Daily Archives: August 22, 2007
For details on the Mets walk-off win from last night, be sure to read Mets Walk-Offs, where you’ll learn, among other things…
“It was Trevor Hoffman‘s 4th career walk-off loss against the Mets, his first since Mike Piazza beat him with a two-run HR on April 28, 1999.”
Former-Dodgers 1B Wes Parker beat out Keith Hernandez and Don Mattingly for the best-defensive first baseman of all-time, according to the one million votes cast in Rawlings All-Time Gold Glove Team.
…as long as mattingly didn’t beat 
out keith, i’m okay with this…the question is, who finished second…because, to me, this contest was about one thing and one thing only: who was better defensively, keith or donnie…
…i’m trying to locate all results for first base…if you stumble across this in print, please let me know…
…as for the overall results, admittedly, i do not know much about parker…i recall, back when this started, a few people said to me that he’d end up winning…obviously, i disagreed…oh well…
The Rawlings All-Time Gold Glove Team is as follows:
Greg Maddux at pitcher, Johnny Bench at catcher, Parker at first, Joe Morgan at second, Brooks Robinson at third, Ozzie Smith at short, and Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente and Ken Griffey Jr. in the outfield.
Pedro Martinez is scheduled to throw a bullpen session today in Port St. Lucie.
Yesterday, the Mets said Martinez will most likely make his next start on Sunday, though there is no indication where that start will be.
…so, a minor-league start on sunday would mean his next start after that would be Saturday, September 1, against the Braves…by doing so, a corresponding roster move would not need to be made, either way he is still eligible for the post-season roster…the thing, as much as i would love the drama of pedro’s debut in atlanta, is it wise to throw him right at the Braves, bam, right out the gate…if not then, though, when…his next scheduled start, after the Braves, would be Friday, September 7, at home against the Astros…at that rate, he’d get four full major-league starts, one to two short of the supposed desired amount…
Last night, with the Mets down by one, Marlon Anderson tied the game with a pinch-hit single. He advanced to second on a single by Jose Reyes, and scored the winning run on a single by Luis Castillo.
Anderson, talking to reporters after last night’s win…
“I was going all the way. Sandy was waving me, I guess, I don’t even know, (laughing), I’m assuming he was waving me. I just wanted to get there. It’s a big win for us, against a guy like Trevor Hoffman…
“That’s one reason why I like coming over here, because they expect I can get the job done in a big situation. I did a pretty good job in 2005, and coming back here, knowing they’ve got your back means the world to me.”
During last night’s win over the Padres, John Maine allowed three runs on 118 pitches, six hits and four walks, while striking out four, through just 5.2 innings.
He threw 117 pitches through five innings in his previous start, during which he allowed 34 foul balls.
Maine, talking to reporters after last night’s game…
“I felt alright, it was just tough with the weather…But, you still go out there, put that stuff out of your mind and still go out there and pitch, but I felt alright…It’s just one or two pitches for me every start. I had some guys, I knew where I wanted them, I just couldn’t get that pitch to get out of it.”
…his velocity seems fine, not that that would result in all the foul balls anyway…it’s just weird…he’s not being economical, and he’s not getting first-pitch strikes…mechanically he looks good, his change-up is strong, his fastball still has movement and zip…he’s just always in a full-count…and when he actually is ahead in the count, he just can’t seem to put the guy away, so he ends up running full anyway…
Last night, in four plate appearances, 
Carlos Beltran hit a single, a double, a home run, he walked, scored a run and had five RBI.
…he also made two difficult catches…
In the 10 games since returning from the disabled list, Beltran is hitting .351 with six HR and 18 RBI.
Beltran, while talking to reporters after the game…
“I feel good at the plate. I feel comfortable. I feel like I’m seeing the ball good, and I’m not trying to do too much. I’m just making good contact…
“I have no explanation to tell you how I feel at the plate. I just feel good…
“Good things are happening, and it’s about time.”
