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I guess building on something is too much to ask
2008-05-20 20:58:00
The Mets marched through their crosstown rivals and everybody started talking about them finally turning the corner. Everything was working right the offense, defense and pitching. Except for Willie sticking his foot in his mouth, there was a day off in which everybody felt positive for once. The one thing Mets fans have been looking for is the team to build on their success and not just stay in neutral. What a better way to do it then with John Maine on the mound, while facing Tom Glavine who is just coming off the DL which should have made the change-up difficult to throw.It started great the Mets got a HR off Luis Castillo, then two straight hits and a walk. The Mets had bases loaded with one run in, one out and Glavine on the ropes. But then as if someone turned off a switch the Mets who played the Nationals returned. Both Moises Alou and Carlos Delgado recorded outs without getting a run home. I wished they kept a stat on how many times this team failed to get a fly ball with a...
More About: Building , Guess

Pedro & the impact on Vargas, Pelfrey, Smith, Heilman.....
2008-05-20 15:20:00
One of the most frustrating parts of last weeks 3-1 series loss to the Nationals was the outstanding starting pitching the Mets received.Mike Pelfrey looked solid pitching 7.2 innings in which he allowed one run on three hits, three walks while striking out four. After giving up 14 runs in three starts against playoff caliber teams ( Arizona, Philly, Atl.), Pelf. bounced back with two solid performances. With his ERA hovering in the mid fours, I think it's critical for the young righty to gain experience in the majors. But he may not give the team their best chance to win against competitive teams. It's hard to allow a young pitcher to struggle, despite the value of the lessens learned when your vying for a championship.....Claudio Vargas finished spring training in the Brewers camp with a mid 3 ERA, but was cut in a salary dump move. Vargas has always had a very good SO/BB ratio but his ERA has crept up each year he's been in the league, despite the high ERA he has 23 wins over ...
More About: Smith , Pedro

Mets sign Nunez
2008-05-20 02:07:00
The Daily News is reporting that the Mets have signed Abraham Nunez to a minor league contract. Nunez spent the last two years with the Phillies but was released during the off-season. He had several offers to but chose to accept a minor league contract with the Brewers because he felt they gave him the best chance of making the team and were a playoff caliber organization. Nunez was the last cut in spring training and was re-assigned to AAA. He had an out clause in his contract if he wasn't on the major league roster by June 1st and since he was off to a slow start hitting .210 the Brewers decided to release him.Nunez is a 32 y/o switch hitter with a lifetime BA of .242, he's a solid defender who can play the entire infield, outfield and relief pitcher ( well, one out once in 2004). He's primarily a 3B but has spent just as much time at SS and 2B. In 2005 for the Cardinals in the playoffs he hit a combined .375 with an OBP .423 in seven games (23 AB). He returned to the post sea...
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Willie, Manuel and the call......
2008-05-19 16:21:00
First let me start by saying what a great weekend to be a Mets fan, I don't know, sometimes they say you have to hit bottom before you can get up. Billy Wagner's comments which in no way could/should be misconstrued to insinuate anything racial may have pushed this team over the edge. You could say it doesn't hurt to be playing a last place team, but this isn't any regular last place team and last I checked the Nats were in last place also. The team looked like it finally got it's wake-up call and played like we all have expected them to; good pitching, solid defense and timely hitting..... So in a city that thrives on controversy and can't accept success, the Delgado home run is the drama of the day and how Willie handled it. It's plain and simple the ump blew the call, he admitted as much after the game. Two things to say about that, don't over rule a call unless your absolutely sure and have an ump in the booth with an ear piece to home plate ump as a type of instant r...
More About: Call , The Call , Manuel

Starting to get the value of Schneider
2008-05-18 22:44:00
I have to admit when I hear someone say he's a defensive catcher or handles a pitching staff well I really never understood what that meant. The Mets have a long history of consistency behind home plate, in fact it's been our best position over the life of the team. Coming into this season in 31 yrs of the teams 46 yr existence the Mets have had six starting catchers, all six of those catchers appeared in All-star games as a Met and one is a Hall of Famer; Grote, Streans, Hundley, Piazza, Carter and Lo Duca. All except one hit for .250 or better and Todd Hundley who was a lifetime .230 hitter was a major home run threat for a few years. The Mets have a history of good hitting catchers and while I remember getting sick of watching the league run on Piazza I never really appreciated much more then their average.....So I really didn't understand why the team was going to move it's biggest chip for a weak hitting catcher and a platooning outfielder. It's not that I thought Milledge...
More About: Schneider

