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Stache rehabbing
2008-04-30 06:41:00
Jose Valentin has been cleared to return to baseball activities. The Stache visited the clubhouse today before he starts his rehab assignment in Port St. Lucie. I think Omar and Co. want his leadership as much as Valentin isn't ready to retire. It also can't be forgotten that Valentin owns a club in Puerto Rico and having a well respected elder statesmen endorsing the team is very important. While he won't be put on the major league roster unless he can contribute, he will dictate his retirement.Jose Valentin has been cleared to begin initial baseball activities in Port St. Lucie, such as hitting off a tee and long-tossing. source Daily News

Alou cleared to return
2008-04-30 05:13:00
Good news, Moises Alou's MRI apparently showed an old injury and he has been cleared to resume playing. Several outlets are reporting that Alou will workout with the team for the next two days and then return to the line-up when they travel to Arizona. Alou will be in a platoon situation as the team attempts to preserve him, probably sitting against weaker pitchers and after the seventh inning. It appears that Willie has turned to Chavez as Alou's caddy, Endy has started the last three days. Chavez entered camp nursing a leg injury and the team took advantage of a hot hitting Pagan, now that Chavez is up to speed and Pagan has cooled off, it appears Pagan is the odd man out. It looks like Pagan will be relegated to the fifth outfielder and pinch hitter. The team is very reluctant to DL Schneider because they want him handling the pitching staff, if they feel Schneider is close to returning they may send down Pagan who still has options. This would allow them to bring up or trade f...
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Alou & Schneider update- could Aguila get the call
2008-04-29 03:20:00
Marty Noble gives us an update on the condition of Moises Alou and Brian Schneider . Both of which don't appear any closer to returning, Alou missed his MRI due to the weather and Schneider is still receiving treatment. Alou's appointment has been re-scheduled for tomorrow and if he's going to be out for any significant time, I expect Omar will acquire a power right handed bat ( we can speculate on who that will be when the results are in). If Schneider goes on the DL I expect the Mets to bring up a player to fill-in. With two catchers already on the team, it will more then likely be a right handed hitter. Fernando Tatis has 8 HRs with a .529 Slg. pct but only has a BA of .225. Michel Abreu could be Delgado's right handed caddy but his average continues to decline and has now dipped to .256. And for those who still remember Ahern's incredible glove he is once again below .200 (.191) in AAA, a lead-off hitter with an OBP of .222 (ouch).Chris Aguila is a name we haven't heard, th...
More About: Update , Call , The Call

Hatteberg welcomes trade
2008-04-29 02:15:00
The Cincinnati Enquirer had an article today on Scott Hatteberg's situation. The veteran first baseman has lost his job to Joey Votto, he has been relegated to spot starts and pinch hitting. Hatteberg has struggled in his new role and after hitting .301 last year is only hitting .161 in 31 at bats. He goes on to explain that most pinch hitters, best pitch to hit is the first one and he has always been a deep count, patient hitter. Hatteburg is a 39 y/o lefty who hits right handed pitchers better, he has a lifetime BA of .270 with a Slg. .411. Delgado is only 36 y/o with a lifetime BA of .279 and a Slg. .579, even last year his Slg. was .448. I just don't see how Hatteberg is an up-grade over Delgado and as far as a platoon partner they're both lefties who struggle against tough lefty pitchers, which doesn't make it a good match. If anyone on the Reds looks like a good match it would be Ryan Freel, 32 y/o righthander with a lifetime .271 BA who has played every position except ca...
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Vargas joining Zephs
2008-04-28 05:50:00
Recently signed Claudio Vargas will join the Zephyrs Monday. Initially Vargas went to extended spring training and will now become part of the AAA rotation. There's been some speculation that Figgy is getting hit hard the third time through the order and maybe more suited for the long-man role. With Sosa struggling as the long-man, Vargas and Armas could be competing for the fifth spot with Sosa being re-assigned and Figgy sliding into the pen..........Former Brewers pitcher Claudio Vargas, who was signed by the Mets to a minor-league deal after Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez suffered injuries, is expected to join Triple-A New Orleans in Tacoma, where the Zephyrs open a four-game series Monday. source Daily News

