Dave's Mostly Mets Blog

The Big Move

2005-03-14T11:30:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to getting the blog onto my own domain. Now that this move is done I will be able to post more regularly. I hope to see you all there.

The Fish That Got Away

2005-01-26T10:29:00.000-05:00

Carlos Delgado has signed with the Florida Marlins for $1 million more than the Mets offered. (Actually, it's been reported that all told the Mets offer would have been worth about $38,000 more but let's not nitpick.) Delgado's agent, David Sloan, appears to have used the Mets as a ploy to get more money out of the Marlins. Based on some of Sloan's actions (like telling the press that the Mets were out of the running before telling Omar Minaya) it didn't look like the agent had any interest at all in putting his only star client in New York.

As mentioned yesterday I had mixed feelings about the prospect of acquiring Delgado so I don't really view it as a great loss. We'll just watch him in Florida and see if he lives up to my Murray/Vaughn theory. (Of course the Murray/Vaughn theory doesn't apply as much in Florida since the pressures are different in New York and definitely contributed to their downfalls.)

Be that as it may, the Mets immediately went to plan B and traded single A 1B Ian Bladergroen to the Red Sox for Doug Mientkiewicz. An official announcement will come later today. Mientkiewicz's defensive prowess will help with the relatively inexperienced and out of position players in the rest of the infield and his bat, while not as great as Delgado's, is not a tremendous liability. He's got a .363 career OBP. We'll see if he can continue such production in the NL.

In the final analysis, adding Mientkiewicz is an upgrade. It's just not the upgrade that the Mets and most of the fans had in mind.

Goodbye, Johnny B Good

2005-01-25T13:57:00.000-05:00

John Franco signed with Houston the other day finalizing his detachment from the Mets. I'd like to thank Franco for 14 years of loyal service. His best days are clearly behind him (even he realizes that) but I have to say that I've enjoyed his presence on this club and appreciate what he gave it. Good luck, Johnny Be Good.

Delgado: To Sign or Not To Sign (or History May Teach Us Something)

2005-01-25T13:22:00.000-05:00

I haven't weighed in on the idea of signing Carlos Delgado yet because I'm really not sure about it. On the one hand there are definite pluses to signing another bat to make the lineup more potent. On the other hand, with a young left side of the infield (David Wright at 3B & Jose Reyes at SS) and a second baseman playing the position for the first time (Kaz Matsui) someone with more sound defensive skills to anchor the infield may be a better fit (perhaps someone in the John Olerud mold). It's really a toss up but I like the way the Mets have handled the situation thus far. Though they reopened talks after their deadline for a deal was not met they have now put a final offer on the table for Delgado to take or leave. If he takes it then they have their new bat. If not then it's time to explore other options (Doug Mientkiewicz and Travis Lee are a couple of the other possibilities as well as Andres Galarraga).

The two things that stick in my mind about signing Delgado are this:

Eddie Murray

Mo Vaughn

I know it sounds weird but Murray and Vaughn are two relatively recent examples of a problem that we could see happen to Delgado as well. All three players were career American Leaguers when they signed with the Mets. Both Murray and Vaughn ended their careers with the Mets (due to slumps, injuries, etc.). While it's true that Murray and Vaughn were clearly on the downside of their careers when they came to the Mets it's not certain if Delgado is at that point in his career. However, history is wrought with stories of guys changing leagues late in their careers and not being able to make the adjustment. This is why I won't shed a tear if the Mets lose out on Delgado and why I'm indifferent about acquiring him.

Goodbye, Paul Hackett

2005-01-19T13:50:00.000-05:00

Jets offensive coordinator Paul Hackett resigned today. Good riddance.

I'm glad a change is being made but I'm not one of those who have gotten on the "Hackett Must Go" bangwagon as a result of Sundays overtime loss to Pittsburgh. I've been unhappy with his offensive scheemes for a couple of years now. I felt they should have fired him after last season but I guess they didn't feel like working with 2 new coordinators this year after firing former defensive coordinator Ted Cotrell.

Why am I happy to see a change? Several reasons:

I've seen Hackett's offense get far too conservative when playing with a lead late in games. Most often this gives the opposition reason to believe they can win the game and puts far too much pressure on the defense. This leads to the inevitable loss or game that ends far too close for comfort. When you have an opportunity to put the game away you need to take it.

On third and long you're supposed to call a play that's get you past the first down marker. You're not supposed to call a screen pass that falls 2 yards short. You're not supposed to hand it off to your star running back who can't get the long yardage on every play.

You're allowed to pass to your tight ends.

You call that a West Coast offense? Where's the vertical game. Don't tell me Chad Pannington doesn't have the right arm for it. The few times I've seen some aggressive play calling (such as the third quarter of the playoff game against Pittsburgh) Pennington acquitted himself quite well.

There are other reasons too but I can't think of them right now.

Hackett seems like a good man and he knows his business very well. I just don't think he's the right fit for this team and hasn't been for quite some time. This week's game may have been the nail in the coffin but this change was inevitable for a while. I wish coach Hackett well in his future endeavors and look forward to ctriticizing the next guy.

Cameron Accepts Right Field

2005-01-19T11:04:00.000-05:00

On their way to the Dominican Republic a group of Mets officials stopped in Atlanta to meet with Mike Cameron. After the meeting all sides were saying the right thing. The basic gist is that Cameron will play right field because it's for the best of the team.

While it's good news that Cameron's fallen in line and accepted to make the move that he himself had offered to make I'm still a little wary of the situation and am not as convinced as others are that this calls off the possibility of trading him. I know Cameron's a professional but it's obvious that this isn't the position he wants to play. Comments like "Imagine somebody coming in and telling you to do something different than you've always done" and "I'll always view myself as a center fielder" don't show a healthy attitude toward the move and are signs that this isn't the end of the discussion here.

I stand by what I've said previously. A man playing a position he doesn't really want to play and whose role has been degraded in the offense (especially if the Mets end up signing Carlos Delgado) could lead to bad things.

A quick note on the Delgado front: Mets brass will meet with Delgado on Thursday in Puerto Rico. Don't expect him to sign anywhere before the weekend.

Big Whoop!

2005-01-18T13:33:00.000-05:00

Several media outlets are reporting that Carlos Delgado has narrowed his choices down to 4 teams: the Mets, Marlins, Orioles and Rangers. The source for this information is Delgado's agent, David Sloane. It's nice that the Mets are among his choices but I'm trying to figure out how this is news. The same reporters who spit back this information have been reporting for weeks that these were the only teams interested in signing him. I can understand Sloane making information like this public in an effort to start a bidding war between the teams involved but why is it being reported? There's nothing new there. Find something real to report on and get back to us later.

