With time to kill before heading out for weekend of gambling and paintball, I give you some afternoon links.
Meet the Mets
The pitching matchups are set for this weekend's 4 game set with the Giants. We won't get to see the most exciting pitcher in baseball, Tim Lincecum, make his Citi Field debut. Come on out to see Livan Hernandez face Joe Martinez on Monday night!
John Sickels at Minor League Ball reviews his pre-season top 20 Mets prospects.
Mike Newman of Mets Geek and Scouting The Sally presents a scouting report Eric Beaulac.
Mets Today explores the Dan Murphy Myth, concluding what I think we knew all along - Murph is not good enough to be an everyday major league first basemen. God forbid the Mets give him another shot at 2nd base, where his bat might actually play.
Craig Calcaterra thinks Adam Rubin shouldn't be too worried about a lack of storylines in next year's interleague schedule.
Metsblog takes an early look at the crop of free agent starting pitchers. Re: Jarrod Washburn - no thanks.
Go Mets Die Braves thinks we should be a little nicer to Jeff Wincoeur. The world is a better place when GMDB is posting again.
Around the NL East
Cliff Lee continued his National League domination, throwing 8 innings against the Cubs with 8 K's and 1 run allowed in a 6-1 Phillies win.
The Marlins knocked around Mike Hampton enroute to a 9-2 win over the Astros. Go Marlins.
Mets killer Bronson Arroyo shut-out the Nationals as the Reds won 7-0. Fun fact: Arroyo was named after the Death Wish man himself, Charles Bronson. Death Wish 3 is a highly recommended film. Possibly the greatest action film ever made.
Around MLB
Maybe Lastings Milledge isn't a clubhouse cancer after all.
One step closer to world domination, Fangraphs now lists tRA on its player pages.
Tango and Posnanski on PEDs and, yes, Viagra.
Michael Vick signed with the Eagles. Unrelated to baseball, except that Vick was once drafted by the Rockies.