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The Mets (6–6) defeated the Nationals (4–10) by the score of 6 to 0 in Shea Stadium tonight.
For a recap and boxscore, go to SNY.tv.
…give a game ball to Mike Pelfrey, who looked very good tonight – albeit against the Nationals…but, i’ll take it…regardless, his fastball had a ton of life and a lot of late zip, which he utilized in tough spots to get out of trouble…such as in the third, when he struck out Ryan Zimmerman and Nick Johnson with the bases loaded…all in all, a much-needed, nice-step start for the young pelfrey…
…welcome back, Jose Reyes, who hit a single, a triple and two doubles in his return to the lineup – after having missed a few days with a hamstring injury…what’s more, he was smiling a lot, and looked like he was having fun…which this team needs…no doubt about it…
…speaking of returns, Duaner Sanchez pitched the ninth inning, allowing one hit while striking out one…
…with Jackie Robinson Night, the Mets, like other teams, all wore No. 42 and removed their names from the jerseys…which got me thinking, back in 2000, the Mets did not put their names on their jerseys, and i forgot how much i liked that…it’s cleaner, and speaks to team unity…i’d like to see them go back to that…
…in the fifth inning, Angel Pagan popped out with the bases loaded to end the inning, which started with Jose Reyes on third and no outs…i know Luis Castillo has struggled of late, but i prefer him in the second slot behind reyes, because, even if he is not actually getting hits, castillo still puts the ball in play, which, with jose’s speed, is always productive…
…of course, later in the game, also with reyes on third, this time with one out, David Wright ripped a double through the zimmerman’s glove to score reyes…tack on the runs, guys…
…early in the game, Gary Cohen talked about how the Mets are essentially in a power drought…then David Wright immediately hit a home run…oh, gary, you’re such a jinx…on, wait…sorry…
…Lastings Milledge was greeted in his first at bat with a loud, and i mean loud BOOO…i mean, folks, he didn’t trade himself…
…speaking of boos, in the bottom of the third, Carlos Beltran hit in to a double play with a runner at third to end the inning…there slight boos…with his team up 2–0…which is just stupid…
…speaking of beltran, with two strikes and a runner on second in the seventh, he hit a single to score a big insurance run, which was great to see…
…nice recipe: strong pitching from the starters and relievers, clutch hitting, aggressive base running and solid defense…
Tomorrow, the Mets continue their series against the Nationals, with John Maine facing Matt Chico, starting at 7:10 pm.
where are the boobirds tonight? amazing game. the team seems to be clicking. couldn’t more proud of Pelf and Sanchy. Reyes and Wright -huge games. LETS GO METS!
Take the next two. Gotta build on tonight. SWEEP !
Matt, Milledge defintiely did not trade himself. However, I think the loud boo’s in his direction this evening were a direct result of his disparaging spring training comments about the Mets, not the trade.
I feel awsome for Duaner. Wright not only carried this, but my fantasy team tonight. Just the kind of night we needed, hopefully this will bring on better times at Shea and we can build off this win, it seemed like everyone had great at bats tonight. LET’S GO METS!
Honestly though, on the real, heartfelt condolences to the fan who died tonight sliding down a railing. Apparently his 2 daughters were with him, I couldn’t imagine how they felt. Hopefully this will put things into perspective for ALL fans, how lucky we are to be able to see our team play- whether good or bad. I feel terrible for the guy and his family.
Exactly. Awful, awful, awful night at Shea.
Wow, fastest postgame ever. :-)
Nice win, good to have Duaner and Reyes back.
Wright, Reyes, and Duaner. What a night.
don’t forget pelfrey
No disrespect to Pelfrey, but the 3 I listed made it feel like it was the June 2006. It’s a good feeling.
those were fun days!
Regarding the booing – I mentioned this to a friend tonight. I think there are 2 types of fans — there are fans who are knowledgeable, who follow the team closely, whether in person, in print, or online — these fans, while frustrated, tend not to boo the team except in extreme situations — and certainly not 2 weeks into the season. Then the there are the idiots who follow the team by reading the back page of the Post and show up to the game on their way to getting wasted. We know them, we’ve all sat next to them. These are the idiots who are booing Santana, Beltran, and even Milledge. Unfortunately, they seem to comprise the majority of the crowd at Mets games these days.
