I was hoping I was wrong, but my concerns for Ollie seem to be coming true. Earlier this year I worried about Ollie's mental state. As stated in my Feb. 23rd blog entry, I was concerned which Perez would show up this season. Since he won that big arbitration case and is pitching for a contract next year, I worried how he'd handle the stress of the season. So far, not good at all.
Perez seems to be a headcase. For someone who has such great pitching talent, he has the attention span of a fly. He frequently seems unable to throw strikes or to get out of tough innings. When he's pitching OK, he'll be great one batter, and awful the next. How do you walk 5 batters in 1 2/3 innings? How can you not come out fired up when facing your old team? The same team that begged the Mets to take you in a trade. I'd like Perez to be pitching for the Mets next year, but when he melts down for no reason it makes me wonder if he's worth the money and risk next year.
The only reason the hitters and the lack of offense isn't the top headline is because of Ollie's meltdown. One of my common gripes is how the Mets hitters make journeyman pitchers look like Cy Young winners. It seemed like every inning the Mets would have someone on base due to a walk. But only Ryan Church was able to drive in a run. And Delgado is the only other batter to get a hit. It's all the more evidence that there are issues with this team that Witless Willie can't seem to recognize. Here's what I think the batting order should look like when Alou' returns this weekend.
1- Reyes
2- Church
3- Wright
4- Beltran
5- Alou'
6- Delgado
7-Castillo
8- Schneider/Casanova/ Molina
9- pitchers
When Church was batting 2nd, the Mets won 5 out of 6 games and scored runs early and often. When Alou' returns there will be a Rt. handed bat to cover Beltran, and the line-up will stay balanced and productive. Even though Castillo is starting to hit again, he lacks the power to drive in runs early in games. The Mets need to score runs early so that pitchers doesn't feel as if they need to throw a shutout to win.
The defense today was terrible. It once again shows that there is a lack of focus on this team. Perez didn't help with his pitching, but the fielders messed up routine plays. Has Pagan forgotten how to catch a ball? I thought Castillo was a Gold Glove fielder? He can't even shovel a ball 10 feet to Reyes for a double play. Perez probably had the fielders asleep because of his lack of control, but they need to show some life in the field. And where was Willie in the dugout? Why wasn't he kicking them in the butts and telling them to wake up?
I know people think I'm crazy, but alot of these infield errors and such started happening when Valentin broke his leg last year. He was a mentor and father figure to Reyes. Ever since Jose' got hurt there isn't that older, respected, trusted, tough, hard nosed player there to keep Reyes on the straight and narrow. Castillo has never been a leader, and he seems lazy in the field at times. I don't think he's a good influence on Jose' and I think he's got something to do with Jose' lack of results the last few months.
I believe if Valentin was at least in the dugout, Reyes would be a better player at the plate and in the field. Valentin wouldn't allow him to lose focus, and would never allow him to just go thru the motions. Beltran and Delgado don't have the stature of Valentin. He's old school and tough. Just what Reyes needs by his side now. Maybe Valentin could come back as some sort of a coach or special assistant. I think Reyes would benefit from his presents greatly.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
A Few Words of Praise for Ryan Church
I wanted to take a few moments here to say thank you to Ryan Church. Because he played for the Nationals, I had very little knowledge of his talents. All I can say is thankyou Washington.
If Schneider never plays as well as his history says he should, the Milledge trade was worth it. Ryan Church himself was worth the price of Lastings. He's been nothing but great in the field and at the Plate. He has great speed in the field and a cannon for an arm. He covers ground with ease and always seems to get to balls. At the plate he's showing that he can be a RBI force in that line-up. He's hit where ever Willie's put him, and he's crushing left handed pitching. He's hitting .353 and slugging at a .559 clip against southpaws. He also has a .421 OBP angainst them. I thought he couldn't hit left-handed pitching? I guess HoJo knows more about hitting than Lenny Harris does. Ryan said he never got any hitting instruction in Washington, and that HoJo has helped him level his swing and see the ball better. I see Ryan becoming a left handed version of Wright. Someone who will hit for average, drive in runs, get you 25-30 homeruns a year, and 40+ doubles. He seems comfortable in NY and has a knack for the big hit.
So here's to Ryan. I hope he stays around for many years to come, and has a great year in the Orange and Blue. The Mets need a young healthy hitter to compliment David and Beltran, and Ryan may just be that player.
What do all of you think about Ryan? Does anyone still miss Milledge? I don't, do you?
If Schneider never plays as well as his history says he should, the Milledge trade was worth it. Ryan Church himself was worth the price of Lastings. He's been nothing but great in the field and at the Plate. He has great speed in the field and a cannon for an arm. He covers ground with ease and always seems to get to balls. At the plate he's showing that he can be a RBI force in that line-up. He's hit where ever Willie's put him, and he's crushing left handed pitching. He's hitting .353 and slugging at a .559 clip against southpaws. He also has a .421 OBP angainst them. I thought he couldn't hit left-handed pitching? I guess HoJo knows more about hitting than Lenny Harris does. Ryan said he never got any hitting instruction in Washington, and that HoJo has helped him level his swing and see the ball better. I see Ryan becoming a left handed version of Wright. Someone who will hit for average, drive in runs, get you 25-30 homeruns a year, and 40+ doubles. He seems comfortable in NY and has a knack for the big hit.
So here's to Ryan. I hope he stays around for many years to come, and has a great year in the Orange and Blue. The Mets need a young healthy hitter to compliment David and Beltran, and Ryan may just be that player.
What do all of you think about Ryan? Does anyone still miss Milledge? I don't, do you?
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The Mets Scalp the Braves this Weekend
In my last post I stated my concerns with the Mets ability to beat the Braves. As luck would have it the Mets finally managed to beat Smoltz and Hudson and win 2out of the three games this weekend.
Friday's game was a joke. The rookie pitcher of the Braves walked in 3 runs and still managed to beat the Mets. Pelfrey didn't do himself any favors either. I don't understand Mike. Some games he's great mixing his pitches and keeping them low in the zone. Other games he can't find the plate and everything is up in the zone.
David can't get out of his slump, Castillo showed no signs of life at the plate, Beltran continues to struggle too. The only hits came from Casanova and Anderson. All in All a pretty sad night when the Mets allow a struggling pitcher to limit them to only 2 hits.
Saturday's game was a little better. John Maine pitched well, although he developed a cramp in his pitching hand after 5 innings. He struck out 7, walked 3 , and only allowed 2 runs. He complained that his hand cramped up from having to rub up the balls so often. John said that they were slippery all day. After John left the game, Heilman starts the 6th inning and then things get interesting. He gets 2 quick outs, and then can't get the last one. He walked one batter, allows a couple of hits, and a run to score. It was Deja Vue' all over again. Aaron did manage to get out of the inning, and the rest of the pen kept the Braves from scoring anymore runs. Wagner did his usual. 3 batters up, three outs made. Billy truly is the "SANDMAN" this year, and everyone should enjoy his work. Who would have thought that going to a full wind-up would help him so much. I've seen him hit 99 MPH this year, and he's over 95 frequently.
The offense decided to wake up and score a few runs too. David came out of his slump with 2 hits, Delgado had an RBI, Beltran and Church also had hits and drove in runs. Ryan has been just spectacular at the plate and the field this year. I bet no one is complaining about Milledge now. What was troubling was the fact that all the Mets scoring came in the 3rd inning. That is a common problem this year. They score some runs, and then forget to add more to the board in later innings. Thankfully Hudson had a short day, and the Mets got to him early.
Sunday's game was another chance for the Mets to finally put a kink in Smoltz' armour. He's been off the charts this year. Coming into this game he hadn't given up more than 1 run in a game this year, and had an ERA of .78!!!! And he's almost 41? Why couldn't Glavine pitch like that when he was with the Mets? Figueroa pitched well today. Although he seemed to be troubled by the mound conditions, he kept the Braves off balance enough to get the win.
David has a real problem with Smoltz. He can't hit John and looks bad doing it. But thankfully Delgado and Casanova were hitting Smoltz. They both hit home runs off John and staked Figueroa to a lead. Delgado then hit a 2nd home run in the 7th inning to extend the lead. Castillo had 3 hits today and may be coming out of his funk. What was nice to see today was the fact that the Mets continued to add runs during the game. All too often that hasn't happened this season. Maybe this will help turn the season around for Carlos and Luis. It makes it very difficult to win games when they're automatic outs.
Next up are the Pirates. Maybe Omar will take this opportunity to talk up a trade for Nady. With Alou's messed up ankle, who knows what if anything the Mets will get from him this year. Yes folks that's right, Alou' has a messed up ankle that may be broken. He had an CT scan and it shows what could be a broken bone in his ankle. He showed up to the park in Port. St. Lucie with a swollen ankle. What was he doing to hurt that? Walking down the hall? It's time to call it quits with Alou'. Mets fans can't sit and wait for him to decide to get healthy. If his body is so fragile, how long can he stay healthy if he ever does get to NY?
What do you think? Should the Mets send Alou' packing and find another bat for the order now? Or should we hope and pray that he somehow gets healthy and stays healthy for the rest of the year?
Friday's game was a joke. The rookie pitcher of the Braves walked in 3 runs and still managed to beat the Mets. Pelfrey didn't do himself any favors either. I don't understand Mike. Some games he's great mixing his pitches and keeping them low in the zone. Other games he can't find the plate and everything is up in the zone.
David can't get out of his slump, Castillo showed no signs of life at the plate, Beltran continues to struggle too. The only hits came from Casanova and Anderson. All in All a pretty sad night when the Mets allow a struggling pitcher to limit them to only 2 hits.
Saturday's game was a little better. John Maine pitched well, although he developed a cramp in his pitching hand after 5 innings. He struck out 7, walked 3 , and only allowed 2 runs. He complained that his hand cramped up from having to rub up the balls so often. John said that they were slippery all day. After John left the game, Heilman starts the 6th inning and then things get interesting. He gets 2 quick outs, and then can't get the last one. He walked one batter, allows a couple of hits, and a run to score. It was Deja Vue' all over again. Aaron did manage to get out of the inning, and the rest of the pen kept the Braves from scoring anymore runs. Wagner did his usual. 3 batters up, three outs made. Billy truly is the "SANDMAN" this year, and everyone should enjoy his work. Who would have thought that going to a full wind-up would help him so much. I've seen him hit 99 MPH this year, and he's over 95 frequently.
The offense decided to wake up and score a few runs too. David came out of his slump with 2 hits, Delgado had an RBI, Beltran and Church also had hits and drove in runs. Ryan has been just spectacular at the plate and the field this year. I bet no one is complaining about Milledge now. What was troubling was the fact that all the Mets scoring came in the 3rd inning. That is a common problem this year. They score some runs, and then forget to add more to the board in later innings. Thankfully Hudson had a short day, and the Mets got to him early.
Sunday's game was another chance for the Mets to finally put a kink in Smoltz' armour. He's been off the charts this year. Coming into this game he hadn't given up more than 1 run in a game this year, and had an ERA of .78!!!! And he's almost 41? Why couldn't Glavine pitch like that when he was with the Mets? Figueroa pitched well today. Although he seemed to be troubled by the mound conditions, he kept the Braves off balance enough to get the win.
David has a real problem with Smoltz. He can't hit John and looks bad doing it. But thankfully Delgado and Casanova were hitting Smoltz. They both hit home runs off John and staked Figueroa to a lead. Delgado then hit a 2nd home run in the 7th inning to extend the lead. Castillo had 3 hits today and may be coming out of his funk. What was nice to see today was the fact that the Mets continued to add runs during the game. All too often that hasn't happened this season. Maybe this will help turn the season around for Carlos and Luis. It makes it very difficult to win games when they're automatic outs.
Next up are the Pirates. Maybe Omar will take this opportunity to talk up a trade for Nady. With Alou's messed up ankle, who knows what if anything the Mets will get from him this year. Yes folks that's right, Alou' has a messed up ankle that may be broken. He had an CT scan and it shows what could be a broken bone in his ankle. He showed up to the park in Port. St. Lucie with a swollen ankle. What was he doing to hurt that? Walking down the hall? It's time to call it quits with Alou'. Mets fans can't sit and wait for him to decide to get healthy. If his body is so fragile, how long can he stay healthy if he ever does get to NY?
What do you think? Should the Mets send Alou' packing and find another bat for the order now? Or should we hope and pray that he somehow gets healthy and stays healthy for the rest of the year?
Friday, April 25, 2008
Nationals slam Mets with Heilman's Help
What started out as a good game quickly turned into a rancid pitching display by the Mets. I'm glad I was drifting in and out of sleep while watching this game tonight. Not seeing Heilman serve up the 3rd Grand slam surrendered by the Mets bull-pen made for a better nights sleep.
What is up with Heilman and Sosa? They absolutely suck this year. They've always had their bad games, but this is getting ridiculous. In all of MBL only 4 Grand slams have been hit this year. The Gopher Ball Bothers have given up 3 of the 4 !! Heilman needs to go. I've now come to believe that his personal feud with Omar and Willie is being brought to the mound. He wants to start, they won't let him, so I believe he's doing his best to force a trade. How else can his continued failures be explained? Unless he's hurt, I can't think of any other reason. Sosa, is a mystery. He seems to fall in love with his slider, and won't throw anything else. The hitters sit there waiting for on to drift over the plate, and then hammer it.
Perez did his normal Dr. Jeckle , Mr. Hyde routine. I don't understand what his problem is. He's like a little kid at times. Someone who gets bored with what's going on, and loses interest in the game. For the 1st 4 innings, he was good. He was fighting the strike zone, but was getting the hitters out. Then in the 5th, he does his Heilman imitation. He can't find the plate and gives up hits that cost him runs. Still, he left the game with the score tied, before Aaron came in and served up desert to the Nats. Willie and Omar need to do something to keep Ollie head on straight. He can be so overpowering, and so awful all in the same inning. Sometimes I wonder about Ollie's attention span. And it's times like last night's game that you have to wonder if he's worth investing $60-70 million into for the next 5 years.
