There are two in particular. One which deals with collective bargaining. The second focuses on the confiscation local control by the state.

And apparently, Charlie Crist is receiving significant pressure to veto the bill.

The bill has proved to be a potential game-changer in the Senate race between Crist and Marco Rubio. Rubio has come out in support of the bill and he has received significant criticism due to the support he has from former Govenor Jeb Bush, a proponent on this school reform.

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Flores is considered to be one of the crown jewells of the Mets organization. According to this scouting service, his game has lots of holes. Could it be that Flores’ reputation came from the over hyping of latin prospects that came during the Tony Bernazard regime?

Met’s minor league prospect guru, Mack Ade, rates Flores at number three. Toby Hyde lists him 2nd.

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I’m glad that Matt Cerrone reminded folks that Jack Zduriencik started his career with the Mets.

A small fact about Zduriencik is that he was part of the group of advance scouts who followed the Astros prior to the 1986 playoffs. They provided some extremely important tid bits. One involved right fielder Kevin Bass. It seems that Bass, while having a strong throwing arm had become wildly inaccuarte and was missing the cut-off man.

After Darryl Strawberry’s Game 6 lead-off double in the 16th, Ray Knight followed with a base hit to right field. Third base coach Buddy Harrelson did not hesitate sending Strawberry home even with the ball being hit right to Bass. His throw was wild to the plate and it allowed Knight to easily get to second. The Mets added two additional runs and after a nail-biting bottom half of the inning, we won to go on to the World Series.

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I don’t play golf, but Tiger Woods is my favorite athlete. I’ve not had many of them, but for some reason, I found Woods to be my guy. It had nothing to do with his private life. It was something about the athlete and his game. Maybe it was because he was like I wanted to be in all ways and on every day.

But it’s not that way anymore.

This one’s for you, Man.

Sadly though, Tiger, you are like the rest of us. You’re human and have weaknesses. The never ending allure of instant gratification consumed you. It wasn’t enough to be Tiger Woods, a billionaire, and married to the most beautiful woman in the world. I cannot tell you here and now that I would not have acted like you. But you did.

Yeah, I’m 50 and not 30 something like you are. Half a hundred is a different story, and you’re not here yet. But maybe you can hear me.

Yeah I hear ya back , dude. But you can get it all sorted out.

Reports indicate that your wife will be leaving you after the holiday. Can’t blame her and won’t. Your transgressions are too much for any wife – no matter how devoted – should be expected to endure.

You’ll never be the same, Dude. But at some point, you will have to forgive yourself enough so you can move on. You’ve lost the love and devotion of a beautiful woman and her family, but you are still a dad. It’s still alot to have left.

At some point it will be time to be the best that you can be for the people you love most.

You probably know what that means now.

So play…as soon as you can. It’s the path to healing for you and everyone around you.

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I’ve always been a fans of Matt Cerrone’s use of polling data of Met fans. One today gives me a reason to believe I’ve been right about something. I wrote the following in a post last week:

The Mets’ historical identity of being built around strong starting pitching has always appeared to be absolute. Last year’s failure of any starter to assume the role of a #2 behind one of the game’s best necessitated the club’s turn it’s attention to acquiring one. Met fans have a comfort level when their clubs are built around it’s stating pitching.

Metsblog offers a choice to fans to select between John Lackey, Matt Holliday and Jason Bay. Lackey leads all with 44%.

The Mets are an organization with a relatively short history in that there are fans alive who were there at the beginning. The first taste of glory came with a team built on strong starting pitching in Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Jon Matlack. No one will never forget the Dwight Gooden led staffs of the late 1980′s. It was the Mets dependency on starters which prompted Joe McIlvaine to give up Rick Aguillera along with four other players to get Frank Viola during 1990. Reacquisitions of Seaver, along with such pitchers as Brett Saberhagen, Al Leiter, Mike Hampton, Tom Glavine and Johan Santana support this hypothesis.

Even after a season such as 2009 that witnessed such offensive impotence, Met fans still put a premium on starting pitching.

I voted for Holliday in the poll, as I see the Mets need for a right-handed bat to be the greatest. They must compete with the Phillies whom have very good lefthanded pitching in Cliff Lee, Cole Hammels, J.A. Happ and Jamie Moyers. Righthanded hitters like Holliday and Jason Bay may not be available again.

Maybe I’m being allowed to buy into the weakness of catching last year and am optimistic of a positive return of some of the starters – except for Oliver Perez that is. And don’t get me wrong, if it’s any of these three, I’ll be pleased that the Wilpons are trying to win.