I think you nailed it. I think I was most embarrassed the other year (can’t remember if it was ‘06 or ‘07) during the first or second home game of the season when Beltran was booed pretty lustily. Booing or being extremely negative towards the team in April is absolutely absurd, its as if some people have never actually followed a baseball season in their lives before.
Beltran was booed heavily at Shea in April ‘06. Of course he’d had a disappointing ‘05, but the bozo demographic got on him from game one, and he was clearly disturbed by it.
One game about three weeks into the season he hit a big 3-run homer at Shea to put the Mets ahead and when fans yelled for a curtain call he sat on the bench with a look of stonefaced defiance. Julio Franco had to urge Beltran to step out and acknowledge the cheers, and he eventually gave in.
I thought then about what has been said here recently, how the players may view the fans as a monolithic entity rather than as thousands of individual voices. The unfortunate fact is, if 40,000 fans are in the stands, and the 5,000 dumbest of them boo Carlos Beltran the first week in April, it’s going to make a loud booing sound.
speaking of boos, in the bottom of the third, Carlos Beltran hit in to a double play with a runner at third to end the inning…there slight boos…with his team up 2–0…which is just stupid…
How dare Beltran not produced everytime he’s at bat. For the kind of money he’s being paid, I expect production 100 percent of the time. Anything less is a failure. :)
Boooo! Hissss! Oh, wait, I mean, good game Mets! Why were they booing Heilman with 2 outs? Ridiculous. Nice work Pelfrey, that was quite a statement. He’s growing up right before our eyes and I blame … I mean I give some credit to The Jacket for that. We’ve seen very clear and steady improvement from Pel. Nice to have you back, Sanchez. It was heart-warming to see him throw a scoreless 9th. Jose looked sharp as well, although I think the fans should have booed more when he didn’t hit for the circuit. And as for David Wright? Well, besides my girlfriend and I chanting “MVP” throughout the game, I think we should consider letting David Letterman throw batting practice on every off day. You booers out there, sorry to disappoint you, but the Mets looked pretty good tonight (against the Nats.)
I think the fans should have booed more when he didn’t hit for the circuit
I completely agree and I booed at my computer as loudly as I could when he struck out. If I’m paying $15 for six months of Gameday Audio, I have the right to share my opinion!
When Reyes didn’t hit for the cycle, I immediately deleted the Mr. Met screen saver from my hard drive, fired off a expletive-ridden email to Omar Minaya and then threw a beer at my computer.
A little of topic, but I would like to see Mazz be the next manager of the Mets
Nah. Hojo.
I would take Hojo also, whatever happened to Ray Knight?
Knight works for MSN (Nationals network) as a studio analyst (pregame, postgame), similar to what Mazz was doing for SNY last year.
ray knight is living in a retirement home on the gulf coast of florida called the villages.. i only know that cuz my grandparents live there. i think he runs the community softball league.. they got real nice fields there.
Haha, I know his daughter who attends Auburn… Weird.
yeah, he did great in Baltimore. And the post game press conferences would be quite entertaining.
That’s sarcasm
Actually if we need a new manager, it means we stink. Don’t want that.
That’s not sarcasm
Agree 100% about the names. I’m really hoping that the move to CitiField brings some other changes – like dropping the black uniforms, and only wearing the pinstripes at home with no names on the back and the blue hats.
SECONDED.
I actually think the Black Uniforms are really nice, I hope they keep them
Same here. It’s a nice switch. I wouldn’t like them if they were overused, which I don’t think they are anyways, so I have no problem with them wearing it every once in awhile.
i agree… i like the black uni’s alot.
I actually really like all the met uniforms. The helmets, hats, and different styles… they are all subtle, but well done.
It was kinda funny Sunday (I think it was) when they were talking in the booth about how they used to have to wear the black unis more in April because they didn’t have jackets that went with the blue caps.
Now they do, so the black’s not gonna come out as often.
