I watched the afternoon SNY shows and it’s amazing to hear that I’m not alone in my thoughts about the Mets roster. More than one said that Delgado should not be resigned. Everyone agreed that Joe Smith and Brian Stokes were the only relief pitchers that were deserving of return. And everyone questioned the 4 year extension for Omar.
The reason given for not bringing back Delgado was his age, the likelihood that his production will slide, and the fact that he is NOT THE LEADER needed in the clubhouse. Until he leaves, the ability of David Wright and Jose’ Reyes to become the leaders of this team will never happen. Delgado was ruler of the clubhouse during the last 2 rancid seasons and shouldn’t be allowed a third chance. His production wouldn’t be that hard to replace, and his influence is not the type needed on the team. Remember, Delgado is the same player at one time wouldn’t stand during the Pledge of Allegiance and turned his back of the singing of God Bless America.
I'd get Matt Holiday for left field, put Nick Evans on 1st base, or get Mark Tiexara to play there. Send Murphy to winter ball to learn 2nd base, and then the Mets might have a chance to change their September luck. I'd also look at gettting C.C. and K-Rod. Money shouldn't be an issue, and it's time to stop acting like 2nd class sitizens of NYC.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Painful Season Finally Ends
This weekend turned out about how I figured it would. When the Mets lost the 10 inning game to the Cubs I knew the season was over, it was just a matter of when and how.
Friday, Mike Pelfrey did his best against a team that has owned him this season, but once again the Mets offense went to sleep. As much as the bull-pen is to blame for all the losses they caused this year, the offense was delinquent in their duties too. How many times have we all seen runners stranded in scoring position? How many times have the Mets not scored a run after the 5th inning? How many times have the Mets hitters made lousy pitchers look like Cy Young winners? When will the hitters learn to hit breaking pitches? All too often this season the Mets never seemed to have the killer instinct to finish teams off. They never made it a habit to bury teams early and often. They would get out to an early lead, and then coast. The other teams would chip away, and before you knew it, it was a 1 run game and the bull-pen suffered for it.
Saturday, Johan showed once again why he's the best pitcher in baseball bar none. To come back on 3 days rest and throw a 3 hit shut-out when the team needed the win is the stuff Aces are made for. While watching the game, I thought back to the last Saturday of 2007 and it was Deja Vue all over. John Maine, with his team in the same situation, struck out 14 and took a no-hitter into the 9th inning. Unlike Johan, John had 10 runs to work with. If not for Santana's super human effort, the Mets would have ended their season on Saturday not Sunday. The Mets once again failed to score any runs to allow you to relax while watching. The bull-pen gets plenty of blame for the season's failures, but if the Mets had just scored a few more runs in a few more games, October baseball would have been guaranteed weeks ago.
Sunday, Oliver Perez at least pitched well enough to give the Mets a chance. On short rest he went 5+ innings and only gave up 2 runs. Smith shut down the Fish in the 6th, Stokes pitched the 7th and was rescued by another patented Chavez catch in left-field. You could almost see the eerie similarities to game 7 in the 2006 NLCS. The team was charged up, and Chavez was leading off the bottom of the inning. Then just like in '06, the air left the stadium in an instant. Instead of Heilman sucking the life out of Shea, it was a left hander. In the top of the 8th, Scott Schoeneweis did what he does almost as well as Heilman. He served up the winning HR and got booed as he dragged his butt of the field. Ayala then comes in and serves up HR #2 in the inning. By that time it didn't matter. The Mets were dead men walking and they went out with a whimper in the 9th. The game lost in the 10th inning to the Cubs earlier in the week killed them. That loss took out their heart and threw it to the ground. Just like an deer that's been shot thru the heart, it just took a little while to realize they were dead.
I said back in August when Billy Wagner got hurt that the Mets were going to have a hard time making it to October without him. Stokes, Smith, Ayala, and Figueroa did their best, but in the end it wasn't enough. Too often Heilman, Schoeneweis, Feliciano and Sanchez shot the team in the chest and in the end The Mets could overcome all the obstacles. Let's hope that Omar doesn't burden the fans with another version of the "07 or "08 team. Drastic changes need to be made and had better be made before spring training begins.
Friday, Mike Pelfrey did his best against a team that has owned him this season, but once again the Mets offense went to sleep. As much as the bull-pen is to blame for all the losses they caused this year, the offense was delinquent in their duties too. How many times have we all seen runners stranded in scoring position? How many times have the Mets not scored a run after the 5th inning? How many times have the Mets hitters made lousy pitchers look like Cy Young winners? When will the hitters learn to hit breaking pitches? All too often this season the Mets never seemed to have the killer instinct to finish teams off. They never made it a habit to bury teams early and often. They would get out to an early lead, and then coast. The other teams would chip away, and before you knew it, it was a 1 run game and the bull-pen suffered for it.
Saturday, Johan showed once again why he's the best pitcher in baseball bar none. To come back on 3 days rest and throw a 3 hit shut-out when the team needed the win is the stuff Aces are made for. While watching the game, I thought back to the last Saturday of 2007 and it was Deja Vue all over. John Maine, with his team in the same situation, struck out 14 and took a no-hitter into the 9th inning. Unlike Johan, John had 10 runs to work with. If not for Santana's super human effort, the Mets would have ended their season on Saturday not Sunday. The Mets once again failed to score any runs to allow you to relax while watching. The bull-pen gets plenty of blame for the season's failures, but if the Mets had just scored a few more runs in a few more games, October baseball would have been guaranteed weeks ago.