The hitters didn't do us any favors last night either. Why do they always seem to let bad teams hang around? David is slumping, and Jose' is reverting back to his rookie year. All too often he's swinging at bad pitches and not getting into a hitters count. David I believe is the key to this offense. When he doesn't hit, the Mets don't win. Jose' is important too, but without David's power bat driving the ball, everyone else is being pitched around. As of last night, Ryan Church is the most consistent bat in the line-up. And he can't do it alone. Willie started on the right path by moving Delgado down the order, but more needs to be done to improve the offense. Beltran needs to hit better, David needs to get out of his slump, Jose' need to be more patient at the plate, and Castillo needs to get the ball out of the infield consistently.
The Braves are coming to Shea tonight, and I'm worried about this weekend. Chipper has been on fire, and he has a way of killing the Mets. With the Mets offense sputtering, the pitching will have to carry the team this weekend. The starters have been doing their jobs, but Willie's buddies in the pen have made life tough lately. As long Heilman and Sosa stay out of the games, the Mets stand a chance of winning. If they come into games, all bets are off.
What is up with Heilman and Sosa? They absolutely suck this year. They've always had their bad games, but this is getting ridiculous. In all of MBL only 4 Grand slams have been hit this year. The Gopher Ball Bothers have given up 3 of the 4 !! Heilman needs to go. I've now come to believe that his personal feud with Omar and Willie is being brought to the mound. He wants to start, they won't let him, so I believe he's doing his best to force a trade. How else can his continued failures be explained? Unless he's hurt, I can't think of any other reason. Sosa, is a mystery. He seems to fall in love with his slider, and won't throw anything else. The hitters sit there waiting for on to drift over the plate, and then hammer it.
Perez did his normal Dr. Jeckle , Mr. Hyde routine. I don't understand what his problem is. He's like a little kid at times. Someone who gets bored with what's going on, and loses interest in the game. For the 1st 4 innings, he was good. He was fighting the strike zone, but was getting the hitters out. Then in the 5th, he does his Heilman imitation. He can't find the plate and gives up hits that cost him runs. Still, he left the game with the score tied, before Aaron came in and served up desert to the Nats. Willie and Omar need to do something to keep Ollie head on straight. He can be so overpowering, and so awful all in the same inning. Sometimes I wonder about Ollie's attention span. And it's times like last night's game that you have to wonder if he's worth investing $60-70 million into for the next 5 years.
The hitters didn't do us any favors last night either. Why do they always seem to let bad teams hang around? David is slumping, and Jose' is reverting back to his rookie year. All too often he's swinging at bad pitches and not getting into a hitters count. David I believe is the key to this offense. When he doesn't hit, the Mets don't win. Jose' is important too, but without David's power bat driving the ball, everyone else is being pitched around. As of last night, Ryan Church is the most consistent bat in the line-up. And he can't do it alone. Willie started on the right path by moving Delgado down the order, but more needs to be done to improve the offense. Beltran needs to hit better, David needs to get out of his slump, Jose' need to be more patient at the plate, and Castillo needs to get the ball out of the infield consistently.
The Braves are coming to Shea tonight, and I'm worried about this weekend. Chipper has been on fire, and he has a way of killing the Mets. With the Mets offense sputtering, the pitching will have to carry the team this weekend. The starters have been doing their jobs, but Willie's buddies in the pen have made life tough lately. As long Heilman and Sosa stay out of the games, the Mets stand a chance of winning. If they come into games, all bets are off.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Has Willie seen the Light?
I don't know if Willie has seen the light, or he's feeling some heat on his butt. What ever the reason, he did some good things with this team tonight. Maybe he had a visit from Omar or Fred, or maybe he talked to HoJo about putting some pressure on the Mets hitters. What ever the reason, the Mets showed some life tonight.
The Mets seemed more aggressive on the bases, and more patient at the plate. Pagan was doing his best imitation of Jose'. Ryan was moved to the 5th spot in the order. He continues to produce big hits and drive in runs. SNY ran a poll during the game about who should hit 2nd in the order, Castillo or Church. Ryan got 81% of the vote. I think the poll results are a huge stamp of approval for someone that too many fans were saying was no good. Ryan is a good hitter that will prove his worth to this team. Beltran came out of his slump and even Castillo and Delgado got on base. Santana is turning into a secret weapon at the plate. He had 2 doubles and never looks over matched at the plate. I believe he'd be valuable as a pinch hitter if needed. He certainly can handle the bat.
Johan was also very good on the mound. He went 7 innings and only gave up 2 runs. His fastball was hitting between 90-95 MPH [so much for losing velocity], his change-up was as low as 76 MPH, and his slider was in the low 80's. Everything was working, and most hitters didn't have a chance. I also couldn't believe what I saw as the 7th inning was coming to an end. Sanchez was warming up in the pen, and no Heilman or Sosa in sight. Hooray !!!!!!!!! Sanchez was lights out. He belongs in the 8th inning. His fastball was hitting 93 and his change-up was dropping off the table.
Heilman's head is messed up, and he's overused. He should never see the 8th inning unless the Mets are up by 5+ runs. I really don't think Aaron's heart is in the job. He wants to start, and that won't happen in NY. So find a trading partner for a right-handed 1st baseman/outfielder and get him. Can we all say NADY? Pittsburgh needs pitching, so make a trade. X man will come cheaper than Tex and he's liked by the fans and the players.
Overall it was a good night for the Mets. They hit and ran all over the Nationals, pitched well, added runs on the board late in the game, and showed life at the plate and in the field. Now if they could do the same this weekend against the Braves, life would be good in NY.
The Mets seemed more aggressive on the bases, and more patient at the plate. Pagan was doing his best imitation of Jose'. Ryan was moved to the 5th spot in the order. He continues to produce big hits and drive in runs. SNY ran a poll during the game about who should hit 2nd in the order, Castillo or Church. Ryan got 81% of the vote. I think the poll results are a huge stamp of approval for someone that too many fans were saying was no good. Ryan is a good hitter that will prove his worth to this team. Beltran came out of his slump and even Castillo and Delgado got on base. Santana is turning into a secret weapon at the plate. He had 2 doubles and never looks over matched at the plate. I believe he'd be valuable as a pinch hitter if needed. He certainly can handle the bat.
Johan was also very good on the mound. He went 7 innings and only gave up 2 runs. His fastball was hitting between 90-95 MPH [so much for losing velocity], his change-up was as low as 76 MPH, and his slider was in the low 80's. Everything was working, and most hitters didn't have a chance. I also couldn't believe what I saw as the 7th inning was coming to an end. Sanchez was warming up in the pen, and no Heilman or Sosa in sight. Hooray !!!!!!!!! Sanchez was lights out. He belongs in the 8th inning. His fastball was hitting 93 and his change-up was dropping off the table.
Heilman's head is messed up, and he's overused. He should never see the 8th inning unless the Mets are up by 5+ runs. I really don't think Aaron's heart is in the job. He wants to start, and that won't happen in NY. So find a trading partner for a right-handed 1st baseman/outfielder and get him. Can we all say NADY? Pittsburgh needs pitching, so make a trade. X man will come cheaper than Tex and he's liked by the fans and the players.
Overall it was a good night for the Mets. They hit and ran all over the Nationals, pitched well, added runs on the board late in the game, and showed life at the plate and in the field. Now if they could do the same this weekend against the Braves, life would be good in NY.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Will the Wilpons Rescue the Mets Season?
After seeing the way Witless Willie is managing to ruin this season I have to ask these questions. Does Willie have any clue how wrong he is? Will Fred and Jeff Wilpon intervene and tell him to do something about Delgado? Will Omar admit that Delgado is done as a player, and order Willie to do something? Somehow I feel Willie's firing is the only thing that will solve the issues the team has.
In the post game interview, Willie didn't look too good. He looked like he knew there were problems and that he's going to have to make some hard choices. I believe he knows there are major issues with Delgado. Willie's problem is that he painted himself into a corner with all of his praising of Delgado this spring. He knows that to remove Carlos from the line-up, or to platoon him, or to bench him, would be an admission of failure on his part. And we all know how much willie like to admit he was wrong.
Delgado just doesn't get it. He's no good anymore, and he doesn't seem to care about it either. Has anyone ever heard of him asking for help from HoJo? Has he ever thought that he might need to change his bat, or change his stance at the plate or take a little extra batting practice off a live arm, not a coach? He's living in the past. Pitchers don't fear him anymore, and if Willie doesn't realize that he's a dumb as a box of rocks.
During spring training Fred Wilpon said he expects to play deep into the post-season. If that's going to happen, Willie had better start using the players he has correctly, or Fred will fire him sooner than later. Here are some things that need changing ASAP.
1st- Sanchez pitches the 8th inning, not Heilman or Sosa.
2nd- Delgado gets benched or platooned at first base. Have Clark or Easley play 1st base against left handed pitchers. If Castillo isn't playing 2nd, Clark plays 1st and Easley plays 2nd base.
3rd- Castillo stays out of the #2 spot in the batting order. Ryan Church has proven his ability to hit left and right handed pitching. He's also proven to be a guy who can drive Jose' in or get on base for David Wright. When he batted 2nd, the Mets went on a 5 game winning streak and scored runs in the 1st inning. As soon as he has removed from that spot in the order, the Mets went on their current losing streak.
4th- No more automatic days off for players. All too often Witless Willie puts out a line-up with 5-6 bench players in critical games. Either that or he removes hot hitters from the line-up in critical games. There was no reason to sit Church today. By sitting Church, Willie played Pagan in Rt. Field and Clark in left field. Pagan has played all season in left, so why sit Ryan and have Angel play right field? It only made sense to the Witless Wonder.
If anyone else has any ideas as to how to fix this situation with the Mets, I'm willing to listen. I'm getting so discouraged with Willie's lack of improvement, that I really doubt the Mets will even be in 3rd place by the end of this month. But, as I said before, if the Mets failure on the field gets Fred to fire Willie, I'm willing to deal with the Mets being in last place come June 1st.
How about you out there? Would you be willing to see the Mets fall into last place if it means getting Willie out of the Orange and Blue?
In the post game interview, Willie didn't look too good. He looked like he knew there were problems and that he's going to have to make some hard choices. I believe he knows there are major issues with Delgado. Willie's problem is that he painted himself into a corner with all of his praising of Delgado this spring. He knows that to remove Carlos from the line-up, or to platoon him, or to bench him, would be an admission of failure on his part. And we all know how much willie like to admit he was wrong.
Delgado just doesn't get it. He's no good anymore, and he doesn't seem to care about it either. Has anyone ever heard of him asking for help from HoJo? Has he ever thought that he might need to change his bat, or change his stance at the plate or take a little extra batting practice off a live arm, not a coach? He's living in the past. Pitchers don't fear him anymore, and if Willie doesn't realize that he's a dumb as a box of rocks.
During spring training Fred Wilpon said he expects to play deep into the post-season. If that's going to happen, Willie had better start using the players he has correctly, or Fred will fire him sooner than later. Here are some things that need changing ASAP.
1st- Sanchez pitches the 8th inning, not Heilman or Sosa.
2nd- Delgado gets benched or platooned at first base. Have Clark or Easley play 1st base against left handed pitchers. If Castillo isn't playing 2nd, Clark plays 1st and Easley plays 2nd base.
3rd- Castillo stays out of the #2 spot in the batting order. Ryan Church has proven his ability to hit left and right handed pitching. He's also proven to be a guy who can drive Jose' in or get on base for David Wright. When he batted 2nd, the Mets went on a 5 game winning streak and scored runs in the 1st inning. As soon as he has removed from that spot in the order, the Mets went on their current losing streak.
4th- No more automatic days off for players. All too often Witless Willie puts out a line-up with 5-6 bench players in critical games. Either that or he removes hot hitters from the line-up in critical games. There was no reason to sit Church today. By sitting Church, Willie played Pagan in Rt. Field and Clark in left field. Pagan has played all season in left, so why sit Ryan and have Angel play right field? It only made sense to the Witless Wonder.
If anyone else has any ideas as to how to fix this situation with the Mets, I'm willing to listen. I'm getting so discouraged with Willie's lack of improvement, that I really doubt the Mets will even be in 3rd place by the end of this month. But, as I said before, if the Mets failure on the field gets Fred to fire Willie, I'm willing to deal with the Mets being in last place come June 1st.
How about you out there? Would you be willing to see the Mets fall into last place if it means getting Willie out of the Orange and Blue?
Maine Pitches Well, but the Offense is AWOL
I went into last nights game hoping o see some life in the Mets offense. I was disappointed to say the least. Willie's stupidity continues to hurt this team, and the only fix is to fire Witless Willie.
In the games where Ryan Church has hit 2nd, the Mets have scored early and often. Everybody I saw on TV and in print said Ryan should stay in the 2 hole. Even Lee Mazilli said before the game, "I'd continue riding the wave". Ever since Castillo has moved back into the 2 spot, the Mets have lost games. And the Carlos Brothers are lost. Delgadud needs to sit. Put Easley at 1st base and send Delgadud to AAA to learn how to hit again. And Guinness says he's one of the best hitters on the Mets? Maybe for the 1st few games, but he's no f__king good. Everyone I heard yesterday was saying that Alou' should move to 1st when he comes back, and Carlos should sit. Alou' certainly can't do any worse than Carlos at 1st base. Maybe Alou' would stay healthy if he didn't crash into walls and drive for balls in the outfield. Either way, Delgado can no longer be considered a full time player.
