Daily Archives: August 7, 2007
This season, at the beginning of each series, MetsBlog will attempt to
get the perspective of the opposition and their fans. From this, we
hope to be better educated on the opposition going into a series. It
also gives us a fine opportunity to highlight some of our favorite team
blogs.
As
the Braves head to Shea Stadium for a crucial three-game series with
the Mets, we threw a few quick questions to Mac Thomason of Braves Journal.
How have the deadline acquisitions re-energized the Braves fanbase?
People
were really excited by Teixeira, especially after his first game. Dotel
has kind of let the air out with his last couple of outings, though.
Who do you feel will benefit the most from having Marx Teixeira in the Braves lineup?
I
don’t really believe in that sort of thing. I figure players hit what
they’re going to hit. Chipper Jones will probably score more runs. The
main benefit is that the team as a whole will score more runs as well.
As
of Saturday, Braves starters were averaging 5.66 innings per start,
good enough for 13th in the NL. Yet for all the moves that John
Schuerholz made, he wasn’t able to acquire a starter. Does that concern
you down the stretch?
I’d be lying if I said it didn’t.
But there just weren’t the starters out there to help. The real
problems are that Chuck James, the third starter, tires after five
innings, and that the fifth starter spot hasn’t lived up to even the
low standards of the fifth starter, no matter who’s manned it.
Tell us a little about Buddy Carlyle, who will face the Mets for the first time in his career on Tuesday.
Righthanded
control pitcher, throws maybe 91-92 on a good day, doesn’t possess a
great breaking ball or anything but doesn’t walk guys and strikes
enough out to get by. The only problem has been homers (10 in just 70
innings). He’s always pitched well in the minors, but hadn’t in brief
major league trials and guys like this don’t stick around unless
they’re lights-out out of the gate.
How frustrating was it to see the Mets struggle so much in June and July, but not have the Braves gain any ground?
To
be honest, I wasn’t paying too much attention to the Mets because I was
frustrated enough watching the Braves without worrying about anything
else. A lot of my readers, however, were very frustrated indeed.
Seeing Chipper Jones wincing on an almost nightly basis, are you gaining a new respect for him this season?
Not
really. He’s gotten some criticism the last couple of years but he’s
always played in pain. Heck, he’d be better off if he took some time
off now and then, but obviously the team needed him.
One
more about the Braves bullpen, specifically Rafael Soriano. Are you
alarmed by his penchant for the home run ball (9 HR allowed in 49.2 IP)?
I’m alarmed that he isn’t pitching nearly as well as he did early in the year. Tired arm, I think.
On the heels of Tom Glavine’s 300th career victory, give us your favorite Glavine memory.
1991, June.
Glavine has a four-hit shutout working. The Phillies, being the
Phillies, are taking exception to something and threw at Otis Nixon the
previous inning and there was a brawl. Glavine has to throw at the
first Phillie hitter in the ninth…who is Dale Murphy.
So Tom
throws the four softest pitches he can, repeatedly inside, because he
is not going to actually hit Murph. After ball four, the umpire ejects
him, and he walks off without an argument.
Weird, but that’s the one that always comes to mind.
…thanks mac…i have a feeling this series will feature a lot of smack talk between mets and braves blogs…
Tonight, the first-place Mets welcome the second-place Braves to Shea Stadium for the start of a three-game series.
The Mets currently lead Atlanta by five losses.
At his blog for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Braves beat-writer David O’Brien will not go as far as to say this 
as a ‘make-or-break series’ for the Braves, but it “is unquestionably big…Bigger for the Braves than for the Mets, perhaps. Or maybe not.”
…it’s equally big…if either team simply takes two of three the results will be manageable, and excuses will be digested…however, if the Mets get swept, oh man, look out…at that point, the Braves will be just two losses back, the Mets will feel the heat and we will all freak out…however, if the Mets sweep, and go eight up on atlanta, the Braves will be crushed and in a bad spot with just 45 or so games left, only six of which are against the Mets…
Braves OF Jeff Francoeur, on the Mets, as quoted by the New York Times…
“We’re 6-3 against them this season…A lot of teams are having trouble with the Mets, but we seem to play pretty well against them. If we can win two out of three against them, maybe we can make a little bit of a statement.”
David Wright, on series, as quoted by Newsday…
“This series with Atlanta is going to be at that point where we can see the finish line,” Wright said, “and kind of set the tone from here on out. I don’t know the history of it. But I’d be willing to wager there haven’t been too many teams that won the division that didn’t win a series against the second- or third-place team all year. So we have to get going.”
…for what it’s worth, from what i can gather out of the clubhouse, the team is well aware of how close they came to slipping from first place, and they know this is their chance to really make a mark on the division…
For more, check out Bob Klapisch in the Bergen Record, who quotes Bobby Cox as saying, “Right now the Mets are the best team, but that doesn’t mean we can’t catch them.”
Lastly, at his blog for sports-radio 790 The Zone in Atlanta, host Jon Schwartz writes that, ultimatly, the most important move made by the Braves this year may end up being their decision to not re-sign Tom Glavine.
ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd recently ripped the Mets 
pre-game radio show, by mocking Meet the Mets, among other things, while adding…
“Give me a break. Step up Mets. This is the most bush-league stuff I have ever heard in my life. I mean, honestly, you turn on the Yankees and it’s regal – maybe it’s pompous, but it sounds New York…You turn on the Mets, it’s horrible – and as good as the Mets are, get rid of dorky Mr. Met, get rid of that stupid apple in center field after the home runs, your nine tacky uniforms…You sound bush league, and you’re not. You’ve got Disney Land players and you sound like the traveling carnival.”
