Daily Archives: February 28, 2008
In a report for MLB.com, Marty Noble explains that the Mets will not be disciplined by Major League Baseball for not adhering to the the rule that all teams must have at least four regulars in the starting lineups of exhibition games.
The Mets were held to four hits today in a 7-0 Grapefruit League loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter, Florida.
…it’s just spring, it’s just spring…
- John Maine started and, after a 1-2-3 first inning, surrendered three runs on four hits, a walk and a wild pitch, leaving with two out in the second.
- Scott Schoenweis got the final out in the second and threw a scoreless third inning.
- Ruddy Lugo and Joe Smith each allowed two earned runs in their inning of work, while Juan Padilla, Stephen Register and Nate Field tossed scoreless frames.
- Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Delgado, Moises Alou and Brian Schnieder all made their Grapefruit League debuts. Only Reyes, 1-for-3, had a base hit.
- Ryan Church and Fernando Martinez both had singles.
John Maine, as quoted by Adam Rubin in his blog for the Daily News, on his struggles today:
“It was the first time facing hitters. This time last year I did bad the first go-around. I felt strong. I just left the ball up a little bit. One bad pitch here – a wild pitch. I felt fine. I’m just getting ready, preparing myself.”
Duaner Sanchez, who was scheduled to throw against the Cardinals, was scratched due to “normal soreness”. Again from Rubin’s blog, Willie Randolph downplaying the significance of Sanchez’s absence:
“Sometimes you’re a little sore or whatever. It’s early in the spring. Just pushed back a day. He’ll be ready to go tomorrow. … It’s nothing to be concerned about. Sometimes guys, day-to-day, are a little sore. It could be anywhere on their body. And that’s what he said he was, so he’s pushed back a day. Don’t read into that any more than the fact that every pitcher sometimes will get up in the morning and not feel right. Give him an extra day, that’s all.”
…he’s been at Port St. Lucie longer than anybody, getting started on his throwing before other pitchers even reported, so hopefully he’s just a bit tired… Duaner‘s been supposedly been lights out in camp, so let’s look at the positives here… which i guess for today are Scott Schoenweis‘s scoreless inning, the potential glimpse into the future with Fernando Martinez hitting between Jose Reyes and David Wright, and the fact that the team wasn’t fined by Major League Baseball for sending too many non roster players to Lakeland yesterday…
The Mets will take on the Cardinals in the first Grapefruit League game of the spring at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie tomorrow. Johan Santana will make his spring and Mets debut. Santana’s pitch is at 1:10, and the game will be broadcast on 
.
In a report for MLB.com, Anthony DiComo writes about Jose 
Reyes, who is determined to stay focused through the entire season.
Reyes, on doing less dancing, hi-fives, etc, as quoted by DiComo:
“I’m going to focus a little more on baseball. A lot of people say with the handshakes, the other team can get mad. People say that because of the way we finished last year.”
…and to that i say: nonsense…first of all, who cares if other teams get mad…second, jose’s exuberance didn’t seem to be a problem in 2006, did it…win, and nobody will care…lose, and every time you blink it’ll be a problem…this isn’t rocket surgery, jose…hit, run and win, and you can dance on top of the dugout, let alone the top step…i guarantee it…
…that said, fun and cockiness are earned…and you spent a ton of that well-earned capital at the end of last season…no doubt…so, again, get on track…then be whomever you want to be…
In fact, according to a recent poll on MetsBlog.com, 50 percent of more than 4,300 voters said they prefer the Jose-Jose-Jose Chant only occur after Reyes gets on base.
Meanwhile, only 15 percent said it should be played before every at-bat, like Shea Stadium did so much of last season.
Speaking of recapping polls, the following is my latest segment for SNY, in which, again, I talk about the Fan Confidence Rating:
…yes, the blue and orange was intentional…
Today in Jupiter, Fla., the Mets will take on the Cardinals,
To get live, written updates from the pressbox, check out blogs for the Journal News, Newsday and the Daily News
John Maine will start for the Mets, followed by Duaner Sanchez, Scott Schoeneweis, Joe Smith, Steven Register and Juan Padilla.
Speaking of Maine, read Bart Hubbach’s report in the New York Times, as the two talk about cross-dressing impersonators.
Meanwhile, SS Jose Reyes will bat lead-off, followed by CF Fernando Martinez, 3B David Wright, 1B Carlos Delgado, LF Moises Alou, RF Ryan Church, 2B Ruben Gotay, C Brian Schneider and DH Marlon Anderson.