The Pitching was mixed at best. John struggled, but definately did his job. He only walked 2 and gave up 2 runs in 6 innings. He pitched much better than his previous starts. The walks were really hurting him before. Sanchez pitched the 7th inning, and looked good doing it. He hardly gives the batters a chance to get any hits. His fastball hit 93MPH and his change-up was working well. The 8th inning, was a nightmare. Heilman couldn't get anyone out when needed, and gave up 2 runs. The Sosa comes in and does his impression on Aaron. With 2 on and 2 outs, he serves up a gopher ball for another 3 runs. Can we possibly talk some team into doing a trade for these 2 bums? Can we trade them to someone for a 1st basemen who can hit and field his postion?
There is a pattern developing for the last 2 seasons, and it's not getting better. All too often only 1-2 players are doing the hitting. It's hard to win games when the other 6 hitters are standing around waiting for something to happen. Beltran is lost, Castillo is done, Delgado is finished, and Jose' is up and down too often. It's time to get someone in the manager's office that will keep these guys focused, and prepared. Willie has never shown that ability, and needs to go.
In the games where Ryan Church has hit 2nd, the Mets have scored early and often. Everybody I saw on TV and in print said Ryan should stay in the 2 hole. Even Lee Mazilli said before the game, "I'd continue riding the wave". Ever since Castillo has moved back into the 2 spot, the Mets have lost games. And the Carlos Brothers are lost. Delgadud needs to sit. Put Easley at 1st base and send Delgadud to AAA to learn how to hit again. And Guinness says he's one of the best hitters on the Mets? Maybe for the 1st few games, but he's no f__king good. Everyone I heard yesterday was saying that Alou' should move to 1st when he comes back, and Carlos should sit. Alou' certainly can't do any worse than Carlos at 1st base. Maybe Alou' would stay healthy if he didn't crash into walls and drive for balls in the outfield. Either way, Delgado can no longer be considered a full time player.
The Pitching was mixed at best. John struggled, but definately did his job. He only walked 2 and gave up 2 runs in 6 innings. He pitched much better than his previous starts. The walks were really hurting him before. Sanchez pitched the 7th inning, and looked good doing it. He hardly gives the batters a chance to get any hits. His fastball hit 93MPH and his change-up was working well. The 8th inning, was a nightmare. Heilman couldn't get anyone out when needed, and gave up 2 runs. The Sosa comes in and does his impression on Aaron. With 2 on and 2 outs, he serves up a gopher ball for another 3 runs. Can we possibly talk some team into doing a trade for these 2 bums? Can we trade them to someone for a 1st basemen who can hit and field his postion?
There is a pattern developing for the last 2 seasons, and it's not getting better. All too often only 1-2 players are doing the hitting. It's hard to win games when the other 6 hitters are standing around waiting for something to happen. Beltran is lost, Castillo is done, Delgado is finished, and Jose' is up and down too often. It's time to get someone in the manager's office that will keep these guys focused, and prepared. Willie has never shown that ability, and needs to go.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Big Pelf struggles, Utley crushes, Willie tinkers, and the Mets lose in Philly
Before this weekend,who would have thought a sweep in Philly was even a possibility? Well, If not for Willie's tinkering, and Pelfrey struggling, it could have happened.
Mike has been great this spring, but he's still learning how to pitch in the big leagues. There are times when he can dominate, and time when he's terrible. Last night was kind of a so-so night. Mike struggled with control, and had his fastball up in the zone more often than not. When you play a team as powerful as the Phillies, that can be trouble. Utley picked up the slack of Rollins' absence and single handily beat the Mets last night. On a windy night in that bandbox of a park, he planted 2 homeruns for a total of 4 RBI into the seats. And then Feliz finished the job with a pinch hit home run off Feliciano. That's 2 games in a row that Pedro has struggled. Is He hanging out with Heilman for dinner? Joe Smith shut the Phillies down, but the damage was already done.
As for Willie's tinkering, he put Castillo back in the 2 hole. After 5 straight games of the Mets scoring in the 1st inning when Church was in the 2 hole, Willie puts his buddy Castillo back there last night. Then the Mets fail to score in the 1st inning, and Castillo can't even bunt when needed in the 9th inning. Way to screw the pouch Willie. Even with Castillo's almost automatic out, the Mets had a chance to tie the game or take the lead in the 9th inning. Only a great stop by Bruntlett on Beltran's smash up the middle stopped the Mets Rally and ended the game.
David Wright is getting downright scary at the plate. He got hits in his 1st six at bats this weekend, and got 2 more hits last night. He's absolutely crushing baseballs and wearing out the opposing pitchers. Last year he could barely smell an RBI in April, and this year he already has 19 and counting. He's not human. Someone check to see if the is a big S on his tee shirt. He's hitting .359 and has 10 doubles. 15 of his 23 hits this month are extra base hits. Too bad the Carlos brothers are missing all the fun on the base paths. If they ever decide to join the party, the Mets could realy start putting the division in the rearveiw mirror.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Maine and the rest of the team can do against the Cubs. They have a good team and will prove to be tough to beat. Some even have the Cubs going to the Series. So it's time for the Mets to put that thought to rest and sweep the Cubs to the curb tonight and tomorrow.
Mike has been great this spring, but he's still learning how to pitch in the big leagues. There are times when he can dominate, and time when he's terrible. Last night was kind of a so-so night. Mike struggled with control, and had his fastball up in the zone more often than not. When you play a team as powerful as the Phillies, that can be trouble. Utley picked up the slack of Rollins' absence and single handily beat the Mets last night. On a windy night in that bandbox of a park, he planted 2 homeruns for a total of 4 RBI into the seats. And then Feliz finished the job with a pinch hit home run off Feliciano. That's 2 games in a row that Pedro has struggled. Is He hanging out with Heilman for dinner? Joe Smith shut the Phillies down, but the damage was already done.
As for Willie's tinkering, he put Castillo back in the 2 hole. After 5 straight games of the Mets scoring in the 1st inning when Church was in the 2 hole, Willie puts his buddy Castillo back there last night. Then the Mets fail to score in the 1st inning, and Castillo can't even bunt when needed in the 9th inning. Way to screw the pouch Willie. Even with Castillo's almost automatic out, the Mets had a chance to tie the game or take the lead in the 9th inning. Only a great stop by Bruntlett on Beltran's smash up the middle stopped the Mets Rally and ended the game.
David Wright is getting downright scary at the plate. He got hits in his 1st six at bats this weekend, and got 2 more hits last night. He's absolutely crushing baseballs and wearing out the opposing pitchers. Last year he could barely smell an RBI in April, and this year he already has 19 and counting. He's not human. Someone check to see if the is a big S on his tee shirt. He's hitting .359 and has 10 doubles. 15 of his 23 hits this month are extra base hits. Too bad the Carlos brothers are missing all the fun on the base paths. If they ever decide to join the party, the Mets could realy start putting the division in the rearveiw mirror.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Maine and the rest of the team can do against the Cubs. They have a good team and will prove to be tough to beat. Some even have the Cubs going to the Series. So it's time for the Mets to put that thought to rest and sweep the Cubs to the curb tonight and tomorrow.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Ollie does just Enough and Heilman doesn't blow it.
Going into today's game I was wondering which Ollie was going to show up. After his last game against the Brewers, I was worried that this would be a slug fest in Philly. Citizens Bank Park plays so small I always fear for the worse and hope for the best when Ollie pitches there. But today he was OK. He didn't give up a run, struck out 7, but walked 5. So the walks ran up his pitch count, and ended his day early.
But then things got a little weird with the pitchers. Willie did his usual head scratching changes and it almost bit him in the butt. He bring Sanchez into the 6th inning with two outs. Then brings Schoeneweis in to start the 7th and he promptly gives up a home run to Utley, a left handed batter. I thought no left handed hitters hit home runs off Scott? Then Smith comes in for the 8th, followed by Feliciano, and Heilman. Pedro couldn't throw a strike, and Joe also walked one batter.That left 2 one and 1 out for Aaron. As usual Heilman brings the gas to heat up the situation. He walks the bases full, gives up a bloop single that Pagan misread, and then strikes out the next to batters. I was hoping thing wouldn't be a repeat of the previous night. In the 9th, Wagner came in a slammed to door shut for the save. Billy has retired every batter he's faced this year except a walk to Utley in the last series. Way to go Billy.
What can I say about the hitters. David Wright is not human. He's a one man wrecking crew so far this year. He has 19 RBI and a .344 average. Ryan Church is really impressing too. He's also hitting .344 , 10 RBI, and a .408 OBP, and is proving every game why he needs to stay in the 2 hole. With him there, Jose' is scoring, and David is driving in runs by the bunches. It does the Mets no good when David comes to bat with nobody on base. The 1-3 hitters today had 6 of the 9 hits, scored 3 of the 4 runs, and had all the RBI. On the bad side of things, the Carlos brothers are really disappointing so far this year. Neither one has a hit in Philly. Beltran is now hitting .241 and Delgado is hitting .213. They have 25 strikeouts and only 15 RBI between them. And to think there is over $32 million being spent on their salaries. It's time for them to start earning their paychecks I'd say.
Tomorrow night it's Big Pelf's turn at the Phillies. It's an 8 P.M. game on ESPN. I hate it when ESPN does the games. Joe Morgan stinks and Jon Miller is barely tolerable. Morgan makes so many mistakes during the broadcast it's laughable. At least Perez pitched today, so we won't have to hear Morgan call him Odalis Perez all night. LOL. Unfortunately, it seems like every time the Mets play on a Sunday night, they lose. Hopefully that trend will stop, and Big Pelf keeps the Phillies reeling.
But then things got a little weird with the pitchers. Willie did his usual head scratching changes and it almost bit him in the butt. He bring Sanchez into the 6th inning with two outs. Then brings Schoeneweis in to start the 7th and he promptly gives up a home run to Utley, a left handed batter. I thought no left handed hitters hit home runs off Scott? Then Smith comes in for the 8th, followed by Feliciano, and Heilman. Pedro couldn't throw a strike, and Joe also walked one batter.That left 2 one and 1 out for Aaron. As usual Heilman brings the gas to heat up the situation. He walks the bases full, gives up a bloop single that Pagan misread, and then strikes out the next to batters. I was hoping thing wouldn't be a repeat of the previous night. In the 9th, Wagner came in a slammed to door shut for the save. Billy has retired every batter he's faced this year except a walk to Utley in the last series. Way to go Billy.
What can I say about the hitters. David Wright is not human. He's a one man wrecking crew so far this year. He has 19 RBI and a .344 average. Ryan Church is really impressing too. He's also hitting .344 , 10 RBI, and a .408 OBP, and is proving every game why he needs to stay in the 2 hole. With him there, Jose' is scoring, and David is driving in runs by the bunches. It does the Mets no good when David comes to bat with nobody on base. The 1-3 hitters today had 6 of the 9 hits, scored 3 of the 4 runs, and had all the RBI. On the bad side of things, the Carlos brothers are really disappointing so far this year. Neither one has a hit in Philly. Beltran is now hitting .241 and Delgado is hitting .213. They have 25 strikeouts and only 15 RBI between them. And to think there is over $32 million being spent on their salaries. It's time for them to start earning their paychecks I'd say.
Tomorrow night it's Big Pelf's turn at the Phillies. It's an 8 P.M. game on ESPN. I hate it when ESPN does the games. Joe Morgan stinks and Jon Miller is barely tolerable. Morgan makes so many mistakes during the broadcast it's laughable. At least Perez pitched today, so we won't have to hear Morgan call him Odalis Perez all night. LOL. Unfortunately, it seems like every time the Mets play on a Sunday night, they lose. Hopefully that trend will stop, and Big Pelf keeps the Phillies reeling.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Santana wins in Phillie Dispite Heilman's Best Efforts
I enjoyed this game from the 1st pitch Santana threw. He was everything an Ace should be. Johan went into the Lion's den and came out with Hamel's hide as his trophy. He was throwing strikes to both sides of the plate, mixing in his slider with the change-up and fastball. He pitched into the 8th, and left with 2 on and none out. That's when things got predictable.
Witless Willie did it again. Two on none out and he brings in Heilman? I was screaming at the TV. Before he threw his 1st pitch, I said to myself, "watch him give up a home run". And what did he do? Inside corner change-up promptly parked into the seat for three runs. I swear, Heilman does this crap intentionally. I think he's trying to get himself traded out of town. And where was Sanchez? What about Feliciano? How about Smith? Anyone but Aaron in the 8th inning in Phillie please. I wonder how Willies "guts" felt after that shot by Dobbs?
Earlier today I read Adam Rubin's blog article about the up coming game in Phillie. there was a quote in there from Hamels saying that he needed to be careful about pitching to Reyes and the Carlos brothers. I said that if I was Hamels, I'd worry more about David, Ryan, and Angel. Guess he should have read my comments. David had 4 hits and drove in 2 runs. Ryan had 2 hits and scored 3 times, and Pagan had 2 hits and 1 RBI. And Castillo? He was 0-4. Are you starting to agree that Ryan is better in the 2 hole Guinness? Without Ryan's 3 runs, the Mets lose.
David Wright loves Phillie pitching, and Hamels is overrated in my view. I've rarely been impressed with his efforts against the Mets. If Hamels was smart, he'd also start worrying about Ryan too. Church continues to prove that he's the bat needed in the 2 hole to keep the offense humming. Ever since he's started in the 2nd spot, the Mets have been more consistent in scoring runs. And I have to give Delgado his just due. Even though he didn't get a hit, 2 of his outs drove in 2 runs. So while he continues to struggle at the plate and in the field [1 error tonight], he at least contributed to the win. I also want to give a pat on the back to Jose'. After a hard slide into 2nd base in which his head was hammered by Utley's knee, he stayed in and never complained about it. In fact he insisted on staying in. That's the hard nosed baseball this team needs to play.
