Quotes of the Day

SPORTING GOODS

"I didn't have a problem with the bat and the helmet. The elbow pad, tossing it in the air, that's a bit far."

—Umpire John Hirschbeck, explaining why he ejected
Manny Ramirez in last night's Mets-Dodgers game

"It's OK. I was coming out in the fifth inning."

—Manny Ramirez, reacting to Hirschbeck's ejection

My condolences to Mets fans.

While losing four straight, which includes a weekend sweep in Philadelphia, the Mets have hit .183, been outscored 21-3 and struck out 28 times. David Wright went 0 for 3 [last night] with a walk and is hitless in his last 16 at-bats as the Mets have dropped into fourth place, 4 1/2 games behind the NL East-leading Phillies ... [Moreover,] New York has ... gone scoreless in 22 consecutive innings, getting just 10 hits—all singles.

WFAN continues to get phone calls asking for Omar Minaya's head, and it seems that he might've had a few decent second-string players available once the injuries started to mount. Still, losing half the team to various ailments isn't something one can necessarily plan on.

And for the latest Sox tempest in a teapot, take a look here.