Dave's Mostly Mets Blog

How(e)'d He Do That?

Not much to say today. I just didn't want to let a long weekend pass without saying anything.

The Mets blew all 3 games to the Marlins this weekend. In the first 2 the offense disappeared. A questionable call by Art Howe blew the third.

For those who missed it yesterday, Art Howe kept lefty Mike Stanton in the game to pitch to right handed batter Mike Lowell with Juan Pierre on first base. Howe replaced Stanton with the right handed David Weathers with the count 2-2 after Pierre stole second. Lowell then ripped an RBI double off of Weathers.

The resulting double is really irrelevant when viewed in the context of second guessing the managers decision (though it did help Florida to a 2 run win). The real question is why did Howe handle the pitching situation in this way?

After the game Howe said that he kept Stanton in because he thought that Stanton had the best chance to keep Lowell to a single. Howe's thinking was that if Lowell hit a single with Pierre on first base then Pierre would not score on the play. When asked why he brought Weathers into the game in the middle of an at bat Howe said that he brought in the pitcher he felt had the best chance to get Lowell out.

If Weathers had the best chance of getting Lowell out then why let Stanton go against him to begin with? And if Stanton already had 2 strikes on Lowell when Pierre stole second then why not keep him in to finish the at bat? And if your going with the guy who has the best chance of getting the out then what difference does it make if Pierre is on first or second?

So what was Howe really thinking? I don't think we'll ever know.

Posted by: Dave / 5/31/2004 02:09:00 PM
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Today's Thoughts

I've been away from my computer the last couple of days and will be away again the next few days. I didn't want to be away from the blog for a week so I figured I'd post something today.

The Mets split a 2 game series with the Phillies this week winning the first game behind some great pitching from Steve Trachsel and then losing the second after Mike Piazza threw away a double play ball that led to six runs in the top of the 7th inning.

Piazza has taken some heat for the error but I don't think it's warranted. When you take into account the on-the-job training he's getting at first base and the countless times he's been the hero for floundering Mets teams I think we can cut him some slack. The team is still .500 in late May and still in the thick of the NL East race (for now) so throwing away one game in the name of learning a position (while not what you'd like to see) is not the end of the world. As long as he's ready for a playoff push in august .

Meanwhile, Mike Cameron's batting average is down around the Mendoza line. Still think the injury isn't affecting his hitting? I don't care how well he's fielding, in this day and age you cannot afford a .200 hitter in your starting lineup. Something must be done and economics must not play a role in it. You don't keep a .200 bat in the lineup because you're paying too much. You either sit him down and use him as a defensive replacement until he's better or you put him on the DL, give him the surgery he needs and see what happens. Either way this team is in dire need of another outfielder who can play center. They also need a power hitter (probably a right fielder) and another starting pitcher with a live arm. But that's fodder for another post when I can organize my thoughts a bit more.

Posted by: Dave / 5/28/2004 09:30:00 AM
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Upcoming Schedule

A lot is being said in the press (both mainstream and blogs) about the upcoming 12 games in which the Mets play the Phillies and Marlins. While these games are very important I don't agree that they are "make it or break it" games. The important things to look for in this tough stretch of the schedule are not necessarily wins or losses. While it would be great if they could win 8 of the 12 games it's hard to imagine that these games will determine the Mets fate. They may play a large roll in the teams fate but not determine it.

What I'm looking for is how the team competes. Are they the wimpy Mets who couldn't score in April and early May? Or are they the tough Mets who beat 4 of the top 5 pitchers in the league a couple of weeks ago? These 12 games should give us an indication of what this team is about regardless of the won lost record.

Posted by: Dave / 5/25/2004 02:17:00 PM
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Vidro Update

I managed to dump Jose Vidro from 2 of the 3 teams on which I had him. (I have 4 teams total.) In one of the leagues I replaced him with Ronnie Belliard and in the other I replaced him with Juan Uribe. I'm undecided about what to do in the third league because there is no standout among the free agent second basemen. Reader Mike Marino suggested Chase Utley. Utley is on a tear right now but that probably won't last much longer and I'll have to look for another guy in a week (or less). Then again, that's what fantasy leagues are all about. I'll have to think about it a little more.

Posted by: Dave / 5/25/2004 12:00:00 AM
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Howe Reading My Mind?

Today's New York Post, as well as other publications, reports that Mike Cameron will spend some time on the bench and as a defensive replacement. Looks like Art Howe read what I wrote yesterday. Andrew Marchand appears to do his best to stir things up in this article by saying that Cameron and Howe don't see eye to eye on the situation. While that's probably true (no player likes to be relegated to bench duty) I don't think it's as big an issue as Marchand tries to make it.

Posted by: Dave / 5/24/2004 02:19:00 PM
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The Jose Vidro Question

I have Jose Vidro on 3 of my 4 fantasy baseball teams. I've been holding on to him in the hopes that he will regain his form as a .300 hitter who can knock out 15 or so homers and score 80-100 runs. But now I think the time has come to give up and let him go. I admit that the fear of him turning it around as soon as I let him go is on my mind but the way my rosters are built I can only carry one second baseman so he's either with me or he's not. Besides, you can't carry a player because of a fear like that. So, what am I to do? Anyone have any suggestions? Should he stay or should he go?

Posted by: Dave / 5/24/2004 10:19:00 AM
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.500 At Last

Tom Glavine pitches a complete game 1 hitter (while walking 1 and striking out 8). Kaz Matsui and Cliff Floyd belt first inning home runs. The Mets complete a 3 game sweep of the Rockies and find their record even at 22-22. Congratulations, guys. Now let's see what you do with the next 118 games.

Posted by: Dave / 5/23/2004 03:50:00 PM
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A Couple of Thoughts

The Mets need for more starting pitching is becoming more and more apparent everyday. With Al Leiter on the DL, Tyler Yates suffering another bad outing yesterday and Matt Ginter showing a performance that is probably more indicative of the type of pitcher he is than he did in his debut against the Astros last week, it's pretty obvious that something has to be done. I know I'm not saying anything to deep here but I'm more of an optimist who thinks you should try to work with what you have for as long as possible. That's why I supported the promotion of James Baldwin when many fans thought it was a bad idea. OK, I was wrong about that. But my point is that if even I am saying it's time to make a deal then it must really be time.