Overall it was a good night for the Mets. They needed to win this game and set the tone for the weekend. Without Rollins or Victorino in the line-up, the Mets had to win. Tomorrow is Ollie's turn to go. Hopefully he pitches better this weekend, then he did against the Brewers. The Mets have to keep the Phillies down, and step on their throats until they stop breathing.
Witless Willie did it again. Two on none out and he brings in Heilman? I was screaming at the TV. Before he threw his 1st pitch, I said to myself, "watch him give up a home run". And what did he do? Inside corner change-up promptly parked into the seat for three runs. I swear, Heilman does this crap intentionally. I think he's trying to get himself traded out of town. And where was Sanchez? What about Feliciano? How about Smith? Anyone but Aaron in the 8th inning in Phillie please. I wonder how Willies "guts" felt after that shot by Dobbs?
Earlier today I read Adam Rubin's blog article about the up coming game in Phillie. there was a quote in there from Hamels saying that he needed to be careful about pitching to Reyes and the Carlos brothers. I said that if I was Hamels, I'd worry more about David, Ryan, and Angel. Guess he should have read my comments. David had 4 hits and drove in 2 runs. Ryan had 2 hits and scored 3 times, and Pagan had 2 hits and 1 RBI. And Castillo? He was 0-4. Are you starting to agree that Ryan is better in the 2 hole Guinness? Without Ryan's 3 runs, the Mets lose.
David Wright loves Phillie pitching, and Hamels is overrated in my view. I've rarely been impressed with his efforts against the Mets. If Hamels was smart, he'd also start worrying about Ryan too. Church continues to prove that he's the bat needed in the 2 hole to keep the offense humming. Ever since he's started in the 2nd spot, the Mets have been more consistent in scoring runs. And I have to give Delgado his just due. Even though he didn't get a hit, 2 of his outs drove in 2 runs. So while he continues to struggle at the plate and in the field [1 error tonight], he at least contributed to the win. I also want to give a pat on the back to Jose'. After a hard slide into 2nd base in which his head was hammered by Utley's knee, he stayed in and never complained about it. In fact he insisted on staying in. That's the hard nosed baseball this team needs to play.
Overall it was a good night for the Mets. They needed to win this game and set the tone for the weekend. Without Rollins or Victorino in the line-up, the Mets had to win. Tomorrow is Ollie's turn to go. Hopefully he pitches better this weekend, then he did against the Brewers. The Mets have to keep the Phillies down, and step on their throats until they stop breathing.
Mets win a pitching duel in Queens
If pitching is your thing, than last night's game was your kind of entertainment. Lannan and Figueroa were great. They were sending batters one after another to the dugout shaking their heads.
Nelson continues to pitch well. Once again he had a large group of friends and family there in Wagner's pivate box cheering his every pitch. It's so nice to see someone so grounded get his chance in the spotlight. Nelson is a asset to this team and is doing his best to stay in NY. He's pitching so well, I don't know how you send him to AAA.
The bull-pen was also off the charts last night. Smith came in a shut the Nats down, and no one else got close to scoring for the next 7 innings. Smith has really stepped it up the year. His pitches are nasty!!! He's hitting 90 MPH again and his slider is so filthy it's a wonder anyone can even hit him.
The hitters were another story. The game started out great, but then kind of fizzled from there. Jose' gets on base, and Ryan crushes a ball to deep left center field and scores Jose'. I'm thinking great. That proves my point about having Church or Pagan hit in the 2 hole. But, no one else could push any more runs across. Castillo, David, Beltran, and Delgadud all had chances. And then in the 8th inning, Carlos went from Dud to Stud. He drove in the tying run and got Nelson off the hook. After that the game evolved into a chess match, and the Nats blinked first. I fell asleep around the 10th inning, but heard that the Nat's pitcher threw a 48' slider that allowed Damion to score. Any way needed to win a game is fine with me.
The real stars of this game was the pitching. For all the grief they get at times, they sure have been light out lately. Could it be the Sanchez factor? I can't wait to see what happens this weekend. Jimmy isn't playing until at least Saturday, so it's time for the Mets to get some revenge in Phillie.
Nelson continues to pitch well. Once again he had a large group of friends and family there in Wagner's pivate box cheering his every pitch. It's so nice to see someone so grounded get his chance in the spotlight. Nelson is a asset to this team and is doing his best to stay in NY. He's pitching so well, I don't know how you send him to AAA.
The bull-pen was also off the charts last night. Smith came in a shut the Nats down, and no one else got close to scoring for the next 7 innings. Smith has really stepped it up the year. His pitches are nasty!!! He's hitting 90 MPH again and his slider is so filthy it's a wonder anyone can even hit him.
The hitters were another story. The game started out great, but then kind of fizzled from there. Jose' gets on base, and Ryan crushes a ball to deep left center field and scores Jose'. I'm thinking great. That proves my point about having Church or Pagan hit in the 2 hole. But, no one else could push any more runs across. Castillo, David, Beltran, and Delgadud all had chances. And then in the 8th inning, Carlos went from Dud to Stud. He drove in the tying run and got Nelson off the hook. After that the game evolved into a chess match, and the Nats blinked first. I fell asleep around the 10th inning, but heard that the Nat's pitcher threw a 48' slider that allowed Damion to score. Any way needed to win a game is fine with me.
The real stars of this game was the pitching. For all the grief they get at times, they sure have been light out lately. Could it be the Sanchez factor? I can't wait to see what happens this weekend. Jimmy isn't playing until at least Saturday, so it's time for the Mets to get some revenge in Phillie.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Maine does enough while the Offense finds it's Stride
This was a good game last night and it's encouraging to see progress in the Mets game. They are hitting the ball better and are getting more innings from their starters, and the bull-pen is carrying it's weight too. These things are needed if the club is to succeed this year.
John Maine got his 1st win tonight and pitched into the 7th inning. Although I was yelling at the TV in the 1st inning, John settled down and pitched well enough to settle me down. I wish SNY would show more overhead shots of home plate. It would help with my blood pressure if I could see if the Umps were squeezing the pitchers or not. Maybe it's just the angle from the center field camera, but it looks like the umps are squeezing John this year. It seems that pitches over the corners are being called balls instead of strikes. And you can see John getting annoyed at times last night. Whether that was at himself or the Umps, I don't know. His fastball was working in the mid 90's and his change-up and slider were there too. He got hurt with his change-up on the homeruns and that's a common thing. Just ask Johan what happens to change-ups left over the plate. As he gets better control of it, I think he'll be even tougher to hit.
The offense has finally shown signs of waking up. Granted it's playing the Nationals, but improvement is still there. Ryan Church continues to hit left-handed pitching and Jose seems to be coming around at the plate. The home run by Church was CRUSHED. It hit of the billboard in the back of the bull-pen. I think with Church in the 2 hole the Mets are improving their offense. As long as he continues to hit, Jose' is going to see better pitches. With Ryan's power bat behind Jose', he's more likely to get strikes to hit. No one wants to walk Jose' when it could mean a quick 2 runs scored. Jose' hit his 1st homerun, and it may have been due to Ryan being behind him in the order. Castillo is also showing signs of life at the plate. I believe that the 8th spot is working well for him. He's more inclined to swing the bat, and he cleared the pitchers spot 3 times last night. That's a huge offensive benefit. If the Mets can lead off the next inning with Jose' and not the pitcher, it allows more run scoring opportunities to occur. Besides, it's hard to get out of a hitting slump if you're always looking to bunt. And Castillo needs to hit for the Mets to have success. Castillo told Willie that he needs 1-2 days off a week because of his knees. And we have him for 4 more years? Lord help us. And Delgado is lost again. He was 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. He's now batting .245 He now has 11 strikeouts and only 5 RBI. And Guinness thinks he's one of the best players on the team? I'm glad we don't have more players like him.
Defensively, the team is going well. They are taking care of the ball and not causing the pitchers to work out of jams that should be outs. Too often this year innings have been prolonged by errors. David continues to work on his throwing and Jose' is keeping things simple in the field. Sometimes he gets too fancy, and loses the ball around 2nd base. Any ball hit to the outfield is almost an automatic out. Ryan and Carlos are so smooth and comfortable in the field. And Ryan has a cannon for an arm. I doubt there will be many runners testing his arm this year. Pagan is also doing well in the field. He gets to ball quickly, and knows his way around the corners of Shea. Too bad Witless Willie is sending him to the bench when Alou' returns.
Here's hoping the Figueroa fairly tale continues tonight. Nelson pitched very well his last time out, and has shown he's a valuable asset to the team. I hope he goes 7 innings again and the Mets swat the Nats back to DC.
John Maine got his 1st win tonight and pitched into the 7th inning. Although I was yelling at the TV in the 1st inning, John settled down and pitched well enough to settle me down. I wish SNY would show more overhead shots of home plate. It would help with my blood pressure if I could see if the Umps were squeezing the pitchers or not. Maybe it's just the angle from the center field camera, but it looks like the umps are squeezing John this year. It seems that pitches over the corners are being called balls instead of strikes. And you can see John getting annoyed at times last night. Whether that was at himself or the Umps, I don't know. His fastball was working in the mid 90's and his change-up and slider were there too. He got hurt with his change-up on the homeruns and that's a common thing. Just ask Johan what happens to change-ups left over the plate. As he gets better control of it, I think he'll be even tougher to hit.
The offense has finally shown signs of waking up. Granted it's playing the Nationals, but improvement is still there. Ryan Church continues to hit left-handed pitching and Jose seems to be coming around at the plate. The home run by Church was CRUSHED. It hit of the billboard in the back of the bull-pen. I think with Church in the 2 hole the Mets are improving their offense. As long as he continues to hit, Jose' is going to see better pitches. With Ryan's power bat behind Jose', he's more likely to get strikes to hit. No one wants to walk Jose' when it could mean a quick 2 runs scored. Jose' hit his 1st homerun, and it may have been due to Ryan being behind him in the order. Castillo is also showing signs of life at the plate. I believe that the 8th spot is working well for him. He's more inclined to swing the bat, and he cleared the pitchers spot 3 times last night. That's a huge offensive benefit. If the Mets can lead off the next inning with Jose' and not the pitcher, it allows more run scoring opportunities to occur. Besides, it's hard to get out of a hitting slump if you're always looking to bunt. And Castillo needs to hit for the Mets to have success. Castillo told Willie that he needs 1-2 days off a week because of his knees. And we have him for 4 more years? Lord help us. And Delgado is lost again. He was 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. He's now batting .245 He now has 11 strikeouts and only 5 RBI. And Guinness thinks he's one of the best players on the team? I'm glad we don't have more players like him.
Defensively, the team is going well. They are taking care of the ball and not causing the pitchers to work out of jams that should be outs. Too often this year innings have been prolonged by errors. David continues to work on his throwing and Jose' is keeping things simple in the field. Sometimes he gets too fancy, and loses the ball around 2nd base. Any ball hit to the outfield is almost an automatic out. Ryan and Carlos are so smooth and comfortable in the field. And Ryan has a cannon for an arm. I doubt there will be many runners testing his arm this year. Pagan is also doing well in the field. He gets to ball quickly, and knows his way around the corners of Shea. Too bad Witless Willie is sending him to the bench when Alou' returns.
Here's hoping the Figueroa fairly tale continues tonight. Nelson pitched very well his last time out, and has shown he's a valuable asset to the team. I hope he goes 7 innings again and the Mets swat the Nats back to DC.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Big Pelf has the Wright Stuff
I was worried coming into this game that Mike would have a relapse to the pitcher that couldn't find the plate. Well, I had no need to worry. the Big Pelf was great. With a renewed Reyes and a scolding Wright hitting the ball, he had all the support he needed.
Pelfrey throw to both sides of the plate and mixed in enough sliders and change-ups to keep the hitters honest. He's even become someone who can miss a bat or two when needed. He was breaking bats and had the hitters pounding the ball into the ground all night. His fastball was hitting 94 all night, and had the slider nipping the corners.
David Wright needs to hire Letterman as his batting practice pitcher. The day after appearing on his show, David drove in 5 runs and was punishing the ball. He started the game out by hitting a 2 run homer in the first, and then added a couple of doubles later in the game. And if not for a great stop by Zimmerman, he could have had another hit.
Jose' was also great last night. I think the days off did more to clear his head than heal his hamstring. Before he sat a few games, he looked lost at the plate and totally confused. Last night he was focused and driving the ball. The double he drove into the left-center field gap was a rocket. I hope he decides to sit more often this year to help keep his head clear. I think he overthinks things when he struggles at the plate. A day off once a week would do good for Him I believe.
And Wiliie actually did something to improve the offense. He moved Castillo down in the order, and moved Church to the #2 hole. Now I wouldn't have picked Church at first, but it did break up the left-handed tilt at the lower part of the order. Ryan did well there, and Castillo did better in the 8th spot. His ability to get on base helped clear the pitchers spot, and made the Nats pay more attention to the hitters ahead of him.
And lastly, Sanchez is back. He looked sharp, and was on the verge of tears when he finished the game. His fastball and change-up were well spotted and had the proper velocity. 75-78 on the change-up and 88-91 on the fastball. Here's to seeing him straightening out the back end of the pen.
John Maine goes for the Mets tonight. Lets hope the young gunslinger brings the "A" game and shuts down the Nats for the second night in a row. I want 8 innings and 10+ strikeouts and less than 2 runs.
Pelfrey throw to both sides of the plate and mixed in enough sliders and change-ups to keep the hitters honest. He's even become someone who can miss a bat or two when needed. He was breaking bats and had the hitters pounding the ball into the ground all night. His fastball was hitting 94 all night, and had the slider nipping the corners.
