Monthly Archives: April 2008
During a minor-league rehab game for St. Lucie 
tonight, Ramon Castro left after the fourth inning with what was described as ‘an injured leg.’
Castro had been 2 for 2 with two RBI before leaving the game.
According to Bill, a truster reader of MetsBlog, Castro called the team’s trainer out during the fourth inning, “and they slowly left the field together.”
Tagged Ramon Castro |
…in case you missed it last night, Will Leitch of Deadspin.com took part in a ‘roundtable discussion’ about sports blogs 
alonside Pulitzer Prize-winning author Buzz Bissinger (Friday Night Lights) and Browns WR Braylon Edwards, hosted by Bob Costas, live last night on HBO’s CostasNow, which also featured separate but similar discussions with other guests regarding print, talk radio and television…
To hear from Leitch, check out his post at Deadspin.
…first off, i feel badly for will – not that he needs my sympathy – but this was not a discussion…it was a firing line…he was clearly ambushed…costas and the show’s producers seemingly put him on the panel with the lone goal of interrogating him, defaming him and embarrassing him – none of which happend…
…instead, the Pulitzer Prize author, bissinger, came off looking like a paranoid and angry sports writer, who, despite being a smart man with obvious talent, is afraid that he will soon be marginalized by a business and audience who, for better or worse, no longer crave his skillset…
“I think that blogs are dedicated to cruelty, they’re dedicated to journalistic dishonesty, they’re dedicated to speed…It is the complete dumbing down of our society,” said Bissinger.
…my biggest issue with the discussion – if you can even call it that – was that buzz and costas essentially defined the blogosphere as being just Will Leitch, who, though i admire him and enjoy his work, does not represent every blog or blogger…
…there is ‘the blogger,’ which is a person at a keyboard, and there is ‘the blog,’ which is a communication tool…they are two different things, yet always seen as one…
…in reality, the blog tool is used by Presidential Candidates; it is used by corporations for internal communication, like GE or Google; it is used by athletes, like Curt Schilling, to circumvent reporters; it is used by team owners, like Mark Cuban, to speak directly to the fans; it is used by beat writers working for news outlets to report information more quickly than they can on paper; it is used by me, a fan, to express thought-out, pragmatic opinion and information, which has earned me the ability to gain interviews, press credentials, a large readership, a bit of notoriety and a full-time job doing what i love…
…and so, to frame blogs and bloggers as just one person, one style, one agenda, is flat-out ignorant…it is ignorance in its truest form, in that bissinger seemingly had no interest in learning about what a blog can do, why they’re popular, or how they represent a useful form on communication…he ignored this opportunity while remaining only interested in continuing a one-way conversation with the preconceived notion that blogs are bad and only contribute to the dumbing down of society…which is so simplistic it hurts..
…frankly, their discussion could have used a dash of Peter Abraham, who is a beat writer for the Journal News, and who does a brilliant job – not just with his newspaper report, but also with his blog about the Yankees…in fact, i would bet – knowing what i know about newspaper and blog advertising – i bet pete is more valuable to the Journal News as a blogger than he is as a newspaper man…
…pete and i are the perfect example of how sports blogging can be better than what newspapers provide – and by ‘newspaper,’ i mean the physical object that is flung on your porch roughly 24–hours after actual news occured…
…if a team’s beat writer only filed his information on his blog, and did not do so in a newspaper, would it make him any less credible?…no, it would not…he is still a reporter…it is still his job to gather information so you and i have a better, more well-rounded view of what is happening with the team…sure, i do not need him to tell me what happened in the game, which i watched with my own two eyes, but it’s nice to know why things happen and what may happen, and he collects that insight – his work is important and will never be irrelevant…however, how his information gets communicated to the public is just a vehicle…if that vehicle changes – as it will – from a rolled up collection of paper to a one-page scroll on a computer screen, what is the difference…also, why does the reporter have to be employed by a newspaper, or some old-school media outlet…if a writer writes well, is respectful, professional and does her job well, why does it matter who signs her 
paycheck…
…Buzz Bissinger is clearly nervous, and he should be, as he admitted to being…however, to me, the reason he and people like him are nervous is because of limited thinking…they are only seeing the on-coming train from one, violent angle…and, sadly, if they do not get out of the way, unable to unlock themselves from their frozen point of view, he’s right, they will be totally run over…
For more, check out Final Score, Fire Joe Morgan and Alan Sepinwell from the Star Ledger, and watch the following clip from last night’s show:
The Mets (14–12) lost to the Pirates (11–16) by the score of 13 to 1 in Shea Stadium today.
For a boxscore and recap, go to SNY.
