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Peterson on the hot seat
2008-06-03 17:33:00
Ken Rosenthal is reporting that pitching coach Rick Peterson is on the hot seat. Rosenthal believes it would be a foolish idea to let the Jacket go and sites his success as the reason to keep him. Maybe I'm just looking for a scapegoat or with familiarity comes complacency but I'm not as high as I once was. To match his successes, there seem to be alot of pitchers who have struggled for a long time under Peterson. I'm not advocating either way I'm just saying for me that he was the Guru and now he's just the Jacket.When we played the Brewers, the announcer reporting on Mota said he was crediting his success to using a slider, a pitch he had in Florida. He threw the Mets under the bus by saying something to the effect that everyone used a change-up and three quarter arm slot here. In 21 gms this year Mota has had two multi run games ( both 3 runs) resulting in an ERA of 3.04, that's not the Mota we had. Peterson does have an ace in his pocket, Sandy Koufax is very high on the c...
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Zeph's win big, thanks to Armas & Bats
2008-06-03 08:06:00
Tony Armas Jr., put in another solid start for the Zeph's, if Pelfrey struggles I could see Armas joining the rotation. He pitched six innings in which he allowed two runs, on seven hits and one walk, his ERA is 2.29.The outfield, I discussed early tonight provided most of the offense. Aguila, Pascucci and Feliciano combined for eigh hits and three RBIs, three of the hits were doubles and one was a homerun.Robinson Cancel went 2-5 with a two run triple and three RBIs.
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Don't expect Pagan anytime soon
2008-06-03 07:52:00
The Mets could really use Angel Pagan as a caddy to Alou. Pagan hurt himself diving into the stands to make a great catch on a foul ball. Adam Rubin reports that Pagan is still experiencing soreness when he swings from the right side.....Angel Pagan, on the DL with a bruised left shoulder, is having no difficulty throwing or batting from the left side. However, he is unable to comfortably bat from the right side, signaling a return isn’t close. source Daily News
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Some things work themselves out: Vargas & Muniz
2008-06-03 07:34:00
Thanks to Oliver Perez's bombing, the Mets had a chance to see Claudio Vargas as a long man and had to be happy with the results. Vargas pitched 4.2 effective and scoreless innings, just as a longman is suppose to do he kept the team from scoring anymore and gave his team a chance to come.If Omar was having a tough time deciding who to send down, Carlos Muniz answered that question for him. Muniz took over for Vargas and gave up four runs in two innings. It was a shame to see the game get out of hand because Vargas did such a good job and it felt like the Mets were close to coming back. After the game Willie made it official by saying that Muniz would be the one to go down........Mike Pelfrey will remain in the rotation......
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Ollie awful Again
2008-06-03 06:59:00
It's strange how things work out, Omar attempted to sign Oliver Perez to a multi-year deal prior to the season but his agent Scott Boras opted for free agency after the season. Well Ollie will be lucky to keep his spot in the rotation, let alone find someone to pay him big money.Perez's Achilles heel has always been consistency, at times showing flashes of brilliance and then suddenly being unable to find the strike zone. The Mets have always hoped that as Ollie matured he would be able to harness his raw talent and become a quality starting pitcher. Ollie is becoming more consistent this year, unfortunately it's in the opposite direction then we had hoped, Perez is making ugly innings a more regular occurrence. Tonight he pitched 1/3 of the first inning in which he gave up six runs on two walks and five hits, two of which were home runs. Perez had the shortest outing since Glavine's implosion on the last day of the season. His ERA has ballooned to 5.70 and he has only pitched t...
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Heilman has options but they wont be used....
2008-06-03 05:46:00
There has been a lot of debate as to whether Aaron Heilman has options or not. The thought being that if he does, send the struggling reliever down and see if he can find his rhythm without the pressure of being in the majors. Heilman is clearly struggling, the once dominant set-up man has an ERA of 6.67 with a record of 0-2. I think it's time for the team to use him in a deal, there's just too much history between the starter thing, game seven home run and now his struggles. But if they want to keep him and he has options, it would make sense to send him down. During the game tonight at his blog for Lo Hud Journal I asked John Delcos if he had any clarification on Heilman's option status and he said the following:edfever: Heilman does have options remaining. I spoke to Omar about that recently and he said the team has no plans on sending him out. If he's going to turn it around, it will be up here.-JDThen I asked if he had any insight into why they would keep a struggling guy w...