Sunday, Oliver Perez at least pitched well enough to give the Mets a chance. On short rest he went 5+ innings and only gave up 2 runs. Smith shut down the Fish in the 6th, Stokes pitched the 7th and was rescued by another patented Chavez catch in left-field. You could almost see the eerie similarities to game 7 in the 2006 NLCS. The team was charged up, and Chavez was leading off the bottom of the inning. Then just like in '06, the air left the stadium in an instant. Instead of Heilman sucking the life out of Shea, it was a left hander. In the top of the 8th, Scott Schoeneweis did what he does almost as well as Heilman. He served up the winning HR and got booed as he dragged his butt of the field. Ayala then comes in and serves up HR #2 in the inning. By that time it didn't matter. The Mets were dead men walking and they went out with a whimper in the 9th. The game lost in the 10th inning to the Cubs earlier in the week killed them. That loss took out their heart and threw it to the ground. Just like an deer that's been shot thru the heart, it just took a little while to realize they were dead.
I said back in August when Billy Wagner got hurt that the Mets were going to have a hard time making it to October without him. Stokes, Smith, Ayala, and Figueroa did their best, but in the end it wasn't enough. Too often Heilman, Schoeneweis, Feliciano and Sanchez shot the team in the chest and in the end The Mets could overcome all the obstacles. Let's hope that Omar doesn't burden the fans with another version of the "07 or "08 team. Drastic changes need to be made and had better be made before spring training begins.
Friday, September 26, 2008
The 2009 Mets
In between cat naps on the couch I did manage to see most of the Mets game. A few things have become clear during this tortuous month of September. If the Mets don’t make the playoffs, the locker room needs a big makeover. Ever cense Cliff Floyd’s departure there hasn’t been a vocal veteran in the club house to shake up the players when needed. That means certain people need to go somewhere else.
As good as Delgado has been, he needs to go. He’s part of the leadership problem in the Clubhouse. Pedro, Heilman, Feliciano, Schoeneweis, Sanchez, Castro, Anderson, and Castillo all need to go too. Murphy should be the starting left fielder. Evans or Mark Texiera should be playing first. Robinson Cancel should be the back-up catcher, Argenis Reyes or someone else should be at second base. Santana, Pelfrey, Niese, Maine, and Parnell should be the starting 5 unless the Mets go after C.C. Sabathia. K-Rod should be closing, and Kunz should be setting up in the 8th inning. Smith, Stokes, Ayala, Muniz, Figgy should be in the pen. If the Mets can pick up a good left handed pitcher for the pen, then that would be helpfull. But this 2008 bull-pen crew can not be allowed in Citi-Field next year.
It may sound drastic, but I see no other way to take the rancid taste of 2007's defeat and the disappointments of 2008 from following the Mets into Citi-Field next year.
As good as Delgado has been, he needs to go. He’s part of the leadership problem in the Clubhouse. Pedro, Heilman, Feliciano, Schoeneweis, Sanchez, Castro, Anderson, and Castillo all need to go too. Murphy should be the starting left fielder. Evans or Mark Texiera should be playing first. Robinson Cancel should be the back-up catcher, Argenis Reyes or someone else should be at second base. Santana, Pelfrey, Niese, Maine, and Parnell should be the starting 5 unless the Mets go after C.C. Sabathia. K-Rod should be closing, and Kunz should be setting up in the 8th inning. Smith, Stokes, Ayala, Muniz, Figgy should be in the pen. If the Mets can pick up a good left handed pitcher for the pen, then that would be helpfull. But this 2008 bull-pen crew can not be allowed in Citi-Field next year.
It may sound drastic, but I see no other way to take the rancid taste of 2007's defeat and the disappointments of 2008 from following the Mets into Citi-Field next year.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Mets afraid of Success
Watching the Mets these last few weeks is like watching a loved one slowly pass away. There is no other way to describe what is going on. They seem like they don’t want to play in October, and they seem afraid of success. All year long they have failed to do what is needed to win games, and now when wins are needed more than ever, they continue to spit the bit. The Mets have been terrible all year on there are runners in scoring position, and now when all that was needed was one hit, they fail once again to do the simplest things. Why can Daniel Murphy get a critical hit in the 9th inning, and then no one else can even hit the ball? All the Mets needed was a fly ball, and they win the game. But, that was impossible. David strikes out, Beltran and Delgado walk, Church hits a weak ground ball, and then Castro strikes out on three pitches. Thanks for the effort Ramon. The game was over there. What happened in the 10th inning didn’t matter.
When the Mets needed Ollie the most, he couldn’t throw strikes. He walked 5 batters and couldn’t get out of the 5th inning. Those walks ended up scoring, and the Perez blew an early 5-1 lead. On a night when Phillie was getting shelled, Ollie came up small. On a night when the Brewers were winning, Sanchez once again allowed anyone on base to score, and the season took another step towards the abyss. Such is the life a Mets fan.
When the Mets needed Ollie the most, he couldn’t throw strikes. He walked 5 batters and couldn’t get out of the 5th inning. Those walks ended up scoring, and the Perez blew an early 5-1 lead. On a night when Phillie was getting shelled, Ollie came up small. On a night when the Brewers were winning, Sanchez once again allowed anyone on base to score, and the season took another step towards the abyss. Such is the life a Mets fan.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Some thoughts on Niese
I have nothing against John Niese. The Mets once again are doing like last year. I can only suspect that there is a culture in MLB that treats Rookie players like disposable pieces to a larger puzzle.
In John’s 1st start, he didn’t pitch for 9 days, and got shelled by the Brewers. His 2nd start, he went on normal rest and shut down the Braves. Monday, he once again got shelled, and he was pitching on 9 days rest. He also had Schneider catching last night and in his first game. Robinson Cancel, who caught him in AAA, caught him in the game against the Braves. See a pattern here? Last year they sat on Humber until the last week, and he gets shelled. They’re doing the same thing with John. They’re not giving him the best chance to succeed, only a chance to fail. The Brewers and Cubs absolutely own left – handed pitchers this year. So why would the Mets start John against them? Why not flip him and Pelfrey in the rotation so Mike gets the Cubs, and John got the Braves Sunday? I guess that makes too much sense. I wonder if Willie has a voodoo doll of Jerry Manuel hiding somewhere.
