangster on me, I'm going to have to get you. You do that again, I'm going to cut you right on the field," quipped Manuel, who reinserted Reyes at shortstop and the leadoff spot for last night's series finale against the Angels.

"Any time you step in this position, you have to be ready to react and do what you think is right. As long as I'm doing what's right, yeah it may take awhile to get through, but as long as you're doing the right thing, I think everything will be okay. I wasn't hoping something like that would happen and set a precedent. Not at all. As a matter of fact, I was like, 'Oh, Lord, here we go. Here we go. Okay. All right.' But it worked out well. Again, I like the attitude of Jose Reyes."

I'd hate to hear what's he'd say if he didn't like him.

Bungling Mets Fire Willie Randolph

It's difficult to imagine botching a managerial dismissal any worse than what the New York Mets did early this morning by announcing Willie Randolph's dismissal at 3:14 in the morning on the east coast.

While the move itself was a no-brainer just a week ago after a disastrous four-game sweep in San Diego, by waiting another week, having Randolph fly back to the West Coast with the team again Sunday night, and after the Mets just won three of four win a 9-6 win over the Angels in Anaheim, to jettison him in the dead of night is just a public relations disaster.

About the only thing you can do to make this worse is have Isiah Thomas take over for Randolph.

They just took a guy whose scalp the fans have been clamoring for since last September and made him out to be a martyr.

The firing isn't even four hours old, most fans probably aren't aware yet and the fallout has just begun.

Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post goes nuclear.

More fallout and player reaction here.

Say what you want about Randolph's managerial ability, but he's a class guy.

He didn't deserve this, not this way, with ownership safely home in their beds in the dark of night.

Classless.

Good News, Mets Fans: Pedro Martinez Filmed at Cockfight

I'm sure it'll simply be dismissed as a cultural thing, right?

One big difference before anyone gets crazy and draws the inevitable Michael Vick comparison: It's legal in the Dominican Republic.

Still, Pedro has never been accused of being the brightest bulb, and this can't help the PR effort for the Mets coming off the Johan Santana trade.

It looks like the Mets’ era of good feeling over the Johan Santana deal may be over. This morning, the pitcher that sports fans are talking about is not Johan Santana, but Pedro Martinez. And it’s not due to pitching, but him being videotaped with Hall of Famer Juan Marichal at a cockfight in the Dominican Republic.

According to the Associated Press, the video, which was posted on YouTube and then taken down: “showed Martinez and Marichal laugh before releasing the roosters. The two took part as honorary ‘soltadores,’ the word used to describe the person who puts the animal to fight. The animal released by Martinez appears to be killed on the video.”

My first reaction when hearing about the video (I have not yet seen it due to it being taken down from YouTube) was that Pedro Martinez could be in hot water. After the cautionary tale of Michael Vick, you would think that Pedro would know better (that is, if this video was shot this winter.)

However, unlike dogfighting in Virginia, cockfighting is legal in the Dominican Republic. Heck, the event Martinez attended was held in a sports arena called the Coliseo de Gallos, or Rooster Coliseum!

Also, one would think that fans won’t have as visceral a reaction to chickens being killed as they would to dogs being killed. That being said, Martinez is still probably going to hear it bigtime from animal rights activists.

As for Pedro himself, unlike most Yankee fans, I actually, for the most part, like the guy. He’s smart, well-spoken, charismatic, and funny. That being said, Martinez probably should have realized that participating in such an unseemly, bloody event as a cockfight is going to have repercussions for his image in the states.