In other news, the Mike Cameron saga continues. The last time I wrote about Cameron I was criticizing him for waiting so long to get surgery on his ailing left wrist which was injured in the second to last game of the season. I was quite vehement about it because I hate it when injuries don't get treated properly as early in the off season as possible because that leads to unnecessary missed games early in the following season. Then last week Cameron reportedly reneged on his offer to move from centerfield to right field after Carlos Beltran was signed. This development has sparked rumors of a trade to Oakland in exchange for Eric Byrnes. Byrnes had been a rumored acquisition to fill in for Cameron in center while the surgery kept Cameron out for the first month or so of the season but has since become the central figure in an exchange for Cameron.

There's been a lot of discussion in the media and on the blogs about whether or not the Mets should make such a deal. Most people (especially bloggers) would go into a long drawn out statistical analysis to support their opinions but you know that I don't depend on obscure stats, just basic numbers together with my own knowledge and instincts. These tools tell me that now's the right time to trade Cameron.

With Beltran aboard, David Wright coming in at the start of the season and a healthy Jose Reyes, Cameron's role in the offense will be minimized (especially if Delgado ends up signing). He'll be dropped down in the order and will not be happy about it. The last thing you want on your team when you're trying to get things going in the right direction is a guy pouting because he's not playing the position he wants and he's not batting in the right spot in the order.

At age 32 and coming off a career high 30 HR year Cameron's got nowhere to go but down. His value is as high as it will ever be so you may as well get as much as you can for him before it's too late. If Oakland wants him then you do your best to work out a deal.

Don't get me wrong as far as Cameron goes. Despite my recent knocks on him I think he's a great ballplayer. I just think the time is right for a move.

Beltran Takes The '7' Train (sorry, that's the best I can do)

2005-01-10T10:04:00.000-05:00

The Mets have come to contract terms with Carlos Beltran. Beltran will take a physical today and is expected to be intorduced at a press conference tomorrow (Tuesday). This is fantastic news and finally shows a commitment on the part of the Wilpons.

The developments that led to the signing were interesting. Beltran turned down the Astros offer based strictly on the fact that they would not give him a no trade clause. Aparently he felt that if Houston gave Andy Pettitte a no trade clause last year when Pettitte signed with an iffy elbow then he (Beltran) should certainly get one. Rumor has it that Beltran then went to the Yankees and offered his services at a "discount" of just under $100 million for 7 years. George Steinbrenner turned him down citing the luxury tax on that would ammount to $40 million over the life of the contract. I guess the Boss does have limits. Anyway, the Mets were the next stop and they were willing to give $119 million and a no trade clause.

The addition of Beltran gives the Mets a solid bat on the way up in his career. This is a great thing but this is also the company line. I'm always one who looks back while looking forward and I see something that alarms me. If you compare Beltran's stats from last year to those of Bobby Bonilla the year before he joined the Mets you'll see some similarities. Does that mean that he'll go south like Bonilla did after joining the Mets? No. It's just something to keep in mind.

The other thing that bothers me is that the last few years the Mets have turned away Alex Rodriguez and Vladimir Guerrero. Regardless of money ARod and Vlad were sure things where, as good as Beltran is, I can't help but that those guys were much better equiped and even more talented than Beltran hence making them more ideal players to help bring the franchise to back to respectability. The Wilpon's clearly should have opened up to them the way they opened up to Beltran. Beltran's got a great agent and PR machine around him. I just hope he lives up to the hype and can take the heat in New York when he hits his first slump.

Anyway, Omar Minaya has said that the signing of Beltran does not preclude the possibility of signing Carlos Delgado as well. How deep the Wilpons pockets really are this winter will determine what happens there.

Goodbye Vance Wilson

2005-01-07T09:12:00.000-05:00

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday after I heard the news that Vance Wilson was traded to the Tigers for minor league shortstop Anderson Hernandez. Considering Hernandez is not major league ready yet this deal confirms the Mets intentions of using Mike Piazza as the regular catcher with Jason Phillips as his backup. Add the recent signing of Andres Galarraga to the mix and it's obvious that they don't plan on playing either Piazza or Phillips at first base regularly.

No news on the Carlos Beltran front today. A decision is expected in the next 48 hours.

New Webhost

2005-01-06T11:16:00.000-05:00

I finally got myself a new webhost. As such I will be moving the blog as soon as I can finish up some development on the new site. Stay tuned for more information.

On Time

2005-01-06T10:57:00.000-05:00

It looks like my warning about not celebrating the Carlos Beltran signing before it's a done deal came at the right time. Various media outlets are reporting that Beltran's agent, Scott Boras, is claiming that 5 teams have put in offers that meet his opening criteria. Is Boras bluffing? Probably. But if he's saying 5 then there's probably 3. And if he's saying they all made $110 million offers then probably only one of them have done that and the others have come in within the ballpark of that figure. By all accounts the Mets seem to be the frontrunner right now as far as contract goes. But this deal is not done yet.

In other new, there was a story out yesterday that said Pedro Martinez plans on reporting to camp when it opens. Maybe it's just me but isn't that what he's paid to do? Why exactly is a story like that newsworthy? If you have an explanation please leave a comment.

Perez Signs With Dodgers

2005-01-05T13:40:00.000-05:00

For all those who were wishing the Mets would sign Odalis Perez it's time to stop wishing. The AP is reporting that Perez signed with the Dodgers.

It Aint' Over 'Til It's Over

2005-01-05T09:57:00.000-05:00

Everyone is making a big deal over the Mets offer to Carlos Beltran. While I agree that it's very encouraging to see the Wilpons take such an aggressive step I believe it's way too early to celebrate (as many fans are doing already). Even if the offer is as good as people say and makes the Mets the highest bidder you can't get too happy until his signature is on the contract.

Houston has until midnight Saturday to negotiate with Beltran and you know that Astros owner Drayton McLane will use every minute of negotiating time he has. McLane is a businessman and knows how to negotiate. You make an offer or two to your free agent. The free agent shops around and sees what else he can get from other teams. If the free agent likes your team then he'll bring those offers back to you and give you a chance to beat them before making a final decision. This is the script and it is being followed to the T in this scenario. McLane, Beltran and Beltran's agent, Scott Boras, will have many conversations over the next few days and you can bet that Houston's offer will get better. Will it be good enough to make Beltran turn down the Mets' offer? We won't know until Saturday night.

Good News for Mets Fans!

2005-01-04T10:53:00.000-05:00

Various sources are reporting that the Yankees have pulled out of the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes. Apparently the acquisition of Randy Johnson (reportedly approved by Bud Selig last night) has tapped out boss Steinbrenner. That leaves the Mets and Houston as the current contenders. With the Yankees out of the picture I expect other possible suitors to appear but this still helps the Mets chances. As for Carlos Delgado, don't expect any news until after Beltran is signed. Once Beltran goes Delgado becomes the premier available free agent and his asking price can be adjusted accordingly.

