Monthly Archives: February 2004
The News
- The New York Times details the relationship between the Mets current third baseman Ty Wigginton‘s relationship with David Wright, the Mets third baseman of the future. The Times believes Wright could be the Mets response to Alex Rodriguez.
- The Times also reports that when Mike Cameron arrived for workouts Saturday, he said, “What’s up, dog?” to Kaz Matsui, who speaks about five words of English. Kaz then replied, “Chilling.
- Adam Rubin of the Daily News and Lee Jenkins of the NY Times write on superscouts Al Goldis and Bill Livesey, the two men who may have as much to do with the Mets’ future as Jim Duquette, the Wilpons and Rick Peterson combined.
Alfonso Soriano is a great fantasy baseball player, but keep him off of the field at Shea. When it comes to physically playing the game he is reckless, confused, has way too many holes in his swing, is now two years older than we thought and would bankrupt the club in chewing gum sales.
- The Daily News wanders the Met clubhouse is search of the team’s favorite music. For instance, Jose Reye likes Latin reggae and Puerto Rican reggae, Tom Glavine enjoys James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac and Collective Soul. The paper also comments on the listening habits of Roger Cede
Comments OffThe News…
Jim Callis, Baseball America’s Minor League Editor, sits down for “20 Questions” with the staff of NYFansOnly.com to give his thoughts on the Mets’ prospects. Among a few of the questions and answers…
NYF asks: What is the significance of Scott Kazmir‘s growth over the past year, growing an inch in height and adding 15 lbs of muscle? Last year, the Mets handled Kazmir with kid gloves, severely limiting his pitch count. Have you heard anything about how they plan to handle him in 2004?
Callis answers: Extra muscle isn’t always a good thing for pitchers, but in Kazmir’s case he didn’t get too bulky or lose anything. The Mets will continue to handle him carefully, because lefties with mid-90s fastballs and power sliders are hard to come by, but he should be allowed to go deeper into games this year.
NYF also asks: David Wright‘s 2003 season was excellent, mostly hidden by the horrible hitting environment he toiled in. How likely do you think it is that he puts up monster numbers in 2004?
Callis answers: It’s not real easy to put up monster numbers at Double-A Binghamton. I do think he can hit .300 with 20 homers, but he’ll be just 21 and in Double-A and not a friendly hitting environment. I ranked him 13th on my overall list as we prepared for our consensus Top 100 Prospects list. He’ll hit for average and power, and I think he’ll be a good third baseman.
To read the other 18 questions and answers, check out www.NyFansOnly.com.
You can read more of Jim’s content at BaseballAmerica.com.
MetsBlog.com’s Statistical Take on Soriano…
At the age of 25, after having played three full seasons in Japan, Soriano posted the following numbers in his first full Major League season:
574 AB
Comments OffThe News…
- David Waldstein of the Star-Ledger reports the Texas Rangers are inquiring about a deal with the Mets for second basemen Jose Reyes in exchange for Alfonso Soriano. According to two major-league officials, the Rangers have been asking around about Reyes and minor-league pitchers Tyler Yates.
- Also in the Star-Ledger, Karim Garcia arrived at camp yesterday and weighed 221 pounds, 15 pounds lighter than his playing weight last year with the Yankees.
- In the season’s first official bit of good news, the Mets were on pace yesterday to sell more than 131,000 tickets. The total would be the second-highest first-day ticket sale in their history. Though this contradicts the direction of our Mets Confidence Rating, which has dropped 16% since last week, 35% in two weeks, it appears the overall fan base is pessimistically optimistic.
- Lastly, Newsday is running a Should The Mets Get Soriano Poll. As of 8:30 AM EST, 15.6% said YES, even if they lose Jose Reyes; 56.6% said YES, but only if they keep Reyes; 26.2% said NO, Soriano isn’t worth it; and 1.6% said I’m not sure.
- Also in the Star-Ledger, Karim Garcia arrived at camp yesterday and weighed 221 pounds, 15 pounds lighter than his playing weight last year with the Yankees.
As we have stated before,
He is a great statistical player, having hit .290 with 38 home runs, 91 RBI and 35 stolen bases for the Yankees last season. In 2002, he hit 39 homers and knocked in 102 runs. When the chips are down, however, against the league’s best pitching, particularly on the road, he struggled, going 5-for-22 in the World Series until being benched for Game 5, while compiling a .118 batting average against Oakland’s staff and a .237 average against Seattle’s staff, arguably the two best pitching staffs in the American League last season. Subsequently, Derek Jeter hit .308 against both Seattle and Oakland last season.
The point is, while Soriano is an exciting player in a given game, over the course of an entire season is a loose cannon, which is the way the Yankees had been trying to trade him since last Fall. Though they weren’t in a rush, turning down deals that could have net the Yankees pitchers such as Odalis Perez and Edwin Jackson from the Dodgers, the team continued to push for a trade.
Again, we raise the question, why would the Mets want a player that the Yankees, who are considered the premiere talent evaluators in the league, didn’t want?