I agree with teh blue caps/pinstripes…I really do think once citi opens the black jerseys are gone. I noticed that all the advertisements with the mets are now with them in blue caps…as opposed to the black/blue ones.
I really hope they get rid of those black jerseys when citi opens.
also, nice game by pelf tonite..ready for johnny tomorrow.
I really love the pinstripes. blue hat, blue sleeves if any…..
Not sure about not having names though.
I would really love to see the racing stripes brought out sometimes but I know it’ll never happen.
I wouldn’t mind seeing the racing stripes on like a throwback day kinda thing, but I don’t want to see them on a regular or even semi-regular basis. They evoke memories of the best Mets team ever, but really, they are pretty hideous.
One thing I wish they would do is use more of a cream color white for the pinstripe uniforms, like they had in the 60’s, rather than the extreme white they have now. I don’t really know how to describe it, but the modern uniform is just too…bright? If you’ve ever seen replicas of Seavers jersey or seen them in the Hall of Fame, you notice that the white is a slightly darker shade than it is now, and I think that looks much better. I found 2 pictures I’d post, but I don’t want to get flagged for spamming, so just do a google image search of Tom Seaver, and then do one of David Wright. You should get an idea of what I’m talking about.
Yes – it wasn’t quite the baseball Giants white – but closer to it than today’s. Either way – the pinstripes and blue hats are the way to go.
I cannot stand the back n blue hat, as the NY just looks washed out on TV.
The snow white unis seem silly to me as they are just the pinstripe unis w/o pinstripes.
The black unis once in a awhile are okay. With the black caps/black bills. Woudln’t be sad to see them go, but don’t dislike them as much as the snow or the black n blue caps.
I’d love to see that also. We’ve actually seen blue caps three games in a row which seems like a rarity in recent years. Since Charlie Samuels supposedly only used the blue caps on hot days because they didn’t match the black jackets it seems like we may be seeing a lot more of the blue caps now that they have blue jackets to wear with them.
ENOUGH about booing. I’m so tired of hearing about the booing, even during the game with Gary and Keith I’m forced to hear about the booing. When will it end? When New York sports fans stop booing? Yeah, right.
Pelfrey was fantastic, the bullpen has been shaping up slowly but surely, Sanchez providing the feel-good story to juice the clubhouse up a bit, Reyes could be swinging the bat well again, Willie finally shuffling the lineup, Milledge K’ing twice and playing lame defense…great day. Here’s to more great days.
I agree KingWright, the endless dialogue and hand-wringing about the booing is excessive. Booing in NY and at Shea is nothing new or novel (see; Sisk, Doug or Benitez, Armando), especially after a year like last year.
The booing will disappear with wins. Harping on it ad nauseum will just encourage more of it.
Anyway, really liked to see the late inning insurance runs. That, plus the return of Dirty and a second nice outing in a row for Pelf are all great signs.
Oh, and maybe we should just give Jose 2-3 days off in a row at least once a month. ;-)
Now, let’s get on a little roll here.
i agree, i said it yesterday and i will keep saying it…
stink, and you get booed worse then any team in professional sports
win, and you get cheered better then any team in professional sports
dont like it? tough… welcome to NY
Amen.
I think Reyes will want to keep that 42 on his back. Wright with the extra batting practice yesterday. Big Pelf with another quality start, Duaner is back. For one evening, all is right in Metville.
1999 was the year without names on the jerseys, and unfortunately it never looked quite right as they didn’t adjust where the number was on the back of the jersey without names so there was a noticeable blank on the top of the jersey instead (where the name would’ve been) of the number being position in the middle.
Maybe if they had names on their jerseys Bobby V would have seen that it was actually Dotel that was still in the bullpen when Rogers got the call.
Please, no Kenny Rogers game 6 flashbacks, I beg you.
Nice crisp win tonight. Pelfrey was great. 7 strong man……I love that. The team needed this win. We fans really needed this win too.
tonight should have left mets fans with an overwhelmingly positive feeling, but instead a bunch of retards ruin it by booing repeatedly despite a strong performance from their team in all facets of the game. if i wanted to belong to this kind’ve idiotic fan base i’d root for the yankees.
agreed.