Another thought that struck me this morning is about centerfield. According to today's New York Post Mike Cameron's hand injury hurts him when he swings and misses. Considering how many times this happens (he's one of the most strikeout prone hitters in the league) and how he's only hitting .210 wouldn't it make sense to put him on the bench and only bring him in as a defensive replacement for the foreseeable future? Of course a move like that would probably necessitate the acquisition of a decent hitting center fielder. I don't know if this is the answer but it's something worth considering.

Posted by: Dave / 5/23/2004 09:47:00 AM
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Darn Virus!

In the last week I have gotten several emails from the same address (which I will not print here) that is infected with the Beagle virus. (For those not familiar with this virus you can find more information here.) I'm not worried about being infected because I keep my virus definitions up to date and my antivirus software catches the virus. What bugs me is that someone (maybe more than one person) is infected with a virus that keeps sending me emails and this person (or people) appear to be doing nothing about it. If you read this blog and have sent me an email or you have my email address in your address book then please take heed and run a virus scan on your computer. Odd are that I'm not the only one who is getting annoyed by the repeated emails your virus is sending.

Posted by: Dave / 5/21/2004 06:04:00 PM
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Place Your Bets!

The Mets open a three game set against the Rockies tonight and the following question begs to be asked:
Who is going to hit a homer first - Mike Piazza or Jeromy Burnitz?

Posted by: Dave / 5/21/2004 04:13:00 PM
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Pet Peeve

"(It's) the cherry on top of a big pile of manure."
- Todd Zeille when being asked about his two run homer in the first inning of an 11-4 loss to the Cardinals at Shea Stadium on Thusrday

Rather than harp on all of the things that went wrong yesterday (I could be here all day if I did that) let's hit a different topic.

One of my pet peeves is when the so-called professionals seem to mess things up. I'm talking mainly about newspapers, their writers and editors. Few things annoy me more than trying to read a newspaper and finding misspelled words, bad metaphors, incorrect facts and just plain bad writing. While it's true that nobody is perfect you'd figure that there are so many layers between writing the story and printing it that someone would catch the bad stuff and have it corrected. Here is one such example from today's New York Post:

...(Karim) Garcia robbed Scott Rolen of a two-run homer to end the fifth, scaling the right-field fence and reaching into the bullpen to take a souvenir away.

On the surface this sounds fine. But I have one question. The ball was hit by a Cardinal and was headed into the Mets bullpen. So who exactly did Garcia take the souvenir away from? Very annoying.
Here's another example, also from today's Post:

...David Weathers, just returned from seven days off because of triceps tendinitis, made matters worse by surrendering three extra-base hits in his first appearance in a week.

Thanks for telling me it was his first appearance in a week. I wouldn't have figured out that a 7 day layoff was a week long. This one sounds like it was written for a 5 year old.

Enough about my pet peeve for now. I'm sure I'll share some more of this with you at a later date.

Notes:

Yet another article in today's Post and an article in the The Journal News discuss the progress Jose Reyes is making with his rehab. Though no timetable for a return is reported both articles give reason to be optimistic.

There are reports out today that say the Mets may be interested in signing Aaron Boone to man third base later in the year. Not a bad idea if Ty Wigginton continues to slump.

Matt Ginter takes on Jason Young in tonight's series opener against the Colorado Rockies at Shea. Ginter performed very well in his first start last Sunday in Houston.

Jeromy Burnitz makes his return to Shea tonight with the Rockies.

Posted by: Dave / 5/21/2004 09:14:00 AM
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Mets Lose

The Mets got their butts handed to them today 11-4. If you're looking for a Mets highlight then look no further than the first inning where the boys equaled their hit total from last night. Todd Zeille (stitches and all) popped a two run homer. Beyond that it didn't seem to be so exciting.

I'll have more later.

Posted by: Dave / 5/20/2004 04:46:00 PM
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Leiter Placed on the DL

Prior to today's game Al Leiter was placed on the 15 day disabled list with shoulder tendinitis. Outfielder Esix Snead was recalled from Norfolk to take Leiter's spot on the roster. Snead gives the Mets an outfielder with speed in case Mike Cameron's pinkie gives him more trouble than he can play with. Cameron is back in the starting lineup today but will probably be taken out in favor of Snead depending on game situations.

Posted by: Dave / 5/20/2004 01:21:00 PM
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Stuff

I'm beginning to get on the 'fire Art Howe' bandwagon. I'm not saying he should be fired right now (as many other people are saying), but he clearly needs some help with his game strategy. I can understand when he takes Mike Piazza out for a pinch runner sometimes but you don't take your best bat out of the lineup in the seventh inning of a tie game. Possibly in the eighth or ninth but definitely not in the seventh when you will probably (but not definitely) get to his spot in the order again. The New York Post's Joel Sherman talks about this in today's edition.

Sherman also has a column proposing that the Mets should acquire Randy Johnson. His main argument seems to be that if you have a farm you may as well mortgage it. I'm not sure I agree with that. I mean it would be great to have Randy Johnson pitch in Flushing but you also need to think long term. Sure he's going strong at 40 but in the next few years you'll have to replace Johnson, Tom Glavine & Al Leiter. But the thing that really gets me about Sherman's column is what gets me about most columns that propose trades like this. He goes on and on and on about how the team should acquire Johnson but then he gives his reasons for why they should give away the players he proposes to give in such a deal. As usual, that's where it all falters.

The Mets should try offering Scott Kazmir (elite prospect), Tyler Yates and Royce Ring (decent prospects) and see where it gets. Sure, dealing Kazmir is a risk. But he is just at A-ball with worries about injuries (he's been out since April 26), stature (how many 5-foot-10 lefties have made it big?) and makeup.