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Why is Casanova on the roster
2008-06-03 02:07:00
I have nothing against Raul Casanova , but it's a waste of a roster spot to have a guy who is strictly a pinch hitter. There is no need for three catchers, none of them play a second position and all are very slow on the base path. Willie isn't using Castro as an early game pinch hitter and late in games if either Casanova or Castro get in scoring position a pinch runner is used. Casanova is a third catcher who should be in New Orleans waiting for a call-up when one of the full time catchers go on the DL. Both Tatis and Easley have practiced catching and are considered the emergency catchers which would get you by until the next day when Casanova could catch-up to the club.....The Mets need to fill the spot with an outfielder, Tatis and Easley can get plenty of playing time between Castillo knees and Delgado's bat. The only true back-up outfielder is Endy Chavez, Nick Evans has speed but is another infielder trying to play out of position and his bat isn't ready for this level ye...
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Ozzie wants change; Konerko or Thome
2008-06-02 21:55:00
It's funny the White Sox are in the exact same position the Mets were in last year. Their in first place but they don't feel that way, Willie and Omar used the mantra that drove us fans crazy last year "at least were still in first place". Well Ozzie Guillen isn't known for his calm and patient demeanor and is demanding change to his sluggish offense. The result has been the alienation of his players and GM, the same guy who extended him until 2012. There has to be a happy medium between the two styles....If Ozzie gets his way there will be changes in the roster, otherwise he may plan to bench starters and completely shuffle the batting order which may lose him the team. 1B has been a black hole for bats, I don't expect either player to continue struggling but does Guillen have the patient to wait them out. Konerko who doesn't sound happy based on his quotes is playing through a hand injury, the 32 y/o right handed 1B is hitting only .205 and might need to go on the DL but the ...
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Lane & Ensberg could be looking for work
2008-06-02 20:48:00
The Yankees signed Jason Lane to minor league contract during the off-season and gave the veteran player an out clause, if Lane isn't on the major league roster by today he can become a free agent. The 31 y/o righty batting outfielder spent his first five season with the Astros before moving to the Padres last year. After being converted from a pitcher to a fielder his original position was first base but with Jeff Bagwell on the team Lane was moved to center field. He has a lifetime BA of .241 and is hitting .248 with 11 HRs in AAA.I must admit every time I hear his name I think of the 2005 All-Star third basemen who hit .283 with 35 HRs. But in the last three seasons Morgan Ensberg has been unable to come anywhere near those numbers. Ensberg hasn't hit higher then .235 and his power numbers have dropped off. The Yankees were using him as a 1B/3B utility player but hitting just .203 resulted in the team designating him for assignment. I don't see any usefulness in Ensberg for th...
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Is this what would have happened if the collapse was earlier
2008-06-02 19:58:00
There's an old baseball adage that says a team isn't as good as it looks during a winning streak or as bad as it looks during a slump. But as a fan we're on the roller coaster with "our" team and can't sit on the side to watch the ride. Less then two weeks ago the Mets looked like a last place team, Willie Randolph's job was on the line and there was plenty of speculation about what was wrong with the team. Getting mowed down by the Braves and Rockies was strikingly familiar to what is now called "the collapse of 07". The offense struggled, the defense made costly errors and the pitchers gave up critical runs. Suddenly all-star caliber players were playing like guys who belonged in the minors and no one appeared able to motivate this team to win. The Mets have contended that all teams slump and that if the collapse had happened earlier in the year they would have had time to rebound. Well if the current winning streak is any indication of their resilience then maybe they are ri...