Great game all-around. Pelf looked great, and it was absolutely wonderful to see Reyes getting 4 hits (including a triple), and Wright getting 5 RBI’s. As those two go, so go the Mets, and if Reyes can get unhinged and have a 2006-type season, this is a 95 win team. Also was great to see Duaner get in there. Anyone gonna complain about Willie’s managing tonight?
reyes had two singles not teo doubles…and pelf got zimmerman to pop up in the 3rd he didnt strike him out….just thought id fix that up but still a great win
Great to see Pelfrey have a nice post game interview. I dont remember seeing this guy having a reason to smile. Great for him!
Matt, I agree nice win tonight but about Beltran and the booing you have to admit Beltran has been a horrible situational hitter over the 2007 season and the early part of this year. I myself expect much more out of him and a 2-0 lead is nothing thar early in the game with this Met bullpen. Again nice win but stop with overeacting to one game, lets see the Mets put together 5,6,7 wins in a row. To say the Met fans are stupid for booing Beltran makes me think that your just a homer fan or maybe you aren’t watching the same games that I am.
Party pooper
Good game but I’ve been down this road to many times with this group. One game is not going to change my mind about them and really why should it. I mean win two lose three win three lose two this has been going on for the last 125 games. Win five in a row for once and I might have a glimmer of hope.
You can feel that way but let the fanatics enjoy it. After the craziness on the blog on sunday, this is a good thing.
beltran has had more rbi than any mets player in 2006 and 2007. i guess that’s a lot of unimportant situations.
Maybe I am wrong but it seems to me every time Beltan comes up with a man on third and less than two outs he doesn’t come through. I love the Mets but one game is nothing to get excited about. I need to see a body of work and the last 125 games have been mediocre at best.
beltran has led the team in rbi for 2 straight years. that’s a pretty long body of work, no?
enjoy the game. you can certainly critic, but why not at least enjoy the wins? following a team is supposed to be fun. it’s a game. they’ll lose 65 games if it’s a great season…there is time for critic.
OMG ! Are you for real? You need to see? – what are you, the GM ? No one cares – enjoy the freaking win.
I did enjoy the win but my god it is one game. Man I wasn’t expecting this reaction I mean did the Mets just break a ten game losing streak or extend a winning streak. It is one game.
What is a homer fan? Aren’t fans supposed to be homers? If you’re not a fan, you’re a critic. Which one are you?
A homer fan to me is one who is drinking the kool-aid and only sees the good that the players do and god forbid say something negative about one of their stars I mean they can do no wrong especially with all of the success the Mets have had recently with dynasty and all.
ugh…..what a wet blanket
Please never post here again
A homer fan is someone who prefers some positive energy, even when things are going bad, to sniping and whining.
Good input . Boy does it seem some can’t handle the truth and I thought some of you got to down over a few loses. If the Mets win tommorrow they should star handing out World Series tickets. Like I said before win 5 or 6 in a row and I will get excited. I will no longer fall in the trap of getting to high when the Mets win a few games in a row because with this group I expect them to lose a few in a row right after the wins. I mean the last 125 games is the body of work I look at not just the wins.
Great 4 you. We get it. There’s always one who wants to be the grand voice of reason.
ps….go away
I don’t really mind your comment but somebody once said all teams lose 60 games and win 60 games it’s what you do with the other 40 that decides your fate.
86er, truth is always in the eye of the beholder. There is always good and bad in every game. Even in todays game, as great as it was, Jose was stranded on 3rd twice with less than 2 outs and we still have the fewest homers in the NL.
Critics are fine, but criticize real situations such as bad play or poor managerial decisions, rather than make general, exaggerated statements about the team being bad.
This team is not as good as Kool-aiders think, but it is not nearly as bad as you think. Stay balanced, bro. You got 150 more games to get through.
Thanks finally someone gets it. In this very dramatic win the Mets improved to 6-6 in the early 2008 season continuing their consistent play from the 2007 season as a .500 ballclub at best.