Joel, don't you think the D-Backs know this information? You're not doing a very good job of selling him by talking like that. You actually convinced me that if I were in Joe Garagiola's shoes I wouldn't even think of this deal. The idea to acquire Johnson is not so bad despite my critiques. But you need to put together a better package and present it properly if you want Garagiola to swallow the pill.

Vic Ziegel has a column in today's Daily News that basically echoes what I've been saying the last few days. Mets fans have reason to be optimistic about .500 but just because the team is close doesn't mean it's going to be easy to get too. Hang in there. It's just a matter of time.

Notes:

Mike Cameron's pinkie injury turns out to be a ligament tear. Cameron said he will have surgery after the season. Art Howe said he will give Cameron a couple of days off to rest the finger.

Leiter's shoulder is feeling well enough to pitch if there were a pennant race going on. But since there's no pennant race yet he's likely to skip his next scheduled start on Saturday and perhaps even make a trip to the disabled list. That's what he gets for not treating the injury seriously enough early on. A veteran like Leiter should have known better.

Todd Zeille needed eight stitches to close the cut he got when he was spiked by Tony Womack while trying to break up a double play. The injury may keep him out of the lineup a few days.

Jae Seo (2-3, 4.99) takes on the Cards' Jason Marquis (2-3, 3.27) at She this afternoon.

Posted by: Dave / 5/20/2004 11:16:00 AM
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Mets Fail To Reach .500

The Mets lost to the Cardinals 1-0 tonight to fall two games below .500. But don't panic. As I said after Tuesday's game:

"Making the leap from one game under .500 (19-20) to actually being .500 is bigger than it looks. It could still be a few days before they reach .500."

My main point is don't panic or start trashing them or anything like that. Remain calm. It'll be ok.

Now that we got that out of the way....

Steve Trachsel pitched 7 good innings allowing 5 hits and walking one while striking out four batters. Mike Stanton came in and faced two batters, allowing one to get on base before Ricky Bottalico came on. Bottalico allowed a fielder's choice, stolen base and base hit which scored the only run of the game.

Notes:

The Mets mustered only 4 hits in the game. But two of those hits came from Ty Wigginton and Jason Phillips. Wigginton has been struggling mightily lately and Phillips has shown that his slump is over. These hits are a big positive for those guys.

Todd Zeille left the game in the eighth inning after being spiked while trying to break up a double play. The extent of the injury was not immediately known.

In other injury news Joe McEwing started in centerfield in place of Mike Cameron who is day to day with a hand injury.

An interesting lineup decision had Wigginton starting at second base. When Zeille left the game Wigginton moved over to third and Danny Garcia was inserted at second.

With his appearance in tonight's game Stanton tied Cy Young for 13 place for appearances by a pitcher.

Posted by: Dave / 5/20/2004 12:01:00 AM
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Congratulations, Randy Johnson

Congratulations to Randy Johnson on his perfect game last night. Johnson became the oldest player to pitch a perfect game. I would have mentioned it earlier but my real job is keeping me busy today.

Posted by: Dave / 5/19/2004 02:22:00 PM
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Almost .500

A Jason Phillips home run. Key hits from Kaz Matsui and Cliff Floyd in the ninth inning. A come from behind win. The Mets showed character in the way they picked up after their starting pitcher, Tom Glavine, had a sub par outing. In this game (as well as Sunday's 13 inning thriller) they showed the character of a winner.

Enjoy the moment but don't get too excited. Making the leap from one game under .500 (19-20) to actually being .500 is bigger than it looks. It could still be a few days before they reach .500. And even when this goal is attained it is still just a sign of mediocrity. All it says is that this team is no longer a loser. It doesn't mean they are winners yet.

I know this is a cynical point of view but it's something we must keep in mind. Live in the moment and celebrate the current good fortunes. But remember that there is still a long way to go.

Posted by: Dave / 5/19/2004 10:57:00 AM
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Sosa Headed To DL With Sneeze Induced Sprain

It looks like Sammy Sosa is headed to the DL with a sprained ligament in his lower back. How does one sprain a ligament in his lower back? By sneezing, of course! I kid you not.

Posted by: Dave / 5/18/2004 08:51:00 PM
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Oswalt Upset With Danny Garcia

Reader Sam M points out Tom Verducci's current column on the Sports Illustrated website in which Roy Oswalt complains about something Danny Garcia said to him during a game. Oswalt was upset because Garcia showed him no respect. Oswalt goes on to complain that if he would throw at Garcia the umps would give him a warning. The basic gist of the article is Oswalt's lament how rookies of today, particularly hitters, have less respect than in the past.

I say Oswalt is just being a wuss. He's probably right about younger players in general having less respect. If he feels that strongly then by all means he should throw at the guy just like pitchers of yesteryear always did. Last I checked throwing at a guy was just as illegal 25 years ago as it is today. I don't advocate throwing at guys but since Oswalt brought it up if Garcia's lack of respect ticked off Oswalt that much then Oswalt should take his chances and throw at him instead of complaining to a reporter. That's what Don Drysdale would have done.

Posted by: Dave / 5/18/2004 04:45:00 PM
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Top Ten Least Popular Yankee Stadium Souvenirs

lefty at YankeesSuck.com has a very amusing top ten list.

Posted by: Dave / 5/18/2004 04:20:00 PM
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New Format

I hope you like the new 3 column format I implemented today. I changed to this format because it brings all the sidebar links higher up on the page making them easier to access. Also, with the old format these sidebar links were hidden when viewing archived items because of the color scheme. By putting the sidebar items in their own boxes with a different background I have resolved that issue. Besides that all of the features present in the old format are here too. Use the comments link below to let me know what you think of the new look.

Posted by: Dave / 5/18/2004 12:02:00 PM
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YM&TR on the Grant Roberts Situation

Vinny at Yankees, Mets & the Rest has written a post about Grant Roberts's shoulder surgery with a cute punchline.