In John’s 1st start, he didn’t pitch for 9 days, and got shelled by the Brewers. His 2nd start, he went on normal rest and shut down the Braves. Monday, he once again got shelled, and he was pitching on 9 days rest. He also had Schneider catching last night and in his first game. Robinson Cancel, who caught him in AAA, caught him in the game against the Braves. See a pattern here? Last year they sat on Humber until the last week, and he gets shelled. They’re doing the same thing with John. They’re not giving him the best chance to succeed, only a chance to fail. The Brewers and Cubs absolutely own left – handed pitchers this year. So why would the Mets start John against them? Why not flip him and Pelfrey in the rotation so Mike gets the Cubs, and John got the Braves Sunday? I guess that makes too much sense. I wonder if Willie has a voodoo doll of Jerry Manuel hiding somewhere.
Johan Proves He's the Best Pitcher in Baseball.
I hope the Yankee fans were watching the Lefthanded pitching master on the mound at Shea stadium last night. In a game that the Mets could not afford to lose, Johan showed why he’s the best pitcher in baseball. 8 innings, 2 walks, 2 runs, and 10 strikeouts and a hit that brings back visions of the black cat in 1969. Santana who has not lost a game since June, is now working on a streak of 16 consecutive games without a loss. I bet Hank and Hal wish he was in pinstripes instead of the two brittle youngsters they bet their season on.
Offensively, Jose’ and David both got off the snide and drove in the deciding runs in two different bases loaded situations. David drove in the tying runs with a 2 run single in the 5th, and Jose’ cleared the bases in the sixth with his 19th triple. Jose’s triple was also his 200th hit. Only Lance Johnson has more hits [221] in a season for the Mets. David’s hit drove in his 122nd RBI and now he stands only 2 behind the club record set by Mike Piazza in 1999. With 5 more games to go, David could set the record with room to spare.
Maybe there is a chance for redemption yet. If Ollie can be on point this evening, and the Braves treat the Phillies like the Mets, the Mets may even catch them for the division title.
Offensively, Jose’ and David both got off the snide and drove in the deciding runs in two different bases loaded situations. David drove in the tying runs with a 2 run single in the 5th, and Jose’ cleared the bases in the sixth with his 19th triple. Jose’s triple was also his 200th hit. Only Lance Johnson has more hits [221] in a season for the Mets. David’s hit drove in his 122nd RBI and now he stands only 2 behind the club record set by Mike Piazza in 1999. With 5 more games to go, David could set the record with room to spare.
Maybe there is a chance for redemption yet. If Ollie can be on point this evening, and the Braves treat the Phillies like the Mets, the Mets may even catch them for the division title.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Changes in the works
Hello everyone. If you haven't noticed a few things have changed. Guinness, the founder of this blog has decided to leave for varying reason. Among them is work and family. I hope he keeps visiting and keeping us abreast of the newest Mets fan.
I want to thank Guinness for asking me to join him here and I've had fun doing this. It does tend to be time consuming on occasion, but I've enjoyed writing down what ever is on my mind regarding the Mets. Instead of shutting down the blog, Guinness has allowed me to take over ownership of the site. I'll do my best to continue to comment on the Mets' season as it winds down and look forward to all the comments and discussion that we have had. I've added a few new features to the site and hope they are of interest to the guests on the site. I hope to soon have a new banner posted, and will look to keep up with the season's twists and turns.
I want to thank Guinness for asking me to join him here and I've had fun doing this. It does tend to be time consuming on occasion, but I've enjoyed writing down what ever is on my mind regarding the Mets. Instead of shutting down the blog, Guinness has allowed me to take over ownership of the site. I'll do my best to continue to comment on the Mets' season as it winds down and look forward to all the comments and discussion that we have had. I've added a few new features to the site and hope they are of interest to the guests on the site. I hope to soon have a new banner posted, and will look to keep up with the season's twists and turns.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Santana Holds the Line
Yesterday I was asking for some Divine intervention, and I think it happened. The Brewers blow a 4 run lead in the 9th with 2 outs, and Ben Sheets may be done for the year. If the Mets can figure out a way to win in Atlanta, maybe they can get to October baseball afterall. With Ryan Church coming around at the plate, and David looking for redemption, maybe the Mets can win more than 1 game in Hotlanta.
Santana pitched like an ACE, and the Heiman Syndrome didn’t come into play last night. NY circles say that Heilman has pitched his way out of NY, and will see nothing but Mop Up duty at best. If, and that’s a big if, the Mets make the playoffs, Heilman could be left off the playoff roster. During the game Gary Cohan and Ron Darling mentioned that the Mets may try to trade for the Royals closer in the off-season. I say that’s a perfect place for Aaron. He can start there, and never be heard from again in NY.
The offense came from 2 former Nats and it couldn't have been better timing. Schneider and Church both delivered key hits and acounted for 4 for the 7 RBI in the game. Brian's 2 HR were the first 2 HR game for his since 2003, and Church seems to have found his stroke again. With David struggling at the plate, Ryan's bat is sorely needed. Maybe a change of venue will wake David's bat up. The Mets can't afford to lose another 2 or 3 games to Atlanta this weekend. Lets hope the Mets bury Hampton early and often, and that Heilman doesn't even pick up a baseball.
Santana pitched like an ACE, and the Heiman Syndrome didn’t come into play last night. NY circles say that Heilman has pitched his way out of NY, and will see nothing but Mop Up duty at best. If, and that’s a big if, the Mets make the playoffs, Heilman could be left off the playoff roster. During the game Gary Cohan and Ron Darling mentioned that the Mets may try to trade for the Royals closer in the off-season. I say that’s a perfect place for Aaron. He can start there, and never be heard from again in NY.
