New York Mets manager Terry Collins says “hat flap” has become a distraction. Bud Selig would reportedly take it a step further.

ESPN MLB Insider Jayson Stark says MLB did not want to set a precedent by allowing the Mets to wear hats honoring police and firemen on the anniversary of 9/11. Plus, Stark says the Red Sox are in a free fall right now.

Major League Baseball’s commissioner called the Mets on Sunday night irate that the club had gone public with the news that his office had prevented players from wearing the caps of Sept. 11 first responders for that night’s game at Citi Field, the New York Post reported.

A Mets official told the newspaper that the commissioner said the team threw the league “under the bus.”

“Selig got embarrassed by it,” the official told the Post. “The game got moved into prime time (on ESPN) because of 9/11, and MLB ended up getting embarrassed.”

Collins said he wants the whole situation to go away.

“What’s the attention been since we walked into the ballpark today? It’s not on who we’re playing, it’s not on who’s pitching. We all want to know which kind of hat we’re going to wear tonight. And that takes away from the game,” he said Monday. “It all takes away from their preparation. They’re all being asked questions that they’re afraid to make an answer, they’re afraid to say the wrong thing. We’ve got to start focusing on what the game is, because, when it’s all said and done, that’s all that matters.”

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MLB disciplinary czar Joe Torre claims that the league didn’t lean that heavily on the Mets.

“Nothing was ordered,” he said during an interview on Sirius XM Radio. “I think they were sent a memo, but in no way was it heavy-handed. I don’t think money was ever an issue or they were ever threatened with a heavy-fisted fine. If that’s the case, I have no knowledge of it.”

Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey had tweeted Sunday night that the players planned to defy MLB and wear the hats during the game against the Cubs, but MLB confiscated the caps after a pregame ceremony. A source told the Post that that wasn’t accurate. The hats were put on a table in the clubhouse and were signed for charity.

Players on Sunday wore the official 9/11 Mets cap, with a small American flag adorning the side, during the game.

I’ve been wondering what has been the problem with Josh Thole and his ability behind the plate this season for a while now. He is at the top of the passed balls list and has had numerous wild pitches fly by him, which he could have and should have easily stopped.

Is it the lack of a veteran catcher along with him? Henry Blanco is gone to Arizona and I personally don’t see Ronnie Paulino as much of a defensive mentor. Does Josh have a lack of focus behind the plate? I’m not really sure, but I don’t like what I’m seeing from Mr. Thole. Sure, he is a young player who may be going through some growing pains, but I don’t see that as a viable excuse because he has been catching since he was young and while batting he may find more difficulties, behind the plate he shouldn’t. It’s the same at every level. Don’t block with your glove, block with your body and let the ball bounce up and hit your chest protector.

It’s concerning because he has had so many balls go astray and a major league catcher cannot let that happen.

Is a trip to the Arizona fall league in order or another instructional league necessary? Maybe, but if he doesn’t attend an instructional league, he must work with Jon Debus and Terry Collins to fix this problem which has plagued him the entire year.

The thing about Josh is that, while he’s a good defensive catcher he was a good defensive catcher, his bat isn’t overpowering. He doesn’t hit bombs or hit for a particulary high average, so he must make sure to watch his back.

What a team this is. To describe them in one word is an impossible task. Gritty? Yes. And passionate? Yes. And amazin? Yes. All of those words describe this team and their ability to come back night after night while dealing with injuries and inconsistent play.

The Mets came back again tonight, beating the Padres and Heath Bell by a score of 9 – 8, scoring five runs in their last two offensive innings. Mike Pelfrey was sharp to being the game, but got into trouble and surrendered four runs to the Padres while the ‘pen allowed four additional runs to score. But, they got it done. They overcame the disappointment of losing their series to the Braves and losing two of the teams best hitters, Reyes and D. Murph to injury.