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Second times a charm.....Griffey
2008-06-02 04:09:00
The Mets completed a deal for Ken Griffey Jr. in December of 1999 when Omar was an assistant GM under Steve Phillips, everything was complete except for the hall of fame sluggers stamp of approval. In what is usually resolved with cash compensation, Griffey decided to veto the trade and remain with the Seattle. It wasn't that the Mets were a bad team, in fact they were coming off a wild card playoff birth but Griffey stated that he would only accept a trade to his home town Reds or would remain with the Mariners. Griffey chose to stay in a small market, out of the scrutiny of the NY media. The Mets would make it to the World Series in 2000 and you have to believe that with Griffey the over achieving no-names might have had a chance to actually beat the evil empire. As far as the Reds, they have averaged 75 wins per season since then and never made the playoffs.Even after Ken Griffey Jr. vetoed a potential trade that would have brought him to the Mets, at least two players and anoth...
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It will Probably be Muniz but it should be Heilman
2008-06-01 05:49:00
Mike Peflrey pitched well enough to earn himself another start, meaning that it's more then likely that Claudio Vargas will become the long-man when Pedro is activated. The two relievers with options are Joe Smith and Carlos Muniz, both are pitching very well. Smith has seniority, which makes Muniz the odd man out. Prior to Sosa being waived, there was some discussion that Smith would be sent down because he still had options but the team came to their senses and waived Sosa who was clearly the inferior reliever. Aaron Heilman is currently the most unreliable relief pitcher and should be the one to go. There's no way the team is going to DFA Heilman and if he still had options he would already be in New Orleans. Muniz has shown that he could be a very good reliever for this pen and shouldn't be sent down just because he has options. Hopefully, Omar finds a new home for Heilman and Muniz, if he goes down is back quickly........

Cancel back in action
2008-06-01 05:26:00
The competition for the third catchers position went right down to the wire between Raul Casanova and Robinson Cancel in spring training. With Ramon Castro on the DL whoever won the competition would be staying with the big league team.Despite Casanova having quite a bit of major league experience, I thought Cancel had a leg up for the position based on his versatility. In addition to being a catcher he played a decent 1B and an adequate left field. But in the last went of camp an injury to his knee was discovered which landed him on the DL.Tonight I noticed in the New Orleans box score that Cancel played, catching the entire game in which he went 1-3 with a homer and a walk.
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Tatis has intangibles this team desperately needs
2008-06-01 04:23:00
For the second time in less than a week Fernando Tatis has scored the winning run for the Mets. The 33 y/o right handed third baseman last played as a regular for a major league team (Expos) in 2003, his ill fated comeback with Baltimore in 2006 only lasted 28 gms with a BA of .250. In addition to his timely hitting Tatis has a BA of .281, but more important to this team is the intangibles he brings to the table. Five years removed from your dream will really change your priorities. Tatis plays every game as if it was his last, with heart and desire that brings energy to the clubhouse. His hustle and enthusiasm for the game seems infectious and it's not a mistake that the team is playing so much better with players like Tatis in the line-up. He has learned almost every position in the field and while he might not be the best at any of them, what he lacks in skills he makes up for with intangibles. Hopefully, he can keep it up when everybody gets healthy it would be nice to have a p...
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Valentin would help Castillo & Delgado.....
2008-05-31 05:50:00
I will admit I'm a fan of Luis Castillo , I have been since the first week he was with the team and after a loss he sat in the grass next to the dugout stewing after everyone else left the field. While his range has diminished but he still a solid defender that turns a tremendous double play. Once he gets his bat going it's like having two lead-off hitters at the top of the order. But even I can see that he's going to need help to make it through the season....second baseman Luis Castillo (pictured) left in the top of the seventh inning in what became a 9-5 loss to the Dodgers tonight with what the New York Mets listed as a strained left hip flexor. Castillo, who disagreed with the club by insisting it was a strained quadriceps, said he wants to see how he feels Saturday before giving a timetable for his return. source NY Post Just as Jose Valentin approached a return he had a slight set back with tendinitis in his elbow from practicing throws in the outfield. The Mets desperately...