Kiner I am not generalizing I am talking about those situations you mentioned and beleive it or not I hope the best for this group of Mets and I have had faith in all Met teams in the past, but there is someting about this team that rubs me the wrong way and I have lost some faith.
86er just needed some luv. You feel better now?
Just waiting for the next Mets loss so you all can turn on them and call for Willie’s head and fire Omar and release Castillo and move Wright to first and what is wrong with Jose he isn’t dancing and my life is over because the Mets lost one game ah please someone get me some kool-aid WHERE IS MY KOOL-AID?
86er, I get it..this team is frustrating, as has been every Mets team since 1986. I’ve given up on the Mets many times, but I keep coming back and hating myself for doing it. But here I am again.
This team has some nice parts, and definitely some crappy parts. Like it or not, this is the team we have to go to war with tomorrow.
Keep the criticism on the level, and you’ll get your respect even from the homers, as well as the critics.
Im a pretty well-balanced fan. You shouldnt act like your the only one who is level headed with this team. You want respect than u should be respectful of fans in here.
Some fans in here are newbies. However some of us have been long-time followers of this team. You want to debate…fine. Please be respectful.
I have never given up on the Mets I am trying to take a realistic approach to this years team and I see a .500 team at best. I hope I am wrong but so far I am not. I mean be honest have you seen any indication that this team as is can string together five or six wins in a row. Great teams and playoff teams put together winning streaks consistently. This Mets team has been consistent at playing .500 baseball over the last 125 games and thats a large body of work.
When was I disrespectful? I was the one told to leave and not to post again because I said it was a good win but nothing to get too excited about. I am sorry if that offended someone. Just an honest opinion.
I’d love to see a streak now. Honestly I expect them to sweep the Nats. They are clearly better. Heading to Philly and Chicago afterwards will be real tough. Im still real skeptical with this team…but im trying to be positive.
Yes they’re going to philly and chicago but we’re supposedly a strong contender. Why should be expect less? Winning teams win on the road in tough places. This weekend will be the first real test in my opinion.
86er will not feel better until he sees an actual winning streak. Thats all folks.
That is part of the problem with the Mets. The fans, media, and broadcasters talk about this team like their in the top two or three teams in baseball, but the Mets never put together a good stretch of games like an 8-2 stretch.Great teams do this consistently. If the Mets win tommorrow do you honestly think Willie will go for the sweep? No way he will rest players and call it a give away game and that is part of the problem no killer instinct.
You asked if I think they can string together a 6-game streak. I think they can and here are some reasons why.
1. So far, the only easy team we’ve played are the Marlins and now the Nats.
2. Top 3 starters are realistically capable of 15-18 wins each.
3. Wright and Beltran are both streaky, but when either is on, they can carry a team.
4. Bullpen has a lot of arms this year to pick from.
Our problems are
1. too many old guys
2. risk of injury to key guys
3. Inexperienced 4th year manager
A little luck is important in baseball. Even the 86 Mets needed aome luck in game 6, right?
Even last year, they managed a 5-game streak (Aug 31 – Sep 4). They will string 6 wins together sometime in 2008.
Show me some guts and take two of three in Philly this weekend and I will change my tune. Prove to me that you are not soft and weak like the rest of MLB thinks you are and I will change my tune. This is a rally cry. LETS GO METS!
Kiner you speak of too many older players which you are correct. I cannot wait for the day when the Mets arn’t trying to tell us well just wait for Pedro, Alou, Or El Duque they will save the season. Please make it stop. I would much rather have guys with less talent but al least dependable. I mean we basically have El Duque for the post season right well it seams to me when September comes around he goes into hiding. I am done with waiting for this or that player. Just stop it already please.
Definitely agree with you on Old Duque. Pelf and Figgy are younger and hungrier. Duque can keep collecting his pension check from Wilpon and maybe get some July/August starts to save the top 3 for a playoff run. He’s on his way out, clearly, but we aren’t relying on him now.
As for Alou, fine if he comes back, but Pagan is filling in nice right now. I doubt Pagan is as good as he is playing right now, but ride him until he reverts to his norm.