The Return of the Orb and the Loss of Alou

2004-12-23T09:17:00.000-05:00

The Mets re-signed righty reliever Orber Moreno. They gave him a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. They had previously non-tendered him making him a free agent but had all intentions of signing him. The move was apparently done to avoid arbitration. Moreno had arthroscopic surgery on his pitching shoulder on October 21 which probably scared other teams. He was mostly good coming out of the bullpen in 2004 posting a 3.38 ERA with 29 hits, 29 Ks and 11 BBs in 34.2 innings. He expects to be ready for spring training.

In other news, it looks like Moises Alou has signed with the San Francisco Giants. The deal is pending Alou passing a physical. If he passes he will be working under his father, Felipe Alou, who is currently the Giants' manager.

Now that Alou is out of the picture maybe Omar Minaya will focus on other players. Today's Daily News reports that the Mets have already turned their attention to signing Carlos Degado in the wake of the Alou signing. Carlos Beltran is another big name the Mets have their eyes on. With the Astros having reportedly offered Beltran a six-year, $96 million deal and George Steinbrenner trying to get the outfielder in pinstripes Minaya surely has his work cut out for him and will have to be a bit more aggressive in trying to recruit Beltran.

Mets Interested in A's Byrnes

2004-12-22T09:45:00.000-05:00

Bob Klapisch reports today on NorthJersey.com that the Mets have shown interest in acquiring A's outfielder Eric Byrnes to patrol centerfield until Mike Cameron is ready to return from arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist. Klapisch says this will not impact the Mets pursuit of big name free agents such as Moises Alou, Carlos Beltran or Carlos Delgado and would likely cost the Mets a prospect.

Byrnes could be a good fit for the Mets. A natural leftfielder, Byrnes can play all three outfield positions and could be a great addition even if all the outfield positions were secured (which they obviously aren't right now). He has some pop in his bat and is a good baserunner as is evidenced by his 20 HRs and 91 Rs in 2004. He'd provide some depth and flexibility in the outfield and could compete for a starting job depending on what happens between now and whenever Cameron will be ready to return (expected to be some time in May).

Mets Close to Signing Galarraga?

2004-12-22T09:28:00.000-05:00

Here's one I didn't see coming. There are reports this morning that the Mets are close to signing Andres Galarraga to a minor legue contract and inviting him to spring training. I think this is a good move by Omar Minaya. Galarraga adds experience and depth to a position where the Mets need it and also provides a backup plan in case they miss out on Carlos Delgado, who is not a sure thing.

Congratulations, Mookie

2004-12-21T14:51:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Mookie Wilson on being named the manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones for the 2005 season.

Cameron Out

2004-12-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

OK. It's been a long time since I blogged on the Mets and I'm feeling ready to get back into the fray. I've missed some important stories such as Al Leiter's departure and last week's signing of Pedro Martinez (which I find to be risky but at least the Mets are being active and actually trying). But today's news on Mike Cameron woke me up.

I have a pet peeve about people who suffer injuries and then wait until late in the off season to discover they need surgery. Let me backtrack this story a little bit so we can get the full flavor of what happened here with Cameron.

Cameron sat out the last 2 games of the 2004 campaign with a wrist injury which was suffered in the third to last game of the season while batting against Montreal. The, during workouts last week, he felt discomfort in the wrist (the left one). It turns out he had cartilage damage and had to have arthroscopic surgery to repair it yesterday. My question is why wasn't the wrist examined more thoroughly immediately after the season ended? This could have been discovered and remedied much earlier in the off season instead of causing Cameron to miss the first month of the season (he will not be ready to play until May).

To his credit Cameron had surgery on his right wrist earlier in the off season. But when a guy is quoted as saying "My hands bothered me most of last year and I don't want to go through that experience again" you have to wonder why a more detailed examination wasn't done earlier.

Still Looking for New Web Host

2004-07-22T10:29:00.000-04:00

I'm still looking for a new web host for my website so I can get this blog off of blogspot again as well as do some other things with my website. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The Wright Stuff?

2004-07-22T09:36:00.000-04:00

David Wright's first day in a Mets uniform was not bad despite going 0 for 4. In the interviews that I've seen and the quotes that I've read he's certainly talking the right talk. On the field he made a couple of nice defensive plays.

Relief pitcher Dan Wheeler turned out to be the odd man out as he was sent to the minors to make room for Wright. Catcher Tom Wilson was designated for assignment.

Another note to fans: don't be too hard on Wright. We don't want another Alex Ochoa on our hands.

The Wright Move?

2004-07-21T15:05:00.000-04:00

David Wright will make his Major League debut tonight for the Mets against the Expos. This comes in the wake of Mike Piazza's wrist injury but I hope that wasn't the reason for the call up. I'd like to think that this was a planned date based on the schedule and level of competition and how Wright was progressing at AAA. I mean, it can't be a coincidence that they're bringing him in between Florida and Atlanta for a series against the Expos. The idea being to bring him in against lower level competition at home to break him in easy.

Ty Wigginton will be moved to first base until Piazza is ready to return and then he'll be relegated to the bench or traded. He'd probably go straight to the bench in favor of Todd Zeile at first base were it not for the fact that they've been trying to trade him.

Anyway, the move brings up a big question. How exactly will the roster be managed in the meantime? I mean if Piazza is not put on the DL (which is what it looks like right now) then someone will need to be sent down or designated for assignment. With Karim Garcia already having been traded Wright cannot take his roster spot (it's already been taken by Mike DeJean). How about Jason Phillips? Considering how he's been hitting this year he would be a logical choice but then you could get caught short at catcher if something should happen to Vance Wilson while Piazza is hurt. So who goes? I don't know. It'll be interesting to see what Duquette and company decide to do.

Regardless of how the roster shuffling end up the reality is that Wright is finally here so I'll end this post with a word of caution. David Wright is here to learn how to play at the Major League level. Although he has done very well at all levels of professional baseball before today you can't put too much pressure on him. Don't over analyze every move. Don't second guess every mistake. Don't put him under too strong a microscope. Otherwise we could end up with another Gregg jeffries on our hands.

Erickson Is Coming

2004-07-15T10:03:00.000-04:00

Has it really been 15 days since my last post? Wow. A lot of things are going in my life right now (mostly good things) and I've been busy with them. I'm going to try to post as often as possible through this.

Scott Erickson is scheduled to start on Sunday. I haven't read much commentary about this story but I figure most fans are not going to be happy about it. That's ok but I choose to think of it this way. Decent pitching (even for the back end of the rotation) is in very short supply right now. The laws of supply and demand being what they are makes the price for these few pitchers that much higher. Obviously you have to try to work out a deal but you don't want to overpay. In the meantime, while you try to cut a deal for whatever is out there, you need to make the best of what you have. Erickson hasn't exactly been sharp in the minors but he is what the Mets have right now.