The offense came from 2 former Nats and it couldn't have been better timing. Schneider and Church both delivered key hits and acounted for 4 for the 7 RBI in the game. Brian's 2 HR were the first 2 HR game for his since 2003, and Church seems to have found his stroke again. With David struggling at the plate, Ryan's bat is sorely needed. Maybe a change of venue will wake David's bat up. The Mets can't afford to lose another 2 or 3 games to Atlanta this weekend. Lets hope the Mets bury Hampton early and often, and that Heilman doesn't even pick up a baseball.
Knight stems the tide
It’s nice to see that the Carlos brothers have decided to show up and ride to the rescue. With an unproven pitcher on the mound the Mets needed to score early and often. The Carlos brothers hit 3 HRs and drove in 5 of the 9 runs last night to provide the cushion.
Brandon Knight did all anyone could ask of him. 5 innings and only 2 runs allowed. But with the Bull-pen situation, no lead is too big heading into the later innings. Once again the Heilman syndrome struck the pen. As soon as he started warming up, things got sticky. Rincon gives up a run, Stokes does his Heilman impersonation by giving up a 2 run HR, Heilman comes in and doesn’t retire a batter, Schoeneweis and Smith bail Aaron out, Feliciano allows 2 unearned runs to score in the 9th, and Ayala comes in and slams the door with a strikeout. It was just your typical bull-pen session for the Mets. It’s a wonder I haven’t taken up drinking yet. At least the Mets won. A loss would have put them behind the Phillies by 1.5 games and the brewers by .5 games. With Johan going tonight, the Mets need to win again and try to gain some separation from the Brewers, and put the pressure on the Phillies. Time to breakout the aspirin and Rolaids for this night’s game and to hope for divine intervention.
Brandon Knight did all anyone could ask of him. 5 innings and only 2 runs allowed. But with the Bull-pen situation, no lead is too big heading into the later innings. Once again the Heilman syndrome struck the pen. As soon as he started warming up, things got sticky. Rincon gives up a run, Stokes does his Heilman impersonation by giving up a 2 run HR, Heilman comes in and doesn’t retire a batter, Schoeneweis and Smith bail Aaron out, Feliciano allows 2 unearned runs to score in the 9th, and Ayala comes in and slams the door with a strikeout. It was just your typical bull-pen session for the Mets. It’s a wonder I haven’t taken up drinking yet. At least the Mets won. A loss would have put them behind the Phillies by 1.5 games and the brewers by .5 games. With Johan going tonight, the Mets need to win again and try to gain some separation from the Brewers, and put the pressure on the Phillies. Time to breakout the aspirin and Rolaids for this night’s game and to hope for divine intervention.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
It's Hard to be a Mets Fan
I’ve been a Mets fan since the late 70’s and things never seem to change. The Mets constantly build up your hopes and then yank the rug out from underneath your feet. They in many ways seem to have an allergic reaction to success. As soon as they have things going in the right direction, something always seems to cause trouble. The Mets have been a lousy team against any pitcher who can throw breaking pitches for strikes, and that hasn’t changed since ’05. Now once again when they need to win games in September, they can’t hit anything out of the infield. They often have trouble hitting anything at all. If they think teams like the Nationals and Braves are going to groove fastballs for them, they are once again sadly mistaken.
Besides not being able to hit breaking pitches to save their season, the Mets are also missing something else. They don’t have a Ray Knight or Keith Hernandez type of player in the dugout. They haven’t had that type of player since Cliff Floyd left the team after 2006. The Mets need a veteran player who’s well respected and outspoken. And where is Cliff playing this year? Tampa. And what have the Rays done this year? They’ve won games and refuse to listen to all the “Experts” that said they’ll fade and not be a factor. Beltran and Delgado are too timid and won’t get in someone’s face to wake them out of their daze, and David isn’t that veteran yet. This September malaise will never completely go away unless there is that respected veteran to kick people in the butt when needed. Jerry has done wonders, but the players need one of their own to step up and be a vocal leader too.
As bad as the loss was last night, the roof hasn’t hit the floor yet. Now the Mets put the ball in Brandon Knight’s untested hand, and will rely on Evans and Murphy to cover left field for the rest of the season. Tatis separated his shoulder, and is done for the year. Tatis has been struggling at the plate, but he’s come thru in numerous games this year and pulled the Mets out of the fire more than once.
Yesterday I mentioned how there always seems to be a no name player that steps up and hurts the Mets, well Willie Harris is that player on the Nats. Once again he cost the Mets a win with his game saving grab of David Wright’s line drive. Too bad he couldn’t take a night off. Maybe the Mets would game if he wasn’t out in left field catching everything hit there.
Besides not being able to hit breaking pitches to save their season, the Mets are also missing something else. They don’t have a Ray Knight or Keith Hernandez type of player in the dugout. They haven’t had that type of player since Cliff Floyd left the team after 2006. The Mets need a veteran player who’s well respected and outspoken. And where is Cliff playing this year? Tampa. And what have the Rays done this year? They’ve won games and refuse to listen to all the “Experts” that said they’ll fade and not be a factor. Beltran and Delgado are too timid and won’t get in someone’s face to wake them out of their daze, and David isn’t that veteran yet. This September malaise will never completely go away unless there is that respected veteran to kick people in the butt when needed. Jerry has done wonders, but the players need one of their own to step up and be a vocal leader too.
As bad as the loss was last night, the roof hasn’t hit the floor yet. Now the Mets put the ball in Brandon Knight’s untested hand, and will rely on Evans and Murphy to cover left field for the rest of the season. Tatis separated his shoulder, and is done for the year. Tatis has been struggling at the plate, but he’s come thru in numerous games this year and pulled the Mets out of the fire more than once.
Yesterday I mentioned how there always seems to be a no name player that steps up and hurts the Mets, well Willie Harris is that player on the Nats. Once again he cost the Mets a win with his game saving grab of David Wright’s line drive. Too bad he couldn’t take a night off. Maybe the Mets would game if he wasn’t out in left field catching everything hit there.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Same old Story
Well, what can be said about last night’s game? Pedro pitched well enough until the 6th inning, but the bats once again went on vacation.