Next winter we can worry about who comes back for 2009. Right now, let’s deal with right now.
Last year Beltran hit .276. With bases empty he hit .279. With runners on base he hit .273. With runners in scoring position he hit .277. So basically he performed almost identically in run-producing situations as he did with no one on. He did hit .224 with RISP and 2 outs, and yes, that is pretty bad. Of course, he only had 67 at bats in those situations, which is a pretty small sample size. In any event, calling him a “horrible situational hitter” last year seems extreme. He wasn’t amazing, but he certainly wasn’t horrible. This year, he has indeed been awful with runners on base, but I’m not going to judge any player based on 2 weeks.
And finally, regardless of whether you think he’s good or bad, that doesn’t mean that people aren’t stupid to boo. Booing might be cathartic for fans, but I can’t imagine it helps people play better; if anything, it probably makes them feel more stressed out, particularly in “clutch” situations.
I don’t think the mets fans who are booing the team this early are stupid. My theory is that the people who are booing have something going on in their lives that they’re not comfortable with, maybe control issues. Booing gives them an outlet, it allows them to vent their frustrations at a clear and easy target. They’re not necessarily booing the Mets, they’re booing themselves.
FYI Matt — The Mets didn’t have names on their jersies in 1999, not 2000.
Great efficient start by Big Pelf tonight. Good to see.
David Wright should go on Late Night and take batting practice from Letterman before every game.
Good to see Jose Reyes out there, having fun – like Matt pointed out. Also, seems like his legs are strong – as are Castillo’s.
Really liked the lineup Willie Randolph put on the field today. I didn’t think he had what it took to shake up the lineup but he did, and I believe it’s the best – 1 through 9 – he’s used thus far. Although, Castillo didn’t look particular pleased at the plate tonight (including when he was intentionally walked for the pitcher.)
Glad the Mets kept the boo-birds out of the park.
This was a great game.
Normally I try not to criticize the Mets in any way.
However, what was Willie doing taking Pelfrey out in the 8th? Is he trying to wear his bullpen out?
Rule of thumb, you pitch your best pitcher and tonight Pelfrey was still on fire when he was pulled.
Last year we had one rain shortened complete game. Willie has to do better than this. There was no reason to pull Pelf. None whatsoever. We are going to wear out our bullpen again if Willie doesn’t stop this.
Pelf had 100 pitches. It about builing confidence. Let him go out on a high note. 7 strong is a great start. Let’s see what happens.
Exactly. The last thing in the world that you want is for Pelf to go out in the 8th and let up 3 runs cause he’s out of steam. He threw a great 7 innings, and it was a perfect time for him to come out. Next start he can build on this. I’m really starting to feel pretty good about him – the stuff has always been here, and it really seems like he figured out how to pitch.
How is this “wearing out the bullpen”? It’s a night after an off day. Plus, Heilman needs to have his head straightened out and the only way that’s going to happen is regular work. And it was nice to be able to ease Sanchez back into the fold.
That he was already at 100 pitches is not a reason? We got a solid 7 from him and thats all we can ask. Throwing two pitchers one inning each is not going to kill the bullpen. In fact, only having to use them for two innings is exactly what we want.
I strongly disagree. I don’t subscribe to pitch counts. I subscribe to time pitched. For example, if a guy dawdles around throwing a ton of balls and stepping off the mound a lot he is going to be running 2 hours into the 5th inning. If he pitches quick and accurate he will pitch 2 hours into the 8th inning.
The reason pitchers don’t go nine anymore is because they don’t throw strikes and pitch fast. They waste time.
As a matter of practice teams need to expect their starters to go nine, not six. If they have to go six, so be it. But nine should be expected.
well, your arm muscles ligaments, and tendons etc. DO subscribe to pitch counts, not how long you’ve been on the field. so i’d say that’s what matters. pitchers don’t go 9 anymore because we know more about the effects pitching has on your shoulder, elbow, etc.
They don’t go nine anymore because they haven’t trained their muscles to go nine. Up until 15 years ago going nine was common. Then all of a sudden it stops with Rivera and Wetteland. I don’t buy it. They didn’t change anything about the pitchers, just the strategy employed.