David Wright needs to hire Letterman as his batting practice pitcher. The day after appearing on his show, David drove in 5 runs and was punishing the ball. He started the game out by hitting a 2 run homer in the first, and then added a couple of doubles later in the game. And if not for a great stop by Zimmerman, he could have had another hit.
Jose' was also great last night. I think the days off did more to clear his head than heal his hamstring. Before he sat a few games, he looked lost at the plate and totally confused. Last night he was focused and driving the ball. The double he drove into the left-center field gap was a rocket. I hope he decides to sit more often this year to help keep his head clear. I think he overthinks things when he struggles at the plate. A day off once a week would do good for Him I believe.
And Wiliie actually did something to improve the offense. He moved Castillo down in the order, and moved Church to the #2 hole. Now I wouldn't have picked Church at first, but it did break up the left-handed tilt at the lower part of the order. Ryan did well there, and Castillo did better in the 8th spot. His ability to get on base helped clear the pitchers spot, and made the Nats pay more attention to the hitters ahead of him.
And lastly, Sanchez is back. He looked sharp, and was on the verge of tears when he finished the game. His fastball and change-up were well spotted and had the proper velocity. 75-78 on the change-up and 88-91 on the fastball. Here's to seeing him straightening out the back end of the pen.
John Maine goes for the Mets tonight. Lets hope the young gunslinger brings the "A" game and shuts down the Nats for the second night in a row. I want 8 innings and 10+ strikeouts and less than 2 runs.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Why I'm so Worried about this Season
Hello everyone. I hope you are all staying away from the bridges and tall buildings so far this season. I know it's still early, and we tend to take things too seriously, but there is reason to worry in the world of the Mets. I was so optimistic before this season started, but they haven't learned a thing from last year.
There seems to be too little outrage and distress coming from the players on the Mets team. We as fans continue to hear the same old lines we heard last year. "We're not worried", "It's a long Season", "We'll just turn the page", etc, etc, etc. Is anyone else out there getting tired of the lack of hustle and heart on this team? In case the players haven't noticed, these games count in the standings too. At a time when no one else in the Division is tearing it up, the Mets should be putting some distance between them and the rest of the teams. Instead they seem content to just go thru the motions again just like last year. I read a lot of NY papers, I watch a lot of baseball discussion programs, and my local Sports Talk Radio program has numerous national baseball writers on all week. So I get to read and hear a lot of opinions on the Mets. And there are some disturbing things being said by players and media people.
Here is an excerpt from a NY Post article by Kevin Kernan.
"After the pathetic 9-7 loss to the Brewers at Shea Stadium yesterday, Carlos Delgado was asked if he was disappointed, disgusted or angry. It was a simple question after the most sloppy of games.
Delgado shot back a quizzical look and asked, "About what?"
About the way the game went, Carlos. About another giveaway: This time the Mets squandered a 6-2 lead. About the fact the Mets are off to a 5-6 start. Remember all the tough off season talk about the Mets learning their lesson from the Great Collapse of 2007.
Forget it. Right now, the Mets as a team haven't learned a thing. Delgado, who flied to right with the bases loaded to end the eighth and made an error, said, "We didn't play good."
The problems run deeper than that. If the manager is angry, shouldn't the players be angry, too."
And from the same article here's something about Witless Willie.
" Of course the next step is for the manager to make it clear to his players that this type of performance is not acceptable. Randolph hasn't gone there yet, but he should.
Asked if he addressed the team as a group before coming to his post game press conference, Randolph said, "There's no reason for that. We're (11) games into the season."
At what point should he make it known to his players that he is disgusted with such a performance? "It's not all about that," Randolph said. "We've got a lot of baseball to play."
Sounds like Willie's answers to last years questions doesn't it? Today on "The Wheel House" [a new SNY program] Omar's sanity was openly questioned. Imagine, the GM of the organization that owns SNY being called out on air. Brandon Tierney said Omar's sanity has to be questioned for signing Castillo to a 4 four year contract. And I agree. I didn't like it this winter, and I like the signing even less now. He can't run, he can't hit, and he can barely field his position anymore. He's hurting the team more than he ever helps it.
On Daily News Live, Joe Benigno and Chris Cotter are constantly calling out the players and Manager of the Mets for their lack of urgency and commitment to improving their play. And Wallace Mathews had a great article on the Mets lack of ranting and raving about their loses on the Newsday.com website. Here is some of the finer points of his article.
"They are defiantly lackadaisical, willfully indifferent, blissfully unconcerned. It's only 11 games into the season, they say. Plenty of baseball left to play. It all comes down to a temporary lack of execution. A momentary loss of focus. Don't worry, the Mets insist. We'll be fine.Sure they will. Their money is guaranteed, their futures are secure, their afternoons and evenings are spent playing baseball, not forced to sit and watch a grotesque approximation of it, like the 50,000-plus who shivered and suffered through yesterday's dreadful 9-7 loss to the Brewers."
"What is needed, however, is a stern talking-to, if not a full-blown tantrum, from someone who gets enough respect in the clubhouse that the 25 individuals who barely interact within it will actually stand still for a moment and listen."
"But there is no one in the Mets' clubhouse - not the manager, not the general manager, not the third baseman who acts as if he really wants to win, not the first baseman who acts as if he really doesn't care - to deliver that talk, to throw that tantrum, to grab 25 fat cats by the lapels and scream some sense into their faces before it is too late to do any good. This is an army without a general, a ship without a captain, a room without a pulse.You can start with Willie Randolph and work your way on down the line. "
I think Wallace has hit the nail squarely on the head. And I agree with him 110%. And I hear more and more of this kind of thinking. Can we all be wrong about what we as fans see?
As I see it, there is a lot that needs to change in the Mets organization. The first thing that's needed is to fire Willie. Mine and Guinness' opinions on Willie are well known. He's clueless and Witless when it comes to managing a team. The second thing needed is to stop signing old worn out players to long term big money contracts. Alou', Hernandez, Castillo, Pedro, Delgado, and Castro are overpaid and under preforming. They can't stay healthy, and don't produce enough when they are healthy. The third thing needed is to build from within the system and with YOUNG free-agents. Sign players like Mark Teixara, not Carlos Delgado and Castillo. But, that won't happen until the Wilpons and Omar admit they have a problem in the clubhouse. And so far I haven't seen Omar admitting he was wrong about anything yet.
There seems to be too little outrage and distress coming from the players on the Mets team. We as fans continue to hear the same old lines we heard last year. "We're not worried", "It's a long Season", "We'll just turn the page", etc, etc, etc. Is anyone else out there getting tired of the lack of hustle and heart on this team? In case the players haven't noticed, these games count in the standings too. At a time when no one else in the Division is tearing it up, the Mets should be putting some distance between them and the rest of the teams. Instead they seem content to just go thru the motions again just like last year. I read a lot of NY papers, I watch a lot of baseball discussion programs, and my local Sports Talk Radio program has numerous national baseball writers on all week. So I get to read and hear a lot of opinions on the Mets. And there are some disturbing things being said by players and media people.
Here is an excerpt from a NY Post article by Kevin Kernan.
"After the pathetic 9-7 loss to the Brewers at Shea Stadium yesterday, Carlos Delgado was asked if he was disappointed, disgusted or angry. It was a simple question after the most sloppy of games.
Delgado shot back a quizzical look and asked, "About what?"
About the way the game went, Carlos. About another giveaway: This time the Mets squandered a 6-2 lead. About the fact the Mets are off to a 5-6 start. Remember all the tough off season talk about the Mets learning their lesson from the Great Collapse of 2007.
Forget it. Right now, the Mets as a team haven't learned a thing. Delgado, who flied to right with the bases loaded to end the eighth and made an error, said, "We didn't play good."
The problems run deeper than that. If the manager is angry, shouldn't the players be angry, too."
And from the same article here's something about Witless Willie.
" Of course the next step is for the manager to make it clear to his players that this type of performance is not acceptable. Randolph hasn't gone there yet, but he should.
Asked if he addressed the team as a group before coming to his post game press conference, Randolph said, "There's no reason for that. We're (11) games into the season."
At what point should he make it known to his players that he is disgusted with such a performance? "It's not all about that," Randolph said. "We've got a lot of baseball to play."
Sounds like Willie's answers to last years questions doesn't it? Today on "The Wheel House" [a new SNY program] Omar's sanity was openly questioned. Imagine, the GM of the organization that owns SNY being called out on air. Brandon Tierney said Omar's sanity has to be questioned for signing Castillo to a 4 four year contract. And I agree. I didn't like it this winter, and I like the signing even less now. He can't run, he can't hit, and he can barely field his position anymore. He's hurting the team more than he ever helps it.
On Daily News Live, Joe Benigno and Chris Cotter are constantly calling out the players and Manager of the Mets for their lack of urgency and commitment to improving their play. And Wallace Mathews had a great article on the Mets lack of ranting and raving about their loses on the Newsday.com website. Here is some of the finer points of his article.
"They are defiantly lackadaisical, willfully indifferent, blissfully unconcerned. It's only 11 games into the season, they say. Plenty of baseball left to play. It all comes down to a temporary lack of execution. A momentary loss of focus. Don't worry, the Mets insist. We'll be fine.Sure they will. Their money is guaranteed, their futures are secure, their afternoons and evenings are spent playing baseball, not forced to sit and watch a grotesque approximation of it, like the 50,000-plus who shivered and suffered through yesterday's dreadful 9-7 loss to the Brewers."
"What is needed, however, is a stern talking-to, if not a full-blown tantrum, from someone who gets enough respect in the clubhouse that the 25 individuals who barely interact within it will actually stand still for a moment and listen."
"But there is no one in the Mets' clubhouse - not the manager, not the general manager, not the third baseman who acts as if he really wants to win, not the first baseman who acts as if he really doesn't care - to deliver that talk, to throw that tantrum, to grab 25 fat cats by the lapels and scream some sense into their faces before it is too late to do any good. This is an army without a general, a ship without a captain, a room without a pulse.You can start with Willie Randolph and work your way on down the line. "
I think Wallace has hit the nail squarely on the head. And I agree with him 110%. And I hear more and more of this kind of thinking. Can we all be wrong about what we as fans see?
As I see it, there is a lot that needs to change in the Mets organization. The first thing that's needed is to fire Willie. Mine and Guinness' opinions on Willie are well known. He's clueless and Witless when it comes to managing a team. The second thing needed is to stop signing old worn out players to long term big money contracts. Alou', Hernandez, Castillo, Pedro, Delgado, and Castro are overpaid and under preforming. They can't stay healthy, and don't produce enough when they are healthy. The third thing needed is to build from within the system and with YOUNG free-agents. Sign players like Mark Teixara, not Carlos Delgado and Castillo. But, that won't happen until the Wilpons and Omar admit they have a problem in the clubhouse. And so far I haven't seen Omar admitting he was wrong about anything yet.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The Wizard of Ollie left his Magic Wand at Home.
There wasn't much that Ollie did right today. A wild pitch, a home run in the first inning, and six runs in four innings. If he thinks Willie criticized his last effort on the mound, wait until this critique.
The stat line for this game will be very deceiving if you didn't see or hear the game. There were a lot of hits, and a lot of walks dished out by the pitchers on both teams today. But the Brewers turned 5 straight double plays and erased all the threats generated by the Mets. The Mets had the lead early in the game, but errors and bad pitching by Perez gave it all back. And then when ever the Mets threatened, the Brewers would slam the door. At least 1 of the DP was called wrong, but what else would you expect from the umps if you're a Mets fan. The umps always seem to find a way to screw the Mets. Timely hitting is something the Mets have struggled with for 2 years now. I keep hoping that someone will wake them up.
Castillo actually hit the ball out of the infield today. And it has a hit too!!! Imagine that. I disagree with Guinness 110% about Castillo. Where is it written that the #2 hitter has to be useless as a RBI threat? What good does it do to have an automatic out at the top of the line-up? He can hardly run to 1st base, but he insist on bunting all the time whether there is someone on base or not. Wouldn't all Mets fans rather have Jose' be driven in and scoring runs, then just moving 90' at a time? Why would Pagan driving in Jose' from the 2 hole be bad? Castillo would be a better fit lower in the order. If He was hitting 8th, he'd be more likely to get on base for the pitcher to move him into scoring position. The Reyes is coming to the plate with someone to drive home. It makes since only to Witless Willie and Guinness I guess. More and more people in the media and baseball world are questioning his spot in the batting order. Can myself and all of the others be wrong? Maybe but I don't think so.
I want to ask a question here. I thought Schneider was a A+ defensive catcher? EVERYBODY raved about his defense. But I see nothing to brag about. He constantly drops balls, doesn't block pitches, doesn't throw out many runners, and allows every pitch in the dirt to go skipping by him. What the heck is going on? As bad as people claim Lo Duca was behind the plate, I never saw so many pitches getting lost and dropped. Even the TV broadcast team [Cohan and Darling] were commenting on his inability to CATCH THE BALL!!! That's the job. That's why they're called CATCHERS. And Brian isn't doing a lot of catching lately.
I read the article on SNY about Willie's by the book managing style, and it couldn't be more on target. This team is playing baseball in a lackluster way and doesn't seem to get any better. If something doesn't change soon, how long will the Witless Wonder be employed? Here's hoping that the Mets don't allow the Nationals off the mat this week. Let's all hope Pelfrey, Maine, and Figueroa can do what Santana and Perez couldn't. Shut down a struggling team and sweep the 3 game series.
The stat line for this game will be very deceiving if you didn't see or hear the game. There were a lot of hits, and a lot of walks dished out by the pitchers on both teams today. But the Brewers turned 5 straight double plays and erased all the threats generated by the Mets. The Mets had the lead early in the game, but errors and bad pitching by Perez gave it all back. And then when ever the Mets threatened, the Brewers would slam the door. At least 1 of the DP was called wrong, but what else would you expect from the umps if you're a Mets fan. The umps always seem to find a way to screw the Mets. Timely hitting is something the Mets have struggled with for 2 years now. I keep hoping that someone will wake them up.
