The Mets' Mike Pelfrey takes a licking...

and WFAN 660's Al Dukes keeps writing songs about it. Though I have to say Al may have outdone himself with today's "Pelfrey Meets Michael Jackson" ditty (just click the link to have a listen), which I had the pleasure of hearing live on this morning's Boomer & Carton Show.

For those of you unfamiliar with Mets Pitcher Mike Pelfrey, who going into tonight's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers has a 6-3 record and a 4.26 ERA, and/or his habit of licking his hand before each pitch, here's a quick refresher.

Me, I'm still grossed out by Pelfrey's obsessive-compulsive pre-pitch hand-licking, but if it results in a Mets win, I'll deal with it. (I have low expectations. Just want the Mets to get back above .500 -- and okay, make it into the playoffs. Also, enough with the injuries and blaming David Wright for not being more of a leader.)

Play ball!

UPDATED: It's official: the Mets still stuck, losing 8 - 0 to Manny Ramirez and the rest of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field last night. And GM Omar Minaya now says he doesn't know when Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran will be back in the lineup. Definitely not soon enough. But masochist that I am, I will continue to follow -- and root for -- my team. 'Cause that's what a true fan does. Go Mets!

UPDATED 7/17/09: Big Pelf is back on the mound, in Atlanta, tonight, and Al Dukes over at the FAN (WFAN Sports Radio 66) is at it again. Here's his latest song about Mets Pitcher Mike Pelfrey licking his hands between pitches, titled "I lick myself," sung (and I use that term loosely) to the tune of the Divinyls' "I touch myself." Btw, to hear all of Al Duke's Mike Pelfrey songs, click here.