Another solid start by Armas
2008-05-18 06:06:00
Tonight for the Zephyrs Tony Armas Jr. pitched seven scoreless innings in which he allowed two hits and one walk, while striking out five. Armas finally got a win for his efforts and improved his record to 2-4 while lowering his ERA 2.63. Armas has the fifth lowest WHIP (1.11) in AAA and is clearly better then a AAA pitcher. It's nice to have such an arm as a back-up plan but I wonder if he'll begin to demand a release so that he can catch on with a team in need of a starter or long reliever. There just doesn't appear to be a spot on the major league roster anytime soon. The Mets aren't carrying a long reliever but there's no one to send down for him to take the spot.
More About: Start , Solid

Feels good to win
2008-05-18 05:08:00
After two losses to the Washington Nationals and a rain day in which we all completely dissected the team, it feels great to win a game. Sure some of our warts showed; Johan and the gofer ball, big two out hits with runners in scoring position and using the closer in the eighth because of pen concerns. But tonight the glass is half full and it feels good to win a game.Sure the Yankees are struggling but they're still the Yankees and we were in their house. Andy Pettitte is a tough left handed pitcher and the Mets were able to score three runs but more importantly get his pitch count up to get him out of the game. The Yanks pen is their Achilles heel and the Mets took advantage of Pettitte's early departure by scoring four runs off them. It's funny because with every start we say that Johan didn't have his best stuff but he limited the damage and now he has a 5-2 record with a 3.30 ERA ( not bad for a guy who hasn't had his best stuff yet). Today, Santana gave up three home runs...
More About: Good

Mets pick-up once top Prospect OF
2008-05-18 04:02:00
The Sun & Press-Bulletin of Binghamton reports that in the wake of the F-Mart injury the Mets have signed outfielder Eric Reed. The Florida Marlins recently removed Reed from their 40 man roster and the 27 y/o left-handed outfielder opted for free agency. Reed was once a top prospect in the Marlins organization but over two seasons (2006-2007) he was recalled several times to the major league level and only hit .100 in 61 at bats. In his defense Reed was used as a pinch hitter/extra outfielder and never saw any regular playing time. Last year he hit .285 with 30 stolen bases and 12 triples in AAA Albuquerque. John Sickel's minor league ball had Reed as high as the #10 prospect in the Marlins organization prior to the 2006 season, but by 2007 he had dropped to a notable mention. The Mets will look to drop him back down to AA and see if they can re-tool the speedster so that he can get on base more often like Jose Reyes to take advantage of his speed.......To fill Martinez's spo...
More About: Pick , Prospect

Circus comes to Shea
2008-05-17 05:44:00
Whether it was on the radio or through the Internet most of us die-hard Mets fans know every detail of what's transpired over the last 24 hours and there's no way to be happy. It appears that the last year has finally come to a head, if you look at the five stages of grieving this team maybe reaching the end. The Mets spent all of last year denying that there was a problem, at times they have expressed anger towards each other and the umps, Omar has left the core of this team in place and bargained to change the attitude of the team by bringing in Johan Santana, many of the players appear to be in a deep depression over the performance of the club and now it looks like they all may have accepted the fact that there is a bigger problem that needs to be address. Where they go from here is completely up to them, they can fix this internally amongst themselves or force Omar to change things for them....In 24 hrs the team has played one of their most apathetic games in which they looke...
More About: Shea , Circus

1B Chad Tracy Available ?
2008-05-17 05:22:00
Matt Cerrone of Metsblog reported on a Jayson Stark report that the DBacks may make Chad Tracy available when he comes off the disabled list. Tracy is a 27 y/o, left handed 1B/3B/LF with a career BA .288. Tracy is out of options and the DBacks who have the best record in the league may not want to mess with the team chemistry by moving a player to make room for him. Tracy is an up and coming player who before his injury last year was battling for playing time with Jackson and Reynolds. He would now be replacing super utility and club house favorite Chris Burke. While I'd like to have the Tracy on the bench this year and then replace Delgado next year, I'm not sure if we could come up with the prospects for a trade....In his latest Rumblings & Grumblings column for ESPN.com, Jayson Stark writes: “We continue to hear talk that Arizona will look to move Chad Tracy once he comes off the disabled list and gets back in the big league flow. But one NL executive says he can’t see ...