…look, i suspect people - and you know who you are – will lose their minds over today’s game, as if it some how symbolizes some sort of greater issue surrounding this team…fact is, the Mets are 14–12, at a time when only a handful of teams are playing with a better record in the National League…
…that said, Tom Gorzelanny…really…jeez, guys…i mean, it’s a nice, sunny day…Citi Field even took time to provide you with additional water, in case you became dehydrated…and yet, you can’t score a single run…instead, you strike out seven times, get only two hits and leave seven men on base…i mean, gorzelanny even put five guys on base with walks, yet, nothing…the thing is, i realize no team will score five runs every night and that you’re bound to hit an off day…i get that, and understand…
…it wouldn’t seem so bad, though, if the offensive shut-down didn’t coincide with Oliver Perez and Jorge Sosa allowing 12 runs before the start of the sixth inning – all while the defense totally lost focus…
…wow…i mean, get it of your system, i guess…don’t waste it…if one aspect of the team plans to shut down for a day, i guess let it all shut down…why spread it around, when you can cram it all in on one lazy afternoon…
…by the way, it is his tendency to lose to total control that has me skeptical about giving perez a new three-year deal…he can be awesome…no doubt…and it’s not to say he is incapable of correcting this major flaw, but, those could be three very turbulent years, you know what i mean…
…by the way, five runs crossed the plate while sosa stood on the mound through the entire sixth inning…and, at that point, i don’t blame Willie Randolph for leaving him in the game…i mean, this is a guy who is essentially pitching for his job right now, so, let’s see what he’s got…and, i’m guessing, thanks to today, what he’s got is far less rope than he had a few hours ago…good luck, jorge…
…also, i love it, in a game that it is a total blow-out, Aaron Heilman comes in and throws a perfect inning…this isn’t irony, but it sure is predictable…i am happy for aaron, though…he needed a day to just come in, no pressure, and maybe get a bit of confidence back…if this happened, at least the day will not be a total waste…
…anyway, this is far more words than i expected to write about a game in which the Mets lost by 12 runs…
…hey, everyone, it’s happy hour…enjoy it…
The Mets are off tomorrow, and will start a three-game series on Friday in Arizona against the D’Backs, who lead Major League Baseball with a 19–8 record.
Johan Santana, talking to reporters following last night’s game, when asked if he appreciated the fans cheering for him as he walked off the field:
“The thing is, you always have to have their support, day in and day out, because they are a big part of what we do here. On the bad days, on the good days, if they’re always out there supporting us than we feel more comfortable…But, we understand, there are very demanding fans in this city and they want us to win – and there is nothing wrong with that. So, we know they are pretty demanding, but at the same time we are human beings, we’re gonna make mistakes and sometimes we’re not gonna have a good day, but it’s all how you bounce back and at the end hopefully the results will be very positive for everybody.”
Brian Schneider has been released from the hospital and is currently visiting with players in the locker room at Shea Stadium.
Schneider, talking to reporters, before today’s game:
“It was a lot more serious than I thought it was…But, everything went well…Hopefully I’ll be back real soon.”
…from what i understand, he should be able to play when the team hits Arizona on friday…the thing is, he is still a bit in pain right now…hopefully, this is not the case on friday…if he’s still unable to go on friday, if Moises Alou returns from the disabled list, it’s going to make for an odd day of roster moves…
The Game:
The Mets (14-11) look to sweep their abbreviated two-game series versus the Pirates (10-16) this afternoon at Shea Stadium, game at 1:10 pm EST.
The Lineup:
- SS Jose Reyes
- 2B Luis Castillo
- 3B David Wright
- CF Carlos Beltran
- RF Ryan Church
- 1B Carlos Delgado
- LF Angel Pagan
- C Gustavo Molina
- P Oliver Perez
The Pitchers:
LHP Oliver Perez (2-0, 3.62 ERA) toes the rubber for the Mets. Perez took the loss in his last start on April 24 versus the Nationals, surrendering five runs on six hit and four walks while striking out three over 5.2 IP. Perez is holding left-handed batters to a .095 (2-for-21) batting average this season. In three starts versus his former team, Perez is 0-2 with a 5.14 ERA.
LHP Tom Gorzelanny (1-3, 8.46 ERA) starts for the Pirates. In his last start on April 24 versus the Cardinals, he allowed three runs on two hits while walking seven and striking out four over 5.0 IP. Gorzelanny has walked 22 batters through his first 22.1 IP this season. He is 0-2 with a 10.45 ERA in three career starts versus the Mets.
The Notes:
The Mets are batting .176 (18-for-102) with two outs and RISP this season, which ranks them 15th in the National League. The league average is .227.
For more insight on the Pirates, check out our Blogger Beat.
How To Catch It:
Today’s game can be seen locally on
and heard locally on WFAN.
The Bleachers:
For a live chat, head over to The Hot Foot Bleachers.
