What seemed to be a train coming completely off the red owls one month ago suddenly has the look of a force that must be reckoned with.

At the 2008 All-Star break, the Mets are five games over .500 and just one half game out of first place. Most importantly, the attitude around the team seems to be more confident and much more relaxed.

The question I'm reading in many blogs and newspaper articles seems to be: what outfielder will the Mets get to help complete the picture and make a second-half run?

Here's my opinion: the Mets don't need another outfielder. They need a starting pitcher, and perhaps another reliever for the bullpen.

I don't believe the Mets will need another outfielder — and I don't believe there is an outfielder currently available that would really be a "good fit" for the team as it's currently constructed. At the present time, Xavier Nady is playing very well and could be acquired, but at a very high price. Adam Dunn can be acquired by practically any team — there just doesn't seem to be much interest. Dunn is a strikeout machine, and will command a high salary. Raul Ibanez is another outfielder in his 30s, and it's not clear if his better playing days are behind him. The added attraction of these three players is that they could — potentially — slide into the first-base slot, which will most likely be open after 2008.

So what they really need is a player who can play left field for the remainder of 2008 — and possibly the first half of 2009. Basically, a seat-warmer until Fernando Martinez is ready. And they may already have that player — or players. Fernando Tatis, Damien Easley, Marlon Anderson and Nick Evans can all be rotated into left field, leaving Jerry Manuel the difficult job of figuring out "who has the hot hand."

If you refer to one of my previous articles regarding Ryan Church, there is a story circulating that perhaps it wasn't a concussion after all — and these recent headaches and dizzy spells can be attributed to his ongoing migraine headaches. Assuming that is under control, Church should be counted on to play most of the games in right field in the second half.

But what if Omar Minaya decides he needs a player after all? What about Jason Bay? What about Matt Holliday? I don't believe the Mets have the depth in their farm system to pull off trades involving these players. They may be able to work out a deal for a player like Coco Crisp, or perhaps Matt Murton, who was just acquired by the Oakland A.'s. There are rumors circulating that Murton may not be with this team very long, and could be packaged off in another deal.

The opportunity for improvement is on the pitching side. It seems funny to think that the weak link — at the moment — in the Mets starting rotation, is Pedro Martinez! But Oliver Perez and John Maine have been inconsistent, both seem to be pitching very well in recent weeks. Mike Pelfrey is finally showing signs of being a future star, and Santana has nearly been everything we expected. I don't believe we'll have an El Duque sighting in Queens this year, and so Omar Minaya needs a "backup plan" in the event Pedro breaks down in the coming weeks.

This is the time of year (those few weeks in July prior to the trade deadline) where every GM suffers from the same malady — opinion inflation. Some teams will be sellers, and they're hoping that they can peddle their goods to a needy, desperate team that feels they need one more chip to put them over the hump. Remember, a few years ago the Mets were in a position where they needed to get a relief pitcher in a hurry — and acquired Roberto Hernandez (with Oliver Perez is a throw in), for Xavier Nady. I'm certain the Mets would have preferred never to have done that deal, even though Perez has been a nice bonus.

The something else to consider, from the Mets perspective. Oliver Perez and Aaron Heilmann are in contract years. Unless the Mets plan on re-signing these players, one — or both, could be dealt before the end of this month. Perez could really help his own contract value if he continues to pitch well in the coming weeks. And other than the occasional gopher ball, Heilmann has been reliable in 2008.

The media and the fans will urge the Mets go out and acquire a big bat. But that may not be what they need. In my opinion the efforts would be better spent looking to acquire a back end of the rotation starter, and possibly another relief pitcher. But it also wouldn't be a big surprise to see the Mets do nothing between now and the end of July.

OK. Assume you are the Mets GM for a day in late July, and the trade deadline approaches. What would you do?

All that voting, and last-minute scrambling…for nothing.

David Wright was added to the National League All Star roster this afternoon, replacing Alfonso Soriano. How could a guy with 70 RBI's actually NOT be an all-star? Is that possible? And wasn't David Wright the starting 3b man the previous two All Star Games?

I think many Met fans are delighted Wright will not be involved in the Home Run Derby. And a small circle of fans will also say they would prefer the Mets avoid the midsummer classic entirely. This way they can all focus on the second half of the season. A nice 3-day reprieve will help everyone re-charge their batteries and hit the ground running when play resumes next Thursday.

The NY Mets won their 7th straight game tonight, beating the Colorado Rockies 2-1, on a Damien Easley home run in the 8th inning.   Oliver Perez pitched well the first few innings, but eventually became unglued, giving up 6 walks.  The Mets gave up 9 walks in total, but only 3 hits.

In fact, this marks the 4th straight game where the Mets pitchers have given up the opposition just 3 hits.

The game was marked by some aggressive base running by Met batters, but couldn't score.

The Mets are now 5 games over .500 with two games left to go before the All Star break, and now stand 15-9 with manager Jerry Manuel.