More About: Delgado

Willie there's no excuse for leaving Heilman in
2008-05-31 04:05:00
Well the Mets started out with the same fire they had in the last three games but it all fell apart for the Mets. John Maine once again didn't have his best stuff but limited the damage to four runs, the Mets would battle back three times to finally take the lead 5-4 in the seventh. The way this bullpen has been pitching and as bad as the Dodgers are hitting I thought this game was over. Leading off the eighth Pedro Feliciano was robbed of an out on a bad call at first and Willie opted to go with the righty Aaron Heilman.I have no problem bringing in Heilman especially after his last two outings but Heilman clearly didn't have it tonight. I am sick of Heilman's inconsistency and hope he's part of a trade by the deadline, his bad out weighs the good at this point. I believe he'll go on to be an above average pitcher but I think he has a bit of Kenny Rodgers/ Carl Pavano inability to play in NY syndrome going.But it was Willie who killed any chance of the Mets winning tonight, Wi...
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Omar working the Phones
2008-05-31 02:53:00
Two different sources are reporting that Omar Minaya is searching to improve his team, it doesn't appear that he's looking for a tweak but more of a significant piece. As I've said before if we do acquire a front line player you can say goodbye to the last true pitching prospect in Jon Neise. If Omar is looking at guys like Nady and Bay it would appear that he's not expecting much from Alou. Millar would be more of a one year veteran leader but I think that role is going to be filled by Valentin. Both Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News and Dan Graziano of the Star Ledger are reporting on Omar's activity......."If there's a player out there that we feel can make a difference, we will pursue it," GM Omar Minaya said in the post-meeting news conference. "If there is a chance to improve this team, whether that be by a trade or whatever, we're going to do it." source Star Ledger Mets general manager Omar Minaya reportedly is making inquiries about available first basemen, l...
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Magic man Padilla working way back, joins Zephs
2008-05-31 01:59:00
Juan Padilla was a key component of the 2005 Mets bullpen but since then his career has been on hold due to injuries. Padilla was in camp this year as he began the road to recovery and after a brief stay with the big league club he jumped over to minor league camp. He has been in Florida since rehabbing his arm and now the Zephyrs are reporting that he has joined their bullpen. The former Yankee Brandon Knight has also joined New Orleans....Right-handed pitchers Juan Padilla and Brandon Knight have joined the New Orleans Zephyrs, it was announced Thursday.The 31-year-old last pitched in 2005, when he went 3-2 with two saves and a 1.42 ERA in 37 games for Class AAA Norfolk before being promoted to the New YorkMets. He went 3-1 with a 1.49 ERA in 24 games in the majors, but underwent Tommy John surgery during Spring Training the following year and has not pitched since. source MiLB
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What about J. Feliciano
2008-05-30 05:04:00
I know that Nick Evans coming up and hitting three doubles in his first game was a great story but since then he has shown that offensively he is simply out of his league. The Mets wanted a right handed bat and apparently Val Pascucci, despite having a great bat is a defensive liability. 1B Mike Carp had a very good spring in 2007 at major league camp but is left handed. Another candidate was 3B/1B Murphy who is also left handed and I don't believe has outfield experience.With it appearing that Marlon Anderson will be out longer then initially thought when it was believed his hamstring was only strained, the team might be willing to bring up a lefty. Easley has shown he can play firstbase and with Church still feeling dizzy an outfielder would make sense. Not including Evans they currently have Casanova (switch), Tatis, Easley and Castro on the bench from the right side with Chavez as the only true lefty.The Mets have a lefthanded 29 y/o outfielder by the name of Jesus Feliciano wh...

Foot on Heyman
2008-05-30 02:38:00
Peter Wade of Hootfoot reports on John Heyman's analysis of Aaron Heilman and his struggles while appearing on the WFAN today. Heyman does an excellent job explaining why the Mets don't consider him a starter, I've never heard the elbow explanation before.....He’s a two pitch pitcher plus with his mechanics, he has what they call a “high back elbow”. source Hootfoot
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Mets could move quick on Hatteberg
2008-05-29 20:17:00
Marty Noble writes that the Mets may move quickly to sign Scott Hatteberg if he clears waivers. The Mariners are also looking at Hatteberg, the Mets interest is contingent upon how long Marlin Anderson is going to be out. If the Mariners do obtain him the Sexson for Delgado discussion may come up again..... Should the Mets determine their primary left-handed pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson will require an extended assignment to the disabled list, they may move to add veteran Scott Hatteberg, who was designated for assignment by the Reds on Tuesday.The club already has discussed the possibility, and if Hatteberg clears waivers, it could act quickly. source MLB.com
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What a Win................
