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.
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15 comments:
You are crazy. It had nothing to do with Valentin. I say good riddance. Valentin was a below average fielder and hitter. Reyes' troubles actually began when Willie sat him a game for not hustling after hitting a foul ball.
Castillo is actually doing a good job in the 2-spot. The job of the 2-hitter is to move the leadoff guy to scoring position and to get on base. Castillo does this part consistently. It's the no. 3 hitter who is supposed to drive them both in. So the question is, what happened to David Wright? He's been drawing a ton of walks but doesn't seem to be hitting much anymore...maybe he should be batting 1st or 2nd since his on-base percentage is through the roof! Here's the lineup I'd like to see:
1- Reyes
2- Castillo
3- Wright
4- Beltran
5- Alou
6- Delgado
7- Church (gives Delgado protection and can hit lefties so it doesn't matter that it's lefty-lefty-lefty)
8- Schneider
guinness,
You even said yourself that the Mets were winning games with Ryan in the 2 hole. ANd Jose' troubles started in July, not September.
willie sat reyes in july or august, it was earlier than september i believe. my question is why does willie always single out reyes? i did not see the press conference or hear willie on WFAN yesterday, but the articles I've read have mentioned his criticizism of jose not getting to 2nd on the run down. what i don't hear is willie being critical of castillo's error, or wrights. come on willie, be judicious. as for pagan, has anybody noticed that angel has been in serious decline ever since willie gave him a vote of no-confidence?
I've noticed it too KJM. He did the same thing to Pelfrey in spring training. Witless Willie was running his mouth saying Duque was his starter, and he hadn't even thrown a pitch. The 1st few weeks Mike was lights out, as soon as Willie opened his mouth, Mike started to struggle in Spring Training.
How is the team supposed to be motivated when the manager doesn't believe in some of his players? Ugh.
And Dan, I was arguing for Church in the 2-spot mainly because it was a criticism of Willie changing something that was working to something that wasn't working. Castillo's been hitting well in the 2-spot since he's been back so we should leave him there. Right now, Beltran and Delgado need protection so Church should bat behind one of them.
Well with Alou' coming back, it's an opportunity to get more production at the top of the order if Ryan is moved up to the 2 hole. Ryan give the Mets a better chance of scoring runs early in the game, than Castillo does. I'm not saying Castillo isn't hitting now, but he's a singles hitter and bunter. Neither does the same damage as the doubles and homeruns Ryan can provide at the top of the order.
i liked church in the 2 as well, but castillo is hitting now. the job of the #2 hitter is to take pitches and move the runner along. we don't want church to have to do that all the time. and who is going to protect alou in the lineup? no, i say if castillo is hitting leave him there.
My thoughts exactly kjmcc
I'm glad both of you are happy with the total lack of run production. Remember '06? The Mets scored early and often. And who was in the 2 hole? A player who wasn't a bunter, or an automatic out. Lo Duca didn't have Ryan's power, but he drove the ball and got alot of doubles. that's something Castillo will never be. Where is it written that the 2 hole hitter needs to be a small ball player? As long as the 2 hole hitter makes contact, the job gets done. Why can't that contact be a double instead of a bunt? Willie thinks the same way you do. And we all see where that is getting the Mets.
Wait, I'm confused Dan. I think kjmcc and I agree with you 100%. We need a hitter who makes contact and doesn't strike out to be in the No. 2 hole. Castillo does just that. And Church has the highest strike-out rate on the team with 22 strike-outs. Meanwhile, Castillo is down the list with only 7. By the way, Castillo's on-base percentage is only 20 points lower than Church but Castillo draws a walk 50% more often than Church. These are the numbers we should care more about for a No. 2 hitter.
Here's some stats Guinness.
Church 31 hits, Castillo 21 hits
Church RBI 19, Castillo 4 RBI
Church OBP .385, Castillo .366
Church AB 91, Castillo AB 81
Church Walks 10, Castillo walks 13
Church Slg .469, Castillo slg .284
Church runs 21, Castillo runs 10
Looks to me that Ryan is a hell of a lot more productive in scoring runs and driving in runs than Castillo is. You can cherry pick all the stats you want, but when Ryan was batting 2nd, the Mets were scoring runs and winning games. Castillo in the 2 hole does NOTHING to improve the Mets winning percentage.
And as far as Valentin being below average in the field and the plate, I guess 18 homruns and around 60 RBI in '06 doesn't matter. Castillo would need 3 years to equal those numbers. And I don't recall Valentin muffing routine plays like Castillo has been doing. And Jose' didn't cost the Mets $6 Million a year for part time duty.
Church should be driving in more runs than Castillo. That's why he's batting in the middle and top of the bottom half of the order. That's the job of that part of the lineup. The job of the No. 2 hitter is to work pitch counts and move the leadoff runner into scoring position. All things that Castillo does well. Go look at the games when Church was batting 2nd. He struck out alot when Reyes was on base. And when he didn't strike out, he tended to fly out. So yes, he scored alot of runs from that spot but Reyes was not on base when he had his hits.
valentin is a non-issue. the man is 39 years old, what kind of production can we really expect?
in 06 loduca was good at situational hitting, moving the runner around, giving reyes a chance to run. that is not what we want church to do. we have wright and beltran to drive in runs. the team scored runs with church batting 2nd, you're right. but wright hit, like .500 during that time also. he has cooled a bit. this is a national league team man, we have got to manufacture runs. wally backman never hit alot of hr's, yet he was the perfect #2 hitter.
Valentin as a player this year wasn't my point. If there was someway to get him to NY as a mentor and coach for Reyes, I think Jose' would be a lot more of the player we all know he can be. Reyes seems to be scuffling along for over 4 months now, and I think he needs someone like Valentin to help him thru this problem he's having. Willie certainly isn't helping Jose'.
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