In the game tonight against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, Major League baseball was given another example of where instant replay could have been put to use.

In the bottom of the 7th, with Shane Victorino on base, Ryan Howard launched a deep fly ball off a pitch from Tony Armas Jr.  Armas was pitching in relief of Pedro Martinez.  Howard's shot appeared to bounce off the upper part of the wall and come back into play.  At that point, the umpire declared "fan interference" as a fan clearly hung over the railing and came in contact with the ball.  Victorino was permitted to score, Howard was held at second with a ground-rule double.  This made the score 10-4 Mets.

Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel argued the ball was on its way over the fence when it was touched by the fan.  After a meeting with the other umpires on the field, it was decided in favor of the Phillies and Howard was awarded a home run.  This made the score (at the time) Mets 10, Phillies 5.

In the previous inning the Mets held a 10-1 lead…and were witnessing a "laugher" turn into a "nail biter."

Multiple replays on TV showed the fan clearly was extended over the railing when coming into contact with the ball, making the umpire's original decision (fan interference/ground rule double) the right call.

Howard's run (and the umpire's reversal on the ground rule/fan interference) nearly became the game-breaker, as the Mets bullpen continued to falter.  The Phillies scored runs in the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th innings.  The final was 10-9, in favor of the Mets.

This marks the second time the Mets has lost out on potential opportunities for instant replay.  Earlier this season, Carlos Delgado of the Mets hit a ball at Yankee Stadium that appeared to be a home run, but was mis-called by the umpires.  TV replays showed the Delgado hit was clearly a home run.

Plenty of discussion erupted in the days that followed the Delgado hit at Yankee Stadium, and plans are  being discussed to use television replay for certain circumstances in 2009.  Tonight's hit by Ryan Howard would have been another opportunity to use replays.

The other fact in common with the game at Yankee Stadium: Jerry Manuel, now the Met manager, was also ejected for arguing the call with the umpires.

Perhaps Ryan Church didn't have a concussion a few weeks ago after all.

I'm not a neurologist. I'm not even a doctor. And I've never played one on TV. But I have been around sports long enough to know that concussions are often misunderstood, sometimes misdiagnosed and frustrating to know when possible symptoms fade away. And it's nearly impossible to declare a person free from recurring issues. Which helps to explain the theory that it's "easier to get the second concussion."

But watching Church complain of dizziness, take himself out of a Met game and then tell his manager Jerry Manuel (and then tell the media swirl around his locker) of a migraine headache this weekend, the thought became planted in my mind…maybe what happened a few weeks ago wasn't a concussion after all.

We're now learning that Church has had recurring migraine headaches and takes medication when he feels them coming on. The symptoms he complains about with migraines…pounding headache, sensitivity to light, the feeling of being in a car crash…are all symptoms that could be used to explain a concussion.

Again, a non-medical professional here…but sometimes concussions occur without leaving a bruise that can be picked up in a scan or MRI. And there is often a time delay in concussion symptoms appearing. Which makes a 100% accurate diagnosis of concussions very difficult.

Concussion, migraine, whatever it may be, hopefully these issues will clear up. Church has been having a breakout season in 2008. Hopefully he'll be able to get back on the field quickly. There really is no timetable for healing from concussions. You never really clear up completely. Migraines can clear themselves up (sometimes) in 24 hours (but sometimes longer). But that can also help explain why Church felt better in the days following the possible concussion suffered in the play against the Braves. Maybe it wasn't a concussion after all.

OK, all you doctor-wannabes, time to dial up your diagnosis. Let's hear your prescription for Church.

We saw the Good Ollie today.

Today, when the Mets needed him most, we saw the GO (Good Ollie). 7 innings, 4 hits, just 2 walks and striking out six. Who IS this guy?

Yes, GO (Good Ollie) lowered his ERA for the season to a pedestrian 4.62. And it still leaves his men on base percentage (WHIP…walks+hits/innings) around 1.40-something, very uninspiring…

But what's up with this trend?

Perez had the meltdown of the century a month ago, against the SF Giants. That day, BO (Bad Ollie) gave up 6 earned runs in 1/3rd of an inning. Even more amazing, BO did all that damage with only 36 pitches! Since then, he has shown signs of improvement. Over the past month of starts, Perez has 26 K's in 30 innings. He's carrying an ERA nearly a run lower…3.50. And he sports a WHIP of 1.15 — impressive. That's primarily because he's given up only 9 walks in the last 30 innings.

Did Perez get religion after the beating against San Francisco? What happened?

Some speculate he really wasn't communicating on the same level as Rick Peterson, the former pitching coach. Some chalked it up to the same model of inconsistency that saw him bounce from San Diego to Pittsburgh and then to the Mets.

But here's a thought. Who took the mound the day after the San Francisco meltdown?