Posted by: Dave / 5/18/2004 11:24:00 AM
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Time To Be Optimistic, Cautious

Based on the last few games you'd figure us fans would be on top of the world. And we are. Our team has won four out of the last five games capped with a dramatic finish on Sunday. They were expected to lose all five due to the level of the competition (Randy Johnson, Brandon Webb, Roy Oswalt, Andy Pettitte & Roger Clemens).

So why not be optimistic? Because these are the Mets we're talking about here. If history has taught us anything it's that five games does not make a season. You could be on top of the world one day and trampled on the next.

What's my conclusion? It's OK to be optimistic. (As you can tell by my post after James Baldwin's first start I believe in optimism and not judging people too quickly.) But while we're being optimistic it's also important to be cautious. The road to hell is paved with people who, after beating the toughest of competitors, fell to the lowest opponents. Let's hope these Mets don't join them.

Notes:

Both the New York Post and the Stamford Advocate have pieces on Braden Looper.

There are rumor circulating this morning that Grant Roberts will have surgery soon. The rumors are coming from this story in the New York Daily News. My take? There's obviously something going on behind the scenes here because this situation is just too weird. I'm very curious to see what the whole story is once the smoke clears.

Posted by: Dave / 5/18/2004 09:51:00 AM
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Can That Really Happen?

Sammy Sosa sat out yesterday's game with back spasms brought on by sneezing. Go figure.

Posted by: Dave / 5/17/2004 04:49:00 PM
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Today's random Thoughts

Some things I wanted to catch up on:

Ricky Gutierrez was designated for assignment (DFAed) to make room for Cliff Floyd who came back from the DL. Gutierrez did nothing to distinguish himself (in a positive way) in his short stay with the Mets. Couple that with the emergence of Danny Garcia and Gutierrez becomes the obvious choice.

James Baldwin was DFAed to open a spot on the roster for Matt Ginter. Ginter started in place of Al Leiter yesterday and pitched well enough to keep the Mets in the game against Roger Clemens and earn his spot as number five starter of the moment. Baldwin was lousy in two starts for the Mets and one has to think that his career is probably over.

The Grant Roberts situation just keeps getting wierder. First Art Howe stops using him. Then he gets DFAed. Then he claims he's injured (even though he never complained about being injured before he was designated). Then Mets team physicians say he's not injured. Then he gets a second opinion who says he is injured. Then it gets really weird. Roberts is on an operating table partially anesthetized when a call comes from Mets officials saying he cannot have surgery because Mets team physicians say he's not injured. So Roberts gets outrighted to Norfolk instead of getting cut. I'm dying to see what happens next in this odd soap opera.

Art Howe announced that Mike Piazza is transitioning from a Catcher/First Baseman to a First Baseman/Catcher meaning that he will start to play more first base and catch maybe once or twice a week. It'll be interesting to see if this is just an experiment or if it's serious and how Piazza's defense improves at first with the increased playing time. I'm still trying to figure out how Eric Valent fits into the first base situation. Valent has been taking grounders at first base recently. What's the point in doing that if Piazza is going to be there so often? Stay tuned.

Howe got thrown out of yesterday's game for arguing a call. It's nice to see Howe show some fire. Unlike a lot of Mets fans I think Howe is a serviceable manager. That doesn't mean he's the right manager for this team but I don't think he's as bad as many of the other Mets bloggers think.

Posted by: Dave / 5/17/2004 04:40:00 PM
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Shut Up, Michael Moore!

I know this isn't a political blog but...

I wish movie director Michael Moore would shut up already. He recently ripped into President Bush at the Cannes Film Festival. I'm not necessarily opposed to his opinions (sometimes I agree with him and sometimes I disagree with him) and he's just as entitled to his opinions as everyone else. I'm just getting sick of his holier than though attitude and his thinking that he knows better. His movies and his mouthing off in public surely call attention to issues but if he truly wants to make a difference then he should do things that make a difference. Donate so ridiculously large sum of money somewhere or run for office or something. Anything. But please shut up already!

Posted by: Dave / 5/17/2004 12:01:00 PM
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Quick Post

I don't have much time to write this morning so I'll be quick.

The Mets managed to prevail in Houston yesterday beating the Astros bullpen to capture their 4th win in 5 games. Why is this so important? Because in those 5 games they faced Randy Johnson, Brandon Webb, Roy Oswalt, Andy Pettitte & Roger Clemens. These are 5 of the top pitchers in the league. And even though they didn't necessarily beat one of these pitchers (for instance Clemmens was dominant in his innings yesterday and was already out of the game when the Mets tied and eventually won) it showed that they can at least hang in there and compete with the best of them. Let's just hope they don't turn into one of those teams that rise to the occasion when competing against the best and then show how lousy they can truly be when play against lesser opponents. (That happens every year to the Knicks.)

Posted by: Dave / 5/17/2004 09:29:00 AM
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Mets Notes

I have alot to say today so let's get to work!

Vance Wilson started at catcher and had his second consecutive strong outing hitting a 3 run homer that gave the Mets a 3-1 lead, a lead which they would never relinquish. The Mets went on to win the game 7-4.

Jae Seo pitched 5 decent innings but left the game with a blister on his right index finger, the one with the broken fingernail. Art Howe has said that Seo will make his next start on schedule.

Wilson filled in at catcher while Mike Piazza started his second consecutive game at first base. Jason Phillips started at catcher on Wednesday.

As expected, Cliff Floyd was activated before the game and hit an RBI single in the 9th inning of last night's game. To make room for Floyd the Mets designated Ricky Gutierrez for assignment. Gutierrez was made expendable by his poor performance and the emergence of Danny Garcia as a serviceable infielder.

On April 26 I reported that Al Leiter was pitching with a sore shoulder. Leiter refused to get it looked at because he felt that at this point in his career he would not have surgery. In that post I said the following:

I respect his (Leiter's) decision of not wanting surgery but if this is going to cost him innings and/or effectiveness then he owes it to his teammates to get it checked out and see what the issue is and learn how to deal with it. That's part of being a team player and a team leader.

