Daily Archives: September 27, 2007
Orlando Hernandez had been scheduled to throw a simulated game from the bullpen today, but, instead, he pitched one inning of relief during last night’s game.
…he looked a bit rusty, but he was effective…and that’s a lot more than i can so for the other guys in that pen right now…with two runners on, and two outs, he got back-to-back strike outs using his wiffle-ball change up, and that’s good enough for me…sold…
Willie Randolph, regarding El Duque, while talking to reporters after the game…
“Duque is in the bullpen right now. He was available (last night) and that’s what we wanted to do, use him if we could. That’s as far as we go with that. We weren’t looking any farther than (last night) with him.”
…from what i can gather, el duque was not happy about being put in the bullpen prior to the game, but it is what it is…that’s where he is needed right now…ideally, he would not have pitched last night, but he was needed, and so he was used…i think what we’re hearing and seeing at this point is that el duque is now a reliever, either a) because of demand, or b) because he is physically incapable of starting…or, at least he is right now, at this very moment…that could easily change, but as long as he’s healthy, he’ll be pitching from relief over the next four days…
Tagged Orlando Hernandez |Willie Randolph, talking to reporters after last night’s game…
“I still trust them…These guys have fought for me all year, they’ve given me their heart and soul, and right now just have to find a way to get it done. That’s the bottom line. You don’t give up on your people. This is a tough, tough time we’re going through, obviously…You’ve got to keep fighting. It’s a mental thing right now, you’ve got to keep fighting through it. We still have destiny in our hands right now, but we’ve got to find a win real quick…But, it’s all in your head now, you’ve got to keep fighting…In the fight of your life, you keep going and you all find out what you’re made of – and we’ve got to keep doing that…We need to get a victory and move on, gentlemen. That’s the bottom line…
“You’ve got to stay strong mentally…This time of year you have to dig deep…We’re a team. We fought together all year. We’ve picked each other up all year. This is no different. When you get down to the end you’ve still got to get it done…Sure, we all feel terrible for ourselves as a team that we can’t really close the deal right now. But, we still have time. We’re not giving in. Again, we can talk all we want, but, the bottom line that we’re still in a situation where we can go out and make some things happen the next four days. We’re going to fight to do that. We’re gonna stay strong and keep going.”
…i will never give up on this team…i’m not a quitter…and i’m certainly not going to quit with this team in first place…i woke up this morning to a lot of comments and e-mails from fans who are basically quitting…it’s sad…i mean, that’s not what this fan base is about…i always thought we were about ‘hope’ through the final out, which is what we’ve done on so many occasions in the past…yes, the division could have been won weeks ago…i understand that…and it stinks that things have played out as they have…but, it is what it is…there are four games left, and, despite all the panic, the Mets control their fate…
…you can quit, or you can believe…it’s your choice…you can boo when the team takes the field tonight, or you can cheer them on…it’s your choice…
…personally, i just don’t understand why you’d want to boo, though, or why you’d choose to quit…what fun is that…we wait all winter for baseball season to start…well, here it is…it’s time to fight, and you wanna quit…what a shame…look, i’m freaking out, too…i can’t believe what i am watching, either…but, it…is…what…it…is…like it or not…again, if you wanna tune out, quit, and go hide in a corner while being negative…go for it…but, i’m sticking it out, for better or worse…like i have said before, there will be plenty of time to criticize in the off-season…at this point, with four games left, all i can do is believe and cheer this team on as best i can…that’s my plan…what’s yours…
Tagged Willie Randolph |Paul Lo Duca, while talking to reporters after the game…
“It seems to me we’re all waiting to lose. It better change quick or in five days we’re all going to be home for the winter. You can’t play the game that way. It’s like a broken record every game.”
…well, they certainly know what time it is…which is why i don’t understand how people can think that willie’s vocal chords are the magic bullet…that ship has sailed, if it was a valid ship in the first place…at this point, it’s all on the players and how they play…
Billy Wagner entered last night’s game to start the ninth inning, with his team down by one run. He allowed a single, two walks, two doubles, and two runs to score.
