Monthly Archives: March 2005
If you’re online tonight between 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM EST, I highly reccomend you check out our good friend Joe McDonald’s live online radio show at ProBaseballCentral.com…
Most of you know Joe’s excellent work from NYSportsDay.com – his radio program proves just as good…
Tonight, Joe features Jim Caple from ESPN and author of the new book The Devil Wears Pinstripes, a fantastic tale about why we all hate the Yankees…
According to Majestic Athletic, Carlos Beltran’s No. 15 and Pedro Martinez’s No. 45 rank among the top 15 largest selling jerseys of 2005, writes ESPN’s Darren Rovell. No other Mets crack the top 15.
Rovell notes that gross retail sales of licensed MLB products are up roughly 100 percent compared to the same period last season…
Note that teams do not reap the direct benefits of merchandise sales. All licensing revenue gets put in a collective pot and is distributed equally among all 30 teams, as I understand it. If this is incorrect, let me know…
Scott Long at The Juice, who alongside Will Carroll, known best for his work at Baseball Prospectus, have created one of my favorite new blogs, lists the Mets as seventh overall in his MLB Rankings. He ranks only the Cardinals, 3, and the Marlins, 7, higher…
I don’t typically pen this style of post, but since Dayn Perry of FOXSports.com rhetorically asked 10 “burning questions” for the upcoming season, I figured I’d help him out with a few answers…
1. When will Barry Bonds be back?
Physically? I don’t know. In stature? Never.
2. Is it finally the Phillies’ year?
Hahahahahahahahaha…
Oh, man, thanks, I needed that.
4. Will ’05 be a season of no 100/100?
Not sure, but certainly no team will win or lose 100 games in the N.L. East, I can tell you that much. Experts keep saying 90 games will win the East. I believe it’ll be lower, actually.
8. Does Jason Giambi have anything left?
I’m pulling for Giambi. I still believe the way he was treated by fans and media this off-season was rabid and hypocritical. What’s more ridiculous is that if he hits .300 and knocks 40 home runs, he’ll be pulled from under the off-season bus and heralded as comeback player of the year, I am sure – meanwhile he is the exact same guy inside.
10. How will the retooled Mets fare?
Having spent a lot of time making idle conversation with rarely seen family members this Easter weekend, I was asked this question a lot. My answer was: they’ll contend. However, more importantly, I always added: they’ll also be entertaining.
As Mets fans, we were certainly entertained the last few seasons the same way a passer-by is entertained by a traffic accident on the side of the road – it’s brutal and gruesome, and sad, but you have to watch, as you just can’t resist.
This year, I expect a little fun in my entertainment. The rotation and offense guarantees that the Mets will be able to win most all of their games, and the bullpen’s shakiness guarantees the last few minutes of those games will be spent at the edge of my seat, yelling at the screen and praying for victory.
They’ll win more than they’ll lose, they’ll steal bases, make great plays in the field, and confuse me with poor base running, odd position switches and trades that I never saw coming.
In the end, though, I believe they’ll fare just fine, and I’ll fare quite well because of it. Will they win the division? I have no idea. I think they can if they play sound baseball, stay healthy and play as a team. This, however, applies to the other 29 teams in the league, too.
When all is said and done, though, I think Mets fans are going to have a helluva a lot of fun this season – and for me, that’s all that’s truly ever mattered.
Mets GM Omar Minaya announced to reporters after the game that Mike Matthews has been added to the 40–man roster – a move that indicates Dae-Sung Koo or Felix Heredia will most likely not make the club when camp breaks.
Minaya also stated that Victor Diaz, Gerald Williams, Aaron Heilman and Joe Hietpas have been sent to minor league camp. Kerry Robinson was given his out-right release.
WFAN’s Ed Coleman, appearing on Mike and the Maddog, believes that if the team takes six relievers, Luis Garcia will most likely make the club’s bench.
The Mets were shut out by the Dodgers, 3–0, at Tradition Field today.
Kaz Ishii tossed 5.2 innings, allowed one run, struck out two and walked one.
For details, check out the inGame Notebook.
Former Mets GM and current ESPN analyst Steve Phillips projects a 14–12 record with a 3.35 ERA and 200 innings pitched for Mets RHP Pedro Martinez.
Phillips doesn’t base his projections on skill, mind you. Instead, he blames a once shaky relationship with Piazza, a lack of ‘relationship capital’ with the team’s fans and media, and a sketchy bullpen and weak offense.
From what I’ve seen so far, Martinez’s ego will trump any ‘relationship’ issues he may have with anyone affiliated with this team. What he can’t escape is the bullpen. Phillips is correct on this. Contrary to Phillips, I believe the Mets will have a rather consistently strong offense this season. Martinez, however, will likely find himself in a ton of 3–3 games when he begins to run out gas following his 100th pitch. At that point, Phillips is correct, the secret to Martinez’s success will lay entirely on the team’s bullpen.