Since 2006 I’ve been railing about the Mets inability to score runs against a pitcher that can throw breaking pitches for strikes. Just picture Carlos Beltran standing there at the plate watching Wainwright’s curveball end the Mets season in ’06. Lannon pitched last night like he did earlier this year against the Mets. In that game, he went 7+ innings, and struck out 11 Mets. Sound familiar? If the Mets’ hitters weren’t swinging and missing at pitches off the plate, they were swinging at pitches that bounced behind the plate. Jose’ is once again in his annual September daze, David struckout with the bases loaded again, and the Carlos Brothers are MIA again.
The only saving grace is the fact that the Mets are in the wildcard chase with Phillie, and the self-destructing Brewers who fired their manager Ned Yost. With 6 more games on this road trip, the Mets don’t figure to go winless before they return to Shea. The fans are just left to wondering where the Mets will be when they make their last stand at Shea.
Since 2006 I’ve been railing about the Mets inability to score runs against a pitcher that can throw breaking pitches for strikes. Just picture Carlos Beltran standing there at the plate watching Wainwright’s curveball end the Mets season in ’06. Lannon pitched last night like he did earlier this year against the Mets. In that game, he went 7+ innings, and struck out 11 Mets. Sound familiar? If the Mets’ hitters weren’t swinging and missing at pitches off the plate, they were swinging at pitches that bounced behind the plate. Jose’ is once again in his annual September daze, David struckout with the bases loaded again, and the Carlos Brothers are MIA again.
The only saving grace is the fact that the Mets are in the wildcard chase with Phillie, and the self-destructing Brewers who fired their manager Ned Yost. With 6 more games on this road trip, the Mets don’t figure to go winless before they return to Shea. The fans are just left to wondering where the Mets will be when they make their last stand at Shea.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Nightmare Comes True
Well, the nightmare came true this weekend. The Brewers rolled over and got trashed by the Phillies, and the Braves continue to make life miserable for the Mets. The Braves have tortured and bludgeoned the Mets for 17 years, and nothing has changed. They get good pitching from recycled pitchers, little known players come up big in the late innings, and Chipper puts another knife in the Mets’ back. Now with the lead down to 1 game, the Mets get to go on a 7 game road trip to Washington and Atlanta. Not my idea of fun. Then they face the Cubbies and Fish, and very possibly their Waterloo too. Is there anyone out there that doesn’t think K-Rod would be worth the $15 Million next year? That was the 27th blown save of the Mets this year. Just imagine where the Mets would be in the standings if they had only blown 8-10 of those games.
The only positive things to happen all weekend was the stellar pitching of Jonathan Niese, and the torrid hitting of David Wright. Niese proved he belongs in the Majors with his 8 innings, 6 hits, 7 strikeouts, 2 walks, and NO RUNS ALLOWED. He’s only 21, and he looked like a seasoned vet on the mound. David is on a tear and has raised his average 10 points this week, hit his 31st HR, and now has 114 RBI. I’m sure he would rather have 2 more wins, but he’s surging at the right time, and his bat will be needed if the Mets have any chance of making the playoffs.
The only positive things to happen all weekend was the stellar pitching of Jonathan Niese, and the torrid hitting of David Wright. Niese proved he belongs in the Majors with his 8 innings, 6 hits, 7 strikeouts, 2 walks, and NO RUNS ALLOWED. He’s only 21, and he looked like a seasoned vet on the mound. David is on a tear and has raised his average 10 points this week, hit his 31st HR, and now has 114 RBI. I’m sure he would rather have 2 more wins, but he’s surging at the right time, and his bat will be needed if the Mets have any chance of making the playoffs.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The Helter Skelter Mets Strike Again
This week has been typical of the Mets' season. They have the Nationals in Shea for a 2 games series that turns into a shootout, then the Braves come to visit, and they can't hardly score a run for Santana.
Last year the Nationals were directly responsible for the Mets sitting home last October and they tried their best to repeat that feat this week. When ever the worst team in the division comes into your house and they are allowed to score 18 runs in 2 games, you know there are ghosts coming to play. Unlike last year, the Mets never gave up and continued to fight for every run needed to win. Delgado had another monster series, David got back on track, Beltran seemed to wake up, and the relief pitchers held the line. Ollie was god awful, and Big Pelf didn't have his head in the game. Thank God for Joe Smith, Brian Stokes, Nelson Figueroa, and Luis Ayala. Smith picked up both wins and Ayala continues to rack up saves. With the News of Billy Wagner's need for surgery, the season now rides on Luis' right arm to close out games. Lets all wish Luis luck and hope his ride to glory continues until November.
After surviving the shootout with Washington, the Mets welcomed Atlanta to Shea for the last time. With a a little help from the Brewers, the Mets were hoping to add another game or two to their 3 game lead in the standings. With Santana pitching the opening game , and Chipper not playing, things were looking good for the Mets. Well the rain came and washed those ideas away and Johan once again fell victim to the Braves. In the 1st game of Saturday's double-header Johan struggled but only gave up 2 runs over 7+ innings. The Mets stranded numerous runners and failed to take advantage of multiple bases loaded situations. The Braves rallied for 3 runs in the 8th inning, and the Mets lose another one to the Braves in September. That certainly does seem to be the trend for the Mets over the years. Santana is now 0-3 with another no decision against the Braves.
With Santana losing the opening game there had to be enormous pressure on Johnathan Niese making his first start in Shea. But the young 21 year old lefty was up to the challenge. He threw 8 innings, struck out 7, walked 2, and only gave up 6 hits while winning his first game in the Major Leagues. He spotted his fastball well and had the Braves baffled by his curve all night long. David continued his resurgence by hitting a deep HR to right center field, Beltran had 3 hits and a HR, and Jose' even got in the HR act. The offense scored a few runs early for John and then he took care of business. With his performance last night, there is no doubt he'll get the ball next week when Jerry needs a win. If Niese continues to pitch like last night, I see little reason to spend $15 Million on Ollie next year. The Mets could have a rotation of Santana, Pelfrey, Maine, Niese, and either Parnell or a free-agent. C.C. Sabathia would be nice, but I doubt if the Wilpon's will drop another $140 Million on another pitcher this winter. I don't have any problems with spending the money needed to get C.C. It's time the Mets stop acting like they're from Florida, and start acting like they're from New York.