Well it turn out that my words were prophetic. Leiter will miss his scheduled start on Sunday (against the Houston Astros and Roger Clemens) because of the shoulder. Leiter has flown back to New York to have his shoulder examined today. I'm no medical person but I have to question the wisdom of not getting it checked out earlier. Who knows if he could have avoided missing a start if he would have just gotten it checked out earlier? And what additional damage may have been done by pitching in this condition? The answers to these questions are secondary. The real issue is that we should not have to question a guy like Leiter who, as a team leader, should know that his health is an important ingredient to the teams chemistry. When you're hurt you don't wait for it to get worse. You get treatment right away and minimize risk.

On the subject of injuries, Grant Roberts will be getting a second opinion on his arm "injury" today. Mets team physician Andrew Rokito determined there was no serious injury. If the second opinion, Cincinnati Reds team physician Tim Kremcheck, determines that Roberts is, indeed, injured then Roberts would be eligible to file a grievance against the club for designating him for assignment while injured. The part that I don't get is how Roberts would be eligible for such an action when he hid the injury from management and didn't reveal he was hurt until after he was designated. I'm sure if management knew he was hurt they would have attempted to help him deal with it, though with how the Jose Reyes hamstring situation has been handled who could blame Roberts for keeping the injury to himself. Either way, I'd be very curious to see what his argument is considering he was withholding information from management.

Posted by: Dave / 5/14/2004 10:36:00 AM
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Pearlman Responds To My Post About "Bay Bay's Kids"

I received an email from Jeff Pearlman, author of The Bad Guys Won this morning regarding the Bay Bay's Kids vs. bebe's kids question. He said I was right that it's actually bebe's kids. I'm pretty impressed with myself since I'm generally wrong about those kinds of things. I was thinking the reply would be that there are alternate spellings. Makes you wonder about who at Harper-Collins edited the book.

Anyway, I'm enjoying the book a lot. The first twenty pages or so seemed a bit disorganized to me but now it seems to be getting a bit more cohesive. I'm only 46 pages in so we'll see how it goes.

Posted by: Dave / 5/13/2004 01:49:00 PM
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Good Game and Good News

Those of you who like pitchers duels got a dandy last night as the Mets won a 1-0 contest against the Diamondbacks. Those of you who like offense could have turned off your TVs after the second pitch of the game. That's the pitch that Kaz Matsui blasted into the left field stands for the games only run.

Beyond that the matchup of Tom Glavine vs. Randy Johnson lived up to it's billing. Each pitcher allowed only 3 hits with Johnson going 7 innings and Glavine lasting 7 2/3 before giving way to Braden Looper who got his first save in what seems like forever (5th of the season).

The offense was lax against one of the best pitchers in the game but will get a shot in the arm as they face some more of the NLs top pitchers over the next few days. Cliff Floyd should be activated from the disabled list today in time for what could be the teams toughest string of games this year against Brandon Webb tonight in Arizona and Roy Oswalt, Andy Pettitte & Roger Clemens this weekend in Houston.

Posted by: Dave / 5/13/2004 09:23:00 AM
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I Stand Corrected

Aaron Cohen points out that there is, in fact, a Toys R Us at 45th and Broadway. Thanks to Aaron and apologies to Jeff Pearlman.

I'm still hoping that someone will set me straight on the Bay Bay's kids vs. bebe's kids issue. Is Bay Bay an accepted spelling? I know bebe is pronounced the same way. It's the spelling that I'm looking for. Use the comments link if you know.

Posted by: Dave / 5/12/2004 10:09:00 AM
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Done In By A
Man Named Shea

The Mets got beat by a Shea Hillenbrand homer last night. Is it just coincidence that they got beat by a man named Shea? (That's it for now. More later.)

Posted by: Dave / 5/12/2004 08:08:00 AM
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Mets-Diamondbacks Trivia

Question: Which former Met is currently a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks coaching staff?

Answer: Diamondbacks third base coach Al Pedrique played in 5 games for the Amazins in 1987 before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Bill Almon.

Posted by: Dave / 5/11/2004 10:10:00 PM
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Another Error In
The Bad Guys Won?

OK. Maybe I'm being picky. But on page 15 Kevin Mitchell is quoted as saying:

"Tore up that plane like Bay Bay's Kids"

Being a teen during the eighties I'm familiar enough with the slang of the time to know that it's bebe's kids. Am I wrong? Use the comment link below to let me know.

Besides the two things I've pointed out so far I find the book to be a little disorganized. Pearlman is skipping around telling anecdotes out of chronological order. It appears that the approach is to tell related stories next to each other but it just seems a bit helter skelter to me. Despite that I've actually enjoyed the first 25 pages of the book. So like I said at the beginning of this post maybe I'm being too picky.

Posted by: Dave / 5/11/2004 09:17:00 PM
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Error in The
Bad Guys Won?

I read the introduction to The Bad Guys Won by Jeff Pearlman on the subway this morning and spotted what I think may be an error. On page 5 Pearlman mentions how there's a Toys R Us in Times Square. If I'm not mistaken the Toys R Us is not in Times Square but is on 34th street across the street from Herald Square. Am I right or is the writer right? Use the comment feature below to reply.

Posted by: Dave / 5/11/2004 04:12:00 PM
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Bill Pulsipher in Newsday

There's an article on Bill Pulsipher in Newsday.com - Minor League Baseball report.

Posted by: Dave / 5/11/2004 10:47:00 AM
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Project Knuckleball

The latest New Yorker magazine has a nice article by Ben McGrath about the knuckle ball and those who throw it entitled Project Knuckleball. This one came to me courtesy of Jeff at the Leone For Third blog, a blog about the Seattle Mariners.

Posted by: Dave / 5/11/2004 10:32:00 AM
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Ideas for baseball to
attract more kids

I picked this up off of another baseball blog (I forget which one). It's a nice article by Rick Bozich titled Ideas for baseball to attract more kids. In the wake of Spider-gate Bozich has the right idea.