This team is different. This may be my favorite team that I can remember watching (considering I’m 16). Yeah, 2006 was great, and so was 2007 and 2008 until the last month of both years. This is my favorite team because they leave it all on the field, they shake off the adversity and the problems. Also, Terry Collins is maybe the biggest difference. He has an air about him that says never die.

The Mets took the finale in Arlington versus the Rangers on Sunday by a score of 8-5, thus winning the series 2-1.  In the opening game, the Mets managed only one run, but then exploded for 22 runs in the final two games.  Lucas Duda was a key hitter in Saturday’s contest, while Jose Reyes collected three more hits with one being a triple.  Reyes’s average is now .341 for the year, leading the majors. 

I was at Sunday’s game, and it was great.  Let me just say, the Rangers have a great stadium.  With the porch in right field and the grass in center, it makes it a great baseball atmosphere.  All I could think about looking at the wall in center was Gary Mathews’s home run robbing catch at the wall in 2006.  In the video, the wall seems so much far away than in person.  Of course, that’s the norm.  On tv, the field seems like such an expanse while in person, the field isn’t as large as you may think.  I was very fortunate to have unbelieveable seats which were three rows from the field and it was as though I could reach right over the wall and shake hands with Chip Hale. 

Before the game, my brother and I collected some autographs from pitchers Tim Byrdak, Jon Niese, and Pedro Beato.  I also got Ruben Tejada’s autograph, the only position player because during day games, the players don’t do their stretching until a few minutes before the game.  Nonetheless, I was very happy with the autographs.  I was especially fond of Tim Byrdak, who signed autographs for the entire row of fans lined up along the wall.  He was very outgoing and was very kind.  Not that everyone else wasn’t nice, but he was especially outgoing, as was Tejada. 

Once the game started, it was a HOT one.  And I am in no way exaggerating.  It was about 103 during the game, and our seats were right in the sun.  I wasn’t very tan when I entered the stadium, but I was as red as a lobster when I left.  Needless to say, when I awoke this a.m. I was in a deal of soreness.  Advice for anyone who is going to a Rangers game, sunblock is a must! 

During the game, Gee wasn’t dominant, but he was able to get the jon done.  The Mets’ offense provided Dillon with a 1-0 lead, but he then proceeded to give up two after that, but then shut down the Texas offense.  Dillon Gee earned the win, putting his win total to 8 wins with only 1 loss.  Laster in the game, Byrdak, Beato, and Izzy were able to shut the door going into the 9th. 
Then Frankie entered in the game with a five run lead, only to make the game a little tense because he allowed the Rangers to get back into it, but he closed the game, the final being 8-1.

The Mets’ offense was able to capitalize, as I said before.  Those 8 runs were scored without a home run, as the Mets have been doing all year.  The Mets don’t need to hit homers.  If they hit more that would be great, but they don’t.  Although they don’t, they still find ways to score and win ballgames. 

There is a lot of talk about how the Mets will likely change the dimesions at Citi Field.  The Mo Zone will be taken away and Great Wall of Flushing will be lowered.  I am 100% against it.  The Mets don’t need it.  They hit fewer homers on the road an they do at home.  So I don’t believe moving the walls will do anything.  Does it have any effect on the players? Sure, I suppose it may.  But it shouldn’t to the point where a player falls off the map and isn’t as good as before.  Players for decades played in much bigger parks.

When Justin Turner took a ball off of the leg the game following Turner’s walk off hit by pitch, Jeff Wilpon and most of the fans were expecting there to be retaliation. But much to the dismay of Wilpon, that retaliation never came. Unsurprisingly, that was taken well by the Mets’ Chief Operating Officer. What was surprising, at least to me, was that Wilpon addressed the team.

According to Adam Rubin, Jeff “Chided the team in the clubhouse afterward.”

Is it good, yes. I’m happy that he agrees that they should have plunked a Oakland batter. That’s baseball and that is how baseball has been for years. The Mets needed to retaliate, to show that they aren’t gonna stand for that type of action against them. They also needed to show that their not gutless.