Castillo actually hit the ball out of the infield today. And it has a hit too!!! Imagine that. I disagree with Guinness 110% about Castillo. Where is it written that the #2 hitter has to be useless as a RBI threat? What good does it do to have an automatic out at the top of the line-up? He can hardly run to 1st base, but he insist on bunting all the time whether there is someone on base or not. Wouldn't all Mets fans rather have Jose' be driven in and scoring runs, then just moving 90' at a time? Why would Pagan driving in Jose' from the 2 hole be bad? Castillo would be a better fit lower in the order. If He was hitting 8th, he'd be more likely to get on base for the pitcher to move him into scoring position. The Reyes is coming to the plate with someone to drive home. It makes since only to Witless Willie and Guinness I guess. More and more people in the media and baseball world are questioning his spot in the batting order. Can myself and all of the others be wrong? Maybe but I don't think so.
I want to ask a question here. I thought Schneider was a A+ defensive catcher? EVERYBODY raved about his defense. But I see nothing to brag about. He constantly drops balls, doesn't block pitches, doesn't throw out many runners, and allows every pitch in the dirt to go skipping by him. What the heck is going on? As bad as people claim Lo Duca was behind the plate, I never saw so many pitches getting lost and dropped. Even the TV broadcast team [Cohan and Darling] were commenting on his inability to CATCH THE BALL!!! That's the job. That's why they're called CATCHERS. And Brian isn't doing a lot of catching lately.
I read the article on SNY about Willie's by the book managing style, and it couldn't be more on target. This team is playing baseball in a lackluster way and doesn't seem to get any better. If something doesn't change soon, how long will the Witless Wonder be employed? Here's hoping that the Mets don't allow the Nationals off the mat this week. Let's all hope Pelfrey, Maine, and Figueroa can do what Santana and Perez couldn't. Shut down a struggling team and sweep the 3 game series.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Santana Anna Winds where Blowing Today
Well, I guess there is a reason the Brewers are the best hitting team in the league. They crush baseballs if they're not put exactly where needed. Johan pitched OK, but the balls where flying for both sides today. He just came out on the short end of the ledger today.
Delgado hit a ball off the top of the wall in right center field. David Wright almost hit one over the bleachers, and the Brewers put 3 in the seats today. So I guess you can say the wind was blowing out and adding some distance to the balls. I saw numerous balls hit to the warning track for both sides and both Sheets and Santana were giving up runs. The Mets got to Ben for 2 runs early but then He set the next 18 batters down in order. The Mets only managed 5 hits today. So the issues with runs will continue until they decide to hit the baseball where there isn't a fielder. Pagan, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, and Schneider had the only hits today.
Reyes didn't play and probably won't until at least Tuesday. I saw his interview after Friday's game and I noticed something. You know when you ask someone a question and they really don't want to answer it? Well Jose' gave me the impression that he wasn't telling us the truth. I wonder if he was looking for a reason to get himself out of the line-up for a few days? He hasn't been the same since last August, and he looks like he's not into the game anymore. He looks like he'd rather be somewhere else besides a baseball field.
David Wright had a sacrifice fly along with his home run, but had 2 errors to round out his day. The first was on a throw, and the second went between his legs. Normally he makes that play. It was a smash, but looked like it took a weird hop up.
Castillo returned to the line-up and did his normal offensive output, Not much of anything [0-3 with 1 walk]. The SNY broadcast had a viewer poll asking who should hit in the #2 hole, Pagan or Castillo. Guess who won by a landslide. Pagan. 73% wanted his bat in the second spot. Now who else said that in a previous posting here? Why I did. LOL. I guess some of my ideas are not so dumb after all.
There was some good news today though. Muniz was brought in to start the 8th inning, and also pitched the 9th. He gave up 1 hit and struck out 1 batter. He threw 20 pitches in the 2 innings, and looked good doing it. I know Willie only had him in there because everyone else in the pen has been getting used on multiple nights. But, hopefully Muniz is showing Willie that he has skills that are worth using. He's now pitched 4 innings this spring and hasn't given up a run. Too bad some of the other relievers weren't as good as he's been. I hope his streak continues.
Now the weekend's fate rest with the Wizard of Ollie. He better go 7-8 innings, strike out 8-10 batters, and not walk anyone. And he better do it on 100 pitches or less. Otherwise Witless Willie will find more faults with his game. Ollie pitched well last time out, but Willie did nothing but complain about his effort.
Delgado hit a ball off the top of the wall in right center field. David Wright almost hit one over the bleachers, and the Brewers put 3 in the seats today. So I guess you can say the wind was blowing out and adding some distance to the balls. I saw numerous balls hit to the warning track for both sides and both Sheets and Santana were giving up runs. The Mets got to Ben for 2 runs early but then He set the next 18 batters down in order. The Mets only managed 5 hits today. So the issues with runs will continue until they decide to hit the baseball where there isn't a fielder. Pagan, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, and Schneider had the only hits today.
Reyes didn't play and probably won't until at least Tuesday. I saw his interview after Friday's game and I noticed something. You know when you ask someone a question and they really don't want to answer it? Well Jose' gave me the impression that he wasn't telling us the truth. I wonder if he was looking for a reason to get himself out of the line-up for a few days? He hasn't been the same since last August, and he looks like he's not into the game anymore. He looks like he'd rather be somewhere else besides a baseball field.
David Wright had a sacrifice fly along with his home run, but had 2 errors to round out his day. The first was on a throw, and the second went between his legs. Normally he makes that play. It was a smash, but looked like it took a weird hop up.
Castillo returned to the line-up and did his normal offensive output, Not much of anything [0-3 with 1 walk]. The SNY broadcast had a viewer poll asking who should hit in the #2 hole, Pagan or Castillo. Guess who won by a landslide. Pagan. 73% wanted his bat in the second spot. Now who else said that in a previous posting here? Why I did. LOL. I guess some of my ideas are not so dumb after all.
There was some good news today though. Muniz was brought in to start the 8th inning, and also pitched the 9th. He gave up 1 hit and struck out 1 batter. He threw 20 pitches in the 2 innings, and looked good doing it. I know Willie only had him in there because everyone else in the pen has been getting used on multiple nights. But, hopefully Muniz is showing Willie that he has skills that are worth using. He's now pitched 4 innings this spring and hasn't given up a run. Too bad some of the other relievers weren't as good as he's been. I hope his streak continues.
Now the weekend's fate rest with the Wizard of Ollie. He better go 7-8 innings, strike out 8-10 batters, and not walk anyone. And he better do it on 100 pitches or less. Otherwise Witless Willie will find more faults with his game. Ollie pitched well last time out, but Willie did nothing but complain about his effort.
Hometown Kid makes Good in Debut
I'm glad to see Nelson Figueroa have such a great game. The Mets were in need of a good pitching performance and a good story too. This season has been so full of heartache and disappointment so far, that seeing Nelson complete his dream was a nice way to start this weekend series.
Yesterday there was alot of talk and worry about Figueroa starting this game. I commented on more than 1 web page that he's not a bad pitcher. I'd seen him pitch in spring training and he seemed to have good stuff. And he showcased that stuff last night. His fastball was between 86-88 most of the night. His curve ball is nasty and made more than a few Brewers look silly. And his slider was thrown to both sides of the plate with ease. I think everyone out there can agree that Nelson is no Brian Low-Rents or Jose Lima. In case people are not aware of it, Nelson has done everything needed to get back to the Major Leagues. He was drafted by the Mets in '95, got traded to Arizona, and sometime after that had shoulder surgery. He pitched in Mexico, Taiwan, The Dominican Republic, and finally picked up again by the Mets this spring. He's paid his dues, and took advantage of his opportunity.
It was nice to see the bats come alive with runners in scoring position last night. David had 2 hits and Pagan continues to hit the ball. Yesterday afternoon on Daily News Live, Joe Benigno said what I've been saying for a few days now. Move Castillo down the line-up and have Pagan hit in the 2 hole. Pagan drives the ball and can bunt. Castillo's bad knees and weak bat hurt the Mets when he's hitting in the #2 hole. Neither he nor I care about Castillo being the prototypical #2 hitter. He hurts the offense in that spot. It's no coincidence that the Mets started scoring runs when Castillo got sore. It does the Mets no good to have an automatic out in the 2 hole. It does more for the team to have someone there that can drive in Jose, not just move him over to 2nd base. Willie's by the book managing and line-up moves are hurting this team. This team should score at least 5 runs every game. And that hasn't been happening since Castillo's arrival.
Another question I've been asking and now others are too is what to do with Pagan when Alou' claims to be healthy. Do you sit Pagan and start Alou' again in left field? Do you take the hottest bat out of the order to start a brittle and slow outfielder who can't stay in the line-up? Considering the fact that Alou' is a sneeze away from the DL, I say park his butt on the bench. Use him 1-2 games a week and as a pinch hitter. Maybe he'll manage to stay healthy enough to finish the season then. Unless something major happens this season, Pagan has to be the left fielder next year. Unless F. Martinez explodes thru the system, Pagan is the starting left fielder next year.
All in all it was a good night. Pagan continues to impress, David is hitting the ball again, Jose' gets to sit for a game or two [and hopefully refocus himself], and Castillo wasn't making outs. And most of all Figueroa proved that the Mets do have talented pitching waiting to step up and fill the needs of the team. Here's hoping for another strong outing from Santana and some runs to support him.
Yesterday there was alot of talk and worry about Figueroa starting this game. I commented on more than 1 web page that he's not a bad pitcher. I'd seen him pitch in spring training and he seemed to have good stuff. And he showcased that stuff last night. His fastball was between 86-88 most of the night. His curve ball is nasty and made more than a few Brewers look silly. And his slider was thrown to both sides of the plate with ease. I think everyone out there can agree that Nelson is no Brian Low-Rents or Jose Lima. In case people are not aware of it, Nelson has done everything needed to get back to the Major Leagues. He was drafted by the Mets in '95, got traded to Arizona, and sometime after that had shoulder surgery. He pitched in Mexico, Taiwan, The Dominican Republic, and finally picked up again by the Mets this spring. He's paid his dues, and took advantage of his opportunity.
It was nice to see the bats come alive with runners in scoring position last night. David had 2 hits and Pagan continues to hit the ball. Yesterday afternoon on Daily News Live, Joe Benigno said what I've been saying for a few days now. Move Castillo down the line-up and have Pagan hit in the 2 hole. Pagan drives the ball and can bunt. Castillo's bad knees and weak bat hurt the Mets when he's hitting in the #2 hole. Neither he nor I care about Castillo being the prototypical #2 hitter. He hurts the offense in that spot. It's no coincidence that the Mets started scoring runs when Castillo got sore. It does the Mets no good to have an automatic out in the 2 hole. It does more for the team to have someone there that can drive in Jose, not just move him over to 2nd base. Willie's by the book managing and line-up moves are hurting this team. This team should score at least 5 runs every game. And that hasn't been happening since Castillo's arrival.
Another question I've been asking and now others are too is what to do with Pagan when Alou' claims to be healthy. Do you sit Pagan and start Alou' again in left field? Do you take the hottest bat out of the order to start a brittle and slow outfielder who can't stay in the line-up? Considering the fact that Alou' is a sneeze away from the DL, I say park his butt on the bench. Use him 1-2 games a week and as a pinch hitter. Maybe he'll manage to stay healthy enough to finish the season then. Unless something major happens this season, Pagan has to be the left fielder next year. Unless F. Martinez explodes thru the system, Pagan is the starting left fielder next year.
All in all it was a good night. Pagan continues to impress, David is hitting the ball again, Jose' gets to sit for a game or two [and hopefully refocus himself], and Castillo wasn't making outs. And most of all Figueroa proved that the Mets do have talented pitching waiting to step up and fill the needs of the team. Here's hoping for another strong outing from Santana and some runs to support him.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Maine's effort wasted, but Mets manage a win
I was hoping for a better night from the Mets, but they won the game and the series despite Heilman's worst efforts. At least the Mets have maybe eased their concerns about beating the Phillies. And they did it in extra innings with a little help from the Umps.
John Maine pitched pretty well last night. He didn't strikeout a lot of hitters, but he was effective none the less. He made it thru 6 innings, but ran into trouble in the 7th. Feliz hit an slider into the loge in left field that wasn't inside enough, and then walked the next batter. He was much better in his location, and had only thrown about 85 pitches thru 6 innings. Too bad Heilman came in and blew the lead once again in the 8th inning. Does he know how to throw anything but a change-up? Jenkins was getting on his change-up and Aaron continued to throw it. And what happens, Jenkins hits the ball and there goes the win for John.
There were some good things going on last night. Pagan and Church continue to rack the ball. Pagan still frustrates me in the field at times, but he's continuing to produce at the plate. Church drove in the 1st 2 runs last night, and continues to play very well in the field. HoJo's attention to Ryan seems to be paying off. Ryan is hitting the ball up the middle and to left field too. Before this season, he had the reputation of being more of a pull hitter who couldn't hit left-handed pitching. I think those problems are disappearing quickly.
Jose' still worries me. He seems lost at the plate, and his attention is sometimes lacking in the field. He made a stupid error in Wednesday's game, and continues to hit the ball into the air. My father and I had a heated discussion about Jose' before the game. He says Willie ruined him when he sat him last year. He also says HoJo has ruined him at the plate. I disagree. I think the problem is more than that. All his problems started around the time Castillo arrived. Once Valentin wasn't around to focus Jose' and keep him on the straight and narrow, Jose' started his decline. It may just be coincidence, but it's there for everyone to see. Once Valentin broke his leg last year, Jose' started his slide. And he hasn't got out of it yet. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think Jose' needs someone he respects and looks up to as a mentor on the team. This is where Valentin was helpful. I wish the Mets could get him to NY somehow this spring. I'd even bring him up to replace Clark if it would help out Reyes. Valentin can play the outfield, and has power from both sides of the plate. He could be so much help getting Jose' back into the game.
