Daily Archives: February 27, 2008
The Mets fell to the Detroit Tigers by the score of 4-2 today in the Grapefruit League opener in Lakeland, Florida.
- Mike Pelfrey started and pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just a base hit and striking one.
- Ramon Castro drove home Angel Pagan with a sacrifice fly in the first, and Anderson Machado tripled home Michel Abreu in the second inning.
- Ryan Church, the only projected Major League starter in the lineup, was 0-for-2 with a walk.
- OF prospect Fernando Martinez was 1-for-1.
- Off-season signees Matt Wise and Brian Stokes both tossed a scoreless inning, as did Triple A LHP Adam Bostick and bullpen locks Pedro Feliciano and Jorge Sosa.
- Left hander Willie Collazo, a September callup last year, surrendered all four runs in the seventh inning.
…most important is the nice outing by Pelfrey, followed closely by solid bullpen work… the Tigers had nearly their entire big league lineup out there, too…
Pelfrey, after his start on his chances of making the team, as quoted by Adam Rubin at the NY Daily News:
“I don’t know if there’s even a slot open. Of course, anybody you ask, they want to be on the team. It’s the same way. I want to be on this team and I want to help them. I’ll just try to make the decision difficult. I think the chances of the whole staff going the whole year without something happening, it’s slim. If I don’t get it out of spring training, I’ll get my opportunity. There’s no way I can be mad. They’ve given me opportunities and I just haven’t taken advantage of them. That’s the bottom line.”
The Mets will be in Jupiter tomorrow to take on the St. Louis Cardinals. John Maine will make his first start of the spring.
The Mets lead the Tigers 2–0 after five innings, thanks to a triple by Anderson Machado and a sac-fly by Ramon Castro.
Mike Pelfrey tossed two shut-out innings, while Brian Stokes, Matt Wise and Pedro Feliciano each threw one scoreless inning.
…from what i can gather, pelfrey looked strong, setting down the Tigers in order during the first, and allowing 
just a single to Magglio Ordonez…he was aggressive, too, throwing a lot of strikes, and ‘pounding the zone,’ which is what we should all want to see…
…by the way, word from St. Lucie is that Pedro Martinez will make his first start of the spring on March 6 in Viera against the Nationals…
To get live, written updates from the pressbox, check out blogs for the Journal News, Newsday, Star-Ledger, Bergen Record and the Daily News, where Adam Rubin points out that the Mets did not take batting practice because it is 55 degrees.
In an interesting report for the Daily News yesterday, Adam Rubin talked with Mets VP Tony Bernazard, who oversees the team’s minor leagues, which he is very high on.
...there’s still some close to major-league ready talent there, with the bevy of college relievers and a number of Double-A starters, but the real excitement should be at the low levels this year…we’ll see this year whether that 
excitement is justified…but either way, what do you expect him to say, his young guys are scrubs…
On Monday, the Mets held their third-annual STEP Program, which was started to give extra baseball attention and life lessons to the team’s top prospects, such as Fernando Martinez and Francisco Pena.
The program teaches not only how to adjust to a full-season schedule, but also how to deal with media, cook for themselves and manage their finances, among other issues.
During the event, reporters had the opportunity to talk with the youngsters, who in turn had an opportunity to meet the reporters.
…i’ve read it in multiple places before that minaya and his staff have made it a priority to teach life lessons, not just baseball lessons, to the team’s minor leaguers, which is really admirable…
…this is beneficial in two ways: for those that make the majors, especially in new york, it will help them cope with the great demands and pressures being a met inherently carries…
…and second, for those who don’t make it, it helps ensure they will be able to function on super low salaries for years in the minors and make a life for themselves once they retire…having worked in the minor leagues for a number of years, i realized that ballplayers at that level have to do the same things we do and have the same worries, i.e. money, family, etc…
In a post to his blog for the Daily News, Rubin talks with prospect LHP Nathan Vineyard, who was a supplemental first-round pick for the Mets in 2007.
Vineyard went 0-3 with a 5.27 ERA in the Gulf Coast League, though he gave up just four earned runs in his final 18 innings
According to a report from Kevin Kernan in yesterday’s New York Post, Willie Randolph cares about the development of his young players.
Randolph, as quoted by Kernan…
“As a coach, we feel our work is really about trying to teach the game on and off the field, and hopefully the players will grasp what it means to play the game with respect and to play the game right so to become a winner the right way. That’s what it’s all about…Players don’t always like to hear what you’ve got to say, but you hope they absorb it. But, you still get excited about the prospects of what you give them and if they are open and receptive to them, you pass the game along to the next generation.”
Fernando Martinez, the Mets’ top prospect, was ranked 20th in Baseball America‘s Top 100 Prospects list, released online Tuesday.
BA projects that Martinez will make the big leagues in 2010, though he could arrive much earlier than that.
…afterall, he is a teenage hitting machine, right?…
Martinez has played in the Mets’ first two spring games, going 1-3 in the intrasquad game Monday and getting a base hit in yesterday’s exhibition against the University of Michigan.
Tagged Minors |The Mets will take on the Detroit Tigers today at 1 pm.
The Mets lineup is Angel Pagan, followed by OF Brady Clark, DH Marlon Anderson, OF Ryan Church, C Ramon Castro, 2B Ruben Gotay, 1B Michel Abreu, 3B Anderson Machado, SS Anderson Hernandez and Mike Pelfrey.
Matt Wise, Pedro Feliciano, Jorge Sosa, Brian Stokes and Willie Collazo are scheduled to pitch after Pelfrey.