Erickson will be taking Matt Ginter's spot in the rotation. Ginter had some good starts but was losing his stuff with every start. With Erickson's less than stellar minor league record this year it looks like this could just be a lateral move but you have to try something and he's what's there.

Besides, the worst thing that could happen is we get to see Lisa Guerrero (aka Mrs. Erickson) at Shea a couple of times. It could be much worse.

To Glavine or Not Glavine Against the Yankees

2004-06-30T09:59:00.000-04:00

I've been a little preoccupied with real life the last several days so I haven't been able to post. The real job and fatherhood have kept me busy. But since I have a few minutes now I figured why not chime in on some issues. So here we go.

Art Howe has opted to keep Tom Glavine on rotation to pitch against the Reds this week instead of altering the rotation to have Glavine pitch against the Yankees. I've spoken with many people who are upset about this. Whenever I ask them why they say something like "how can you not have your best pitcher pitch in such an important series?". My next question, naturally, is why they think the Yankees series is so important. The answer is generally something lame like "they're the best team in baseball" or something along the lines of trying to gain bragging rights in the city. These people are idiots.

Although Art Howe has made some questionable moves that has had fans calling for his head, this move is not one of them. Games against the Yankees (and, to a lesser extent, other non-division opponents) are just not as important as division games.

Think of it this way. With the Phillies playing Baltimore and the Marlins playing Tampa Bay this weekend it's possible that the Mets could sweep a series and not move up at all in the standing. But a win against the Phillies on Monday would gain a full game in the standings against the division opponent. In the meantime, a loss to the Phillies would drop them another full game back. Clearly the Phillies games have a greater impact. So clearly Glavine should be kept on target to pitch to them.

Blinded By The Sun

2004-06-25T09:14:00.000-04:00

The heartbreaking season of Tom Glavine continues. Glavine pitched into the 7th inning last night allowing 9 hits, 2 earned runs, 0 walks and striking out 5. But with Ken Griffey Jr. up with 1 out and bases loaded a routine fly ball to centerfield would change everything as Mike Cameron lost the ball in the sun and lost the Mets the game.

Will someone please remind me why the Mets acquired this guy? It can't be for his scintillating offense. I mean, I know he's been hot lately. In his last 12 games he's brought his average up 21 points from .193 to a sparkling .214. (Mario Mendoza, eat your heart out.) And in that span he's only struck out 11 times. That's not a lot when you consider that during the previous 12 game stretch he struck out 15 times and has struck out 75 times in the 67 games he's played this season.

No, it wasn't his offense that brought him to New York. It was his defense. Maybe I'm being a little nitpicky about this but it would seem to me that someone who is as good a fielder as Cameron is supposed to be shouldn't be losing the ball in the sun. I guess he's out of practice with playing in the sun after spending the last 4 seasons playing in Seattle. I guess he's not comfortable playing with sunglasses after spending so much time under Safeco Field's retractable dome and Seattle's eternally overcast weather.

Am I being too rough on Cameron? Maybe. But this isn't the first time I've come down on him. Even if Cameron had made that play I'd still be opposed to him being the every day centerfielder. It's not because I don't understand the concept of defense in baseball. Quite the contrary. Defense makes the pitching better and helps put you in a position to win games. But it's my belief that in this day and age you're not going to win a lot of 2-1 ball games so a guy hitting around .200 doesn't belong in the starting lineup. Forget all the pomp about not spending all that money on a player for him just to be a late inning defensive replacement. The goal is to win ball games and if benching Cameron helps you score more runs and win more games then so be it. (On the flip side of this, the team has nobody more qualified to play the position right now. That's the biggest flaw of my argument.)

Anyway, if Cameron needs some help getting used to wearing sunglasses in the field I'm sure Kaz Matsui can give him some pointers. Oops, that's a whole other rant.

Roster Moves

2004-06-24T12:41:00.000-04:00

As expected the Mets have recalled Tom Wilson from Norfolk. They also activated Orber Moreno from the DL. To make room for the two players Karim Garcia was put on the DL (tendinitis and inflammation in his left wrist) and designated Gerald Williams for assignment.

Notes

2004-06-24T09:58:00.000-04:00

The Mets lost 6-4 in 12 innings last night. Sean Casey hit two two-run homers including the game winner. Though the Mets blew an opportunity to win this one I really can't say I'm surprised by the loss. You can't fall behind and come back to win all the time. Until they learn to take a lead early and protect it they will be nothing more than the .500 team they currently are.

The Mets will recall catcher Tom Wilson before today's game. That should give them the flexibility to use both Mike Piazza and Jason Phillips at the same time. With a weekend series against the Yankees coming up it means that there will be no problem using Pizza at DH while Phillips catches. I expect to see Todd Zeile and Eric Valent playing at first base.

Mets Beat Reds

2004-06-23T09:13:00.000-04:00

After falling behind early the Mets chipped away at the Reds and former Generation K member Paul Wilson (7-0, 3.17) to pull out an impressive 7-4 win at Shea last night. Matt Ginter didn't have his best stuff and was pulled after 4 innings making way for spectacular relief appearances by John Franco and Mike Stanton (2 innings each) before Braden Looper closed it up with his 13th save. Hitting highlights included Mike Piazza hitting a homer to give the Mets a lead and Mike Cameron getting 3 hits.

Notes:

Piazza's homer tied him with Rocky Colavito for 55th place on the all time list with 374 and puts him just 2 homers behind Carlton Fisk (376).

Sean McAdam has a piece on ESPN.com this morning discussing managerial changes that could be coming in the league. Artie from Queens is mentioned in the list.

Jay Greenberg has a column in today's New York Post discussing Mike Piazza moving between first base and catcher.

ehostpros

2004-06-22T15:31:00.000-04:00

I'm also looking for info about ehostpros.

1&1 Web Hosting?

2004-06-22T14:21:00.000-04:00

Anyone out there have any experience with 1&1 Web Hosting? I'm considering them for my new web host but I'd like some feedback from people who have used them.

Tough Action Coming

2004-06-22T09:21:00.000-04:00

The Mets start another tough segment of their schedule tonight as they start a month of tough games against the Reds, Yankees, Marlins and Phillies. The way these guys have been playing the last month or so you can look for some very exciting games and some streaky play. A stretch like this separates the boys from the men (or, in a more politically correct way, the children from the grown ups). .500 won't be good enough here. They need to at least split their 6 games with the Yankees and average 2 wins out of every 3 games against the other teams if they want to elevate themselves to contender status.

It all kicks off tonight as the Amazins' take on former Generation K member Paul Wilson (7-0, 3.17). Mr. 500 Ken Griffey Jr. is having a tremendous comeback year and manager Dave Miley has his team firing on all cylinders. These guys are not the same losing team from the last few years. They're tough. But the Mets have enough to handle them and have Matt Ginter, Jae Seo and Tom Glavine coming up in the rotation.

