Mets have nowhere to go but 'Up'

Squawker Lisa, I must take issue with your use of the movie "Up" to describe the Yankees' season. The Yankees have no place in the world of wholesome family entertainment. They are more like a "Terminator" - relentless and artificially enhanced.

"Up" belongs squarely in the Mets' camp. The movie features an cranky old-timer thrust into an unlikely leadership role (Gary Sheffield). His sidekick is an eager youngster still in need of a lot of guidance (Daniel Murphy). The movie also features a friendly flightless bird (Jose Reyes) and a pack of talking dogs (the Met farm system).

During the movie, our heroes attempt to support a house without a foundation, powered only by balloons. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2009 New York Mets!

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Last night's game was another dreary loss, but at least Oliver Perez did just as well as the pitcher the Mets might have signed instead, Derek Lowe. Omar Minaya deserves a lot of criticism, but not for passing on a four-year contract for a pitcher who will be 39 in the final year, especially after how the latter parts of the contracts for Pedro Martinez and Billy Wagner turned out.

Ollie pitched six innings and gave up three runs on five hits, exactly the same as Lowe. Ollie walked four, but Lowe walked three. And Ollie struck out six to Lowe's two.

Actually, one could argue that Ollie pitched a lot better than Lowe, since Lowe got to face the Mets.

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At least the Braves and Mets have one thing in common. Last night, the Braves unveiled a new giant Coke bottle that shoots out fireworks when a Brave hits a home run. But when the Braves hit back-to-back homers in the second, the fireworks failed to go off.