Mets keep an eye on Freddy
2008-05-17 05:08:00
MLBTR reports that Buster Olney of ESPN posted on his Insiders Blog that seven teams are keeping an eye on Freddy Garcia's progress. Garcia is expected back on the mound in June and game ready by the trade deadline. The Mets are one of the seven teams interested, they may have a leg up on the competition as Garica is friends with several players on the team and Omar has a good relationship with his agent ( also Santana's). Garcia would be a great addition to the staff, especially if injury and consistency problems continue to effect the rotation.Garcia remains a mystery - we don't know when he'll be ready, how much money he'll want, or how effective he'll be. source MLBTR

F-Mart on the DL for three weeks
2008-05-17 04:57:00
Top Prospect Fernando Mart inez felt a pop while running the bases, an MRI on his right leg revealed that he has a strained hamstring and will be out for three weeks.B-Mets manager Mako Oliveras said that Fernando Martinez will be out three weeks with a strained right hamstring. source Press & Sun Bulletin
More About: Weeks

Clark out for the year
2008-05-17 04:38:00
Brady Clark was on the verge of retiring when he decided to accept assignment to New Orleans. The veteran outfielder found himself on his third team in two seasons, either you could say he's a fringe player or valuable enough to keep finding work. After a solid spring that was over shadowed by Angel Pagan's meteoric start, Clark barely had a chance to prove himself before being waived to make room for Moises Alou. After only six games in New Orleans, Clark is out for the rest of the year with a knee injury.....Brady Clark needs surgery on his right knee that could sideline him for a year. source Daily News
More About: Year

Figgy makes it through waivers
2008-05-17 03:54:00
Nelson Figueroa made it through waivers and will report to AAA New Orleans. I hope the last we see of Figgy isn't his frustrated comments about girl scout chants directed at the Nationals. Figgy was a great story and looked like he could serve a purpose as a long reliever if the position becomes available. While there was good news about Figgy, there's still no word about Jorge Sosa....Nelson Figueroa has cleared waivers and is expected to report to Triple-A New Orleans, Surfing the Mets has learned. No word yet on Jorge Sosa’s fate source Daily News

Holliday for Beltran now there's a shake up
2008-05-16 04:05:00
If you go under the premise that this team as it's comprised just doesn't have the proper chemistry or leadership to win and feel that a shake is in order, because the same group of players has been playing .500 ball for over a year, then you have to decide who must go. Reyes and Wright are the core of the team; Alou, Castillo, Schneider and Delgado don't have the value for the player I'm talking about, and Church has become too valuable. There are no extra starting pitchers to trade and the relievers we're willing to give up most teams wouldn't want.That leaves Carlos Beltran, the switch hitting, gold glove center fielder might be the only chip we have to pull off a big trade. I'm not a Beltran hater ( I know they're out there) but lets face it he's too streaky and doesn't hit consistently enough to be a #4 hitter. In fact this team is lacking a clutch big time power hitter, at this point the offensive line-up looks like a bunch of complimentary players that have been thr...