Wagner, talking to reporters after the game…
Tagged Paul Lo Duca |“We’re not scared of losing. I think, what the problem is, is how bad we’re playing…As good as our bullpen was early, we’re that bad right now. We’re not making wise decisions, and I’m speaking more of myself than anybody. We’re not making wise decisions on pitch selection, we’re not executing our pitches. Honestly, I don’t think that we’re trying to hard, it’s, you’re trying to do the same thing over and over again and it’s just not cutting it.”
During last night’s loss to the Nationals, Carlos Beltran hit two home runs for three RBI.
He has hit in 20 of 24 games in September, during which he has driven in 24 runs.
Beltran, talking to reporters after the game…
“Right now, we don’t (feel comfortable with a lead). I think, right now, we’re scoring runs, but we’re also giving runs. I don’t think anyone here is trying to go out and have a bad day, I think every one is trying. It’s just not working for us…
“It’s frustrating. It’s disappointing. We’re doing everything possible to go out and win a ballgame. It’s hard to believe. It’s unbelievable…I don’t lose confidence. I believe. I know sometimes you’ve got to go through adversity. Right now, times are tough. We have to win. There are no more options.”
…this is the first time in a long while i have heard beltran give more than the standard cliche…he actually comes off as sounding totally dismayed and genuinely shocked that this is happening…and i think we all feel the same…but, look, it’s a four-game, fight to the finish…if he believes, i believe…like he says, there’s just no other option at this point…
In his first-ever start, Philip Humber left the game in the sixth inning, with two runners on base and no outs, having allowed just two runs through the previous five innings.
Joe Smith entered in the relief, and was followed by Pedro Feliciano, and six batters later the Nationals scored five runs, three of which were credited to Humber, who got the loss.
Humber, talking to reporters after the game…
“Yeah, my legs started going during that fifth inning, but I was just trying to push through it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the right pitches at the right time – and that really hurts. To have a five-run lead in the fourth, and then give two of them back…to not be able to get through the fifth, and give our bullpen a chance that really hurts…As a pitching staff, we haven’t been able to really help out (the hitters) a lot, and that was definitely on my shoulders tonight.”
…he looked good…even if one or two of those runs score, but smith and feliciano can get out of that inning, humber’s night looks pretty good, given the amount of pressure he was under…unfortunatly, that’s not how it played out, and his line is ugly, but, from a ‘stuff’ point of view, he looked solid considering how important this game was and that it was his first major-league start…
Tagged Philip Humber |David Wright, talking to reporters after last night’s loss…
“We’re out there playing nine innings, busting our tail out there, it’s just the results aren’t there…We did everything we wanted to do tonight. We jumped on them early, we added runs, we just couldn’t stop the bleeding…It’s a recipe for disaster…
“Nobody’s giving up…We’re giving it everything we have. It’s late in the season, guys are tired, guys are running on fumes, but we’re giving it everything we’ve got out there…We need to dig down deep and find a little bit extra, because going out there and playing mediocre baseball is not going to cut it…
“If we go out and win four games in a row, it doesn’t matter what Philadelphia does…There’s no room for error. From here on out it’s a four-game season…These next four games are going to determine if we go to the playoffs. If we win the next four games, we’re drinking champagne and celebrating.”
…by the way, it doesn’t help that the Yankees clinched a wild-card spot last night, and celebrated like Little Leaguers for finishing in second place…umm, didn’t their fans mock the Mets for behaving this way in 2000…anyway…
…i keep hearing these people talk about how miraculous it is that the Yankees came all the way back from a 14 game deficit…the thing is, they didn’t…they failed in that mission…instead, they were never more than eight back in the wild card, and it’s that mission they conquered…
…not that any of this matters…
…it’s just, on a day like this, the less a Yankees fan is sticking his chest out, the easier it may be for us…that’s all…
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