Daily Archives: June 8, 2005
…frustrating…
…this team puts more runners in scoring position than paris hilton, but it just can’t bring them home…
…i’ll be honest, i haven’t worried much about this team’s offense…but i’m starting to…
…and listen, willie, if piazza is out for even a day or two, david wright has got to bat cleanup…i mean, it has to happen…has to…
…ultimately, though, these guys have got to acquire an actual hitter for the middle of the lineup…i am not sure where he comes from, what position he slots into or who it’ll cost to get him, but if there is any notion in the front office that this team can contend, it can’t have a weak-hitting mike piazza batting fifth and marlon anderson batting sixth…it just won’t get it done…
…i can’t write any more…it’s been a long day at metsblog…it’s time for bed…
…good night, ned…
Danny Graves meandered around the Mets locker room prior to tonight’s game wearing a Mets jersey with No. 32 on it, though he has yet to officially sign with the team…
Pedro Martinez greeted Graves with a hug, and proclaimed that the new pitcher’s presence gladly adds another crazy guy to the locker room…
…any friend of pedro’s, is a friend of ours…
…now sign on the dotted line, kid, and let’s get to work…
FoxSports.com’s Dayn Perry writes that the Mets “are the team to beat” in the National League East, going as for as to say a “division title” is “likely.”…
Perry also notes, “It’s also probably time to view Kaz Matsui as a sunk cost.”…
…hmm…matsui and sunk cost…where have i read that before…
…hi, dayn…
…and thanks to paulo for the heads-up…
The Game…
The Mets (31–27) look to win their fourth straight series tonight as they take on the Astros (21–35) at Shea Stadium…The Mets have more wins at home, 21, than any team in baseball…the Astros are 5–23 on the road…
RHP Victor ‘Houdini’ Zambrano (3–5, 4.24) takes the hill for the Mets…Zambrano has allowed just 10 earned runs in his last 31 innings pitched…Earlier this season, he tossed six innings against the Astros at home, allowing nine hits, three runs and four walks…
RHP Brandon Backe (5–3, 4.67) starts for the Astros…the club is 6–5 this season when Backe has started…Starting against the Mets earlier this season, Backe allowed three runs over 6.1 innings while striking out four…the 27–year-old right-hander is a good all-around pitcher, featuring a traditional set of pitches, including the slurve…
The Good…
Mets starters are 8–3 with a 2.13 ERA in their last 12 starts…No bullpen in the National League has allowed fewer inherited runs to score than the Mets…the Mets have are 25–10 when they outhit their opponent…Since going to the bullpen, in 9.2 innings, Aaron Heilman has yet allow a run…
The Bad…
Mike Piazza has not hit a home run since May 9 in Chicago…in their last 12 starts, the Astros starting pitchers have an ERA of 2.30…
The Bizarre…
The Mets signed free-agent infielder Jose Offerman to a minor league contract. Offerman will report to St. Lucie for workouts and then head to Norfolk…
Talking with ‘Mike and the Maddog’ during his weekly radio address on WFAN, Willie Randolph said the Mets have discussed working out Victor Diaz at first base…
…picture it…manny ramirez playing first…
…ouch…
…i mean, you have to try diaz out over there…if for no other reason than it can get him in the lineup a bit more this season…longterm, even better…
…i’m doubtful he can do it, though…only because first base requires a ton of footwork and agility to be good, and while diaz has shown suprisng speed on the base paths, being cat-like in the field he is not and never was…it’s worth a try, though…
According to MLB.com, the Phillies have traded IF Placido Polanco to the Tigers for RHP Ugueth Urbina…
Polanco is due $4.6 million this season, while Urbina will earn $4 million. Both players are eligible for free-agency at the end of this season…
…nice pick up for the phillies…urbina setting up wagner…yikes…
…it’s on in the n.l. east, boys…get ready…
Taking a moment from posting in the comments section, Nathan, ndk5, emailed in the following question…
“Is there any truth to the Met’s interest in Lyle Overbay? More specifically, can this deal get done… is it even on the radar? I’ve heard a number of people mention it… nobody particularly reliable.”…
…thanks, nathan…
i haven’t heard any rumblings about the mets and overbay…though it makes sense they’d be curious about him…i would be, at least…
…the thing is, the brewers have hovered around .500 all year long…and up until their recent slide, they were looking like an interesting turn-around story…as of right now, they’re just three losses behind the wild card leader, with a strong pitching staff and a very good bullpen…they really have no need to trade away talent…
…lastly, from what i can gather, win or lose this season, the brewers will not look to trade overbay until the off-season, when teams get the best value for position players…also, they want prince fielder to get more time in the minors…
…hope this helps…
Our friend Matt, from Baseball America, says we should also be aware of Pedro Beato, who the Mets took in the seventeenth round out of Xaverian in Queens…
Matt points out, “He had Tommy John surgery and missed his junior year, but came back with more velocity his senior year.” Adding, “He’s got a great frame at six-foot-five, 215 pounds, and he was born on October, 27, 1986, the night the Mets won the World Series.”
…‘out of standing,’ as my friend glenn repeatedly says… i’m all for pelfrey, but having been born on the exact day the team won a world series makes me wonder if the force is secretly strong in this one…
…i must be honest with you all…
…reading all of these great quotes about mike pelfrey, i can’t help but hear the following in my head…
…humber…
…pelfrey…
…kazmir…
…humber…
…pelfrey…
…kazmir…
…ugh…what could have been…
…there’s a ton of info on mets first-round draft pick mike pelfrey floating around cyberspace today…
…of note…
FlushingsFuture’s Jordan Zakarin recaps the Mets’ entire draft in a nice, quick column…
The Hardball Times re-posts an interview with Pelfrey from a year ago, while Patrick Teale from Inside Pitch Magazine Online caught up with Pelfrey late last night for an excellent discussion and the pitcher’s hometown newspaper, the Wichita Eagle, talks with their native son as he leaves the nest for the Amazins…
…great work, gang…way to act so quickly…
Lastly, Rod Beaton writes in his draft recap at USA Today, “Pelfrey was ranked by Baseball America as the top pitcher in the draft and could be in New York in 2006.”
…2006…
…really…
…hmmm…
