NEW YORK -- Scrawled on the message board near the door to the Mets' clubhouse each day is the pregame agenda; nothing fancy, just the facts, the what and when of it. An outsider might find the terminology a bit odd at times. The information the Mets read upon arrival Saturday, for instance, was this: "Report: 11:30. No hitting. Game: 1:10." All snide remarks aside -- "No hitting" was neither a commentary on the Mets' performance on Friday nor a cynic's view of ... Read More

NEW YORK -- They play one game at a time, they say. But they think ahead -- sometimes two or three days ahead. The Mets were fully aware of what they faced this weekend when the Braves were to provide the competition. Almost every Mets hitter knew at least this much -- a rookie, Tim Hudson and John Smoltz would be on the mound. The Braves' starting pitcher plans, translated into Mets thinking, was this: "A pretty decent chance to win on Friday, ... Read More