Posted by: Dave / 5/11/2004 10:26:00 AM
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About Baldwin

In the wake of the Mets horrific loss to the Diamondbacks by a score of 12-8 last night let me come out publicly and say that I still believe the Mets did the right thing by promoting James Baldwin instead of a younger pitcher to replace Tyler Yates on the big league roster. Baldwin got crushed last night allowing six runs on seven hits in two-plus innings including 2 home runs to Luis Gonzalez. In addition to the points I made yesterday it is also my belief that you cannot judge a player based on one game. If David Cone had been judged on his first appearance as a Met then he would never have had the chance to win 194 games in his career. (For those of you who don't remember, Cone really stunk up the joint in his first few appearances in 1987 before settling down and winning 20 games in 1988.) If what I said yesterday is true (this is not a season in which management is trying to win but rather build for next year) then Baldwin's performance is really irrelevant anyway. Hang in there with him for a few starts before calling for his head. His time is limited anyway.

Speaking of not judging people too early, did anyone notice that Ty Wigginton had 5 hits last night? I don't believe you can call a slump over as a result of one game any more than I believe you can judge any player based on one game but it's still nice to see. If he can get a few more hits in Arizona then we can call his slump over.

Posted by: Dave / 5/11/2004 09:34:00 AM
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The Diamondbacks

The Mets open a four game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks at the BOB (BankOne Ballpark). To make you feel better about the Mets situation, the Diamondbacks have lost are on a four game losing streak including being swept by the Phillies over the weekend and have lost 7 of their last 10.

For all those fans who are up in arms over Kaz Matsui not living up to his billing yet take a look at Diamondbacks leadoff hotter Matt Kata. He's in the midst of a 1 for 19 slump.

Of course, the usual warnings apply: Beware of clubs on losing streak. They tend to break them against the Mets.

Posted by: Dave / 5/10/2004 04:44:00 PM
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My Take on Yates/Baldwin

Tyler Yates was demoted in favor of bringing in James Baldwin. Baldwin had been pitching well in the minors and Yates was struggling so the Mets made the switch and the veteran will replace the rookie in the rotation.

The Mets said it had nothing to do with Baldwin's contract but I don't buy that. I think it was a combination of Baldwin's contract and Yates' struggles. If they hadn't promoted Baldwin they would have lost him(his contract expired last month and his extension was only 18 days long). So the Mets were forced to find a spot for him or lose him. Yates' struggles gave them that opening. Not that they were looking to screw Yates but (in my opinion) the rookie clearly needed to take a step back before he could go forward.

Many fans have criticized the Mets for promoting Baldwin instead of bringing in a younger guy to take Yates' spot in the rotation. I'm going to go against the grain and say Baldwin was the right move. Mets management is clearly not going with a win now approach. They are preparing for next year. That being the case there's no reason to rush a kid up to the majors. There will be plenty of time for that in July and August. Let the kids get themselves into gear and work their way up. There's no reason to push them. It's the same philosophy that was used with Jose Reyes last year. For all those people looking for the young guys to come up I have one thing to say. Be patient.

Posted by: Dave / 5/10/2004 10:26:00 AM
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Mets Salvage Weekend

After a good streak last week the Mets dropped the first 2 games to the Brewers over the weekend. They managed to end the homestand with an 11 inning win yesterday. Steve Trachsel had a good start until the bullpen blew it. Kaz Matsui knocked in the winning run after not starting the game. I'm going to skip all the recap stuff that I normally write (because everyone else is saying it already).

I can't think of anything to say right now but check back later Because I'll probably post again today.

Posted by: Dave / 5/10/2004 09:53:00 AM
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Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all my maternal readers. And take it easy on Dad. He means well but he just can't help it. (Thank me later, guys.)

Posted by: Dave / 5/09/2004 10:26:00 AM
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Spider-Base

By the way, for those who haven't seen it yet, the Spider-Man 2 base ad is pictured below. One question: Did anyone at MLB really think a fan in the stands or a fan watching on TV would be able to see this ad well enough to know what it was for? At best they would be able to see that there was something on the base but they would not be able to see what it said so they would not know it was a Spider-Man ad (unless they were told, of course). I'm sure Bud Selig had this in mind when pulling the plug on the base ad but keeping the rest of the promotion intact. "Let's give the fans a 'concession' on this crazy scheme we have to make a little more money by pulling out the most controversial but least recognizable ad in the promotion. They'll still have the on deck circle to look at and will see trailers on video screens all day long."

Posted by: Dave / 5/07/2004 11:05:00 AM
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Mets Win 2-1 in 11
(And Other Stuff)

The "Mets fans" were happy last night as Barry Bonds was in the lineup for the last game of the San Francisco Giants only visit to Shea Stadium last night. But it was the real Mets fans who got the last laugh as Mike Piazza's walk off homer in the 11th inning gave the Mets a 2-1 victory. Karim Garcia homered earlier in the game for the Mets other run. It was the first time all year that the Mets were on the winning side of a 3 game sweep.

The New York Post had an article today about Bonds's pre-game interview that made the star leftfielder look really bad. I'm unsure if the Post was trying to make Bonds look bad (or at least worse than he really is) or if it was a true and honest retelling of the future hall of famer's decorum and language in his dealing with the press. I'd figure that it's somewhere in the middle of those two choices. He's probably a lot like that but the Post probably exaggerated because they get annoyed when Bonds refuses to talk to the press.

MLB has backed off it's plans to put ads for the upcoming Spider-Man 2 movie on the bases for games played from June 11-13. Apparently fan backlash had something to do the change but I think it's more than just that. (When was the last time the commissioners office responded so quickly to something the fans were upset about.) The movie logos will still be plastered on the on deck circles during the games and will be featured on home plate and the pitchers mound during pre-game warmups. I'm curious how the geniuses at MLB could think that the fans would go for this idea to begin with. Obviously the marketing and promotions people would love this idea. From their standpoint this would have been a coup and the people who came up with the idea would be due promotions. (I know that if I owned a company I would reward someone for thinking out of the box like that.) But don't these things have to be approved by the higher ups and ultimately by the commissioners office? Is Bud Selig really that out of touch with the fans that he couldn't see this was a bad idea from the start? Or is it that he was thinking as a greedy owner and not as a commissioner? I'd say the latter since that's the way he normally does things.

