Since posting an actual clip from the Mets’ 8-4 win over the Pirates will undoubtedly result in harsh action from MLB Advanced Media, you’ll have to settle for the above bit of trickeration instead.

Perhaps preempting a future Wally Matthews column, Always Amazin’ Ryan McConnell weighs in on Da Edge’s most recent violation of baseball etiquette.

Apparently Lastings Milledge made a “windmill motion” when he crossed home plate after homering last night, which irked Snell and led to Tony Armas plunking L. Millz on the elbow padding later in the game. Even when the Pirates are trying to be all manly and tough, they’re pathetic and ineffectual. Poor team.

That’s the same Snell, by the way, who recently flipped out over the Rockies’ alleged sign-stealing.

The New York Post’s Joel Sherman — while noting Moises Alou’s latest setback, is puzzled by Pedro Martinez’ rehab regiment.

Martinez has no chance to return by the non-waiver trade deadline. He recently took off 19 days – was it hiatus or holiday? – in the midst of his rehabilitation from rotator cuff surgery. The Mets keep insisting this was the good news because Martinez was so far ahead in his recovery that he needed to be slowed down. OK, I am sucker for logic like this: A pitcher felt so good that he stopped throwing. Mets VP of Player Development Tony Bernazard said there was nothing fishy, explaining, œIf there was a conspiracy, I would have known about it.

Martinez is back throwing, with the hope that he will go on a rehab assignment soon and be back by late August. But one veteran scout at Shea yesterday said, œThey are the Mets, they can™t be hoping. They have to know. And can they know for sure Martinez will come back from a major shoulder injury as more than a shadow of his old self?
Minaya and Bernazard remain encouraged that Martinez will pitch and pitch well for the 2007 Mets, but neither would give a target date for a return.

Then there is second base where, depending on your view, the Mets either have four options (Marlon Anderson, Damian Easley, Ruben Gotay, Anderson Hernandez) or none. For sure they don™t have Jose Valentin, who was supposed to be, you know, their second baseman.