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Tepid is what recent rumors regarding Mets interest in John Lackey have been. But Adam Rubin’s story today changes all that. Aside from pursuit of catching help the Mets have been quiet. If the Mets are indeed going to be in the running for Lackey, it means that the Wilpon’s aren’t broke and that they are fully committed to competing next year.

The Mets’ historical identity of being built around strong starting pitching has always appeared to be absolute. Last year’s failure of any starter to assume the role of a #2 behind one of the game’s best necessitated the club’s turn it’s attention to acquiring one. Met fans have a comfort level when their clubs are built around it’s stating pitching.

If Rubin’s story is inaccurate, some of those tepid denials will filter it’s way into the lobby in Indianapolis. But the Mets like doing things close to the vest. How far will they be willing to go with Lackey remains to be seen. Will they get into a publoc bidding war with the Yankees?

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Three of the guys I work with have been coaching and teaching for over 30 years now. Most of the rest at least 15 years. We have three young, eager and talented guys. A great mix.

I never stop being amazed at the passion they put into what they do. They love the game and the kids. Sometimes I even feel out of place, but they’ve always treated me well and like one of them. Only in sports does a comraderie like this exist. It’s something I miss from baseball but have noticed gaining it back here.

We have to be back at school Monday, but I really need to get into my classroom to do some work before then. Time’s running out as its Thursday. They’re pretty good about not weighing down with lots of meetings unlike when I taught in South Carolina. Our district is rated #1 in the state. Its a greta community and the district has always had a lot of really good people working here. I’m glad I made the decision to return home in 2000.

We’ll put the pads on this afternoon for the first time. Two of our offensive linemen are already out – one with a severe knee injury and another with a badly sprained ankle. The later I recommeneded to his mother that we get it x-rayed. He came in yesterday morning with significant swelling and discoloration on the inside of the ankle. I had not expected to see that.

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Marty Noble has more:

His latest performance, two hits in the Mets’ 5-1 victory Sunday, put his batting average with the Mets at .300 in 100 at-bats. Francoeur has played in 26 games since being acquired from the Braves for Ryan Church and has gone hitless in merely seven of them — and never in more than two straight. He drove in 19 runs in his first 20 games after the trade. And he has provided the aggressive and strong-armed defense that Mets had anticipated.

The Mets got Francouer as a result of John Ricco’s leg work. Good job. As a result, they have a young, athletic rightfielder who’s game is suited for Citi Field. Noble’s numbers indicate he’s a run producer as well. Going into next season, it’s nice to know that it’s a position that’s settled going into 2010.

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10:10: Santos struck out…but still….STILL you felt and SAW the Mets were the better team that just lost. Gotta beat the lefty Davis tomorrow.

!0:07: Murphy grounded out for the second out. Still…..still….Cory Sulliavan singles….

!0:06: Great AB by the consumate big leaguer Tatis. Ten pitches.

10:05: great time at bat for Tatis

9:55:Man does Bobby Parnell look great. No wonder the Mets won’t put him in a trade. Sometimes the best ones are those you don’t make. And I admire the way that Sean Green has bounced back.

9:52: I agree with Gary and Ronnie that JP Ricciardi would be crazy to trade Doc Halladay to a division foe

9:48: Frenchy struck it well, but no. Its nice to have the opportunity in a close game. Remember folks, it was John Ricco and not Tony Bernazardd who did the leg work on Francouer.

9:47: David Wright just singled to bring up Francuoeur. No better scenario.

9:41: MLB hitters Nick Evans and Mike Lamb are on the Buffalo roster, so the Rockies will be able to go through the bottom of the Mets lineup.

9:37 EST …sorry…but I hate the current configuration of NL rosters. The Mets now have no bench to engage in a close game.

8:29: Cancel popped up to end the inning. But you can tell two important things from the Mets dugout. They both WANT and THINK they can get this game.

8:25: Omir Santos continues to impress with his 2-out double. Oh, Jerry burns Jeremy Reed to put in Robby Cancel.

8:18: Great lead-off HR by Tatis. You can see how dialed in his teammates were. 4-2 in the 7th. Good spot for a comeback.

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Good job by Miniya to pick him up. But the Mets still cannot count on Pedro Feliciano, Bobby Parnell and K-Rod to pitch in every game they win. The starters are pogrammed to pitch only 5 to 6 innings and its a prescription for bullpen failure collapse by August. The Mets will finish out of the play-offs again if someone besides Johan Santana can get into the last third of the game.

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