Comments OffThe 2004 NY Mets ” if ” List
Published at Yahoo! Sports and NYFansOnly.com
By Matthew Cerrone
Every year it appears the stars and moon must align properly for the New York Mets to have a successful season. This year will be no different. In a four part series, each “IF” will be presented, detailing what must happen for the New York Mets to play meaningful games during September of the upcoming season.
1) Tom Glavine
There is no question that Glavine disappointed the Mets in 2003. His 9-14 record and 4.52 ERA was arguably his worst showing since his first full season in 1988 which subsequently, for those keeping score, is the last time the Mets won the National League East.
Glavine blamed a new umpire assisting technology, QuesTec. Shea Stadium was one of the limited number of ballparks to use the service. Glavine argued that QuesTec compelled umpires to call his patented outside pitch a ball, instead of a strike. Injuries also bothered the former All-Star during 2003. A bone spur in his left elbow and a blister on his pitching hand plagued him on and off throughout most of the season.
To make matters worse, instead of Andruw Jones the dead zone behind second base, Glavine had Roger Cedeno and Jeremy Burnitz patrolling the position as on the job trainees. During August and September, when Jeff Duncan was guarding center field instead of Cedeno, however, Glavine’s ERA was 3.36.
Lastly, in games started by Glavine away from Shea, not counting his two disastrous starts at Turner Field against his former team, Glavine was 6-3 with a 2.75 ERA in 12 starts. This is incredibly encouraging as it indicates he has not completely lost his ability to pitch. He simply needs to get it right at Shea. Newly acquired pitching coach Rick Peterson will undoubtedly straighten this out.
Therefore, if injuries remain a non-factor for Glavine, if Peterson can get him to pitch at Shea as he did on the road, and if the site of Mike Cameron, Kaz Matsui and Jose Reyes behind him can revitalize his confidence, Glavine should win 15 games, post an ERA around 3.50 and give the Mets the kind of season they expect from their ace.
2) The Health of Mike Piazza and Cliff Floyd
On August 13 of last season, Mike Piazza returned from a long stint on the disabled list. The following seven days would be the only time during the entire season that he, Cliff Floyd and Jose Reyes all appeared in the lineup at the same time. During that week, Piazza hit .300, Reyes hit .407, Floyd hit .631 and the Mets went 5-0 while scoring roughly eight runs per game.
Cliff Floyd then left the team to have surgery on his ankle. The Mets went 5-7 between Floyd’s departure and August 31. The following day the Mets lost Jose Reyes for the remainder of the season and the team played 7-19 during September.
Last season, Floyd was on pace to hit roughly 30 home runs while batting .290 before going down with season ending ankle surgery. And although Piazza has come under fire of late for having offensive stats in decline, if healthy he can still be counted on to hit a minimum of 30 home runs while knocking in close to 100 runs with a batting average around .290. They may not be the stats he put up at 28-years-old, but that is most likely because he isn’t 28-years-old, he is 34 and allowed to age. No matter how one looks at it, a .290-30 homer-100 RBI season would still put Piazza among the top right-handed hitters in the game, not to mention the best hitting catcher in the National League.
For Piazza to succeed he needs protection in the lineup and Floyd can do just that. Regardless if Floyd bats directly behind him, the fact that the team has a legitimate threat within reach of Piazza’s slot in the batting order makes a pitcher all the more likely to give the Mets catcher something to hit at least once during his at-bat.
Consider Piazza’s batting average and home run rate throughout each month of the season. During April and May, when, for the most part, Piazza had former All-Stars around him, he hit .336 while hitting home runs at a rate better then his career average. During the games after Floyd left the team for surgery and Piazza had Timo Perez, Jason Phillips, and on one occasion Matt Watson hitting around him, he hit .243 without a single home run during all of September.
This isn
Comments OffThe News…
- Joel Sherman of the NY Post writes that the Mets should now try and acquire Alfonso Soriano from the Texas Rangers. He then goes on to say, “Met GM Jim Duquette needs to be on the phone with counterpart John Hart today to say native Texan Scott Kazmir is available.” Sherman would also, “throw in” Aaron Heilman and Royce Ring as a starting point for a trade.
- The Mets Confidence Rating has been updated. Last week it jumped 18% to a near off-season high. This week, with a bevy of sour votes on Monday, the rating dropped 20%, its largest one week plummet, to 5.01, meaning Mets fans are cautiously confident the club will play, “meaningful games” in September.
MetsBlog.com’s Take…
Alfonso Soriano is a great fantasy baseball player, but keep him of off of the field of Shea. When it comes to physically playing the game he is reckless, confused, has way too many holes in his swing and would bankrupt the Mets in chewing gum sales.
It is news to nobody that the Yankees were trying to trade Soriano as early as last Summer. The talks spread rampantly this off-season and came to fruition with the A-Rod deal.
Why would the Mets want a player the Yankees, who are considered the premiere talent evaluators in the league, didn’t want?