Today, the Mets need to finish the Braves and put some more pressure on the Phillies. While the Mets played their double header last night, the Phillies play theirs today. If the Mets can win again today, the Phillies will be feeling the heat as the season flutters away. 15 games to go, and the Mets are holding on. If the Brewers ever decide to put up a fight and show some pride, maybe the Mets can leave NY with a 4 game lead.
Last year the Nationals were directly responsible for the Mets sitting home last October and they tried their best to repeat that feat this week. When ever the worst team in the division comes into your house and they are allowed to score 18 runs in 2 games, you know there are ghosts coming to play. Unlike last year, the Mets never gave up and continued to fight for every run needed to win. Delgado had another monster series, David got back on track, Beltran seemed to wake up, and the relief pitchers held the line. Ollie was god awful, and Big Pelf didn't have his head in the game. Thank God for Joe Smith, Brian Stokes, Nelson Figueroa, and Luis Ayala. Smith picked up both wins and Ayala continues to rack up saves. With the News of Billy Wagner's need for surgery, the season now rides on Luis' right arm to close out games. Lets all wish Luis luck and hope his ride to glory continues until November.
After surviving the shootout with Washington, the Mets welcomed Atlanta to Shea for the last time. With a a little help from the Brewers, the Mets were hoping to add another game or two to their 3 game lead in the standings. With Santana pitching the opening game , and Chipper not playing, things were looking good for the Mets. Well the rain came and washed those ideas away and Johan once again fell victim to the Braves. In the 1st game of Saturday's double-header Johan struggled but only gave up 2 runs over 7+ innings. The Mets stranded numerous runners and failed to take advantage of multiple bases loaded situations. The Braves rallied for 3 runs in the 8th inning, and the Mets lose another one to the Braves in September. That certainly does seem to be the trend for the Mets over the years. Santana is now 0-3 with another no decision against the Braves.
With Santana losing the opening game there had to be enormous pressure on Johnathan Niese making his first start in Shea. But the young 21 year old lefty was up to the challenge. He threw 8 innings, struck out 7, walked 2, and only gave up 6 hits while winning his first game in the Major Leagues. He spotted his fastball well and had the Braves baffled by his curve all night long. David continued his resurgence by hitting a deep HR to right center field, Beltran had 3 hits and a HR, and Jose' even got in the HR act. The offense scored a few runs early for John and then he took care of business. With his performance last night, there is no doubt he'll get the ball next week when Jerry needs a win. If Niese continues to pitch like last night, I see little reason to spend $15 Million on Ollie next year. The Mets could have a rotation of Santana, Pelfrey, Maine, Niese, and either Parnell or a free-agent. C.C. Sabathia would be nice, but I doubt if the Wilpon's will drop another $140 Million on another pitcher this winter. I don't have any problems with spending the money needed to get C.C. It's time the Mets stop acting like they're from Florida, and start acting like they're from New York.
Today, the Mets need to finish the Braves and put some more pressure on the Phillies. While the Mets played their double header last night, the Phillies play theirs today. If the Mets can win again today, the Phillies will be feeling the heat as the season flutters away. 15 games to go, and the Mets are holding on. If the Brewers ever decide to put up a fight and show some pride, maybe the Mets can leave NY with a 4 game lead.
Monday, September 8, 2008
The Mets Survive the Weekend, but Wagner's Elbow Doesn't
What everyone was fearing would happen has happened. Wagner's elbow is history and so is his Mets career. With the required 12+ months to recover from "Tommy John" surgery, the is little chance of Billy ever pitching for the Mets again. His contract is up after 2009, and the Mets will have K-Rod in the pen next April. With Kunz as the possible set-up man, and Billy's desire to close games, the Mets don't figure into his future. It's too bad that Billy's Mets career had to end like this. He was always a gamer and fighter that never ducked the consequences of his failures, and didn't boast when he succeeded.
While Billy was testing his failed elbow, the Mets managed to win a game this weekend against the Phillies. Big Pelf did his best, but Meyers was just a bit better. The Mets' bats once again went to sleep and hardly managed a hit against Meyers. He threw his nasty curve for strikes the whole game, and we all know how the Mets hit curveballs. Just picture Beltran in the 9th inning of game 7 of the '06 NLCS and you get the idea. Why the Mets continue to show the inability to hit good breaking pitches is beyond me. Too bad Doc Gooden is pissed at the Mets, he'd make a great BP pitcher for them.
If Friday wasn't bad enough, in Sunday's afternoon game Jamie Moyer once again baffled the Mets and showed that a 82 MPH fastball works if you put it in the right place. Too bad Pedro wasn't paying attention. For the 3rd consecutive start, Pedro was shelled. The longer this goes on the less likely he comes back in any fashion next year. Unless Pedro takes a lesson from Moose, and learns to pitch to location and movement, he's done in this league. No longer can Pedro just go about his business and get outs. He's not even the pitcher he was in '05 much less '99. It's almost to the point of replacing Pedro with Parnell in the rotation. He certainly couldn't do any worse. Although Pedro gave 6 runs in only 4 innings, the offense never showed any signs of life until the 8th inning. 3 straight extra base hits scored the 2 runs, but by then it was too late.