…you can say that again…
…people keep e-mailing me, essentially goofing on me for having said i wanted to trade beltran…instead, i wrote that come this off-season the club should re-visit how he is used, and how he fits in to the offense, i.e., instead of seeing him as one type of player, maybe he is something else, like, i don’t know, a run-producing clean-up hitter…
…my overall opinion was as follows, which i have posted on several occasions…
…to me, two things are clear, a) beltran can be a great player, but b) when hurt his results will suffer…the problem is that he appears fragile, and i don’t know that these injuries will ever truly go away…he seems like the type of guy who’ll always have some sort of minor agitation…he won’t be on and off the disabled list because i believe he plays through the pain, but there will always be some sort of muscle pain, etc, giving him a headache…he’ll be healthy, locked in, he’ll get hot, and we’ll love him, then he’ll slump, or get a nagging pain, and he’ll struggle, and we’ll want to boo…and i think this will be the script, over and over again, as long as he’s on the team…
…frankly, i feel that assessment is more accurate now than ever…
For more on Beltran, read Mike Vaccaro in the New York Post, who writes that this version of Beltran is exactly what the Mets paid for, and “what Mets fans craved for.”
Last night, Luis Castillo drew a walk in the first, after Jose Reyes led off with a pop up. He eventually scored on a home run by Carlos Beltran.
In the third, he walked, after Reyes popped out, and eventually scored on a double by Beltran.
In the eighth, he moved Reyes to third on a ground ball. Reyes then scored on a single by Beltran.
And, of course, in the ninth, castillo singled to center to drive in the game’s winninng run.
Castillo, as quoted by the New York Post…
“I feel great to get a hit there. I feel now like I’m on the team…I come here to help the team, and I want to keep it going. When I came in the trade, that’s what people want to see…
“I feel great, because we played hard and we have to win some games. We looked up at the scoreboard and saw Atlanta lost, so it was a big win. We have to play hard and try to win, forget everything and win the game…
“I play to win. I know what I have to do, try to do my job. If a guy’s on, I move him over. I have a great hitter behind me. I try to make it easy for him. You have to play the game right. If you play the game right, everything comes out good.”
…first off, wow, score-board watching in august…and he admits to it…i dig that…second, like i wrote last night, i feel like he’s been on the team forever…it’s very strange…also, it’s getting to the point, in that, with the way castillo handles the bat, any time Jose Reyes gets on with no outs i just assume the team will score a run…i suspect opposing pitchers are feeling this way, as well, which is a good thing…
Willie Randolph, on Castillo, while talking to reporters after last night’s dramatic win…
“He’s a winner, that’s the bottom line…He knows how to give to the game…Execution, putting the ball ini play, taking a walk, sacrificing. You know, when you’re good to the game, and give to it like that, you know, you do the little things, and you get reqarded for that. He’s a guy that knows how to beat you. We’re happy to have him, obviously. He’s played great defense for us. He just does all the little intangibles that translate in to victories.”
Beltran, on Castillo, talking to reporters after the game…
“He’s one of the best second batters in the game. He sees a lot of pitches…I wish I could do it like that, too. He has a great eye. He’s always on the bases. Hitting fourth, fifth in the lineup, you wanna have guys like that, like him, to always be on the bases.”
…what’s more, i have to think that his successful, self-less style of play must inspire his teammates to do the same, which is certainly something that does not show up in a stat line…
Last night, the Mets lead by two, trailed by one and tied the game in the eighth inning.
However, in the ninth, with the game tied, Billy Wagner gave up a lead-off single, a walk, he hit a batter, and allowed a run to score on a sac-fly.
The Mets tied the game up in the bottom of the ninth, and won it on a walk-off single by Luis Castillo.
Wagner, as quoted in the Bergen Record…
“That’s a hard one to describe…I guess it’s a good way to get a win. The way they stepped up and picked me up after a tough inning, you’ve got to have that. It goes a long way in giving you confidence. Every night you go out there, you’re not going to be perfect, but you have a team here that’s got your back.”
Willie Randolph, talking to reporters after the win…
“It was a great job tonight of picking each other up. Great game overall. We came back nicely. Good job by every one looking out for each other, picking each other up with some big hits. The bullpen didn’t really hold things down, but they’ve done a lot of us all year – so it was nice for us to finally come back and pick them up a little bit. That’s what this team is all about.”
…this picking-each-other-up bit was very popular with willie and the team’s locker room last season…i have heard a bit less of it this year…i’m glad to see it making a comeback, and at the right time of year, as well…