…enjoy, and as always, Let’s Go Mets…
Tagged Mike Nichols |
He leads the team in runs scored, batting average (more than 10 at bats) and hits – and he has committed no errors.
Anthony DiComo penned an article for MLB.com on how Church may vie for a spot on the 2008 All-Star team.
To watch Church’s two-run home run from last night’s win over the Pirates, click here.
…church has not just been holding his own this year, he has been nearly stellar…perhaps that is because i just expected a steady, bottom of the order bat, who would play a good right field for the team…but church has been more than that…
…i figured he would be better at shea than at rfk, and that the hype about him not being able to hit lefties was overdone, but no one i know expected him to hit considerably better against lefties than righties this year, and be looking at a potential all-star bid…
…of course, it is still early and we will have to wait and see who the real Ryan Church is…at this time last year, David Wright had no home runs and was batting .244, plus church does lead the team in strikeouts…so, i fully expect church to taper off a bit but to continue yielding respectable numbers for a corner outfielder…he is still only 29 and has time to improve so, hopefully, the church i have been pleasantly surprised by so far is in fact legit…
…added to by Matthew Cerrone…
…i think he is, regis…i really do…it’s not like he didn’t hit well in DC last season – or even the year before…he has always been a consistent hitter – never doing too much, or too little, while always playing impressive defense…that is what he has done so far this season, and i see no reason to think he will discontinue this pattern going forward – meaning he could very well hit .290, 20 HR and have 100 RBI, as he is on pace to do…
Tagged Regis Courtemanche, Ryan Church |In a recent report for FOXSports.com, Ken Rosenthal lists roughly 20 players who could be on the trade block this summer, ranging from Reds OF Adam Dunn to Pirates 1B-OF Xavier Nady to A’s RHP Joe Blanton and Rich Harden.
Regarding Nady, who is of interest 
to Mets fans, as well as Jason Bay, Rosenthal writes:
“Nady is off to his usual fast start, and the Pirates should begin exploring the market for him immediately. Bay, too, is hitting, but his defense in left field draws as much disdain from rival executives as Dunn’s. Both players are under control through 2009 - Nady is earning $3.35 million in arbitration this season…The Pirates’ new front office was largely inactive last off-season, gambling that Bay, in particular, would restore his value. As the deadline nears, the team figures to turn more aggressive.”
Meanwhile, in the New York Times, Josh Robinson talks with Nady about his time with the Mets.
According to Robinson, though Nady has been the topic of trade rumors, “Mets GM Omar Minaya and Pirates GM Neal Huntington declined to comment on the possibility of a trade.”
Tagged Xavier Nady |Marlins (15-11, First):
Due to their low expectations entering the season, the Marlins aren’t feeling any pressure being in first place, writes Greg Cote of the Miami Herald.
At his blog for the Sun-Sentinel, Mike Berardino wonders if the Marlins continue their hot start will they go out and add a piece to boost their playoff chances.
…easy fellas…it’s still april…albeit i’m surprised the Marlins are playing this well…it’s a nice story, but the fish are playing a bit over their heads…they are slugging their way to wins, however they have allowed more runs (124) than they have scored (120)…they can’t keep that up and continue to win…
Phillies (15-12, 1 LB):
According to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News, OF Shane Victorino, who returned from the disabled list last night, may have lost his spot as the team’s starting center fielder.
Over at The Good Phight, jonk states, based on expectations OF Jayson Werth might just be the Phillies MVPREV, or Most Valuable Player Relative to Expected Value.
Braves (12-14, 3 LB):
David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution breaks news on the possibility of Braves RHP John Smoltz returning as the team’s closer once he is activated from the 15-day disabled list.
…smoltz heading to the bullpen puts the Braves in the same quandary the Yankees have with Joba Chamberlin only vice-versa…smoltz would certainly help the back end of a decimated Braves bullpen, but also open up a big hole in their starting rotation…
At her blog for the AJC, Chop Chick wonders if any of the Braves pitching prospects are ready to plug the hole vacated by Smoltz.
…can’t say i’m shedding any tears for the Braves and their injuries…good luck with all that…
Nationals (10-17, 6 LB):
Tagged Mike Nichols |Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post states the Nationals offensive woes have masked team’s real issue, the injuries to their two most important pitchers, Shawn Hill and Chad Cordero.
To watch Ron Darling and Gary Cohen during last night’s exclusive Post Game Extra for SNY.tv, click here.
To watch David Wright’s walk-off single to win last night’s game against the Pirates, click here, and to watch Wright talk with SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt while walking off the field, click here.
To watch Willie Randolph’s post-game comments following last night’s win, click here.
Lastly, to watch Johan Santana discuss his performance from last night, click here.
Tagged SNY | ← Older posts