Maybe they're just not that good.....
2008-05-15 22:05:00
The Mets couldn't even muster one run against a kid who pitched his way out of the major leagues with an 11 ERA. They ended a home-stand with a record of 3-4 against two teams in the bottom of the their respective divisions and two of those wins, the decisive runs came on errors /misplayed balls. I've been looking all along to find the answer as to why this playoff caliber team just couldn't play better then .500 ball, since about this time last year. I've blamed the hitting coach (Downs), the manager, the GM, the owner for not spending more money and different players ( Delgado, Heilman, Mota, Ollie, Etc...) all along thinking they were just one or two pieces away from putting it all together. But maybe this is as good as it gets, this team that individually looks great on paper can't put it all together and they are just a .500 team. Maybe my level of frustration shouldn't be from their performance but that my expectations are simply too high. I'm looking for 2006 and that ...
More About: Good

No excuse to use Heilman
2008-05-15 16:00:00
So this morning I'm reading some justifications for why Willie used Heilman and sorry I'm not buying it. Don't get me wrong I fully understand why Matt Wise and Scott Schnoeneweis were unavailable. Schoeneweis had spent the day in the hospital with what turned out to be flu like symptoms and Wise just returning from the DL can't immediately be used on back to back days. But that still leaves Willie with three solid options in Smith, Feliciano and Sanchez. If any of these three relievers were brought in and failed to get the job done, then Willie wouldn't be getting second guessed so much today, it would be the teams offense.With that said, there's no way he should have been left in as long as he was, the minute Heilman exits the pen his back-up plan should be warming up. The excuse that no one was ready is as lame as using him in the first place, your worried about his ego ( which appears to be destroyed) then have Feliciano throwing so it looks like a match-up situation.Omar...
More About: Excuse

Why Heilman.... Willie what are you thinking
2008-05-15 04:11:00
This game should have never come down to the seventh inning, but it did. Once again the offense wasted a great performance by a starting pitcher, this time it was new comer Claudio Vargas who went 6 1/3 allowing just two runs on 3 hits, 4 BB while striking out six. Against a last place team once again this offense has struggled way more then it should, tonight it had a pathetic six hits and scored three runs. So far in this series against the last place Nationals who have the worst batting average in the league and have the lowest runs scored totals, the Mets have scored 13 while the Nationals 18.So onto tonight's game the teams entered the seventh inning tied 1-1, in the top of the inning Claudio Vargas struck out one and walk another batter. Willie decided to pull Vargas after he walked the batter and was at 100 pitches, I know some will second guess pulling Vargas but I have no problem with that decision. What I do have a problem with is bringing Aaron Heilman into a tied game, ...
More About: Thinking

Now Willie's on board with Delgado bunting....Finally
2008-05-14 22:36:00
I'm was very glad to see Carlos Delgado bunt against the shift, in fact I've been recommending it for over a year. In a post dated 1/27/07 called Keep em Honest in which I chronicled Delgado's struggles, the shift and said the following about bunting;My concern with Delgado making an effort to hit the ball the other way, is that in doing so it may have compounded his mechanical problems. It appeared that during the slump his hips were flying out which would indicate a player who's attempting to be in front of the ball to hit it in the opposite direction. The slump seemed to start with Delgado hitting the ball hard directly at defenders in the shift, and then escalated in a mechanical problem, possibly by trying to hit the other way. My solution to the problem is to force the defense out of the shift by keeping them honest. Just how do I propose to do this; the first time Reyes or Beltran are on third and they put the shift on bunt. Yes, bunt. I don't like to take such a powerfu...
More About: Board , Finally

Castillo could land on the DL
2008-05-14 21:25:00
Metsblog is reporting that the Buzz from Shea is that Luis Castillo could land on the DL. As I've said before I think the Mets are slow to put players on the DL especially veterans, if there's a respect of Castillo hurting himself worse or he's a detriment to the team then move him to the DL and bring someone in to fill the roster spot.the buzz from shea suggests Luis Castillo could still end up on the disabled list, though he continues to tell reporters that such a move is not necessary source Metsblog I'm not very comfortable with Easley's, Anderson's or Tatis' defense at second but their decent offensive players and will serve just fine to get us through the DL stint. I know many will be screaming about why we gave up Gotay, but his defense wasn't much better then the three above and as I predicted, that hot offensive start he had in '07' is gone, he's hitting .238 and hasn't had a hit against a left handed pitcher yet this season. Jose Valentin could be getting close...
More About: Land