Can you explain to me how Seaver or Blyleven get so many complete games and still pitch effectively while Zito and Verlander can’t go nine as often?
Ziti is lucky to hit 3 innings these days.
Velocity is horrible.
While ordinarily I would like to see the starting pitchers stay in the game longer I do agree with taking Pelphrey out after 7 innings. As someone else said the Mets are trying to build this guy into a dependable starter so why push things in only his 2nd start of the season? Let him come out of the game after 7 strong innings of shutout ball and feeling real good about himself.
As he hopefully has more successful starts then start to let Pelf stay in longer. Remember this guy started the season 0-7 last year and he’s young and still trying to establish himself.
Also its still early in the season. it’s only his second start. Maybe deeper into the season they might leave him out there, but right now they’ve only been throwing around 100 pitches, and theres no need to overwork his arm to the point of injury. Those guys in the bullpen get paid to go out on the hill as well and between 7 guys, they should be able to handle two innings a night. Especially after a day off.
Yeah… the weather’s still cool, which increases the chance of injury. Pelfrey has also said that ST is not enough to stretch his arm out, he doesn’t really hit his stride until May.
One big part of the reason pitchers don’t go as deep into games is that teams have so much more invested in them than they used to. As a result of $137.5 million contracts, teams now have to ensure their players are going to stay healthy for the length of the contract, whereas in the past if a pitcher blew his arm out and never threw again… sucked for him, but all the team’s lost is a replaceable player.
For every Tom Seaver out there, how many guys were there that broke down before they could throw up numbers that’d get them remembered by anyone?
A more important rule of thumb is not to overwork young arms. Ask the Florida Marlins pitchers who have been overworked by not 1 but 2 managers — Torborg and Girardi — resulting in excessive arm injuries in their young pitchers. Ask the pitchers for the Cubs under Dusty Baker who were also overworked to their detriment.
Peterson is calling a lot of the shots when it comes to the health of the pitchers and pitch counts. And I agree with his practices.
I need to put my two cents in about boing.
Do I boo? Rarely.
Do I boo Mets players? Almost never.
Who do I boo? Willie!
Have I booed this year? Yes.
When? Once, at Willie when he finally took out Santana because everyone in the stadium knew he should have taken Santana two batters prior.
Interesting -I know 5 guys who were at that game. 4 of the 5 said they were booing Willie, not Santana – as everybody in their sections (they were not there together) was perplexed as to why willie was leaving Santana in so long.
The 5th guy was in the bathroom and wondered what happened to cause the boos. When he got back to his seat and heard from seatmates, his reaction was anger at Willie.
None of the 5 thought the booing was for Johan.
Duaner looked prety good. I’ll take it. Plus, I am so glad the Mets all wore 42 for Jackie. The Yankees did not, except for Jeter and Cano (he better, he’s named after Jackie). I heard Girardi wore it too, but A-Rod did not. That is so sad. The Yankees always love to play up the military at their games. Too bad they can’t show some racial equality once in a while.
What, the high and mighty Bronx Bombers honor somebody else? Puhlease. They wouldn’t even honor Robinson’s #42 until MLB made them do it.
Although of course they do still have the last player in MLB to wear 42 outside of Jackie Robinson day.
well, they were one of the last teams to integrate (thank God, b/c it eventually caused the demise of their 30 year dynasty. Had they integrated in the early 50’s, they might have won 35 World Series at this point)
Also, I watched a documentary about the Brooklyn Dodgers, and during the segment on Jackie they mentioned that the city he always got the worst treatment in wasn’t anywhere down south or in the west, but was….you guessed it, Philadelphia. Classless then, classless now.
Great win for the Mets. First couple innings with the guys LOB I was getting anxious but they pulled through.
I take full credit for the win because I was wearing my GO BIG PELF shirt loud and proud — thanks to BMF.
One last thing about the boos — its like they have become the opposite of the cheer, where silence (or more cheering) is appropriate. Strike: yaaaah! Ball: booooo! Pretty silly. The only time I anticipate booing at Shea is if I am lucky enough to be there for Glavine’s first start. I did notice that the Indians fans were booing away last night on ESPN — maybe I would boo my own guys too if JoeBlo was our closer.