Mixed message about Alou Suspicious
2008-04-28 05:14:00
Before the game today Omar Minaya admitted that Moises Alou would be in NY to have an MRI on his ankle after a CT scan was inconclusive. In one sentence Minaya said that Alou wanted to play for the Mets on Friday and then said that the ankle was swollen with a possible fracture. I couldn't help but feel strung along by the club during Alou's quad injury last year, as it seemed like the injury became worse as time went on (bruise, strain, tear). It's was almost as if they eased the actual severity of the injury out, to keep the heat off them for signing a 40 something, injury prone player. However, in 2006 Omar tried to keep the extent of Sanchez's injury quiet until he could make a move. If Alou is out for any significant time the team will need a right handed bat, they've been piecing it together waiting for his return so sending mixed messages would make sense from a negotiation point of view. If they truely don't know whats going on it was a very odd way of handling it........
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Does Morris have implications for Nady
2008-04-28 04:00:00
I know there are many Mets fans that have dreamed of the return of Xavior Nady. The right handed corner outfielder and part-time 1B seems to be a perfect fit for what the Mets are missing. Nady could even out the the line-up, between 1B and the corner outfield he could find plenty of playing time. But what would motivate the Pirates to trade one of their most productive players, many people when they discuss trades treat the small market teams like they are AAA organizations, their for the large market teams to replenish their rosters. But small market teams make moves for a purpose; 1) salary dump 2) a hot commodity player who will produce a nice return in players 3) prior to free agency to get the most for a player who they can't re-sign.Nady doesn't have a large contract and he' still two years from free agency, so the only motivation to solely move Nady will be his value. However, that puts the Pirates in the drivers seat as they can sit back at the trade deadline and watch t...
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Fire in the belly.....No curtain call is a good sign
2008-04-28 00:26:00
I know somewhere out there, someone will read this post and call me a hypocrite. "You've been making suggestions about first base for the last two weeks; suggesting trades, position changes and farm hand call-ups". First of all, I've also added to every post about Delgado that I hope he proves me wrong and that I wish it didn't appear to be the end of the road for the big man. With that said, Delgado has been so bad to start the season and for a huge chunk of last year that you'd have to be the most optimistic Met Fan not to be looking for his replacement.I noticed yesterday, but didn't write about it because he went 0-4 that something seemed different with Delgado. Twice on double play balls, we got that trademark fist pump which I haven't seen in sometime. He was also very proactive with the pitching staff, going to the mound several times and speaking to a dejected Heilman on the bench. Delgado in the past worked well with the pitchers going to the mound, buying time or tel...
More About: Fire , Sign , Call , Good , Belly