To get live, written updates from the pressbox, check out blogs for the Journal News, Newsday, Star-Ledger, Bergen Record and the Daily News, where Adam Rubin points out that the Mets did not take batting practice because it is 55 degrees.
John Donovan at SI.com takes a close look at Lastings Milledge and the Washington Nationals.
Milledge, speaking on his time with the Mets:
“A lot of veterans didn’t like the way I play the game. They thought I didn’t respect it, but the vets here have no problem with me. They know I respect it. They know I work hard.
“I can’t go through anything worse than I went through in New York. It only gets better from here.”
…i loved milledge’s energy, potential, and displays of emotion and excitement…i would have enjoyed watching him play for the Mets… but i also feel he needs to grow up quite a bit and definitely think his attitude played a larger role in him getting traded than anyone is letting on…
Milledge, on the Nationals chances:
“I think we’re going to compete and not only compete, but … you hear about New York can win and Philly can win. Why can’t we talk that we’re going to win the division, too? I’m not saying we will. But we’re in this thing to win the NL East.”
…see, good kid, just a little crazy…i can only imagine milledge in the New York spotlight, jawing with rollins and how that would have gone over in the Mets’ clubhouse...
MetsBlog’s Mike Nichols and his wife, Christine, 
gave birth last night to their son, Carter Shea Nichols.
According to Nichols, “Both Mom and baby are doing well.”
…carter…shea…all i have to say is, outstanding mike…i don’t know if that is a direct reference to the Mets, but it’s close enough…and i love it…well played…
…congratulations, mike, christine and carter…
Tagged Mike Nichols |According to John Harper in the Daily News, every team is now looking for the next Joba Chamberlain.
…oh no…don’t do it…please…please don’t do it…
In Harper’s words, a Joba is basically defined as, “A young pitcher who went from A ball to a dominant major-league reliever in his first pro season.”
…i’m telling you, don’t do it…i know you want to…but, don’t…
In the report, Harper writes…
“The Mets believe they have such a candidate in 6-foot-5 reliever Eddie Kunz, the closer for two-time NCAA champion Oregon State whom they drafted last June. As Kunz himself said Tuesday, ‘The coaches here have been telling me they want to put me on that Joba Chamberlain trail.’…Actually, the Mets coaches also include Joe Smith in such conversations.”
…great, and now you’ve done it…they just couldn’t help it…
…how about letting joba be joba, and letting Eddie Kunz be Eddie Kunz…no comparisons…no fancy nicknames, like Generation K, etc…just let the kid develop and pitch…
…in fairness, harper’s column is very exciting, and has me hopeful that kunz can be the type of pitcher who one day may replace Billy Wagner as the team’s closer…and that’s exactly the point…i really, really don’t want to get my hopes up, when it comes to prospects…i think he’ll be good…i want him to be good…but, please, don’t tell me he’ll be good, before he is actually good…
In the spirit of these remarks, Michael Salfino takes a look at the best bench-clearing brawls in Mets history in a column for 
, including the 1986 fight between Ray Knight and Eric Davis, which resulted in Roger McDowell and Jesse Orosco playing in the outfield.
To listen to Adam Rubin from the Daily News talk about the Mets, check out Gotham Baseball Live from last night.
Facing Clemens, a new book by MiLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo is now for sale. According to Mayo, the book will give you a sense of what it’s like to stand in the box and face Roger Clemens.
…yes, but will he throw a bat at me, jon…i need to know…
At Hot Foot, Andrew Beaton begins a two-day discussion with Tim Marchman from the New York Sun.
Apparently, John Maine is addicted to crossword puzzles, which you can learn more about in an interview he did with the Times Herald-Record.
Maine, on the key to finishing a puzzle:
“Overcoming your frustration. It gets very frustrating when you’re so close and you can’t get those last one or two or three words. I’ll get so frustrated sometimes that I’ll put it down for awhile, and then I’ll start back up a few minutes later.”
…i was told this once before by one of the most kind, patient, old people i ever knew, in that consistently starting and finishing crossword puzzles will help make you patient, disciplined and focused to finish what you start…
…for what it’s worth, i have never started, nor finished, a crossword puzzle, which may explain a lot…
Lastly, in the Star-Ledger, Dan Graziano explains why Luis Castillo is the definition of why the Mets are a Win-Now Team.
The Mets will travel to Lakeland today to play the Detroit Tigers.
Mike Pelfrey will pitch first, followed by Matt Wise, Pedro Feliciano, Jorge Sosa, Brian Stokes and Willie Collazo.
…from what i can gather, Ryan Church may be the only opening-day starter who will make the trip…remember, the rule is that a team must take at least five major leaguers for a spring training road game…so, on these long bus rides, it tends to be a skeleton crew…whereas, when the Mets travel to Jupiter to face the Cardinals, which is only a short drive away, more players will make the trip…
To listen to the game live, click here.
During his weekly appearance on WFAN yesterday, SI.com’s Jon 
Heyman said Pedro Martinez has looked great in camp.
Heyman on Martinez, while talking to WFAN:
“I talked to him today and I think he’s the smartest guy I’ve ever covered. I mean with the nuance of the language. I think people are following Pedro’s lead, and people are talking about how Reyes is speaking much better English now.
…thanks to Peter Wade for the quote…
For more on Martinez, who talked with reporters yesterday and said he hopes to pitch after 2008, read the Bergen Record, Daily News, Newsday and the Star-Ledger.
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