2008-05-29 15:19:00
What an exciting game last night, it had everything the Mets needed to get them going. I don't want to call this a turning point because I've already said that three times this year and been wrong, but if they do string together a winning streak this will be the game they point to. What a great feeling this win was, it's been a long time coming and I can't remember the last time a game had this much electricity.Especially last night but for the last two games somethings changed, they're playing with enthusiasm and energy like I haven't seen since early last year. I would even dare to say that I thought I saw a swagger by the end of the game, it was as if they knew they were winning or if they didn't it was going to take something stunning to beat them. I think the Delgado benching could be a factor, the power play is over it's Willie's team, play hard or sit............Jose Reyes is coming around at the plate, Castillo is looking like the table setter the team planned...

Pedro sharp......Pelfrey & Vargas competing for spot
2008-05-29 06:07:00
Pedro Martinez pitched six sharp innings in his rehab start and is now expected to return on tues., to make his second start of the season against the Giants. Martinez allowed two runs on four hits, while walking none and striking out six."I am really excited," Martinez said. "I would love to be there. I know the team really needs a little bit of a pat on the back, and I hope my presence will make a difference for them." source SI.comThe up coming rotation looks like this: Thurs.- VargasFri.- MaineSat. - PelfreySun. - SantanaMon. - OllieTues.- PedroPelfrey and Vargas are competing for the last spot in the rotation. If Vargas doesn't implode tomorrow, more then likely Pelfrey will go down. He hasn't looked good in several starts and has options.....A person familiar with the thinking of general manager Omar Minaya said on Tuesday that a scenario in which Pelfrey is demoted has been discussed. Moreover, Pelfrey himself thinks that demotion could be in his immediate future if he does...
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Armas for Monday's start.....
2008-05-29 01:02:00
Tony Armas Jr. is absolutely dominating AAA, MiLB just competed an article (great read) on the 29 y/o right handed veteran. Armas is pitching tonight which would give him five days rest before Monday's game which doesn't have a scheduled starter. The only current option would be pitching Vargas on short notice. Armas deserves a start and then could be moved into the pen as a true long-man, they could move Heilman, Muniz or Smith to make room, when Pedro returns Pelfrey should go down......Armas has emerged as the most consistent starting pitcher on the New Orleans Zephyrs' staff, making six consecutive quality starts and allowing no more than three runs in any of his first 10 starts this season. Going into his start Wednesday against Round Rock, Armas was fourth in the league in ERA (2.34), first in WHIP (0.97), fourth in innings pitched (61.2) and eighth in strikeouts (50). source MiLB Up Date: In what could be a warm-up to his Mets debut, Tony Armas went seven innings in which ...
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Blalock for 1B.....
2008-05-29 00:56:00
The Rangers are believed to be on the verge of becoming sellers at the trade deadline. 3B Hank Blalock has been asked to move to 1B and could be available in July. The 28 y/o left handed batter is a lifetime .274 hitter but his last two years have been hampered by injuries, in his shortened seasons he has been hitting .290. Blalock is currently on the 15 day DL (carpal tunnel) and was hitting .299 (.350 against lefties) prior to the assignment. This is his last guaranteed year with next being an option and it doesn't appear that he's in Texas' long term plans. The starting starved Rangers would be a perfect landing place for Aaron Heilman..........Two weeks ago, Hank Blalock decided he'd move to first base.Blalock was probably going to be out of the picture after this season anyway. If the Rangers tanked/tank this year, Blalock was/is likely to be traded at the end of the year. If he sticks around all season, it's very possible his 2009 option won't get picked up. Or it will b...