Backup 1B right under our nose........
2008-04-27 03:39:00
With Carlos Delgado struggling to the point that it appears his career maybe coming to an end, I've heard all kinds of suggestions in regards to a platoon partner or replacement. Let me first say that while I've spent a significant amount of time talking about the situation that's mainly because it's become such a glaring problem. I like Delgado and it makes me sad to see him going out this way. Delgado came to this club on the verge of HOF consideration but instead of going out on his terms the game has eaten him up, he's had HOF years but not enough of them to make it and now he's just holding on, at 36 y/o it shouldn't be happening this quick. I hope were all wrong and that this is just a prolonged slump but realistically for the good of the team, contingency plans have to be made.....I've heard several people suggest Moises Alou and Ryan Church, but I have a hard time seeing 42 y/o frail Alou as an option and it would be a waste of Church's defensive skills. Sure you co...
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Delgado only costs 13mil
2008-04-26 18:11:00
I was a huge supporter of Carlos Delgado , I thought the big man was a clubhouse leader and his desire for a championship would drive this team into the playoffs. He could also help groom other quiet members of the team and show them how to become leaders within their personality, Carlos Beltran has benefited greatly from playing along side Delgado. Even if Delgado couldn't hit .300 anymore, .250 and 30 HRs is enough to provide protection in the line-up and put pressure on young pitchers (making them wild). His defense has always been secondary but as long as he could make the routine play and dig a throw out of the dirt it was good enough. For the past two years, Delgado has provided all of the above, granted more so in '06' then '07' but it was money well spent.I might be wrong but either Delgado is hurt or he's given up, I've never seen any one's skills so rapidly decline in all aspects of his game. At the plate his bat speed is so slow that against a good fastball pitcher...
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We have pitching options
2008-04-26 06:10:00
There are several pitchers who are currently doing very well in New Orleans and could easily be plugged into the major league team to replace ineffective pitchers, here is an update on the four with MLB experience.It takes a pitcher generally six starts in spring training to work his way into opening day shape. Tony Armas Jr. was delayed in arriving at camp due to Visa issues. Tonight he pitched in his fifth game and went seven innings in which he allowed one run on three hits and no walks. In five starts in AAA he has a record of 1-1 with a rotation leading ERA of 2.51 with a great BB/SO ratio of 4/18. It was rumored that Armas wouldn't accept assignment if he didn't make the team out of camp and now that he's almost ready he may force the team to make a decision. Armas has worked out of the pen and as a starter, he could easily replace Sosa if the team decides to make a move. As I said earlier in the day if the club actually made a move involving Aaron Heilman, Carlos Muniz has...
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Is this as Good as it gets...........500
2008-04-26 03:06:00
I'm at a loss for words, is this as good as it gets.... These games seemed scripted, as if Mr. Wizard is behind the curtain playing games with us Mets fans. When I look at a roster with Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Church, Santana, Martinez and Wagner it should be better then this.Pelfrey was awful there's no way around it, some will look at five runs and say that's not so bad. But Pelfrey was in trouble in every inning, he had multiple runners in six straight innings. Pelfrey walked four and gave up nine hits in only 5 1/3 innings. Pelfrey was given a nice lead and once again a Mets starter could not maintain that lead, the offense is as much to blame for these losses as the pitchers but it has to be demoralizing to keep getting on top and then being knocked down, again........Now to the offense, while our prospect couldn't stay out of trouble the only trouble the 22 y/o first year pitcher, Jurrjens had was his own. Jurrjens breezed through the Mets offense, he allowed thre...
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Here's some roster ideas
2008-04-25 18:25:00
I was always told that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over again and expecting different results. I do understand that the organization was hoping last year was an aberration and that the worst collapse in recent baseball history would motivate them, after all this is the same core of players that won in 2006. But just 20 games into the season you can tell that this team is preforming just as it did during that historic fall. So unless something changes it's crazy to expect different results......Carlos Delgado has become the poster child for the lackluster, anti-hustle persona of this team. I'm sure Willie talks to him and of course you take a different approach with different personalities (that's Mgt. 101 for any job) but I think it has come to a point where there needs to be a public display of discipline for the team's sake, Willie's status amongst his players and lastly the fans. Delgado is a leader in the clubhouse based solely on his past accomplish...
More About: Ideas , Roster

Long Island "Little Cat" could be available
2008-04-25 07:13:00
As I said earlier in the day (which was before Delgado failed to bend over for a double play ball and went 0-4) in my opinion 1B is at a critical point and I will be exploring option as they become available. I know Mike Carp is hitting the cover off the ball but that's in AA, there aren't many guys who come straight up and are successful. I think Carp is a year away and the team will look for a stop gap or a guy they can move when Carp is ready.Yesterday, Joel Sherman of the NY Post reviewed the state of the Texas Rangers, the Rangers look like they could be on the verge of a becoming sellers (firesale) and one of the names mentioned was Frank Catalanotto. The 33 y/o left hand hitting Catalanotto has been mentioned over the years in regards to the Mets, partly because of his Long Island roots and part because he is an Omar type player. A lifetime .294 hitting Catalanotto came up as a 2B (Tigers) but in struggling to find playing time made himself into a versatile utility man play...
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LMillz benched
2008-04-25 05:40:00
For all of those LMillz supporters who are still brewing over the trade, here's just another bone headed move by the great prospect. According to John Delcos at Lo Hud Journal the reason Willie Harris played center tonight was because Milledge was benched for being late. I heard so many people say Milledge was going to shove it Omar's face with the Nats, no clubhouse problems and All-star caliber play. Well he's hitting .271 (not bad but not All-star) with a BB/SO ratio of 7/17, his defense is still an adventure to say the least (last week a ball bounced off his head) and obviously with the tardiness he hasn't learned from past mistakes. Oh, by the way that over the hill, weak hitting catcher just received a huge amount of praise for calling a great game by our two time Cy Young Award winning staff ace and the other guy is hitting fifth in the line-up at .350 with great defense and a cannon arm. Neither of which are anywhere near getting benched or having notes on their lockers....