Sunday's night game was the Carlos and Johan show. Delgado provided the offense, and Johan kept the Phillies in check. Santana continues to prove why he's the best pitcher in baseball. He hasn't lost a game since June, and is pitching into the 7th inning more time than not. His second half record during his career is something few pitchers in history have had. In 119 games, he's 55-17 with a 2.75 ERA. That's a .7635 winning percentage !!! He has proven this season why Cashman made the biggest mistake in the history of the Yankees by not trading for him this off-season. How Cashman could even think that Hughes and Kennedy were worth keeping over trading for Johan, baffles everyone in baseball.
What can be said about Carlos Delgado? I and many others wanted him off the team in April and May, now he may be the league MVP. Who would have thought that Carlos had the same reaction and feelings about Witless Willie as I did. If I had to work for Willie I probably would have slit my wrists, Carlos just hated playing baseball for him. As soon as Willie was canned, Carlos came to life. If not for his improved play, the Mets would have a hard time beating the Marlins in the standings, much less leading the standings. Without Carlos, the Mets are probably below .500 and talking like the Yankees are. You know, talking about injuries, being big players in the free-agent market this winter, making changes to the line-up, ect. All the things teams say when they have no hopes for the rest of the season.
Now the Mets spend the next 12 games playing the Nats and the Braves while the Phillies have the Brewers and Fish on their menu. I hope the Mets don't take any of these upcoming games for granted. Last year the Nats helped ruin the Mets season and the Braves have no warm fuzzy feelings for the Mets either. If the Mets can win 8-10 of these upcoming games, they should be able to gain a few games on the Phillies. A cushion of 3-4 games would be nice heading into the 4 games with the Cubs, and 3 games with the Fish to end the season. Last year the Fish buried the Mets' in the last game, and would love to do it this year too. With Wagner gone, Stokes and Ayala will really be tested and be the anchors of the pen. With some help from Smith and Figgy, maybe the pen can make all Mets' fans proud and bring another banner to the new ball park next year.
While Billy was testing his failed elbow, the Mets managed to win a game this weekend against the Phillies. Big Pelf did his best, but Meyers was just a bit better. The Mets' bats once again went to sleep and hardly managed a hit against Meyers. He threw his nasty curve for strikes the whole game, and we all know how the Mets hit curveballs. Just picture Beltran in the 9th inning of game 7 of the '06 NLCS and you get the idea. Why the Mets continue to show the inability to hit good breaking pitches is beyond me. Too bad Doc Gooden is pissed at the Mets, he'd make a great BP pitcher for them.
If Friday wasn't bad enough, in Sunday's afternoon game Jamie Moyer once again baffled the Mets and showed that a 82 MPH fastball works if you put it in the right place. Too bad Pedro wasn't paying attention. For the 3rd consecutive start, Pedro was shelled. The longer this goes on the less likely he comes back in any fashion next year. Unless Pedro takes a lesson from Moose, and learns to pitch to location and movement, he's done in this league. No longer can Pedro just go about his business and get outs. He's not even the pitcher he was in '05 much less '99. It's almost to the point of replacing Pedro with Parnell in the rotation. He certainly couldn't do any worse. Although Pedro gave 6 runs in only 4 innings, the offense never showed any signs of life until the 8th inning. 3 straight extra base hits scored the 2 runs, but by then it was too late.
Sunday's night game was the Carlos and Johan show. Delgado provided the offense, and Johan kept the Phillies in check. Santana continues to prove why he's the best pitcher in baseball. He hasn't lost a game since June, and is pitching into the 7th inning more time than not. His second half record during his career is something few pitchers in history have had. In 119 games, he's 55-17 with a 2.75 ERA. That's a .7635 winning percentage !!! He has proven this season why Cashman made the biggest mistake in the history of the Yankees by not trading for him this off-season. How Cashman could even think that Hughes and Kennedy were worth keeping over trading for Johan, baffles everyone in baseball.
What can be said about Carlos Delgado? I and many others wanted him off the team in April and May, now he may be the league MVP. Who would have thought that Carlos had the same reaction and feelings about Witless Willie as I did. If I had to work for Willie I probably would have slit my wrists, Carlos just hated playing baseball for him. As soon as Willie was canned, Carlos came to life. If not for his improved play, the Mets would have a hard time beating the Marlins in the standings, much less leading the standings. Without Carlos, the Mets are probably below .500 and talking like the Yankees are. You know, talking about injuries, being big players in the free-agent market this winter, making changes to the line-up, ect. All the things teams say when they have no hopes for the rest of the season.
Now the Mets spend the next 12 games playing the Nats and the Braves while the Phillies have the Brewers and Fish on their menu. I hope the Mets don't take any of these upcoming games for granted. Last year the Nats helped ruin the Mets season and the Braves have no warm fuzzy feelings for the Mets either. If the Mets can win 8-10 of these upcoming games, they should be able to gain a few games on the Phillies. A cushion of 3-4 games would be nice heading into the 4 games with the Cubs, and 3 games with the Fish to end the season. Last year the Fish buried the Mets' in the last game, and would love to do it this year too. With Wagner gone, Stokes and Ayala will really be tested and be the anchors of the pen. With some help from Smith and Figgy, maybe the pen can make all Mets' fans proud and bring another banner to the new ball park next year.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Mets Keep Rolling
Heading into this road trip there was more than a little worry in my mind. With 9 games against Philly, Florida, and the Brewers, it would be a true test of a shaky pen and sporadic offense. Any concerns I and others may have had turned out to be unfounded. With some luck and a better effort from the pen, the Mets could have won all 8 games on this road trip.
The Mets split 2 games in the band box that Philly calls home. Behind good starting pitching, timely hitting, and a few good innings from the pen, they survived Howard, Utley, and company. I cringe every time the Mets head to Philly because Howard, Werth, and Burrell always seem to make things difficult. Just when you think things are safe, they score multiple runs in rapid fashion to make things close. If not for a bull-pen meltdown and Pedro's struggles in the 5th inning, the Mets might have swept the Phillies.