What do you think? Am I wrong about Reyes'? Do you think it's just a coincidence, or is the absence of Valentin a reason for Jose's troubles the last 4 months of baseball [3 months last year, and this month]?
John Maine pitched pretty well last night. He didn't strikeout a lot of hitters, but he was effective none the less. He made it thru 6 innings, but ran into trouble in the 7th. Feliz hit an slider into the loge in left field that wasn't inside enough, and then walked the next batter. He was much better in his location, and had only thrown about 85 pitches thru 6 innings. Too bad Heilman came in and blew the lead once again in the 8th inning. Does he know how to throw anything but a change-up? Jenkins was getting on his change-up and Aaron continued to throw it. And what happens, Jenkins hits the ball and there goes the win for John.
There were some good things going on last night. Pagan and Church continue to rack the ball. Pagan still frustrates me in the field at times, but he's continuing to produce at the plate. Church drove in the 1st 2 runs last night, and continues to play very well in the field. HoJo's attention to Ryan seems to be paying off. Ryan is hitting the ball up the middle and to left field too. Before this season, he had the reputation of being more of a pull hitter who couldn't hit left-handed pitching. I think those problems are disappearing quickly.
Jose' still worries me. He seems lost at the plate, and his attention is sometimes lacking in the field. He made a stupid error in Wednesday's game, and continues to hit the ball into the air. My father and I had a heated discussion about Jose' before the game. He says Willie ruined him when he sat him last year. He also says HoJo has ruined him at the plate. I disagree. I think the problem is more than that. All his problems started around the time Castillo arrived. Once Valentin wasn't around to focus Jose' and keep him on the straight and narrow, Jose' started his decline. It may just be coincidence, but it's there for everyone to see. Once Valentin broke his leg last year, Jose' started his slide. And he hasn't got out of it yet. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think Jose' needs someone he respects and looks up to as a mentor on the team. This is where Valentin was helpful. I wish the Mets could get him to NY somehow this spring. I'd even bring him up to replace Clark if it would help out Reyes. Valentin can play the outfield, and has power from both sides of the plate. He could be so much help getting Jose' back into the game.
What do you think? Am I wrong about Reyes'? Do you think it's just a coincidence, or is the absence of Valentin a reason for Jose's troubles the last 4 months of baseball [3 months last year, and this month]?
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Go Big Pelf
It was nice to see Pelfrey settle in and get the win last night. He looked comfortable and threw more strikes than balls. I believe the fact that El' Duque is gone from the pitching equation will help Mike's confidence and keep him focused.
All too often this spring it looked like Omar's and Witless Willies talk about Hernanadez hurt Mike. It looked like he was nervous and worried too much about the little things when he was pitching. I mentioned earlier this year that because of Willie and Omar running their mouths about Hernandez being the starter, that it was hurting Mike's pitching. It must have seemed to him that no matter what he did on the mound he was going to New Orleans. With young players confidence is very important to their success on the field. I never got the feeling that Omar and Willie wanted Mike in the rotation. And I bet Mike felt the same way. Now that is no longer an issue. Hernandez is done until at least the All-Star break, and the job is now Mike's.
There's an old saying "Better lucky than Good". Well the Mets were luck last night. Reyes is still stuck in September, and Beltran has a habit of looking at perfect pitches. David is slumping and Delgado had a decent night. He actually THREW HOME FOR THE FORCE PLAY instead of doing what he did Tuesday. If he had done that in Tuesday's game, maybe the Mets don't lose their last home opener.
I noticed something last night. Without Castillo in the line-up Pagan hit in the 2 hole. Easley played 2nd and proved he can get to balls that Castillo isn't capable of getting to. He got to a pop up in the same area where Castillo got hurt. And because Castillo wasn't in the 2 hole tapping balls to the infielders, the Mets actually scored some runs. Pagan can hit the ball to all areas of the field, and Castillo can hardly get the ball out of the infield. I fail to see where he's an asset to the offense. Ever since he got in the 2 hole, the Mets offense has suffered. When Lo Duca was there the Mets scored runs by the bunches. They consistently put up crooked numbers in multiple innings. That has become as rare as Unicorns since Castillo's arrival in NY. Unfortunately, all the "experts" are in love with Castillo and Omar signed him to a 4 year contract. Don't you think if the Twins thought he was so good, they'd have gotten more than a couple of lower level minor league players for him? They saw he was used up and not worth keeping. I trust the Twins scouting dept. more than the Mets. The Twins seem to find talent all the time, and the Mets tend to trade away good talent and bring in junk.
Here's hoping for a good game from John Maine tonight. I want to see 7+ innings and 8+ strikeouts. I don't trust anyone in the pen except Muniz at this point. For someone that Willie refused to use last year, he sure seems to get people out. The last two games he's gotten 6 outs with 12 pitches I believe. So that means Willie will soon be sending him back to New Orleans. If Muniz is in NY, Willie won't be able to trot out Schoeneweis and Heilman to blow games. I like Muniz, and hope he can stick around for the season.
All too often this spring it looked like Omar's and Witless Willies talk about Hernanadez hurt Mike. It looked like he was nervous and worried too much about the little things when he was pitching. I mentioned earlier this year that because of Willie and Omar running their mouths about Hernandez being the starter, that it was hurting Mike's pitching. It must have seemed to him that no matter what he did on the mound he was going to New Orleans. With young players confidence is very important to their success on the field. I never got the feeling that Omar and Willie wanted Mike in the rotation. And I bet Mike felt the same way. Now that is no longer an issue. Hernandez is done until at least the All-Star break, and the job is now Mike's.
There's an old saying "Better lucky than Good". Well the Mets were luck last night. Reyes is still stuck in September, and Beltran has a habit of looking at perfect pitches. David is slumping and Delgado had a decent night. He actually THREW HOME FOR THE FORCE PLAY instead of doing what he did Tuesday. If he had done that in Tuesday's game, maybe the Mets don't lose their last home opener.
I noticed something last night. Without Castillo in the line-up Pagan hit in the 2 hole. Easley played 2nd and proved he can get to balls that Castillo isn't capable of getting to. He got to a pop up in the same area where Castillo got hurt. And because Castillo wasn't in the 2 hole tapping balls to the infielders, the Mets actually scored some runs. Pagan can hit the ball to all areas of the field, and Castillo can hardly get the ball out of the infield. I fail to see where he's an asset to the offense. Ever since he got in the 2 hole, the Mets offense has suffered. When Lo Duca was there the Mets scored runs by the bunches. They consistently put up crooked numbers in multiple innings. That has become as rare as Unicorns since Castillo's arrival in NY. Unfortunately, all the "experts" are in love with Castillo and Omar signed him to a 4 year contract. Don't you think if the Twins thought he was so good, they'd have gotten more than a couple of lower level minor league players for him? They saw he was used up and not worth keeping. I trust the Twins scouting dept. more than the Mets. The Twins seem to find talent all the time, and the Mets tend to trade away good talent and bring in junk.
Here's hoping for a good game from John Maine tonight. I want to see 7+ innings and 8+ strikeouts. I don't trust anyone in the pen except Muniz at this point. For someone that Willie refused to use last year, he sure seems to get people out. The last two games he's gotten 6 outs with 12 pitches I believe. So that means Willie will soon be sending him back to New Orleans. If Muniz is in NY, Willie won't be able to trot out Schoeneweis and Heilman to blow games. I like Muniz, and hope he can stick around for the season.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
New year, different team, same result.
Where do I start? I'm just glad I was at work listening to the game, and not watching it at home. I think if I was near a gun, I would have blown away the TV set and had something to drink.
All I can say is I told you so. As I stated in the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS blog "Subway Squawker's" the Mets have a nasty habit of making marginal pitchers look like Cy Young Winners. And today Moyer looked like Sandy Koufax on the mound. Even I could hit his pitches. So why is it so hard for all these "Professionals" to hit him?
Reyes stinks. He's picked up right where he left off last year. He's swinging for the fences and at pitches down near his ankles. He does that while looking at pitches that go right down the center of the plate for strikes.
Castillo is worthless. He can't hit, and he's an average fielder at best. I don't care what Guinness or any of the talking heads on TV say, he's average at best in the field. Jose' Valentin showed me more when he was the second baseman than Castillo has ever shown since his arrival in NY. And today he hurt his knee running after a foul pop fly.
Delgado should be benched. He consistently cost the Mets runs with his lack of fielding skill. 1st he can't throw the ball to Jose' to start a double play without hitting Uttley. If the bases are loaded, why not throw home for the force there? And then Schneider can throw back to 1st base for the double play. If Delgadud had done that, he wouldn't have to throw around a ruuner to get the force play. And then in a later inning, he flops on the ground and lets a groundball go past him for a run scoring single. While his body was on the ground, his glove was 2 feet off the ground, and the ball went right where his glove should have been. I don't care that his average is .375. He has more strikeouts than RBIs, and doesn't get a hit when there are men on base. Put Easley at 1st, and send Delgadud to New Orleans.
Schneider is supposed to be a great defensive catcher? So far I haven't seen any evidence of that this season. I don't ever recall Lo Duca having 2 passed balls in 1 game. I don't think Paul ever had problem stopping and catching low or wide pitches. At least Schneider is hitting. But I thought all the talking head experts said he couldn't hit? So much for the experts.
Schoeneweis is lost at Shea. Last year he had an ERA around 6.50 at Shea. Well, it hasn't gotten any better. And that begs the question why did Witless Willie bring him into the game? Why take Smith out after he ended the 6th inning? He's been alot better than the usual suspect pitchers. Why not bring Muniz into the game instead of Scott? Is Scott going to be this season's version of Mota? Will Witless Willie bring him into games no matter what the circumstances? Time will tell.
Heilman is a mystery. One game he's lights out good, and then the next few games he can't get anyone out. First he give up the homerun to Tex Sunday, and then he blows it again today. Doesn't he know how to mix in something besides a change-up and fastball? And Guinness complains about Maine. At least John can go 5-7 innings and only give up a few runs. Heilman can't go 1 inning without giving up a few runs. So I suppose that means Aaron should be a starter, and John go to the pen? LOL
And finally the really big reason for this season so far. Witless Willie Ran-Dumb. He hasn't learned a thing from last year. He still refuses to acknowledge that there's a problem. He thinks everything is fine. He says they'll "just turn the page". And he continues to use the same 3 relievers all the time. In today's game Muniz pitched very well. He got the Phillies out 1-2-3, and only used a few pitches. And Smith has been more good than bad this year. Sosa, Schoeneweis, and Heilman have cost the Mets all 4 lost games this season. So why does Willie continue to trot them out? Is it because that is exactly what Torre' is known for? Joe always used the same pitchers in middle relief no matter what the results. And now Willie is following his teachings.
If getting Witless Willie out of NY means tha Mets have to be dead last in the division by June 1st, so be it. I believe he is the single biggest reason for the failure of this team over the last 3 years. Once he's gone in June, there is still plenty of time to get back in the race and get to the Playoffs.
All I can say is I told you so. As I stated in the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS blog "Subway Squawker's" the Mets have a nasty habit of making marginal pitchers look like Cy Young Winners. And today Moyer looked like Sandy Koufax on the mound. Even I could hit his pitches. So why is it so hard for all these "Professionals" to hit him?
Reyes stinks. He's picked up right where he left off last year. He's swinging for the fences and at pitches down near his ankles. He does that while looking at pitches that go right down the center of the plate for strikes.
Castillo is worthless. He can't hit, and he's an average fielder at best. I don't care what Guinness or any of the talking heads on TV say, he's average at best in the field. Jose' Valentin showed me more when he was the second baseman than Castillo has ever shown since his arrival in NY. And today he hurt his knee running after a foul pop fly.
Delgado should be benched. He consistently cost the Mets runs with his lack of fielding skill. 1st he can't throw the ball to Jose' to start a double play without hitting Uttley. If the bases are loaded, why not throw home for the force there? And then Schneider can throw back to 1st base for the double play. If Delgadud had done that, he wouldn't have to throw around a ruuner to get the force play. And then in a later inning, he flops on the ground and lets a groundball go past him for a run scoring single. While his body was on the ground, his glove was 2 feet off the ground, and the ball went right where his glove should have been. I don't care that his average is .375. He has more strikeouts than RBIs, and doesn't get a hit when there are men on base. Put Easley at 1st, and send Delgadud to New Orleans.
Schneider is supposed to be a great defensive catcher? So far I haven't seen any evidence of that this season. I don't ever recall Lo Duca having 2 passed balls in 1 game. I don't think Paul ever had problem stopping and catching low or wide pitches. At least Schneider is hitting. But I thought all the talking head experts said he couldn't hit? So much for the experts.
Schoeneweis is lost at Shea. Last year he had an ERA around 6.50 at Shea. Well, it hasn't gotten any better. And that begs the question why did Witless Willie bring him into the game? Why take Smith out after he ended the 6th inning? He's been alot better than the usual suspect pitchers. Why not bring Muniz into the game instead of Scott? Is Scott going to be this season's version of Mota? Will Witless Willie bring him into games no matter what the circumstances? Time will tell.