Casanova makes it through waivers
2008-05-14 21:10:00
With so many injured catchers throughout the league, there was a risk that Raul Casanova would be claimed off waivers but the journeyman catcher made it through and will report to New Orleans. I'm glad we were able to keep him, as the back-up to the back-up Casanova did a decent job and with Castro on the team I'm sure he'll see more time with the big league team.Casanova, 35, will join the Zephyrs on Thursday after clearing waivers this week. The veteran catcher was designated for assignment by the Mets on Friday to make room for Ramon Castro, who had been activated from the disabled list. Casanova was hitting .283 in 46 at-bats for the Mets with one home run and six RBI. He is a .236 lifetime hitting in parts of nine major league seasons. source MiLB

All the right moves
2008-05-14 02:33:00
The Mets made several rosters moves today and in doing so, showed just how committed they are to winning now. I believe several of the moves were a true departure from past practices and put the best team on the field.They had been discussing sending Joe Smith down despite being one of the best relievers in the pen, but he was also the only pitcher with options. I don't bye the excuse that they liked the durability of Sosa, as I said last night just because he can pitch often doesn't mean he can provide quality appearances. I know Omar likes to keep as many options as possible and if he thought Sosa was salvageable then sending down Smith was the only way to guarantee keeping them both. But because of the ownership's long history of being frugal it was hard to believe that the decision wasn't just coming down to the fact that the Mets were on the hook for 2 mil. to Sosa, I still would like to know if he agreed to assignment prior to their final decision. Regardless of the proces...
More About: Moves

Here's how I would resolve the rotation problem
2008-05-13 05:00:00
The Mets are in need of a starter for Wednesday's game against the Nationals. There has been some speculation that Adam Bostick will be brought up because he's already on the 40 man roster and has options. The Mets could move a reliever (Smith or Sosa), bring up Bostick for the day and then re-assign him to bring up Matt Wise. But Bostick has been pretty mediocre in AAA and I don't see how you can have confidence in him at the MLB level.Figgy's loss tonight served two purposes for the club, first of all it made Wednesday's game all that more important and showed that Figgy is at best a long reliever. Tonight was Figgy's fourth start in a row that couldn't be considered a quality start, which means only in his first two starts he made it six innings and/or allowed only three runs. Despite being a great feel good story, I just don't think he belongs in the rotation, it reminds me of Solar a few years ago with his heart felt story and then he pitched a CG but when it was all sa...
More About: Problem , Rotation

Why is it so hard to cut Sosa
2008-05-13 03:39:00
These are the type of games that are essential to a winning season, the Mets need to take 3 out of 4 from the Nats and beat-up on an inferior team, something they were unable to do at the end of last year. But it was the Nats that beat-up on the Mets, once again Jorge Sosa as the long-man allowed critical add-on runs that took the game from reasonably trailing to a blown out. The Mets had a chance to come back being down by only three runs to a Nationals team with a horrible bullpen, then Jorge Sosa came on and quickly gave up four runs. Sosa has an ERA of 7.06 and allowed 23 runs in 21 innings which has included four HRs two of which were grand slams.Matt Wise is ready to come off the disabled list but the team is using everyday of his 30 day rehab assignment to decide who he will replace. Wise has a nasty change-up and with Heilman struggling he would be a nice compliment to Sanchez late in a game, but Wise can also pitch two innings if needed. They went as far as to bring Wise in...
More About: Hard

Castillo regardless of knees a good 2B
2008-05-11 22:26:00
I'm not sure why there's such animosity towards 2B Luis Castillo , I mean if it's about the contract then that's Omar's fault and if it's that he has balky knees, aren't there fans constantly complaining that Beltran doesn't play on sore knees. From the prospective of being a gamer and playing hurt, showing heart Castillo is the epitome of a competitor.Lets start with the contract, four years 25 mil. (6.25 mil. per year) in today's baseball isn't that big a contract. I agree for a 32 y/o with balky knees it seems a little long, two years with an option would have been more like it but allegedly the Astros were making a big push for Castillo. An extra year on a contract, that I'm not paying for isn't something to dislike a player over and at least now we have solidified second base for the first time in five years. Realistically Castillo will probably start for the next two years and then platoon in the third, I'm guessing the fourth will be paid by the insurance policy a...
More About: Good , Knees