David Wright Ready For Major Leagues?

2004-06-21T13:53:00.000-04:00

David Wright has gotten some attention from ESPN's John Sickels. Sickels wrote a very nice profile on Wright last week and included Wright in his column titled Top 10 possible promotions just posted on ESPN's website. Sickels says of Wright:

In my opinion, he is ready for major league action, both offensively and defensively, and would make an impact as soon as he gets an opportunity.

Nice to hear.

I'm Back

2004-06-21T11:28:00.000-04:00

My web hosting issues apparently could not have come at a worse time. In the last week we've had a coaching change (I'm indifferent but supportive of it, if that makes any sense), a trade (I like this one, there's really nothing to lose), the long awaited return of Jose Reyes (I'm happy but a little skeptical that a guy who hasn't played in a game in 10 months has had enough post injury rehab time) and a winning streak (it's nice to be at .500 again). Though my hosting issues are not yet behind me (I'm trying to figure out where to take my business and am open to suggestions) I will be trying to post more regularly.

In addition to my web hosting problems I've also been having printer problems and major issues with the support tech's I've been talking with to get the problems resolved. I'll probably be posting a rant about this soon. You've been warned.

Temporary Relocation

2004-06-18T09:18:00.000-04:00

Due to a change made by my web provider I can no longer update my blog to my domain through Blogger. I've relocated the blog to Blogspot (click here to go to current blog) on what I hope is a temporary basis. This is not the first time I've had a problem with my web provider but it's the first one that affects functionality and I'm not very happy about it or the way it's been handled. If anyone has any suggestions for a new provider please let me know via email. I deally I'd like to get off of Blogger as well (maybe to Movable Type which does not work on my current web provider either) but first things first.

Additional Information on Relocation

2004-06-18T09:17:00.000-04:00

If you track this blog through RSS or Atom then you will need to update your RSS subscriptions in order to account for the new location. (Old subscriptions will not update since they are pointing to a location that will no longer be updated.) Please use the RSS and Atom icons in the left sidebar to update your subscription.

Please Forgive Me

2004-06-16T09:40:00.000-04:00

In a post last week I erroneously reported that the Mets were contractually obligated to make a decision on Scott Erickson's status with the team after his latest rehab start. I have since learned that this contractual obligation is not until June 28. This will allow Erickson to get one or two more starts before a decision must be made.

Reyes Returning?

2004-06-16T09:38:00.000-04:00

Sources are reporting that Jose Reyes may be in a Mets uniform as early as this weekend. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Every time we've heard that Reyes has been close to returning something bad has happened. Let's hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.

Of Walling and Hitting Coaches

2004-06-16T09:14:00.000-04:00

The firing of hitting coach Denny Walling yesterday was quite unfortunate. It's sad when good people get fired but at the same time the numbers don't lie. The Mets hitters are toward the bottom of almost every statistical category as a team most glaringly their .102 average with the bases loaded.

I'm not much of a fan of firing coaches in the middle of a season(unless it's a reshaping of a staff in the wake of firing a manager). However I do believe that this is a good move. For one thing, it shows the players that management will not stand idly by while things go to pot. ("It's your coach now but next time it'll be one of you.")For another, it shows the coaches and players that there is accountability within the organization. ("That's right, Art. You are accountable too.")

But why Walling? As mentioned above the Mets hitting (as a team) has been mostly lousy. That in and of itself would be enough to make Walling the scapegoat. But also working against Walling is that the Mets already have one of the best (if not the best) hitting coaches in the game already sitting on their bench in the form of bench coach Don Baylor. I always figured Baylor was there to become the next manager for when Art Howe is fired (and that still may happen) but this is not a bad idea either.

Nothing To Write

2004-06-15T13:15:00.000-04:00

I have absolutely nothing to write today. Other Mets blogs are running pieces on David Wright's first game at AAA Norfolk, Jose Reyes & Scott Erickson rehabs and trade rumors. I've got nothing to say about any of that stuff today. Enjoy your day.

I'm A Bad Fan

2004-06-14T14:28:00.000-04:00

Call me a bad fan but I did not see or hear anything about this weekends games until this morning. Truth is that outside of some more solid pitching from Tom Glavine yesterday I didn't miss anything.

David Wright has been promoted to AAA Norfolk. I'd say that translates into a late July or early August call up to play third base at Shea if the Mets continue their struggles and fall out of the race again.

According to CBS Sportsline the Mets number of the day is 6.

BY THE NUMBERS
6 -- Number of hits the Mets had in 59 at-bats with the bases loaded through Sunday (June 13). Their .102 average was the worst in the majors.

This also from CBS Sportsline:

OF Mike Cameron is fighting to keep his batting average over .200. "It's not for lack of work ethic," manager Art Howe said. "I see him watching video and working on his swing all the time. We just have to hope he comes out of it."

Hey, Art, maybe the torn ligaments in his hand has something to do with the hitting. Think about it.

Peter Vescey on Larry Bird's Comments

2004-06-11T10:16:00.000-04:00

In today's New York Post Peter Vescey discusses Larry Bird's comments about the need for more white stars in the NBA. Vescey calls Bird's thoughts racist. He goes on to talk about how the color of a teams star(s) doesn't affect ticket sales but the quality of the team does. While I agree with that I also think that the color of the leagues stars is very important.

As children we look at professional athletes as role models. We can argue about if they should or shouldn't be role models from now until doomsday and it won't change the fact that kids look at them that way. When choosing role models kids often look for people they think they can identify with. As a young white boy growing up in New York it was natural for me to idolize guys like Don Mattingly and Ray Knight. It doesn't mean I was a racist kid or that I didn't like Reggie Jackson or Willie Randolph or even Darryl Strawberry. (George Foster is a whole other story.) It just means that Mattingly and Knight were people I thought I could be.

Does the NBA need more white stars? I don't know. But certainly it helps the league to have stars from all walks of life and ethnicities to help touch the young fan base and thus 'breed' (for lack of better term) their future ticket holders.

As for Bird, the comments made him look like a total wack job. Check this out (from Reuters):

In an interview with ESPN to be aired Thursday ahead of the Game Three of the NBA finals, the former Boston Celtic, widely considered one of the greatest players ever to hit the hardwood, was asked if the league lacked white superstars.

"Well, I think so," Bird said. "You know when I played you had me and Kevin (McHale) and some others throughout the league.

So far he's OK. But then he goes south.

"I think it's good for a fan base because, as we all know, the majority of the fans are white America. And if you just had a couple of white guys in there, you might get them a little excited.

"But it is a black man's game and it will be forever. I mean the greatest athletes in the world are African-American."