If the bullpen turns out to be impressive, Martinez could be 20–9, like Phillips believes Hudson will be, making the Mets a 90–win team. If the bullpen is shameful, Martinez will hover around .500 and so will the Mets.
The Associated Press runs an article on Bobby Valentine, who currently coaches former Mets Benny Agbayani and Matt Franco in Japan, and his desire to see a an expansion of MLB to Asia.
I would love to see a true World Series between the MLB champ and the rest of the world. This will never happen, I know, but it’d be fun to see.
As for MLB teams in Japan…I’ll pass. I’d rather see a sponsored MLB league in Japan, than an American League team in a country half way around the world.
2:38 PM EST…
Miguel Cairo with a one-out single in the 9th.
Marlon Anderson pops out.
Woodward strikesout.
Game Over.
Dodgers 3, Mets 0
2:29 PM EST…
Hernandez allowes a lead-off single, then an opposite field two-run home run on an inside pitch to Hee-Seop Choi.
Dodgers 3, Mets 0, mid 9
2:21 PM EST…
Roberto Hernandez on for Koo.
Dodgers 1, Mets 0, top 9
2:19 PM EST…
Eric Gagne sets Mets down in order with just 9 pitches.
Dodgers 1, Mets 0, end of 8
2:14 PM EST…
No runs, no hits and no runners, though a ball was hit off Koo that should have been a hit but was called foul.
Dodgers 1, Mets 0, mid 8
2:08 PM EST…
Hmmm…Chris Woodward is in centerfield.
Koo is in for Heredia.
Dodgers 1, Mets 0, top 8
2:06 PM EST…
Beltran gets a lead-off single, Piazza hits line drive right into the glove of Dodgers 3B Nokimora who doubled up Beltran at first. Floyd grounds out to the end the inning.
Dodgers 1, Mets 0, end of 7
1:59 PM EST…
Heredia faced a 3–0 count to rookie Joel Guzman, and was able to battle back for the strikeout.
Dodgers 1, Mets 0, 7th inning stretch
1:52 PM EST…
Heredia remains in the game. Cairo in for Matsui, Wilson Valdez in for Reyes.
Dodgers 1, Mets 0, top 7
1:50 PM EST…
Reyes reached on a single, but was stranded.
Dodgers 1, Mets 0, end of 6
1:46 PM EST…
Luis Garcia hits deep fly to center, but Repko makes sweet catch for the out.
Dodgers 1, Mets 0, bottom 6
1:39 PM EST…
Heredia gets batter to ground out to Kaz Matsui. Inning over.
Dodgers 1, Mets 0, mid 6
1:37 PM EST…
Ishii has been pulled from the game with runners on base, Felix Heredia takes over in his place. Luis Garcia is in for Mientkiewicz through the double-switch.
Dodgers 1, Mets 0, top 6
1:31 PM EST…
Jason Repko hits a solo home run off of Kaz Ishii.
Dodgers 1, Mets 0, top 6
1:28 PM EST…
With first and second and none out, Mike Cameron struck out and Doug Mientkiewicz grounded into a double play.
Mets 0, Dodgers 0, end of 5
1:20 PM EST…
After fouling off a few pitches by Elmer Dessens, Mike Piazza picks up the Mets first hit of the day…
Floyd followed with a single, bringing up Mike Cameron with first and second and no outs..
Mets 0, Dodgers 0, bottom 5
1:15 PM EST…
Reyes makes an outstanding play with an even more outstanding throw to peg Izsturis to end the inning.
Ishii allows only the hit to Phillips.
Mets 0, Dodgers 0, mid 5
This game is flying along…
1:12 PM EST…
Jason Phillips hit a blooper just over the head of Jose Reyes, who leaped tall, but was unable to make the catch.
Mets 0, Dodgers 0, top 5
1:10 PM EST…
Kaz Ishii is still in the game. He’s walked one and allowed on hit. He’s thrown a first ball strike to only two batters.
Mets 0, Dodgers 0, top 5
1:07 PM EST…
Matsui ripped a ball to third, but it was snagged by Saenz for an out.
Another 1–2–3 inning. The Mets have yet to have a baserunner.
Mets 0, Dodgers 0, end of 4
1:03 PM EST…
Nothing to report. Ishii appears to have his act together.
Mets 0, Dodgers 0, mid 4…
12:54 PM EST…
Derek Lowe has retired the first nine Mets of the game.
Mets 0, Dodgers 0, end of 3…
12:48 PM EST…
Ishii walked a batter, but allowed no runs, no hits, no errors…
Mets 0, Dodgers 0, mid 3…
12:42 PM EST…
Not much has happened thus far. Derek Lowe set the Mets down in order in both half innings…
Ishii has struck out two and walked two in two innings of work so far…
David Wright dropped a pop-up in the sun, yet is still not wearing sunglasses…
Dodgers 0, Mets 0, end of 2…
According to a Mets Press Release, the team has signed C Mike DeFelice to a minor league contract.
The Mets will likely send DeFelice directly to AAA, and use him as insurance, along with Kelly Stinnett, for back-up Ramon Castro.