Doubleheader was a microcosm of this team
2008-05-11 17:01:00
For those who don't understand why so many Mets fans are frustrated, they need to look no further then yesterdays doubleheader. With that said I can't stand the boo birds ( you know who you are) it doesn't motivate the players to perform, it's happening too quick and as frustrated as I've been I just don't get the purpose of taking away home field advantage.The Reds are one of the worst teams in the league and the pitching match-ups for the doubleheader completely favored us, so hoping for a sweep and taking our chances on Sunday against a tough rookie wasn't too much to ask. But for this team they seem allergic to sustained success, I think they could silence most of their critics if they could run off six in a row or 8 out of ten. Call it a playoff hangover, managerial decisions, an imperfect roster, lack of killer instinct or chemistry, whatever it is something keeps this team stuck playing 500 ball when in my opinion there much better then that. Game one of the doublehead...
More About: Team

Lugo minor injury
2008-05-10 19:55:00
With the state of the rotation, it's important to keep an eye on how the starters are doing in New Orleans. Omar usually gets veteran pitchers to take minor league deals by making gentleman's agreements, such as being the first ones to get called up as long as their pitching well. Because of this, I'm sure if we need starters the first two in line are Claudio Vargas and Tony Armas Jr. But the pitcher with the best numbers is Ruddy Lugo, he's 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA and has a K/BB ratio of 4.00 (BB 14/ SO 38). Ruddy the younger brother of Boston SS ( and often rumored to be an Omar Favorite) Julio Lugo, is a 27 y/o right handed pitcher with 102 major league relief appearances from 2006-2007 with the A's and Rays going 8-4 with a 4.39 ERA. In his last start on Wednesday night Lugo injured his hamstring and will miss his next start. Hopefully, it wont be one of those lingering injuries that effects his performance as it looks like Lugo could have a chance to contribute this year.Zephy...
More About: Injury , Minor

Pedro progressing
2008-05-10 19:30:00
It's hard to believe that Pedro Martinez has become such a forgotten man in the make-up of this team. But Pedro has missed so much time over the past two years that it's understandable how he can't to counted on, anything he provides is an added bonus. If Pedro can come back, like he did in Sept. of last year then it would be like a trade deadline pick-up. While I'll take a believe it when I see it approach, it's good to hear he's making progress.......Pedro Martinez threw a combination bullpen/batting practice session (60 pitches) yesterday in Port St. Lucie, Fla., leaving New York Mets GM Omar Minaya "encouraged" with the right-hander's progress in his comeback from a strained left hamstring."It was a pretty good session. He threw all his pitches," Minaya said. sourcce NY Post

Catcher switch
2008-05-10 18:11:00
Last night before the rain out the Mets made an expected roster move when they DFA Raul Casanova and activated Ramon Castro. Hopefully, Casanova will make it through waivers and accept assignment to New Orleans. With Castro being such an injury risk it would be nice to keep his bat as a reserve, in 12 gms he's hitting .283 with a home run, two doubles and 6 RBIs."Raul did a tremendous job for us," manager Willie Randolph said. "He got some big hits for us, had a big game up in L.A., and had a home run here in New York. I just told him how much I appreciated his effort ... and hopefully, he can clear waivers and we can keep him and he'll be back, helping us win a championship." source The Star Ledger
More About: Catcher , Switch

Pascucci really making a name for himself in NO
2008-05-09 15:51:00
As I said in a previous post the Zephyrs received a solid pitching performance from Claudio Vargas. The veteran major league pitcher is hoping to prove he's worth a roster spot on the big league club and last night going seven scoreless innings of four hit ball won't hurt that cause. Especially when he did not walk a batter and struck out seven, just the type of control and length the rotation could use. I'm not on the bandwagon lets see if he can keep that up over 3-4 starts, but it's definitely a good sign.The Zephyrs won this pitchers duel 1-0 and that run came from Valentino Pascucci. The new comer is really making a name for himself, hitting .333 with 8 RBIs and 3 HRs in nine games. Last night he scored the only run of the game on a solo home run and currently has a Slg. pct. of .727. At the time of his acquisition Matt Cerrone at Metsblog posted the signing and several commenter's who have seen him play said his defense is atrocious, so he would be an all bat type of play...