Posted by: Dave / 5/07/2004 09:32:00 AM
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Yankees, Mets and the Rest Blog on Barry Bonds Not Playing At Shea

The Yankees, Mets and the Rest blog has a post that elaborates on my frustration about Mets fans being disappointed about not seeing Barry Bonds play at Shea.

Posted by: Dave / 5/06/2004 01:53:00 PM
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Last Night At Shea

The game started out with a good break. For the second straight night the Mets would not have to deal with Barry Bonds who was still bothered by a sinus infection. The good breaks continued as Mike Piazza hit his 352nd career home run as a catcher finally surpassing Carlton Fisk to take sole possession of first place on the all time list of home runs by a catcher. (Congratulations, Mike.) The game itself was exciting too.

Tied at 2 in the eighth (after a 1 hour 19 minute rain delay) the Mets faced a 2 out, one man on situation. They proved that they are much improved over the product they had on the field two weeks ago as they managed a two out rally that scored 6 runs and included homers by Shane Spencer and Mike Cameron en route to an 8-2 victory.

Jae Seo pitched well (not great) but had to leave the game in the fifth inning after he split a fingernail. That opened the door for Ricky Bottalico to make his Mets debut. Bottalico pitched 1 and 2/3 hitless innings and was followed by one hitless inning each from John Franco, David Weathers and Orber Moreno to close out the game.

Notes:

Art Howe was not sure how he would handle the injury to Seo. The options are to either skip his next scheduled start or to push him back a day or two. I imagine that the decision will be based on how he progresses the next 2 or 3 days.

Once again the fans have stumped me. Today's NY Post has a story about how fans attending last nights game were upset that Bonds didn't play. It doesn't bother me that the fans were upset. Many of them paid premium prices for their tickets. What upsets me is that they all came just to see Bonds. Can these really be Mets fans? (Okay, the article cites a couple of Giants fans too.) This game had some great moments from the home team, including Piazza's record breaking home run, and the fans were upset because they didn't get to see Bonds? Grow up and be a real fan.

The Post also had a good Joel Sherman article about how history is judging Bonds. Sherman tries to be a little too poetic but his point is good.

The Yankees have said that they will offer limited participation in the big Spider-Man 2 promotion announced by MLB yesterday. They are refusing to put the Spider-Man logo on the bass during the game but will do so during batting practice and warm ups. The only in game promotion they will do is having the logo in the on deck circles. I'd like to congratulate the Yankees on taking a stand on this issue.

Posted by: Dave / 5/06/2004 09:48:00 AM
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The Bad Guys Won

I finally ordered The Bad Guys Won by Jeff Pearlman from amazon. I ordered it with a couple of different items I wanted/needed so I can get the free shipping. I'll have some things to say about it when I'm reading it so watch this space.

Posted by: Dave / 5/05/2004 08:26:00 PM
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Protest Denied

The Mets protest from Saturday's game has been denied. The game was played under protest after San Diego pitcher Akinori Otsuka entered the game. Otsuka has an odd delivery that Art Howe claims is illegal and should be called a balk. It didn't take a prophet to see that the Mets would lose this protest.

Posted by: Dave / 5/05/2004 04:15:00 PM
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Now Playing First Base... Spider-Man

MLB announced an agreement today that will put ads for the upcoming Spider-Man 2 movie on the bases at Major League parks the weekend of June 11-13. I previously criticized the advertising frenzy when commenting about the Yankees opening the season in Japan. (Ralph Nader agrees with me but I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.)

I'm going to go out on a limb now and suggest that this deal should invalidate the MLB's contention that they should be exempt from antitrust laws because baseball is a game and not a business. This deal clearly shows that business is the order of the day and not the game itself.

MLB marketing is saying how this promotion is a way to reach out to a younger demographic. They say "It's the future of how we generate excitement inside the stadium and about the game itself.'' Shouldn't the game itself be generating the excitement? It all seems a bit much on the marketing end and not enough on game issues (such as drug/steroid use, the strike zone and the balk rule).

What does it say for your game when you charge $3.6 million for prime advertising and "5-7%" of your athletes are using steroids? It says your game is really a big business. And if it's a business then it shouldn't be exempt from antitrust.

Posted by: Dave / 5/05/2004 03:30:00 PM
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Other Miscellany From Last Night

Art Howe made a gutsy call last night. With 2 outs in the sixth he intentionally walked eighth place hitter Yorvit Torrealba to get to pitcher Brett Tomko betting that Giants manager Felipe Alou would not use Barry Bonds as a pinch hitter. The gamble paid off. Alou said after the game that he was not going to use Bonds "at all" last night. It was nice to see Howe taking a chance and even nicer to see it paid off.

I caught an interview with Jason Phillips after the game. I wish they would put a counter on the screen to see how many times he says "you know" and "you know what I mean" when answering questions.

Grant Roberts was designated for assignment yesterday to make way for Ricky Botallico. Roberts is out of options and must pass through waivers before the Mets can send him to Norfolk. They can also trade him. Either ways I believe his days in a Mets uniform are over. I think it'll work out for him and some time in the not too distant future we'll see him on the mound at Shea mowing down Mets hitters while wearing the visitors uniform. Another good arm that got away. Good luck, Grant.

Posted by: Dave / 5/05/2004 10:32:00 AM
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Root For The Mets (Not Their Opponents)

Attendance at Shea Stadium was up 7,000 over the average Mets home game last night as fans flocked to Flushing for a chance to see one of the games greats, Barry Bonds, on his teams only trip to New York this season. While I didn't see much of the game I did manage to see a lot of the local coverage surrounding it and feel obliged to say something I tend to say a few times every season. If you are a Mets fan going to see a game at Shea (or to see the Mets at any other venue) root for the Mets and not their opponents.