Soriano would presumably go to right field. He is signed through 2006. This would mean blocking the road for a player like Magglio Ordonez, who is a much better player, as he is more sound, for the Mets current lineup and direction of the team.
Lastly, the Mets are committed to defense, and Soriano may be the worst defensive player in all of baseball not named Cedeno.
Hey bartender…I’ll have a double of whatever Joel Sherman is having.
###
Comments OffThe News…
Well, it’s hardly “news” that Alex Rodriguez will become a New York Yankee today. Instead of posting an AP link to the announcement, we have posted some of the better commentary regarding the trade:
- ESPN breaks down the winners and losers of the trade.
- ESPN also does a great job of covering the Fantasy Baseball spin of the trade.
- The Houston Chronicle pleads with Red Sox fans to come in off the ledge.
- Since 1998, at least one time has won 20 more games than it did in the previous season. ESPN INsider suggests that the Mets could be that team this season.
- Tim Kurkjian of ESPN The Magazine announces that, “the party is officially over,” for the Atlanta Braves. Awe, what a shame…Don’t cry Chipper.
MetsBlog.com’s Take…
We could spew our normal pro-Duquette gibberish in an attempt to subside your anti-Yankees, anti-Wilpon sentiments this morning. The thing is, we’re not sure that it is even possible.
Sure, this is like Bill Gates winning the lotto. It stinks and doesn’t seem fair. However, think of it this way. Every aspect of life needs an enemy, otherwise there would be no true good guys. The Yankees are the enemy of baseball as a whole. They symbolize the older brother who is more experienced and stronger than you, beats you most all of the time and knows that he can. Life needs these people. Without them, there would be no drama. The Yankees having ARod is only fitting. The best team should have the best player. It only makes the target on their backs larger. Let it be.
The bottom line, again, is: You, as a fan of the Mets, shouldn’t care. As a fan of the game, you can be upset. As a Mets fan, take it easy. Neither the Yankees nor ARod are in the National League East. Some will harp on the, “my ticket money warrants a big name player” nonsense. In a free wheeling, player shifting environment like professional sports, your ticket money warrants a good product that ultimately wins, the names on the back of the jersey is meaningless.
Remember, the goal is to win the NL East or the NL Wild Card, make the tournament and get hot – that is the recipe for success today, not throwing money around. If you need proof of this, refer to the ultimate standings from the last few seasons.
Keep your eyes on the ball.
Focus.
Comments OffLSC14 writes
Comments OffThe News
Alan Matthews and John Manuel of Baseball America, regarded as one of the premiere groups assessing young minor league talent, spoke about the Mets farm system today on their program on MLBRadio.com.
They had the following to say about…
Kazmir – September 2004 would be the earliest the Mets will promote Kazmir. They both feel he is ready to pitch in the Major’s now, commenting that his stuff is that good. The only thing concerning the Mets is his mental maturity. Rick Peterson also wants him to continue working on his change-up to have total command over it before going up against the best players in the world.
Matt Peterson
Comments OffWho should the Mets acquire to replace LHP Al Leiter in the
team’s rotation?Discuss…
Comments OffThe News
- According to the New York Post, the Mets have agreed in principle to a minor-league deal with free-agent set-up man Ricky Bottalico.
- The Daily News suggests that the Mets are expected to announce the signing of James Baldwin this week. Baldwin, 32, spent much of last season in the minors after suffering an oblique muscle injury in spring training. He appeared in 10 games for the Twins last season but became a free agent after refusing a minor league assignment in August.
- CBS Sportsline predicts the Mets top candidate to surprise, Grant Roberts, and top candidate to disappoint in 2004, Kaz Matsui.
- FOX Sports believes the Mets will be a “better” team this season than last. Citing GM Jim Duquette’s upgraded of the team’s defense. FOX also believes Kazuo Matsui, Mike Cameron and Jose Reyes will help lower the staff ERA. New pitching coach Rick Peterson makes the staff better claiming that Vern Ruhle didn’t have the veterans’ respect and confused the youngsters.
MetsBlog.com’s TakeOn Bottalico…
Bottalico has the fastball to be a closer, but could never expand his repertoire to include an effective out pitch to be worthy of the roll. He is, however, an ideal middle-reliever for one or two batters. Most balls hit against him are fly balls to center, which with the addition of Mike Cameron, bodes well for the Mets. He also has a tremendous pick off move for a right handed reliever – another trait undervalued in late inning games. Lastly, should Bottalico prove worthy of a roster spot in spring training, the Mets could then move the more expensive David Weathers, due $3.6 million.
On Baldwin…
Following his 14-7, 4.65 ERA season with the White Sox in 2000, Baldwin had shoulder surgery and has never been the same pitcher again. His fastball can still reach 90 mph, but if his location is even mildly off he will get hit like a pi
← Older postsComments Off - The Times also reports that when Mike Cameron arrived for workouts Saturday, he said, “What’s up, dog?” to Kaz Matsui, who speaks about five words of English. Kaz then replied, “Chilling.