…man, what a cranky jackass…
…he makes Wallace Matthews look like Mr. Met…
…also, technically, his gripe should be with WFAN, not the Mets…
…anyway, i feel bad for people who are this bitter…i mean, why is he so worked up about this, if he isn’t even a Mets fan…frankly, it’s none of his business…most Mets fans like the apple, they love Mr. Met, the song, etc…sure, somethings the team does are a bit goofy, but does it really matter…i mean, we still go to the games, still cheer, and we’re having fun…i can only speak for myself, and maybe this is more about me as a person, but, frankly, i’m only worried about me and my fellow fans, and how we think and feel about the team…i could care less about how every other fan or radio guy feels…they could all be laughing at us, but if we’re winning and having fun, i’ll take it every day…
To listen to Cowherd’s entirely too serious, and unnecessarily passionate rant, check out the following clip from You Tube…
…thanks to ed from the bronx for the link…i think…
Over the weekend, in Chicago, several Mets fans gathered at Merkle’s Bar across from Wrigley Field.
For photos of the get-together, check out Julie’s pictures at ChicagoMetsFan.com, as well as our own Regis Courtemanche’s pictures here.
…i did my best to help encourage people to go, and it looks like it was a solid success…i wish i could have been there…maybe next season…or, dare i say it, in october…
Mets Double-A 1B Brett Harper has been named the 
Eastern League’s Player of the Week, during which he hit .524 with three homers, eight RBI and 10 runs scored over six games.
On the year, in his first full season in Double-A, the 26–year-old Harper is batting .297 with 21 doubles, 18 HR and 64 RBI in 103 games, during which he has struck out 94 times.
He is batting .304 against left-handed pitching, .295 against righties, and .283 with runners in scoring position.
Over the Mets Minor League Report, Toby Hyde recaps yesterday’s Mets minor-league action…
Among other comments, Hyde writes of strong performances by Zephyrs 2B Anderson Hernandez, who is hitting .405 in July; Single-A 2B Emmanuel Garcia, who was 3–for-5 in a win for St. Lucie; and Low-A RHP Waner Mateo, who tossed three scoreless innings of relief, striking out two without walking a batter, in a win for Savannah.
…toby provides a mets minor league report after each night’s action…thanks, toby…
To subscribe to the email newsletter of Hyde’s Mets Minor League Report, sign up via Google Groups.
At MLB Trade Rumors, Tim makes a case for Ramon Castro to be an every-day starting catcher, thus making 
him an intriguing free-agent acquisition for a team during this off-season, concluding…
“Teams like the Devil Rays, Mets, Cubs, Astros, and Padres may all be looking for catchers this winter. Castro should get consideration as a regular, and might be a decent buy at two years, $8 million or so.”
For what it’s worth, in 25 at-bats during Paul Lo Duca’s recent stint on the bench with a sore hamstring, Castro started six straight games and hit .200 with eight strike outs, no walks, three HR and six RBI.
Overall, this season, through 124 at-bats, Castro is hitting .290 with nine HR and 27 RBI in 42 games played.
He is batting .277 with a .300 OBP over the last month.
Following three weeks of voting, the American Mustache Institute has declared Keith Hernandez the winner of its vote for the Top Sports Mustache of All Time.
Aaron Perlut, AMI executive director…
“While our certified mustacheologists share concerns that the voting may have been more about the man rather than the mustache in Keith’s case – fans of sport and mustaches have spoken.”
Hernandez secured 32 percent of the vote, while Rollie Fingers locked down 24 percent.
According to AMI’s press release…
“The candidacy for Hernandez was also buoyed by an appeal to voters by New York-area media including MetsBlog.com.”
…nice job, team…the thing is, keith was not even on the original ballot, which was the real travesty…
…in terms of actual mustaches, yes, rollie’s is a classic, but it’s also a bit disturbing and quite phony…i mean, what is holding that thing up anyways…
…however, keith is the real deal…plus, me, keith’s mustache is like superman’s cape, you know…no disrespect to rollie, who was a great pitcher, but keith’s mustache transcends dippity-do and a sports…instead, keith’s mustache is a symbol of overt masculinity in society and sports, and it’s why he won the vote…
Pedro Martinez will make his first minor-league rehab start on Wednesday for the St. Lucie Mets against the Lakeland Tigers and 20–year-old OF Cameron Maybin.
…the buzz from st. lucie is that a) pedro feels great, following a 67–pitch simulated game 
last week, and b) he is now ready to open it up a bit, work his fastball more, and get in to game mode, which i guess he did not do in the simulated game…
…by the way, from what i understand, martinez is on the team’s 25–man roster now, and whether on the disabled list or not, he is eligible for post-season even if he is not activated before september 1…so, there is no rush for that reason…if there is a rush, though, it’s because the Mets would like to get pedro at least five or six major-league starts if he is to help out during the playoffs, assuming the team gets to October…as it is, if pedro makes four minor-league starts right now, and has no set backs or misses a day, he will be back by the end of this month, leaving him the roughly five to six desired starts in september with the Mets…one more delay, though, and that number starts to dwindle…
…i’m having a problem with the SPAM filter in this site’s comments section…as such, a variety of non-SPAM comments are being held up for moderation…the thing is, i have been unable to get in and delete these comments…i do not know why, and i’m working on it…sorry for the inconvenience…
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