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.

Anyone else grossed out when Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey licks his hand between pitches?

I'm sitting here watching Pelfrey pitch against the Florida Marlins (because I'm a huge Mets fan, and I have no social life), and it is seriously grossing me out.

Don't get me wrong, I like Mike Pelfrey, especially when he doesn't balk three times in a game. (He also happens to be pretty cute.) But ever since WFAN's morning talk show host Craig Carton went off about Pelfrey licking his hands after (or before) every pitch the other morning, how it was almost like he was making out with his hand, I cannot watch Pelfrey pitch.

Making matters worse, this morning WFAN Boomer & Carton Show producer Al Dukes debuted his homage to Pelfrey's pitching ritual, titled "Lick My Hand," sung to the tune of Hootie and the Blowfish's "Hold My Hand," which you can hear here.

I realize that all baseball players have their batter's box tics -- whether it's adjusting their "junk" or their batting gloves or crossing themselves or sticking out their tongue while waiting for a pitch. But licking one's hands between pitches... ew. (It is also HIGHLY unsanitary. I know, like Pelfrey or the Mets care.)

But, as long as Pelfrey keeps winning games, even with spitballs, I'll remain a fan -- though I'll have to turn my head away (or pray that camera man does) between pitches.

***FOR MORE ON THE PELF, HIS OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE PRE-PITCH HAND LICKING, AND AL DUKES "PELFREY MEETS MICHAEL JACKSON" SONG, CLICK HERE.***