Sounds like he's been talking to Jimmy the Greek. But seriously, I think Bird meant well and didn't mean his comments to sound as bad as they did. I think he was asked a tough question by Jim Grey, a reporter with a history of asking inappropriate questions (remember him hounding Pete Rose at the All-Star game a few years ago?), and felt that a no comment would sound worse than a comment. So he began to talk and next thing you know BANG! We'll have to wait and see what the repercussions of this are.

Quick Hits

2004-06-11T09:40:00.000-04:00

Matt Ginter had another good outing yesterday even though he was no decisioned and the Mets lost the game. Ginter has pitched so well that the Mets will not make any decision on Scott Erickson until after his next rehab start and then only because they are contractually obligated to do so. At that point Erickson is likely to be added to the rotation and the Mets will have to send someone down to the minors. It'll either be Ginter or Jae Seo. My guess would be that if Seo is anything less than perfect tonight and Ginter pitches well his next time out then Seo is going to go. In other words, Seo is probably pitching for his spot in the rotation tonight.

I was saddened to read in this morning's newspapers that long time Mets radio voice Bob Murphy is battling lung cancer. I grew up listening to Murphy call Mets games and have trouble listening to games on the radio without hearing his voice. Get well, Murph.

An MRI on Orber Moreno's ailing right shoulder showed no structural issues. Moreno was put on the DL the other day and Tyler Yates was recalled to take his place on the roster. Yates will work in relief.

I don't often comment about the Jose Reyes injury situation (why frustrate myself?) but thought you'd like to know that his back is feeling better and he's beginning to resume baseball activity. I'm going to stop talking about it now so that if (when?) things go wrong nobody can say I jinxed it.

Taking Heat For Yesterday's Post

2004-06-10T12:06:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a bit of heat (via email and blog comments) for my critique of Ty Wigginton yesterday. At least one person thought I was criticizing Jason Phillips for his throw to the plate too but I was not. I also was not making excuses for Kaz Matsui whose defense has been abysmal to say the least.

Bottom line is this:

If Matsui makes the play then the inning is over and the game continues.

If Wigginton holds the ball instead of throwing to first base then he's got a shot at making the out at the plate. (It's not a guarantee. Just a shot.)

Phillips had virtually no chance at a play at the home due to how close the runner was to the plate when Phillips got the ball. Even a gold glove first baseman would have had a rough time making that play. (That's not a knock on Phillips who has done a great job learning the position.)

Vance Wilson could have made a better play on the throw home but IMHO would not have gotten the runner unless the throw was 100% perfect.

A few people mentioned that I should not knock guys who are learning new positions such as Wigginton and Phillips. Like I said above, I was not knocking on Phillips who did a better job adjusting to the position last year than Mike Piazza is doing this year. (Speaking from a strictly defensive standpoint here. Not putting down Piazza.) As for Wigginton, he is not learning a new position. He came through the minors playing second base and learned third base when the Mets decided to shift him over there last year. Obviously he's a bit rusty and should be given a bit of slack for that. But the argument that he is learning a new position is erroneous.

Then what exactly was I saying? Everything that I had read before I wrote my post (including newspapers and blogs) was blaming Matsui for the loss. My point was to present a different angle to the loss than that which I had read and show that while Matsui's error was a pivotal point in the inning there were also other mistakes in the Mets play which cost them the game. If you're going to analyze that particular inning you cannot stop at blaming Matsui. You need to look at what else happened. Especially the things that happened after the error. If you don't look at those things then you're only doing half an analysis.

Howie Rose on Interleague Play

2004-06-09T15:50:00.000-04:00

Howie Rose has an article on MSG's website where he discusses, among other thing, interleague play. Howie says the following:

I think interleague play is the biggest waste of time that baseball has ever come up with. It's great for the six days that we see the Mets play the Yankees. But the games against the Twins, Royals, Indians and Tigers are nothing more than annoying intrusions into the rigors into the National League schedule.

They are meaningless. They are dispassionate. They are largely dismissed by fans as exhibitions, and despite what a lot of those people who continue to be intrigued by this generation's three-division, Wild Card-infested interleague era insist, I still think it is a colossal waste of time.

As a more traditional fan I agree with Howie. It is a waste of time. It's also unfair as far as standings go since teams in the same division do not play all of the same opponents. As exciting as it may be to watch regular season games between the Mets and Yankees you must remember that at the same time the Marlins will play against the Devil Rays in a similar 'geographical rivalry'. That's hardly a fair and balanced way to set up the schedule as far as fair competition goes. Fair would be that if the Mets have to play the Yankees so does every other team in the NL East.

As far as I'm concerned interleague play is about nothing more than money. Yet another reason for congress to remove the MLB's antitrust exemption.

Kaz Errors But Wiggy Blows The Game

2004-06-09T09:41:00.000-04:00

The Mets lost a 2-1 interleague game to the Minnesota Twins last night with a heartbreaking 9th inning. With Jacque Jones on first and 1 out Mike Stanton induced a double play ball from Twins catcher Joe Mauer. Kaz Matsui made the grab but lost the handle when trying to exchange the ball to his throwing hand and get the ball to Ty Wigginton at second base. Jones was safe at second and Mauer safe at first. Next up was pinch hitter Michael Cuddyer. Cuddyer hit a 3-2 pitch up the middle. Wigginton paused and then threw the ball to Jason Phillips at first base. Unbeknownst to Wigginton, Jones was heading home. Upon receiving the ball Phillips fired home but it would have taken a perfect throw to get Jones. Jones was safe and the ballgame was over.

In reading newspapers and blogs today I have seen many people putting blame on Matsui for this game. But if you're blaming Matsui then you're taking the easy way out. Sure he made the error but it was Wigginton's mental error that really cost the game. Wigginton would say after the game that he threw to first because he thought Jones was going to go back to third base. Jones had, after all, run through a stop sign at third. That explains why Wigginton didn't throw home but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the throw to first.

Cuddyer was safe at first and even a perfect throw may not have gotten him. But even so, Cuddyer was irrelevant. What was relevant was the winning run rounding third base (Jones). Even if Jones hadn't run through a stop sign Wigginton's throw to first would have given him time to break for home. Unless Wigginton was throwing to first to complete an inning ending double play (which is what Jones may have thought was going on) there was no reason to throw to first and every reason to hold on to the ball and watch Jones in case he went home.

Instead, Wigginton's throw to first cost the Mets another excellent outing by Tom Glavine. Glavine allowed 5 hits and 1 run in an 8 inning no-decision. Another good start wasted.

After the game the Mets optioned Danny Garcia to Norfolk and recalled Gerald Williams. Garcia's playing time has been limited lately due to Art Howe's writing Wigginton into the lineup at second base lately. The move was made to give Garcia some at bats. Some people will criticize the Mets having brought in the 37 year old journeyman outfielder instead of a young prospect but I wouldn't read too much into that. Williams will probably not see very much action and may not be around too long (unless he pulls a Todd Zeile on us) so it's better to keep the prospects on the farm where they will get more at bats.