All the usual Suspects
2008-04-25 03:20:00
Well I don't blame Willie, he has to get more out of Perez then he's been getting. You simply can't keep only making it to the fifth and then over taxing the pen. Perez has consistently fell apart in the fifth inning and after the second start this season where he was given a lead, he has allowed the other team back into the game. So in the fifth with a three run lead when most top level pitchers shut the door on a lesser team he couldn't find strike zone and allowed the Nationals to tie the game. Seeing him come out for the sixth I understood what Willie was doing but I also knew what was going to happen. He was going to walk a few guys and either give up the game or get in trouble and be relieved which by mid-season will kill the pen. Why Perez goes from looking so dominant to wild, right around the same time every game is bewildering but one thing is clear he can't get it back together on the mound. Perez is in his walk year and his agent is Scott Boras, I hope the Mets do a...
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Roster move
2008-04-25 02:43:00
Brian Schneider came down with some kind of infection in his thumb and had to be sent to NY for treatment. Schneider will spend the night in the hospital receiving antibiotics, the Mets are hoping that he responds and they don't have to place him on the DL. The club elected to put Brady Clark on waivers and call up Gustavo Molina as the backup catcher to Raul Casanova. Clark had been in the dog house since being called out at the plate during the Brewers debacle, he was more then likely being waived when Alou was ready to return anyway. Now the Mets will get to see what they have in Molina since Casanova has been struggling at the plate until Alou returns. It's unclear what will happen to Clark, after looking very versatile in spring training he has failed to establish himself to start the season. Part of that has been lack of playing time but when he has had the chance he has failed to make an impact. I mentioned the play at the plate, then there a bloop hit that allowed a run he...
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Not Timo but Tomas
2008-04-25 01:45:00
Sorry the names are so close that I couldn't help but reference 2000 NLCS hero Timo Perez who is currently with the Tigers (hit .389 in 29 at bats last year). But Tomas Perez has been was designated for assignment by the Astros, Perez had made the team when Kaz went down. He went 2-10 in his short stint with the Stros. The 34 y/o is a switch hitter with a lifetime BA of .240 and can play the entire infield, the corner outfield and emergency pitcher. I've said I'd like to see .250 out of first base but a versatile player who is a great clubhouse influence might be worth the ten points. Perez isn't good enough to cost Delgado his job at this point, so to pick him up the club would have to decide that they felt he was a better option then Easley or Anderson. Since 1B has become such a that I will pass along ideas as they come about, take them for what there worth.........Pérez is considered to be versatile because of his ability to play all four infield positions. Pérez had his b...

Gotta give Willie credit
2008-04-24 06:41:00
I'm one of Willie 's biggest critics, so it's only fair that when he does something I agree with that I give him credit. One of my biggest complaints is that he has failed to adapt to the National league or to situations within the team. Well the Mets returned to winning and sure it was against the lowly Nationals, but it was how the Mets won.Willie finally worried less about Carlos Delgado's feelings and more about winning games. Delgado was moved down to the sixth spot for the first time this year, only for a short period last year was Delgado moved to the six hole but that was a very short lived when Alou went down. While I liked Church in the two hole, I can live with Castillo batting second as long as Church isn't buried at the bottom of the order. In addition to the changes in the line-up, it was as if a light bulb went off and he realized that this was a small ball team. Twice, that I noticed a hit and run was on which avoided a double play, how many double plays did t...
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More important then baseball.....Feliciano
2008-04-24 03:19:00
Remember last week when the Brewers visited Shea and during the opening game everybody was either worried that Pedro Feliciano was hurt or screaming at Willie for not using him. The reason for such clamouring was how consistent and good a reliever Feliciano has been. In the last two years Feliciano has become one of the best relievers on the team, he has expanded his role from a half inning LOOGY complimenting Chad Bradford to a guy you'd trust with a one run lead as a set-up man in the eighth. It was later said that Feliciano was late getting to the stadium due to a flight delay which was a result of him returning home due to a family issue.There was a reason, far removed from baseball strategy, why Pedro Feliciano did not see action in Tuesday's home opener, even with the rest of the Mets bullpen crumbling around him. Feliciano had traveled home to Puerto Rico on Monday to deal with what he called "family issues," and a canceled flight prevented him from making it back to Queens...
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What happened to this guy & is he worth a shot
2008-04-23 22:31:00
It's seems like it wasn't that long ago that Dan Johnson was one of those bright young stars in the vaunted Oakland farm system. 9. Dan Johnson: Hitting .305/.396/.527 at Triple-A Sacramento. He's ready.Can he find a place to play? source John Sickels Minor league report 5/13/05 Johnson was a hitting machine with adequate defensive skills. His first year in the majors was 2005 in which he played 109 gms. at firstbase with a BA of .275 and a slg. .451. The next year Johnson came up twice and struggled hitting .235 with a Slg. .381. 2007 was suppose to be his break-out year but a torn labrum (hip) and then bruised fingers found him struggling at the plate and for playing time, he hit .235 with a .419 Slg.. Johnson became the odd man out and A's released him at the end of spring training. He was quickly picked-up off waivers by the Rays to start the season. Now the Rays have placed him on waivers to make room for the newly acquired Gabe Gross. Johnson is only 28 y/o and bats lefty ...
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Are you sure you want to hangup those cleats
2008-04-23 19:06:00
If Carlos Delgado continues to struggle the Mets are going to have to make some tough decisions. In a win now season having your power hitter batting under .200 with a slg. pct. under .300 just won't cut it, especially if he's so distracted his defense is horrible allowing the other team to walk all over you. You either need a guy at first with decent fielding who can hit at least .250 for average or a guy with a very good slg. percentage, neither of which Delgado is producing and it's severely hampering this offense.Matt at Metsblog as a great post on Delgado and breaks down some of the options, here's my thoughts and a few out-of-the-box options.I'm not for in-season testing of an outfielder at firstbase, you try that in spring training and of all the option Church looks the part but that would waste a great defensive player with a tremendous arm. While I do cringe a bit when Wright double pumps before he throws, I'm not willing move him to first, his defense is solid and pu...