None other than Pedro Martinez. And I would venture to say that having Pedro around has been a better influence on Perez. Pedro, for all the inconsistency he's shown the past month, still seems to have a positive effect on the rest of the staff, and perhaps the other 24 members of the roster.

Maybe the theory is all wet. Maybe we're seeing the GO (good Ollie) because Scott Boras reminded him about his contract status (Perez is in the final year of his deal). Maybe GO will be dealt before the end of the month — unlikely — but a somewhat more realistic possibility now that actually appears to be pitching better. Maybe he's simply pitching better because Peterson isn't jamming his brain with all that Zen-speak. Face it, a few weeks back, the BO (bad Ollie) had NO street value whatsoever. And a few bloop hits, a few more walks and we could see the BO (bad Ollie) emerge pretty quickly. Which could take the air out of the Mets tires pretty quick.

Lots of theories. Lots of possibilities. What's your feelings on the GO (Good Ollie)? Is he here to stay? Or is the GO (good Ollie) just passing through?

The Mets have called up Tony Armas from Triple-A. Although the Mets have had a busy schedule — including three trips to the West Coast in the last six weeks — the next two weeks, up to the All-Star break, will prove to be a heavy schedule, as the Mets have 12 games in 11 days.

Although Armas has been in the league for a while, he is just 30 years old. In fact it was just over 10 years ago that Boston traded Armas and Carl Pavano for Pedro Martinez. Armas signed with the Mets over the winter and has been pitching in Triple-A this year. For New Orleans, Armas started 17 games, pitched 102 innings (six innings per start), and struck out 88 batters, while compiling a 2.54 earned run average. What is especially appealing, in the PCL, he did a good job of keeping people off the base paths — 85 hits and only 20 walks in 102 innings.

Armas spent 2007 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, appearing in 31 games — but only starting 15. Armas had a lot of trouble keeping runners off base — he gave up 111 hits, along with 38 walks in just 97 innings. In fact, a look back at his stats in 2005 and 2006 paint the same picture… too many baserunners.

So it will be interesting to see if he's learned anything new while spending his time in New Orleans.

Armas has never been a dominating pitcher — he's averaged about four strikeouts per nine innings. Armas doesn't seem to be particularly durable either — his last complete game was nearly 10 years ago, in 1999, while in AA ball for Montréal. His strikeouts jumped this year in triple-A, so it remains to be seen if he developed a new pitch or gained confidence in throwing something else.

What is becoming clear is the need for another pitcher. While the negotiations with the Twins for Johan Santana were going on over the winter, there were also rumors flying about signing an additional pitcher — perhaps Kyle Lohse, who is now 10 - 2 for St. Louis, and possibly heading to the All-Star game. Warming the seat for El Duque is not a plan. The few reports that have surfaced at all regarding El Duque's progress don't seem very optimistic. So it appears that Omar Minaya wants to take a look at Armas before perhaps adding another pitcher before the trade deadline.

Another point that needs to be mentioned: Armas is another product of the Montréal Expos-Washington Nationals organization. It just seems to be a funny coincidence that Minaya continues to go back to the well — the same well — over and over in his search for players to help round out the Mets roster.

Suppose you were the general manager for the next 30 days. What would be the three moves that you would make to help get this team ready for stretch run?

First pitch from Oliver Perez in the stretch today: wild pitch.

After three pitches, it's 3-0 against A-Rod. Perez looked great in the first three innings today against the Yankees. After giving up a hit to Jeter, Perez went to the stretch and trouble begins.

Fortunately, this time around, it didn't cost Perez.

It's no secret Perez has been the weak link in the rotation lately, and that's bad news, not only for Perez, but also for the Mets. Counted on to be a main cog in the rotation this year, he's been extremely hot…and extremely cold. What's worse for this Scott Boras client, Perez hopes to cash in as a free agent after this year.

What do you think could be troubling Ollie…is it just the stretch…or something more?

Ryan Church has been activated for today's game against the Yankees.  Ryan's bat and strong defense has been missing in action since his concussion on May 20.  At the time of his 2nd concussion, Church was leading the team in several offensive categories.

Omar Minaya was criticized in some corners when the trade with the Nationals was announced in the off-season.  Trading Lastings Milledge for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church  seemed questionable by many.  So far, even with injuries to Church and Schneider, this trade seems to have benefited the Mets.

What's your opinion on this trade?  And do you feel Church will be able to bounce right back into the groove he was in prior to the concussion?

Terrific post from Dugout Central on "baseball names" which cited, among others, the Amazin Mets. You can read the post in it's entirety here…Baseball Names and How They Got That Way.

The question that immediately launched in my mind, after reading the post was "What would have happened had some other team (like Philadelphia or Cleveland) been awarded Tom Seaver? And what would have happened to the Braves if they were permitted to retain Seaver? Can you imagine Seaver playing alongside Henry Aaron?

And, naturally, what do you think would have happened to the Mets?