The same thing happened in Miami. Big Pelf faced his demons and stared them down. Unfortunately, he also was the victim of a leaky bull-pen and didn't get his well earned victory. Winning 2 out of 3 in Miami against that powerful team is always welcome. The Marlins are one of the teams that the Mets faltered against last year and couldn't beat them when the season depended on it. Every time the Mets beat the Fish, they seem to get a little bit of payback from them. Now when the Fish need to beat the Mets to stay in the chase, they are losing and watching their post-season hopes disappear little by little.
All year long we as Mets fans have been subjected to the backhanded comments of being in the NL East. All anyone has talked about this year is the Cubs and the Brewers. Well, that argument just lost it's merit. After this afternoon's drubbing, the Mets have no worries about the Brewers. The Mets started 3 left-handed pitchers against the best hitting team in the NL against left-handed pitchers. The Brewers were 35-14 against lefties after last night's game. But the Mets managed to sweep the Brew Crew while starting a rookie pitcher, and having a sporadic offense in the middle innings again. The difference in this series is the Bull-pen. The pen has worked like 15.2 innings without giving up a run. Figgy and Stokes are the middle inning stoppers in the pen. They get both left and right hitting batters out, and they have the mix of pitches and arm strength to go multiple innings if needed. Joe Smith is lights out lately, and even Feliciano is getting people out with minimum effort. Jerry has found a couple of people he can rely on, and he's using them to great effect. The gem of the pen is Ayala. For the cost of A. Hernandez, the Mets have their reserve closer. Ayala has earned 5 saves and doesn't seemed to get rattled when things get sticky. It's nice to know that he'll be there to help Billy finish the season and give him a rest when needed. I don't ever want to see Heilman or Schoeneweis closing games ever again.
One big difference between this team and the '07 team is the never say die fighting attitude they have. Earlier this year under Witless Willie they would never have fought back from early deficits to win games. Now, they find ways win games even when they are down to their last strike. Jerry Manual deserves much of the credit for that change of attitude. His managerial skills and personal relationships with the players has them fighting for every win, and doing what ever is needed to win them. The young blood that has come up this year is also to blame for this new attitude. Murphy, Evans, Argenis Reyes, and Stokes have all played with passion and energy that was sorely missing last year. With the September call-ups, Figgy, Niese, Parnell, Muniz, Knight, Rincon, and company get their chance to add to the energy that is infecting the team. I doubt Willie would have Evans and Murphy playing more than a game or two a week, and Ayala would never be closing. Heilman would be doing that, and Willie wouldn't even blink when calling the pen. Jerry rewards effort and results. If a player does good, he plays. If the players fails, he sits. That's the way it should have been last year, and the 1st few months this year. That's why Willie is unemployed, and Jerry is going to get an extension. That's also why the Mets are winning, and not thinking of Champagne yet.
The Mets split 2 games in the band box that Philly calls home. Behind good starting pitching, timely hitting, and a few good innings from the pen, they survived Howard, Utley, and company. I cringe every time the Mets head to Philly because Howard, Werth, and Burrell always seem to make things difficult. Just when you think things are safe, they score multiple runs in rapid fashion to make things close. If not for a bull-pen meltdown and Pedro's struggles in the 5th inning, the Mets might have swept the Phillies.
The same thing happened in Miami. Big Pelf faced his demons and stared them down. Unfortunately, he also was the victim of a leaky bull-pen and didn't get his well earned victory. Winning 2 out of 3 in Miami against that powerful team is always welcome. The Marlins are one of the teams that the Mets faltered against last year and couldn't beat them when the season depended on it. Every time the Mets beat the Fish, they seem to get a little bit of payback from them. Now when the Fish need to beat the Mets to stay in the chase, they are losing and watching their post-season hopes disappear little by little.
All year long we as Mets fans have been subjected to the backhanded comments of being in the NL East. All anyone has talked about this year is the Cubs and the Brewers. Well, that argument just lost it's merit. After this afternoon's drubbing, the Mets have no worries about the Brewers. The Mets started 3 left-handed pitchers against the best hitting team in the NL against left-handed pitchers. The Brewers were 35-14 against lefties after last night's game. But the Mets managed to sweep the Brew Crew while starting a rookie pitcher, and having a sporadic offense in the middle innings again. The difference in this series is the Bull-pen. The pen has worked like 15.2 innings without giving up a run. Figgy and Stokes are the middle inning stoppers in the pen. They get both left and right hitting batters out, and they have the mix of pitches and arm strength to go multiple innings if needed. Joe Smith is lights out lately, and even Feliciano is getting people out with minimum effort. Jerry has found a couple of people he can rely on, and he's using them to great effect. The gem of the pen is Ayala. For the cost of A. Hernandez, the Mets have their reserve closer. Ayala has earned 5 saves and doesn't seemed to get rattled when things get sticky. It's nice to know that he'll be there to help Billy finish the season and give him a rest when needed. I don't ever want to see Heilman or Schoeneweis closing games ever again.
One big difference between this team and the '07 team is the never say die fighting attitude they have. Earlier this year under Witless Willie they would never have fought back from early deficits to win games. Now, they find ways win games even when they are down to their last strike. Jerry Manual deserves much of the credit for that change of attitude. His managerial skills and personal relationships with the players has them fighting for every win, and doing what ever is needed to win them. The young blood that has come up this year is also to blame for this new attitude. Murphy, Evans, Argenis Reyes, and Stokes have all played with passion and energy that was sorely missing last year. With the September call-ups, Figgy, Niese, Parnell, Muniz, Knight, Rincon, and company get their chance to add to the energy that is infecting the team. I doubt Willie would have Evans and Murphy playing more than a game or two a week, and Ayala would never be closing. Heilman would be doing that, and Willie wouldn't even blink when calling the pen. Jerry rewards effort and results. If a player does good, he plays. If the players fails, he sits. That's the way it should have been last year, and the 1st few months this year. That's why Willie is unemployed, and Jerry is going to get an extension. That's also why the Mets are winning, and not thinking of Champagne yet.
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