Daily Archives: June 15, 2005
The Game…
The Mets (32–32) continue
with the second game of a three-game series against the A’s (26–37) in
Oakland tonight…the A’s are 7–5 this June and 6–3–0 in series play at
home this season…
The Starters…
RHP
Victor Zambrano (3–6, 4.26) takes the hill for the Mets…Zambrano has a
3.16 ERA in his last six starts…he’s allowed three runs or fewer in 10
of his 11 starts…Zambrano did not face Oakland last season…
RHP
Danny Haren (4–7, 4.28) starts for the A’s…the A’s have scored roughly
six runs per game when Haren has started…Haren throws a
solid slider and change-up, using a strong, sinking fastball to
get most batters out…
The Notes…
The
Mets are 3–21 when outhit by their opponents…they are 8–24 when they
score three runs or less…Carlos Beltran is batting just .266 against
right-handed pitching…While Marlon Anderson is batting .433 asa pinch
hitter, he is just 9–for-35, a .257 AVG, when he starts…the Mets
are batting just .235 with runners in scoring position, only the
Braves, .231, and the Brewers, .223, are worse in baseball…
The Mets traded Tom Seaver to the Reds 28–years ago today…
According to Willie Randolph, appearing in his weekly slot on WFAN’s
‘Mike and the Maddog,’ Miguel Cairo is most likely headed to the
disabled list, and the team is ‘leaning towards’ promoting Brian
Daubach from Norfolk and not Jeff Keppinger…
Randolph also noted
that Jose Reyes’s on base percentage is not ‘cutting it’ in the
leadoff spot, adding that he plans to use Mike Cameron at the top of
the order followed by Reyes batting second once Cameron regains his
health…
Lastly, Randolph says, Pedro Martinez will most likely
pitch against the Yankees next Friday, and not the day before
against the Phillies…
…for what it’s worth, brian daubach did not play today for the norfolk tides…
“You know, when you think about [New York City,] the greatest city
in the world, it is certainly a city that has a certain number of
things that symbolize it to the rest of the world,” New York
Governor George Pataki said while speaking at a press
conference to announce the Yankees plans for a new Yankee Stadium…
“You
have the Statue of Liberty, you have the Empire State Building, we have
Times Square, and in the eyes of everyone,” Pataki continued, “in every
corner of the globe when they think of New York City they think of the
New York Yankees.”…
…that stings, man…right in the heart…
…thanks…
At Faith and Fear in Flushing, Jason posts a memo to the entire Mets team addressing their collective blase…
In the memo, Jason asks, “Did you all walk to California?”…
…no, jason, they didn’t…they are all incapable of walking, which is part of the problem…
…nice rant, buddy…
According to the sidebar notes from Bob Nightengale’s recent column
at USA Today, the Mets made an offer to Detroit for Ugueth Urbina, who
instead was traded to the Phillies for Placido Polanco…
…interesting…i
have to assume minaya offered a similar, but less attractive package
for urbina, probably a prospect and a player like woodward, which is
funny when you think that many of us, be it experts, bloggers or fans,
championed a mike cameron-for-urbina deal several months ago…
In games that Tom Glavine has started the Mets are 5–9…
The Mets are 3–5 when Victor Zambrano has started and 3–5 when Kaz Ishii has started…
When Jae Seo and Aaron Heilman have started the Mets are a combined 6–4…
Lastly, in games that Pedro Martinez has started the Mets are 8–5 while they’ve gone 6–2 when Kris Benson has started…
Tagged Stats |Michael Oliver at the Metropolitans posts a list of results for members of the Mets, assuming the keep up the pace they are all currently on…
…good stuff…i’d been meaning to do this and hadn’t gotten around to it…thanks, michael…
My actions say it all. I’m interested yet bored, I’m skeptical
yet unable to turn away, and I’m quiet, not excited, unable to commit
to any small amount of success that this team shows me. Two men
on base, no outs in the top of ninth with the heart of their order
coming up…and I don’t move, I don’t even blink, I just hold my breath,
never giving up hope, but never completely believing…
I’m told
that these are the new Mets. The problem is, I’m the same
fan. Too many times this organization has led me down a path of
hope, only to fall short and retreat from success before the All-Star
break. In my gut, I feel this season will be different. My
eyes see what is to come in Jose Reyes, Victor Diaz, David Wright and
Carlos Beltran. I want to believe, but my brain, however, is
conditioned by disaster…
Among other reasons, Willie Randolph was
brought into the organization to help change its pessimistic
mentality. Can he change the fans, though, who can’t help but
feel as his team hits a long, tiring West Coast trip, that this season
is about to spiral out of control…
Roughly two weeks ago I talked
about how I could feel the buzz returning to Shea Stadium, not just
when Pedro Martinez has pitched, but when Diaz has cracked a homer or
when Reyes has cruised to a triple. I still feel that buzz – it’s
not constant, it’s occasional. And it just doesn’t feel
sustainable right now…
This season feels like it is at a
crossroads today. It’s as though our team has left us behind at
home to look on from afar, while it goes on the road with a mission to
find itself. Will they return as true contenders, or just as an
improved ball club from last season that is crawling slowly back
towards legitimacy…
We’ll know in 12 days…
Appearing as a guest with Sid Rosenberg and Joe Benigno on WFAN, the station’s Mets beat reporter, Ed Coleman, said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if when we go to the park today and someone isn’t up here to help.”…
…which sounds to me like coleman anticipates a possible promotion of jeff keppinger, to start in place of a struggling kaz matsui and an injured miguel cairo…
…this would mean someone will inversely go on the disabled list, or be demoted or cut…no idea what to make of this just yet…
…if it’s you, kepp, think wally pip, buddy…you can do it…
Coleman also noted that he believes the reason Kaz Ishii has remained in the rotation is to keep his value as that of a left-handed starter, and not as a reliever…
…which further indicates that coleman sees ishii being traded…
As for trades, Coleman seems to feel that a lot hinges on when exactly Steve Trachsel is going to return…
…obviously this team can trade from pitching strength, which is never a bad thing…it would make sense that this plan hinges on the health of trachsel, because getting him back, while trading off a guy like jae seo or ishii for a bat, would in theory be like getting trachsel and a bat ishii, which is nice…
…stay strong, omar…and don’t listen to rick peterson or chuck lamar…
…lots of talk going around about the mets’ need to acquire more offense, with the most likely slot being at first base…so…for those wondering…
Mike DiGiovanni writes in the Los Angeles Times that it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the Royals will move 1B Mike Sweeney. If they do, according to DiGiovanni, it will be for a combination of young major leaguers and premium prospects…
…didn’t we hear the same thing from kansas city about about jermaine dye, johnny damon and carlos beltran, as well…