I saw at least a dozen people on the various local news and sports broadcasts last night claiming to be Mets fans but when asked why they went to Shea on this particular night their answers were all the same. "We came to see Barry Bonds hit home runs." In other words they came to see their home team give up runs to an opposing player. If this is your reason for going to the game then you are not a Mets fan.

I can understand the draw of going to see a player like Bonds play. In fact I would have made a better effort to watch the game last night if Bonds were in the lineup. When you have a chance to see a future hall of famer and possible future HR record holder you go for it. But to root for him to beat your team is what being a fan is about.

Posted by: Dave / 5/05/2004 10:08:00 AM
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Good Win Last Night

With Barry Bonds sitting out with a sinus infection the Mets did exactly what they were supposed to do last night. Beat the opposition when their best player is out of the lineup. And they did so convincingly outscoring the Giants 6-2. Several bright spots included:

Steve Trachsel pitched 8 strong innings allowing 5 hits and 2 runs (1 earned). He walked 4 batters but when you win you can still call it a good night.

Mike Cameron hit a tie breaking 2 run homer. It was his 5th dinger of the year and first at Shea.

Jason Phillips broke out with 2 hits, a run and 2 RBIs.

Kaz Matsui went 3 for 5 ending a 3 for 30 slump.

It was nice to see Edgardo Alfonzo last night even though he had a very bad night. Playing second base Alfonzo committed 2 errors and misplayed a ball before being lifted in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Posted by: Dave / 5/05/2004 09:51:00 AM
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Bonds To Sit Out?

Rumor has it that Barry Bonds will sit out tonight's game at Shea because of a sinus infection. If this is true then we can look forward to more of the "do you pitch to Bonds?" nonsense in tomorrow's paper. More importantly it takes a great bat out of the game for the Giants and gives the Mets a much better chance at winning. (I know that sentence mentions an obvious point but I just had to say it.)

Posted by: Dave / 5/04/2004 04:28:00 PM
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Bonds Rising

With the San Francisco Giants coming to town to open a three game set today there's a lot being written in the New York media about Barry Bonds. He's obviously the cornerstone of the Giants' lineup as he would be the cornerstone of just about every lineup in baseball history. And rightfully so, I might add. But I think the attention is getting a little out of hand and the questions are getting silly. When you see a guy like Bonds in the opposing lineup you obviously take note but you can't change your approach. A Major League pitcher must approach every hitter the same way. From the pitchers perspective no one hitter is any less or more important than the others in the lineup. You go at each batter with 100% of what you have. If you get the guys around him out then you limit the damage he can do and you can pitch to him as you would pitch to anyone else.

Posted by: Dave / 5/04/2004 10:57:00 AM
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Blog Maintenance

I made a few improvements to the right sidebar of the blog in the last week or so. I added the calendar to help readers access recent posts easier, a scoreboard under the blog links for live updates and re-arranged the list of blog links to put some of my favorite (and more active) blogs toward the top of the list. All this has be done to add to the blog readers experience so enjoy. If you have any opinions about these changes or have suggestions for more improvements then please click the comment link below to let me know.

Posted by: Dave / 5/04/2004 12:15:00 AM
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Flushing Local: When Glass Returns

Flushing Local had a good posting today about how to adjust the lineup when Cliff Floyd returns. Read it here.

Posted by: Dave / 5/03/2004 11:46:00 PM
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I Need Help Please

I noticed tonight that when I view this blog using Internet Explorer from home the fonts are very large. When I view it in IE at work the font size appears normal. Can someone else please verify with me if the fonts appear very large or average size? This will help me know whether I need to change the font size on the blog or if I have a messed up setting on my home PC. Please click the comment link below to let me know.

Thanks.

Posted by: Dave / 5/03/2004 08:27:00 PM
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Random Mets Thoughts

Several points about Jose Reyes rehab from his hamstring injury have come to light in the wake of his latest setback. For those who don't know, Reyes took himself out of his second rehab game last Thursday after tweaking his bad hammy. He underwent an MRI on Friday and it turns out that not only is the hamstring not healed but it may be a grade 2 strain as opposed to the less sever grade 1 variety it was originally believed to be. It also appears that there has no Mets medical person overseeing the rehab. I read this to mean that Reyes has been trying to work himself back all by himself without a trainer's or doctor's help.

OK, class. Here's a textbook example of how not to handle an injury to the player you have bet your future on. Pop quiz:
1 - When the player that you have labeled as your future which of the following choices is the proper course of action?
   a - Let him rehab on his own without significant input from professionals who deal with rehab for a living.
   b - Do not send him for an MRI until he has been sidelined for 7 weeks.
   c - Do not send him to a professional who has specialists in the particular type of injury the player is suffering from.
   d - None of the above.

The correct answer is d but apparently Mets brass didn't agree. Nice to see how much they think of the future when they don't have the brains to approach this injury the proper way.

Kaz Matsui has been playing with a sore wrist the last 2 weeks. Let's hope management learns from their mistakes with Reyes and takes care of this injury the right way.

Mike Piazza jokingly compared himself to John Travolta when asked about his acrobatic catch on a throw to first yesterday. Piazza then nominated himself for a Baseball Tonight Web Gem.

Posted by: Dave / 5/03/2004 02:23:00 PM
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Mets Avoid Weekend Sweep

I was getting ready to write my weekly post about how the Mets got swept over the weekend when I was thrown a curve. They beat San Diego today to avoid the sweep. I didn't see any of the game today (my family manages to keep me busy most weekends) so I'll post some stuff here after I have a chance to do some more reading about the Mets weekend at Petco.

Posted by: Dave / 5/02/2004 10:55:00 PM
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Dave's Mostly Mets Blog

5/31/2004

How(e)'d He Do That?

5/28/2004