…reyes…f’mart…wright…well, that’s pretty cool to see…
Speaking of Martinez, to check out video of him taking batting practice, go to Reel Sports.
Johan Santana will start tomorrow at Port St. Lucie against Cardinals, while Oliver Perez will start against the Dodgers on Saturday.
Kevin Burkhardt will call seven spring training games, the first of which will be on March 3 at 1 pm – when the Mets take on the Braves.
…Gary Cohen calls every single game, so it’s good that he’s getting a slight break through some of the spring…rest those pipes, gary…
For SNY’s schedule of games, go here, the first of which will be tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 29, against the Cardinals.
In a report for MLB.com, Marty Noble and Anthony DiComo team up to write about Brian Schneider, and how Carlos 
Beltran was his mentor-for-the-day early this week.
The two writers write: “Schneider cited Beltran’s help as one of the best examples of the benefits of becoming a Met.”
…if you recall, beltran was super pro-active in his very first spring training…in fact, we were inundated with reports early on about how he took a young David Wright and Jose Reyes under his wing, initiating them to training sessions, etc…then, silence it seems…either that, or people just didn’t write about what he was doing behind the scenes…either way, he’s back…mentor-for-the-day, mocking Jimmy Rollins…it’s great, because i want to be so much more excited about him than i have been…
According to Jayson Stark at ESPN.com, MLB may look to fine or reprimand the Mets, who yesterday did not exactly comply with the league’s request that each team bring four regulars to an away game.
In his report, Stark writes:
“Just the day before, MLB’s executive vice president for baseball operations, Jimmie Lee Solomon, sent a memo to all 30 teams reminding them they need to bring a “representative team” to all spring road games. And the definition of “representative” was a “minimum” of four players who were regulars the previous year or had a “reasonable chance” of being regulars this season.”
In yesterday’s game in Lakeland against the Tigers, only Ryan Church will likely crack the team’s opening day roster, while Marlon Anderson, Ramon Castro, Ruben Gotay and Mike Pelfrey do not necessarily qualify as ‘regulars.’
On Tuesday, Mets 1B Michel Abreu hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth giving the Mets a 4-4 tie.
Yesterday, during a loss to the Tigers, Abreu was 1–4 with a run scored. However, with the bases loaded in the 
ninth, he hit into a game-ending double play.
…i’m getting a lot of e-mail from readers wondering if abreu will be the team’s back-up first baseman…
However, talking with reporters yesterday, Marlon Anderson said he is capable of being Carlos Delgado‘s back-up first baseman.
…the sooner we all accept that marlon, Ruben Gotay and Damion Easley will be this team’s all-purpose, every-position, back-up infielders, the better we all will be…
…by the way, according to SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt, Mike Carp is not in camp with the Mets…
…this seems odd to me, in that he was such a popular player last spring, garnering praise from Omar Minaya to Willie Randolph…but, i guess after a sluggish, injury-plagued season, he’ll have to wait until next year…which still seems odd to me, if for not other reason than i’d think the team would want as much of a read on him as possible, seeing as Carlos Delgado is a free-agent after next season…unless they already know something about carp that we don’t know…
Tagged Mike Carp |Yesterday, Mets GM Omar Minaya told reporters that Orlando Hernandez is no closer to throwing batting practice, let alone starting a game, despite throwing a ‘good’ 
bullpen session earlier in the week.
According to the New York Post, Hernandez is battling pain in his foot, as well as pain from a recent root canal.
…it used to be a joke, but i seriously can no longer keep track of this guys aches and pains…
…at this point, el duque makes Kaz Matsui look like Cal Ripken…
By the way, at his blog for the Daily News, Adam Rubin writes about a recent cameo made by Hernandez on a Cuban-themed, Spanish-language variety show on a South Florida TV station.
Tagged Mike Pelfrey, Orlando Hernandez |
In the New York Post, Bart Hubbach explains why Shawn Green has officially announced his retirement, despite hitting .291 last season, reports the .
According to the report, if Green was to return in 2008, he was only willing to accept a deal from a team on the West Coast.
…so, for those who will gripe that green should have been retained as this team’s back-up first baseman, new york is not on the west coast…that said, good luck, shawn…you were much, much better for the Mets than i ever thought you would be…
Tagged Shawn Green | ← Older posts