Clear the bench & bring in Lofton
2008-05-28 18:34:00
Tim Marchman of The NY Sun has some interesting ideas on how to improve the team. Change is necessary, it seems like the few wins they have had lately have come when hungry role players are in the line-up. So if the Mets are sticking by Willie Randolph then their going to have to tweak the roster. In Marchman's article he suggests clearing the bench, switching Heilman and Pelfrey's roles and signing Kenny Lofton.Another thing to do would be to get rid of reserves Endy Chavez, Damion Easley, and the currently injured Marlon Anderson, who between them have 188 at bats — about as many as David Wright — and a .191 AVG/.231 OBA/.255 SLG batting line. Whatever intangible virtues they may have obviously haven't done the team any good, and aside from Chavez's defense, which could be replaced by Angel Pagan's once he comes off the disabled list, the three have contributed little on the field while soaking up an alarming amount of playing time. Thin as the farm system is, it does fea...
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I'm looking at firstbase differently
2008-05-28 04:10:00
I've said since spring training that the Mets needed to have a backup first baseman, with Delgado's struggles and injuries it seemed only obvious that they needed more then Damion Easley and Marlon Anderson as fill-ins. When discussing actual replacements for Delgado I've been against bringing someone in just to bring them in and thought they should only make a move if they could improve the position......But there's an old saying that adversity builds character and shows a persons true colors. I think I've seen the true colors of this club and one of the negative characteristics is Carlos Delgado. I think his laid back, take it for granted, lackadaisical style of play has infected this team and is detrimental to them moving forward. There's been plenty of talk that the clubhouse is divided and it appears Delgado is right in the middle of it. Teams naturally develop leaders within the club, Delgado on his stature alone is a focal point of this team and is making it difficult f...

Slow Trigger DL
2008-05-28 02:41:00
Ryan Church might be heading to the DL, the Mets drive me nuts when they do this and by the Mets I mean Omar it which he drags his feet to place players on the DL. So you know where I'm coming from; I'm a huge Omar fan and have never liked Willie as a manager but on this one Omar always leaves Willie shorthanded. I really have never understood leaving a guy day-to-day who's going to be out at least five days. My idea would be to sit the player down and get him completely healthy, players tend to rush back especially if they're not forced to sit out. This would also give the team chances to infuse the line-up with fresh young players that might provide energy to the veterans especially during tough times (like now). I know they don't want the regulars missing 15 days if they don't need to but they usually do and that leaves the team constantly playing short. In Church's case they should have known to DL him regardless of how good he felt, since it was his second concussion in ...
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Pitching moves
2008-05-28 01:55:00
Matt Wise was placed on the DL with a sore shoulder. I was big on Wise he has alot of moving parts that make his delivery very deceptive and his change-up is nasty but Wise maybe to fragile. If he's a flop I know some will site this as another bad move by Minaya but he's a bonus, Wise was brought in on a minor league deal with an invite.Reliever Carlos Muniz was re-called to fill Wise's spot in the rotation. Prior to the Mets announcing that Wise was going on the DL there was alot of speculation that Aaron Heilman would be sent down. Here's what I would do: Send down Pelfrey, Vargas has out pitched him for a spot in the rotation and Pelfrey still needs to develop his secondary pitches. Bring-up Armas for the one start before Pedro is ready. That gives Heilman a week to prove he can be fixed in the majors and if he continues to struggle, Armas becomes the longman while Heilman goes down. Even if both Armas and Heilman look good then they can send down Muniz. Breaking news: New O...
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Was that their version of Support........
2008-05-27 05:15:00
I'm glad the ownership brought Willie in to discuss his comments because they are the only ones that seem that concerned with his them. All most fans care about is winning, Willie is on the hot seat with fans because the team isn't winning, not because of anything else and if they were winning they would back off. But the Wilpon's were more concerned with their image, then this team working it's way into the basement. It doesn't take a genius to look at this team and surmise that they have quit on him. When asking if Willie's lost the clubhouse, you need to look no further then the comments made by Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran documented by Matt Cerrone's Metsblog. So even if I'm misinterpreting the Carlos' comments, they had a chance tonight to show their support of Willie after he received the endorsement of the owners. Well if the Wilpon's were sending a message to the players, then the players returned their own message and it wasn't a ringing endorsement of supp...
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