Heilman is a mystery. One game he's lights out good, and then the next few games he can't get anyone out. First he give up the homerun to Tex Sunday, and then he blows it again today. Doesn't he know how to mix in something besides a change-up and fastball? And Guinness complains about Maine. At least John can go 5-7 innings and only give up a few runs. Heilman can't go 1 inning without giving up a few runs. So I suppose that means Aaron should be a starter, and John go to the pen? LOL
And finally the really big reason for this season so far. Witless Willie Ran-Dumb. He hasn't learned a thing from last year. He still refuses to acknowledge that there's a problem. He thinks everything is fine. He says they'll "just turn the page". And he continues to use the same 3 relievers all the time. In today's game Muniz pitched very well. He got the Phillies out 1-2-3, and only used a few pitches. And Smith has been more good than bad this year. Sosa, Schoeneweis, and Heilman have cost the Mets all 4 lost games this season. So why does Willie continue to trot them out? Is it because that is exactly what Torre' is known for? Joe always used the same pitchers in middle relief no matter what the results. And now Willie is following his teachings.
If getting Witless Willie out of NY means tha Mets have to be dead last in the division by June 1st, so be it. I believe he is the single biggest reason for the failure of this team over the last 3 years. Once he's gone in June, there is still plenty of time to get back in the race and get to the Playoffs.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Different year, same results
Once again the Mets play like chumps and lose in Atlanta. It's pretty sad when your Ace only gives up 1 run in seven innings and you still lose the game. All I heard about before this series was how bad the Braves bull-pen was. Well, can we get a bull-pen that bad for the Mets? They certainly proved who wanted the wins more, and who had the better pen.
Someone please explain to me how the Braves can lose 3 out of the 1st 4 games this year to the Pirates, and then beat the hell out of the Mets. I'm so sick of the Mets bending over and grabbing their ankles when the Braves are the opponent. The way their playing at this point in the season, I seriously doubt they'll win a game against the Phillies this week. They can't hit. They can't field. They can't pitch. And they show no signs of life at all. It's just like last year. They think they're owed a win just because they take the field. Witless Willie hasn't learned a thing from last year. And neither has Omar. They continue to make no moves to improve the offense, and they show no sense of urgency to win.
The only player that did his part in trying to win yesterday was Santana. He pitches 7 innings and gets the loss. He also had a double in the game and drove a ball to the warning track in right field. It's pretty sad when your pitcher is the best hitter of the day. Jose is picking up where he left off last year, and Beltran is having flashbacks to the '06 NLCS game #7. David can't hit Smoltz if his mother's life depended on it. I think he now has 15 strikeouts in 30 at bats against Smoltz. And Castillo is worthless at the plate. Why he deserved a 4 year contract is beyond me. I never thought his defense was that great and he can't hit worth a damn. So of coarse Omar gives him a 4 year contract. It makes no sense to have a light hitting #2 hitter, if he continues to hit with no one on base, or can't get the ball out of the infield. For the offensive output he's demonstrated so far in his Mets career, you could have a pitcher hitting in the #2 spot. All he ever does is hit ground balls to the infield or try to bunt for a hit. Sounds like a pitcher doesn't it? While we have Castillo for the next 4 years, the Phillies have Utley. How would you rather have? I'd take Utley any day.
It doesn't bode well for a game or series when the 1st 3 hitters in the line-up are worthless at the plate. David should straighten himself out soon enough, but Castillo will only get worse, and Jose is a mystery. And while this goes on, Alou' will be on Vacation for another 5 weeks, and Delgado will continue to cost the Mets runs and wins. Why do I think that for Omar's next trick, he'll pick up Delgado's $16+ million option for 2009. Maybe because past history says he will. He'll do that instead of signing Tex. After all, why would we want a young switch-hitting power bat playing 1st base next year when we could have an old worn out, has been, who can't hit or run anymore.
Maybe some Divine happening will wake this team up before Tuesday, but I have my doubts. They're already playing as if they're owed a trip to the post-season and show no fire and attitude on the field. If this keeps up Guinness and I will be throwing chairs at our TVs and cursing Witless Willie and Omar the Village Idiot for all the things they didn't do this off season.
Someone please explain to me how the Braves can lose 3 out of the 1st 4 games this year to the Pirates, and then beat the hell out of the Mets. I'm so sick of the Mets bending over and grabbing their ankles when the Braves are the opponent. The way their playing at this point in the season, I seriously doubt they'll win a game against the Phillies this week. They can't hit. They can't field. They can't pitch. And they show no signs of life at all. It's just like last year. They think they're owed a win just because they take the field. Witless Willie hasn't learned a thing from last year. And neither has Omar. They continue to make no moves to improve the offense, and they show no sense of urgency to win.
The only player that did his part in trying to win yesterday was Santana. He pitches 7 innings and gets the loss. He also had a double in the game and drove a ball to the warning track in right field. It's pretty sad when your pitcher is the best hitter of the day. Jose is picking up where he left off last year, and Beltran is having flashbacks to the '06 NLCS game #7. David can't hit Smoltz if his mother's life depended on it. I think he now has 15 strikeouts in 30 at bats against Smoltz. And Castillo is worthless at the plate. Why he deserved a 4 year contract is beyond me. I never thought his defense was that great and he can't hit worth a damn. So of coarse Omar gives him a 4 year contract. It makes no sense to have a light hitting #2 hitter, if he continues to hit with no one on base, or can't get the ball out of the infield. For the offensive output he's demonstrated so far in his Mets career, you could have a pitcher hitting in the #2 spot. All he ever does is hit ground balls to the infield or try to bunt for a hit. Sounds like a pitcher doesn't it? While we have Castillo for the next 4 years, the Phillies have Utley. How would you rather have? I'd take Utley any day.
It doesn't bode well for a game or series when the 1st 3 hitters in the line-up are worthless at the plate. David should straighten himself out soon enough, but Castillo will only get worse, and Jose is a mystery. And while this goes on, Alou' will be on Vacation for another 5 weeks, and Delgado will continue to cost the Mets runs and wins. Why do I think that for Omar's next trick, he'll pick up Delgado's $16+ million option for 2009. Maybe because past history says he will. He'll do that instead of signing Tex. After all, why would we want a young switch-hitting power bat playing 1st base next year when we could have an old worn out, has been, who can't hit or run anymore.
Maybe some Divine happening will wake this team up before Tuesday, but I have my doubts. They're already playing as if they're owed a trip to the post-season and show no fire and attitude on the field. If this keeps up Guinness and I will be throwing chairs at our TVs and cursing Witless Willie and Omar the Village Idiot for all the things they didn't do this off season.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Maine and the Mets torpedoed by the Braves
Well it wasn't the result we as Mets fans were hoping for. But then again it's hard to be successful when the Umpires are incompetent. They blew a call in the field that everyone but them in the stadium knew wasn't an out. And the home plate Umpire had a strike zone the size of a postage stamp. I saw John throw strike after strike, and the ump called them balls. The last I knew that white thing on the ground is the plate, and if the ball goes over it while between knee high and belt high, it's a strike. Well not yesterday.
John was throwing the ball consistently in the upper 90's and that isn't a good thing. I saw 97 MPH more than once, he normally throws around 93 mph. I guess the extra day and the hype around playing the Braves had John really hopping the ball. And Guinness those 87 mph pitches were SLIDERS, not CHANGE-UPS. John throws 3 pitches, and 87 in about normal for a slider. He was behind in the count so often, that he threw mostly fastballs while trying to find the umps' strike zone. A tight strike zone doesn't effect someone like Hudson. He's a ground ball pitcher, not a fly ball strikeout pitcher. In games when John gets squeezed at the plate, he struggles with good hitters. And the Braves have a lot of good hitters. If any fly ball pitcher is forced to throw over the middle of the plate, the results generally are not good.
As bad as John pitched, the offense and bull-pen were worse. John only gave up 4 runs, and most days that should give your team a chance to win. The bull-pen gave up 7 runs, and the offense couldn't get a hit when needed. This game had none of the things needed to win a game. It had no timely hitting, the starting pitching was not good, and the bull-pen stunk up the place. Lets hope things change today. David hit into double plays and Reyes wasn't very good today either. I hope they decide to actually decide to show up today and contribute to the game. There is something about Turner Field that always causes trouble for the Mets early in the year. I believe they lost 5 of the 1st 6 games there last year. Lets all hope that Santana doesn't have the same bad luck as Maine did Saturday.
John was throwing the ball consistently in the upper 90's and that isn't a good thing. I saw 97 MPH more than once, he normally throws around 93 mph. I guess the extra day and the hype around playing the Braves had John really hopping the ball. And Guinness those 87 mph pitches were SLIDERS, not CHANGE-UPS. John throws 3 pitches, and 87 in about normal for a slider. He was behind in the count so often, that he threw mostly fastballs while trying to find the umps' strike zone. A tight strike zone doesn't effect someone like Hudson. He's a ground ball pitcher, not a fly ball strikeout pitcher. In games when John gets squeezed at the plate, he struggles with good hitters. And the Braves have a lot of good hitters. If any fly ball pitcher is forced to throw over the middle of the plate, the results generally are not good.
As bad as John pitched, the offense and bull-pen were worse. John only gave up 4 runs, and most days that should give your team a chance to win. The bull-pen gave up 7 runs, and the offense couldn't get a hit when needed. This game had none of the things needed to win a game. It had no timely hitting, the starting pitching was not good, and the bull-pen stunk up the place. Lets hope things change today. David hit into double plays and Reyes wasn't very good today either. I hope they decide to actually decide to show up today and contribute to the game. There is something about Turner Field that always causes trouble for the Mets early in the year. I believe they lost 5 of the 1st 6 games there last year. Lets all hope that Santana doesn't have the same bad luck as Maine did Saturday.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Mets taking care of Business in Florida
If there was any doubt how the Mets would come out and play this game, those fears can be put to rest. They came out to play, and never gave the Fish any hope of winning this game.
Ollie pitched great, Figueroa was impressive in his debut and everyone chipped in offensively. Church drove his 1st home run of the season into the right field seats. David was been hitting the ball everywhere including one way back into the seats in left field. And Beltran keeps hitting doubles. One of which has a home run that was overruled and called a double. So once again the Umpires are sticking it to the Mets.
I want to take a moment to say something here and now. Everyone out there that was crying about the Milledge trade, shut up. Church is proving his value, and Schnieder is hitting and fielding better than hoped for. Church hit a 2 run home run off a left handed pitcher, and drove in another run with a single in the 9th. He had 3 hits, scored twice, drove in 3 runs, and threw out Ramirez at second to start the game. He has done nothing but contribute defensively and offensively this season so far. HoJo is showing everyone that he knows about hitting. He's passing that knowledge onto Church just as he has done with David. Schnieder is doing his part too. He had 2 RBI this game to go along with 2 walks and a run scored. Both of them have been nothing but professional this year so far.
The Mets have done everything this game that is needed for this season to be successful. They've hit the opposing pitchers hard, and not let up. They've made great plays in the field. David and Church both made highlight quality plays. They got good pitching from their starters and bull-pen. And they never gave an inferior team a chance of winning. These are all things that need to be repeated more frequently this season than last season. All too often the Mets just went through the motions last year and didn't bury teams when needed. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.
Ollie pitched great, Figueroa was impressive in his debut and everyone chipped in offensively. Church drove his 1st home run of the season into the right field seats. David was been hitting the ball everywhere including one way back into the seats in left field. And Beltran keeps hitting doubles. One of which has a home run that was overruled and called a double. So once again the Umpires are sticking it to the Mets.
I want to take a moment to say something here and now. Everyone out there that was crying about the Milledge trade, shut up. Church is proving his value, and Schnieder is hitting and fielding better than hoped for. Church hit a 2 run home run off a left handed pitcher, and drove in another run with a single in the 9th. He had 3 hits, scored twice, drove in 3 runs, and threw out Ramirez at second to start the game. He has done nothing but contribute defensively and offensively this season so far. HoJo is showing everyone that he knows about hitting. He's passing that knowledge onto Church just as he has done with David. Schnieder is doing his part too. He had 2 RBI this game to go along with 2 walks and a run scored. Both of them have been nothing but professional this year so far.
The Mets have done everything this game that is needed for this season to be successful. They've hit the opposing pitchers hard, and not let up. They've made great plays in the field. David and Church both made highlight quality plays. They got good pitching from their starters and bull-pen. And they never gave an inferior team a chance of winning. These are all things that need to be repeated more frequently this season than last season. All too often the Mets just went through the motions last year and didn't bury teams when needed. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.
Who's hiding the Voodoo Doll?
Once again Mets fans have bad luck jump up and slap them in the face.
Pedro's shoulder is fine, but unfortunately his Hamstring isn't. The acquisition of Santana and the maturing of Maine will now be put to the test. Until Pedro's return, John needs to become the #2 starter if Willie wants to keep the Left-Right balance to the rotation. Pedro's injury also means the Mets may now need to go with a 4 man rotation until the middle of April. That's when we as fans will be hoping El' Duque can somehow find the plate, and not give up 5 runs while doing it. And we also hope that Pelfrey takes advantage of his chance to show us what he's capable of.
This is why we as Mets fans get so mad when opportunities are not taken advantage of. That's why years like '06 and '07 can't be written off with the thought that "We'll get them next year". All too often, there is no next year for Mets fans.
Pedro's shoulder is fine, but unfortunately his Hamstring isn't. The acquisition of Santana and the maturing of Maine will now be put to the test. Until Pedro's return, John needs to become the #2 starter if Willie wants to keep the Left-Right balance to the rotation. Pedro's injury also means the Mets may now need to go with a 4 man rotation until the middle of April. That's when we as fans will be hoping El' Duque can somehow find the plate, and not give up 5 runs while doing it. And we also hope that Pelfrey takes advantage of his chance to show us what he's capable of.
This is why we as Mets fans get so mad when opportunities are not taken advantage of. That's why years like '06 and '07 can't be written off with the thought that "We'll get them next year". All too often, there is no next year for Mets fans.
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