Mets pick-up a lefty
2008-04-23 04:05:00
Sorry, nobody notable probably just fodder for the minor league system but Omar is always looking for those lefty diamonds in the rough. Today the Mets signed Eude Brito to a minor league deal. Brito came up through the Phillies organization and was signed when they believed he was 17 y/o. At such a young age the organization took it very slow allowing the youngster to devlope and were happy with his progress. However, they found out that he was actually three years older and felt that at his true age he was behind the curve so they started rushing him. Brito suddenly went from being a promising young lefty, to a slow to mature lefty that wasn't succeeding at the more advance levels of the minors. 2005-2006 he appeared in 11gms. (7 starts) in which he had a 2-4 record with a 5.68 ERA. He spent all of 2007 in the Nationals minor league system. Brito's believed to be 29 y/o and heading to AA Binghamton.....The Mets signed 29-year-old lefthander Eude Brito, who made 11 appearances (s...
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I hit the ball very, very hard
2008-04-23 01:00:00
I knew it wouldn't be long until we started to hear the whispers of these names, but I'm surprised at how fast it actually happened. Yes, the Mets offense looks miserable and the troubling thing is that it looks exactly like it did last year when it stayed in first place for most of the season because nobody would take it from them, until they placed it on a silver platter for the Phillies. I'm all for putting a surge in this offense, whether it's a high on base, high energy guy or a home run threat this team needs something. Maybe Alou returning will be enough, if he can stay healthy, after today I'm even warming to the 1B idea. But you knew someone would suggest Sammy Sosa or Barry Bonds, I'm just surprised it happened so soon and as a 1B.Question: Can Sammy Sosa play first base? He's in the crowd here at Wrigley Field watching today's Cubs-New York Mets game, which got us to wondering. Sure, he's almost 40 years old. And there was that, um, steroid thing. But he couldn'...
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Pathetic... Nelson you deserved better.....
2008-04-22 22:15:00
Nelson Figueroa was betrayed today, not once but twice. The Mets offense, through six innings produced one run on four hits and four walks against Ted Lilly a pitcher who was 0-3 with an ERA of nine. It wasn't a lack of opportunities, the Mets had bases loaded with one out in the third and Carlos Delgado at the plate, but an all too familiar scenario occurred with Delgado popping out and with two outs the Mets simply aren't getting it done. Then in the fourth the defense gave the game away; Pagan was so worried about deking the runner that he misplayed the ball and allowed him to score, next Carlos Delgado in his third bad defensive play of the game forgot, yes I said forgot to cover firstbase ( Oh my God he forgot to cover firstbase as the firstbase, this after making Prince Fielder look agile on two previous grounders) and then Brady Clark the former center fielder let one drop in that he could have caught. Even though a three run lead late in a game is looking insurmountable wi...
More About: Nelson , Pathetic

