Monthly Archives: February 2008
As noted yesterday, Duaner Sanchez was scratched from yesterday’s game with what Omar Minaya and Willie Randolph called ‘normal soreness.’
Randolph told reporters that Sanchez will likely pitch today, instead, as he needed an extra day or rest.
…forgive me, but i feel like i have seen this movie before…
…which is why, despite willie downplaying it, i’m worried…
…speaking of downplaying, i often wonder if willie would be better served over-playing these things some times…i’m speaking in theory of course, because i realize that if he came out and said, ‘Duaner is in pain, it’s more than just soreness, he’ll be out for a week,’ we’d all lose our freaking minds…as would reporters, who would flock to sanchez and clobber him with unnecessary questions…the thing is, if willie over-hyped the pain, but then duaner unexpectedly strolled out today, pitched well, and looked great, wow, he’d be a healthy hero instead of frail concern…
…instead, willie downplayed the situation, suggesting duaner could pitch today…so, if duaner doesn’t pitch today, then our collective worry will only increase…making it worse for every one…
Johan Santana will make his first start for the Mets today, as the Mets take on the Cardinals during a Grapefruit League battle in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
…well, after nearly five months, 150 posts to MetsBlog, 22,000 words and who knows how many rumors later, johan takes the mound in a Mets jersey and cap…hallelujah
The game will air live, starting at 1 pm, on 
.
According to multiple reports and estimations, assuming everything stays on track, by pitching today, Santana is now on pace to start Opening Day against the Marlins on March 31.
Santana talked with reporters yesterday, about pitching in the team’s first home game of the spring, and the first televised game of the season, saying:
“It’s going to be fun for everybody… It’s going to be exciting. It’s always good to be in the first game, and get the first game out of the way. I’m not going to try to do anything crazy. I’m going to try to do my job and try to work on everything and we’ll go from there… I’m going to enjoy it, for sure.”
For more on Santana’s debut, check out the Daily News, Newsday, the Journal News and the New York Post, who, again, write about the relationship between Santana and Pedro.
Tagged SNY |According to Ken Rosenthal from FOXSports.com, “Mets officials remain divided on free-agent right-hander Kyle Lohse.”
Rosenthal adds, “The buzz among scouts on the East Coast of Florida is that the Cardinals are pursuing Lohse, but sources indicate that the team is not interested.”
…the buzz among scouts on the East Coast…i love it…
…if Orlando Hernandez will be on this team, than i just don’t see how the Mets can tie themselves up with a 
guaranteed contract for lohse…if, however, el duque is not on the team – and i have no idea how that would happen, short of him disintegrating, which does seem more and more possible every day – only then does a one-year deal for lohse start to make a whole lot of sense…
Speaking of Hernandez, according to the New York Post, he told reporters yesterday that a toe ligament and painful bunion on his right foot are keeping him from pitching batting practice or in a game.
…seriously, i am losing count of what ails this guy…first it’s a bunion, then it’s a dislocated toe, back to the bunion, plus a ligament, plus a root canal…i mean, how does he even get out of bed in the morning…i’m in pain just reading about it…
Tagged Orlando Hernandez |
The New York Times catches up with Masato Yoshii, who is now a coach in Japan, and who would like to coach in the USA on day.
In a post to Mets Geek, John Peterson reviews the Baseball Prospectus 2008 review of the Mets.
Speaking of Prospectus, at Always Amazin, Matt Artus talks with BP’s Joe Sheehan about their report, the Mets and Jimmy Rollins, among other things.
At Hot Foot, Andrew Beaton returns with another edition of Beaton’s Banter.
The Brooklyn Met Fan provides a bit of commentary, ‘hoping not to sound like a Yankees fan,’ in response to MLB’s roster demands for away spring-training games.
According to John Harper in the Daily News, ‘The Mets have major 
age-old issues, adding:
“I wouldn’t bet the ranch on this team. Age and some injury issues at the moment are significant enough to point to how a lot could go wrong, as has been the case too often for the Mets over the years.”
…seriously, though, isn’t this the case for most teams…doesn’t every team talk about spring-time confidence, etc, but then qualify it by adding, ‘As long as we stay healthy.’…i mean, yes, i’m concerned about the same things as harper, but what fan isn’t…
Harper continues on to list a variety of injury– and age-based talking points, many of which you could recite in your sleep, all directed at the “Fatalistic Mets fans.”
…i’m not saying harper is wrong…i actually think every single point he makes is valid…it’s just, i suspect every team, every writer and every fan think about this exact same story in regards to every team every spring…so, it’s the scope of his validity that i question…i mean, do the Mets have more to worry about than others…maybe…i don’t know…time will tell…but to frame it like the Mets are a walking emergency room, one banana-peel slip away from being a last-place team, is a bit much…
For what it’s worth, Aaron Heilman, John Maine, Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez, Jose Reyes, David Wright, Johan Santana and Ryan Church all under 30 years old.
…and that’s the thing, unlike in year’s past, the Mets are not nearly as reliant on the older, more vulnerable player…which is maybe why harper’s column comes off as being a bit alarmist…
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.
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