Today's Random Notes

2004-06-08T09:46:00.000-04:00

The "critical" 12 game stretch is over and the Mets proved themselves to be a legitimate team going 6-6 against the top two teams in the division. They are not contenders by any means but they showed character and proved that they are a team to be dealt with. They also lead the major leagues in team ERA. Let's Go Mets!

As those of you who read my blog on a regular basis know I do not quote all manner of arcane statistics and metrics that seems to be in vogue these days. I'm more of an old fashioned baseball fan who depends on more basic stats and gut feelings to formulate my thoughts and opinions. Not that I have any problems with people who rely on saber-metrics, mind you. You use whatever works for you. But I personally believe that you're just as likely to be beat if you play by the numbers as you are if you play with your wits alone. I have no idea why I'm writing this now (probably because I don't have anything else to write) but there it is.

The baseball draft was held yesterday and the Mets took Rice pitcher Phillip Humber with the third overall pick. Everyone seems to think this was a good pick and I have no reason to think otherwise. But it's always hard to tell with the baseball draft since talent takes so long to develop and make it to the major leagues. We will not know how good or bad anyone's pick is for a few years.

Ordonez On Ice?

2004-06-04T15:12:00.000-04:00

It may be time to kill the Magglio Ordonez rumors. This just in from fanball.com:

It's beginning to appear that arthroscopic surgery for right fielder Magglio Ordonez (strained knee/calf) is only a matter of time. According to the Chicago Tribune, Ordonez will undergo a second MRI today and will be examined by team surgeon Dr. Charles Bush-Joseph, who would be called upon to perform the procedure. Ordonez, a free-agent at the end of this season, must decide whether to have surgery that will keep him out four to seven weeks or to play through an injury that will not worsen but could prove very painful and limiting. "He's not getting better with rest; he's actually getting worse with rest," team trainer Herm Schneider told the Tribune. "His running is actually regressing versus getting better." After weeks of calling the injury a strained calf, further evaluation has revealed that the injury is closer to the back of his knee, though the team insists it is not an anterior cruciate ligament problem.

Update: About 10 minutes after I originally posted this item I read a news flash that said Ordonez has been put on the disabled list. Interesting development.

Ted Robinson Credits Art Howe

2004-06-04T12:16:00.000-04:00

Over on MSG's website Mets announcer Ted Robinson has posted a little article called "Credit Howe for recent resurgence". This is a subject that I have wanted to write about for a little while but have not been able to gather up enough evidence to support the point. Robinson goes out on a limb here with no real evidence to support it. It's not a great article or a particularly enlightening one. It's just nice to see Ted go against the grain and give us something to think about.

Seo Good (or Getting Wiggy With It!)

2004-06-04T08:54:00.000-04:00

A couple of bullet points on last night's 4-1 win over the Marlins and a service note:

Jae Seo pitched well continuing his great play against the Marlins. As I mentioned in a post yesterday, Seo was 2-1 with a 1.52 ERA in four outings against Florida in his career. Last night he went 6 innings allowing 3 hits & 1 earned run to pick up the victory. Braden Looper pitched a perfect 9th inning to get his 11th save.

Ty Wigginton hit a 2 RBI triple in the second inning to give the Mets the lead. That gave Wigginton immortality for having the longest consecutive game extra base hit streak in Mets history with 8 consecutive games. I guess that shuts up all the people who were criticizing his hitting earlier in the year. Sure he's not as great a hitter as he looks right now but doomsayers had him dead to rites the first few weeks of the season. A little health goes a long way and even though he's performing above himself right now he is still a serviceable major league hitter who is capable of holding down the position for a while until the next guy comes along (David Wright?).

I added 2 more fan blogs to the left sidebar. Welcome to Baseball Reloaded and Quite simply, my friends, you gotta believe. Also, a belated welcome to the other blogs added to the list in the last week. They are: Rounding 3rd Knight, Old Backstop, The Metropolitans & Metsblog.com. And a welcome back to jedikaos.net who seemed to leave us for a while but is now back. That brings the total Mets related blog links to 28. Not bad.

Marlins Come To Town

2004-06-03T15:22:00.000-04:00

Jae Seo (2-4, 4.97 ERA) takes the mound against A.J. Burnett. This will be Burnett's first start since April 25, 2003. Burnett underwent Tommy John surgery on April 29, 2003.

Though winless in his last 2 starts, Seo has gone 2-1 with a 1.52 ERA in four outings against Florida. He pitched alright against the Marlins last Saturday allowing five hits and two runs over six innings en route to a no decision. The part of his line that troubled me about that starts is that he walked five batter while striking out two. Something about that strikeout to walk ratio doesn't sit well with me.

Sunset At Dawn?

2004-06-03T10:09:00.000-04:00

Today's New York Post included the following 'gem' in it's recap of last night's Todd Zeile heroics:

"If he keeps going like this, he's going to have a hard time convincing me he's walking into the sunset," Art Howe said after Zeile's incredible night delivered the Mets a dramatic 5-3, 10-inning win over the Phillies. "Because I'm going to be right there at dawn waiting for him."

I have some bad news for you, Art. If Zeile leaves at sunset and you're first going to come out at dawn you're going to miss him by several hours.

Zeile Does It Again!

2004-06-02T23:33:00.000-04:00

Todd Zeile saved the day again hitting a homer in the 8th inning to tie the game and another one in the 10th to win it 5-3 and complete the sweep against the Phillies. Tom Glavine pitched well but didn't figure into the decision. More comments later.

Glasses For Matsui?

2004-06-02T11:07:00.000-04:00

I didn't pay much attention to Peter Gammons the other day when he wrote the following in his ESPN.com column:

Don't be surprised if the Mets ask Kaz Matsui to switch places with Jose Reyes next year. But first they think they can address Matsui's vision problems; part of his problem defensively is that he hasn't been able to pick up the catchers' signs and set himself.

It sounded a bit odd to me that an issue like not being able to see the signs would go so long without being resolved. But when I saw an article in the New York Post discussing the same issue in a little more detail it finally caught my attention. It turns out this is yet another Mets issue that is taking far too long to resolve.

I have only one question. How much longer will management take to resolve this issue? Kaz is already leading all MLB shortstops in errors. Even if the vision issue is not a complete solution it still needs to be resolved quickly. Only then will we know how much it was affecting him and what his true value is. If the vision issue is putting him out of position then we can throw away all we know about him. All of our opinions could be proven wrong. Maybe he really is a Major League shortstop. But we'll never know for sure until this issue is resolved.