All about Alou returning, 1B and Bartman.....
2008-04-22 17:48:00
I know there are many in the blogger community that hate talk radio and have almost an adversarial or competitor role with our media sibling. I am at times shocked at how much more informed bloggers are then those on the radio, I don't mean that in a derogatory manner in the least. But for example, I just recently listened to a host for over an hour discuss how Gotay was part of the Bannister trade and another wasn't sure if the Mets opened the season home or away. With that said I do find them entertaining and some of their ideas interesting (whether I agree or not), I just think some who aren't fans of a particular team don't do their homework. Last week I brought up a discussion about David Wright moving to firstbase next year, I was surprised that the hosts were so matter-of-fact, that at some point Wright will be at first more of when then if.So for the last two days the mid-morning show has had a very interesting idea in regards to the dilemma at firstbase. They've been s...

Well that fell apart fast
2008-04-22 03:54:00
Aaron Heilman did his best Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act tonight, after what was being called his redemption game on Saturday when he came in with the bases loaded and saved the win against the hated Phillies, Heilman turned back into his heartbreak self. Sure Jose Reyes committed an error to start the inning, but Heilman always seems to find a way in these situation to give up runs. He loaded the bases, then just to tease us gets two outs and then of course gives up a two strike two run single. I said the other day Heilman is a bar stool pitcher, when he's on the mound your going to either be celebrating or crying. Jorge Sosa surprised me, after looking so good, tonight he gave up a bomb.John Maine looked good tonight, he simply was out pitched by one bad pitch by one of the best pitchers in the league. I would have taken my chances of scoring that run against Woods, especially with the top of the order coming up, had the pen not imploded. That being said, sure it was Zambrano but t...
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Delgado getting the Thomas treatment ?
2008-04-21 18:34:00
Despite the Mets looking great for the last two series there has been one glaring deficiency in the offense and that's Carlos Delgado . Delgado is no longer the player he was in 2006, he's no longer the guy that teams fear could blast a shot over the fence on any given plate appearance. I questioned in the first week of the season whether Delgado as a slap hitter would be enough and that was when he was hitting now that he's not it leaves a big hole in the middle of the order. Joel Sherman speculated this morning in the NY Post that the Mets might consider giving Delgado the Thomas treatment by releasing him outright....It would be easier to ignore Delgado's 0-for-12 against the Phillies or his .200 batting average and .292 slugging percentage had he not endured such a poor 2007 or if he were not 36 and giving off such creaky signs. But this cannot be ignored. Delgado is to the Mets what Mike Mussina is to the Yankees: A once standout player whose current organization is hoping...
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Alou goes 3-3 in PSL
2008-04-21 04:50:00
Moises Alou not only played today but went 3-3 in five innings as the left fielder for the Port St. Lucie Mets. Baring a set back Alou should return to the team in time for the Atlanta series. It will be nice to have that big righty bat in the line-up and may just be the advantage they need with Larry Jones out..."Moises' progress is good, very good," Bernazard said. "He went from first to third Sunday and he scored from second. We're hopeful Moises will be able to return to the team as soon as possible. He's coming along well. Right now, from what I know, he hasn't had any discomfort at all. He hasn't had any discomfort when he throws, either, as far as I know. We'd certainly like to see him back soon."source MLB.com

Pelf not looking big today
2008-04-21 03:45:00
Well you knew he wasn't going to win 20 games and with the Phillies desperate to salvage at least one win in this series, Mike Pelfrey was going to have a tough time winning this one. Pelfrey's only dominant inning was the first, after that he walked a tightrope attempting to bend instead of break. Utley proved to be the guy who pushed him off that tightrope. Utley single handedly scored all four of the Phillies runs off Pelf on two home runs. Thanks to the offense the Mets still had a chance when he left, but leaving after the fifth will surely tax the pen. When Pelrey's off he really makes it easy for the hitters, they make him look like it's batting practice. Pelf has made great strides but will need to learn how to battle hitters when he doesn't have his best stuff and find a way to get deeper in games. He's still making the transition from a prospect with great stuff to a pitcher.........
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