David Wright's Matching Helmet & Bat

ALL SIGNS POINT TO A SERIOUS POWER FAILURE OVERHAUL when the team's best player opts for an extra-padded, extra-large batting helmet and the outfield wall is chopped down in half. It's hard to say whether New York Mets' third baseman David Wright's power numbers were hurt due to shattered confidence after getting beaned or the 16 foot high wall in center field at Citi Field. So rather than guess, Wright and the Mets took measures to overcome both possible hindrances. Personally, I think his power drop had more to do with the team finishing 23 games behind the Phillies than anything else.

Vintage LIFE Baseball Photos: Donn Clendenon

RECENTLY I CAME ACROSS some vintage LIFE baseball photos on Google Images, including this outstanding image of former New York Mets Donn Clendenon. Having been born after the '69 Mets made history, looking at a photo like this is the closest I'll ever get to experiencing baseball before my day--the wool, the felt letters, the high sleeves, the tiny wristband, the thin cap. But it's quite obvious that the photo needed a bit of optimizing in order to make viewers feel as if they're standing right there next to Mr. Clendenon. So I decided to optimize the photo using three adjustment steps in Photoshop that I typically use with vintage photos in order to get more accurate colors. These steps aren't necessarily all that I would use to optimize a photo professionally, but they help give me a quick look at a photo's restoration potential. This is not a tutorial, but rather a quick step thru of the process leading to the final result.

STEP 1: Adjusting light levels

STEP 2: Adjusting Color Balance

STEP 3: Adjusting Saturation

After

Before

(NOTE: It is not my intent to use these photos without permission, but rather through what I consider to be "fair use", I'm posting these photos for those who share an appreciation of vintage baseball photography. For this reason, I have posted smaller, low-resolution photos than the originals.)

The 2009 New York Mets: Putting a Fork In It

FORGET THE PEN as MLB's 2009 reality show. If there was a storyline that qualified as true dramedy, it would have to be the 2009 New York Mets. From the adventures of Oliver Perez to the loss of Reyes & Delgado to K-Rod's tussle with Brian Bruney to Luis Castillo's error to David Wright's beaning to Eric Bruntlett's game-ending triple play to Johan Santana's bone chips, this was the ultimate train wreck of a season. Just about everyone expected this team to be duking it out with the Phils at the top of the NL East, but now it's high time to just stick a fork in it, let the September callups play and look to next year.

Luis Castillo Takes Over Oliver Perez' Dog House

New York Inaugura-L

SO MUCH FOR THE HYPE about opening Citi Field and new Yankee Stadium this year. All the talk about premium-priced seating, the Citi "taxpayer" Field controversy, and exhorbitant spending by the Yankees, and the end result: two losses. At least the Mets made a game out of it, losing marginally, 6-5 to the Padres on Monday, but the Bronx Bombers were the ones who ended up getting bombed, 10-2, including a 9-spot put up by the Tribe in the 7th inning. Ten games into the season, the Yanks have already had four games in which their opponents have scored 10 or more runs. Both teams should be glad Opening Day in New York is over so they can begin to focus on some serious pitching issues.

WINNER: New York Mets Bullpen 2009

THE BIGGEST NEWS OF YESTERDAY was probably the Orioles trouncing CC Sabathia and the Yanks, 10-5 on Opening Day, but the key news was the performance of the New York Mets bullpen, in my opinion. After Johan Santana handed the ball over, it was Green to Putz to Rodriguez for lights out. It worked like a charm unlike last year. There'll be a lot more of this.

Pedro and the Musical Hats

WHERE WILL PEDRO MARTINEZ WIND UP? Back where it all started with the Dodgers? Another round with the Mets? Retirement?