Zeile Makes Like Hernandez

2004-06-02T09:50:00.000-04:00

On the surface it would look like another frustrating start for a Mets pitcher. The starter only went 5 innings. But in this case it was alright since it was Al Leiter's first start since coming off the DL. The Senator allowed only 3 hits but walked 4. Overall Leiter looked good. The bullpen held it together too, allowing 6 hits, 1 run and 1 walk over the next 6 innings en route to a 4-1, 10-inning victory over the Phillies.

But the hero of the night was Todd Zeile. Zeile hit a home run in the eighth inning to tie the game and then won it in the tenth with a double. The thing that impressed me was what Zeille did before he hit the double. With Kaz Matsui on first base Art Howe called for a hit-and-run play. The Phillies anticipated Matsui running and called for a pitchout. Zeile, realizing that as the batter in a hit-and-run play it was his responsibility to protect the runner, threw his bat at the ball. The move caused just enough of a disruption to allow Matsui to slide safely into second base. I remember seeing Keith Hernandez do the same thing in the late '80's. This allowed Matsui to score the game winning run easily on Zeile's double.

Vance Wilson added a 2 run homer to ice the game.

Another Minor Adjustment

2004-06-01T16:53:00.000-04:00

An addendum to my previous post. I changed the background color and the text color that goes on that background. I was getting sick of the bright orange so I figured I'd try to mimic the black uniforms. Let me know what you think using the methods of contact listed in the previous post.

Minor Adjustments To The Blog

2004-06-01T12:16:00.000-04:00

If you haven't noticed I've made a few minor changes to the blog. I got rid of the calendar (bloglendar) on the left sidebar. It seemed redundant to have that now that Blogger supports a recent post list which I've been using. If you want to look up a posting from further back you can always use the archive links which are still in the left sidebar. I also set the limit of posts on the main page to the last 5 days instead of the last month so the page should load quicker now. Also, the list of blogs has two new additions to the bottom of the list.

Use the comments link at the bottom of this post or the email link in the contact box in the right sidebar to let me know if you like these changes or if you have any questions, comments or suggestions for this blog. You can also contact me via IM using the screen names listed in the contact box in the right sidebar.

Fielding Problems

2004-06-01T11:45:00.000-04:00

The Mets have the second most errors in the game with 44 through yesterday's action. Only the Detroit Tigers have more errors (48). Kaz Matsui leads all shortstops with 11. They also have the second worst fielding percentage in the league (just a shade above the Tigers again). So much for putting together a good defensive team (as management said they would do).

Thank you, Mr. Wilpon.

Cameron Hits!

2004-06-01T11:38:00.000-04:00

In my previous post I forgot to congratulate Mike Cameron on hitting a double in the top of the eighth inning yesterday. That's 2 hits in 2 days for Cameron and it brings his average way up to .199.

Soggy It To Me!

2004-06-01T09:40:00.000-04:00

The Mets first game at Citizens Bank Park was a wet one. The Mets were victorious in a game that started late and was delayed over 2 hours in the middle. The win ended a four game skid. Kaz Matsui created a couple of runs with his speed and Jason Phillips continued his hot hitting.

Al Leiter comes off the DL to start today's game. I fear that this is the beginning of the end for Leiter. He has said that he does not want surgery and at this point it does not appear he needs it. But when a player starts talking like that it generally means he's already thinking about retirement. Leiter has been a favorite of mine since he came up with the Yankees so I wish him nothing but the best. Let's just hope the Senator has enough juice left to keep this team in it a little longer.

How(e)'d He Do That?

2004-05-31T14:09:00.000-04:00

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.

Today's Thoughts

2004-05-28T09:30:00.000-04:00

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.

Upcoming Schedule

2004-05-25T14:17:00.000-04:00

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.

Vidro Update

2004-05-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

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.

Howe Reading My Mind?

2004-05-24T14:19:00.000-04:00

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.

The Jose Vidro Question

2004-05-24T10:19:00.000-04:00

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?

.500 At Last

2004-05-23T15:50:00.000-04:00

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.

A Couple of Thoughts

2004-05-23T09:47:00.000-04:00

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.

Darn Virus!

2004-05-21T18:04:00.000-04:00

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.

Place Your Bets!

2004-05-21T16:13:00.000-04:00

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?

Pet Peeve

2004-05-21T09:14:00.000-04:00

"(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.

Mets Lose

2004-05-20T16:46:00.000-04:00

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.

Leiter Placed on the DL

2004-05-20T13:21:00.000-04:00

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.

Stuff

2004-05-20T11:16:00.000-04:00

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.

Mets Fail To Reach .500

2004-05-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

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.

Congratulations, Randy Johnson

2004-05-19T14:22:00.000-04:00

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.

Almost .500

2004-05-19T10:57:00.000-04:00

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.

Sosa Headed To DL With Sneeze Induced Sprain

2004-05-18T20:51:00.000-04:00

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.

Oswalt Upset With Danny Garcia

2004-05-18T16:45:00.000-04:00

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.

Top Ten Least Popular Yankee Stadium Souvenirs

2004-05-18T16:20:00.000-04:00

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

New Format

2004-05-18T12:02:00.000-04:00

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.

YM&TR on the Grant Roberts Situation

2004-05-18T11:24:00.000-04:00

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

Time To Be Optimistic, Cautious

2004-05-18T09:51:00.000-04:00

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.

Can That Really Happen?

2004-05-17T16:49:00.000-04:00

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

Today's random Thoughts

2004-05-17T16:40:00.000-04:00

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.

Shut Up, Michael Moore!

2004-05-17T12:01:00.000-04:00

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!

Quick Post

2004-05-17T09:29:00.000-04:00

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.)

Mets Notes

2004-05-14T10:36:00.000-04:00

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.

Pearlman Responds To My Post About "Bay Bay's Kids"

2004-05-13T13:49:00.000-04:00

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.

Good Game and Good News

2004-05-13T09:23:00.000-04:00

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.

I Stand Corrected

2004-05-12T10:09:00.000-04:00

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.

Done In By A Man Named Shea

2004-05-12T08:08:00.000-04:00

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.)

Mets-Diamondbacks Trivia

2004-05-11T22:10:00.000-04:00

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.

Another Error In The Bad Guys Won?

2004-05-11T21:17:00.000-04:00

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.

Error in The Bad Guys Won?

2004-05-11T16:12:00.000-04:00

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.

Bill Pulsipher in Newsday

2004-05-11T10:47:00.000-04:00

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

Project Knuckleball

2004-05-11T10:32:00.000-04:00

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.

Ideas for baseball toattract more kids

2004-05-11T10:26:00.000-04:00

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.

About Baldwin

2004-05-11T09:34:00.000-04:00

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.

The Diamondbacks

2004-05-10T16:44:00.000-04:00

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.

My Take on Yates/Baldwin

2004-05-10T10:26:00.000-04:00

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.