Go Reyes, Duaner, Wright, Big Pelf and LGM!
Pelfrey – Where has this been and (i know its the Nats) if he can continue solid 4th starter pitching i feel real good about this team.
Jose,Jose,Jose – Welcome back! Please don’t go again.
Duaner – I want you riding in a Hummer from now on.
Wright – How good is he going to be this year?
Hummer? Forget that…give Duaner his very own Stryker, maybe sans the weapons…
The only negative tonight was stupid Philly coming back from 3 runs down in the 9th to win it. Lets hope that doesn’t get the Phils going. Loved the way the team played today, especially Reyes, Wright and Pelf.
the only good thing about that rally was that Rollins wasn’t involved. At least it proves that he’s not superman. Of course, it also shows they can rally whether he’s in or not. I hate that team…
Talk about a feel good win. Arguably the 3 most important guys in getting the Mets on track, Reyes, Sanchez and Pelfrey having good days. If Big Pelf can give them innings, saving the bullpen its huge and of course if Sanchez can get back and pitch well, it gives them a much more versatile bullpen with options and of course Reyes gets on base they score runs and win. So this was a really good evening for sure
Wait, hold on, does MIKE PELFREY have the most wins on the Mets right now? In a rotation with Johan Santana, John Maine, and Oliver Perez? Have I just entered the twilight zone?
So who do you think will get moved out when Matt Wise comes back?
I can make a case for each guy to stay. What do u think?
Who has options? Joe Smith? Jorge Sosa? But Sosa won’t go down. Nelson Figueroa? He’s the 5th starter. Maybe they’ll leave Wise down at New orleans for a few weeks. good problem to have, though.
I would say Joe would go down, but he’s pitched real well.
I would say Joe or Sosa…….
Joe has been better and u want to ride that as long as possible. A demotion may not be good for the kid.
Sosa…..ugh….he can eat innings.
I agree with leaving Wise down. Maybe someone will give a reason to send them down. Who knows.
i think i heard that they were going to be “conservative” with Wise and have him throw at aaa, before making a decision.
with what i saw from muniz and the way the braves bullpen has imploded with injuries, i wouldn’t mind making a trade with them if it is really RIGHT for the MEts.
A trade with the Braves? Maybe for a certain infielder?….lol
If it was up to some posters, they would trade for Ruben Gotay.
Don’t worry, somebody else will get injured. It’s the nature of the game, and why we stockpile all these pitchers. If not, we are very lucky.
It’s either gotta be Joe Smith or Brady Clark gets the DFA. Sorry, Brady, you shoulda knocked over Kendall.
How about Smith AND Clark; activate Wise and recall Tatis.
I wanted Gotay as the 25th man, but Clark is garbage on this team. Tatis can play 3B and SS, and provides a better RH bat off the bench than Clark. Tatis can also be the emergency LF if Pagan, Chavez and Anderson all go down in one game.
As for Smith, he’s a great asset, but Wise is better suited as a long man, and Willie wants to use Sosa as a middle man. With Sosa, Feliciano and Show covering middle innings and Sanchez and Heilman on setup, Wagner and Wise, this becomes a very deep pen.
Can’t win em all, but this would be a really nice time for a sweep, and the Nats are the team to do it against.
Maine needs to get his first win of the season out of the way, and the offense needs to continue to roll. Would absolutely love to see this line-up show some consistency here against a sub-standard club.
agreed, especially with their best hitter struggling and us missing their best pitcher.
“especially with their best hitter struggling”
-Lmillz is battin like .315……..lol
I think he’s referring to Zimmerman.
Their entire offense has been struggling, with the exception of Milledge and Guzman.
I like they line-up they put out today. I think we should run with it for awhile and see where we go from here on out. It was good to see pelfrey do his thing and it was great to see duaner out there again. Let’s go METS
Nats are looking like the NL East doormat.
The sloppy Marlins swept 3 from them.
BTW…..Marlins have beaten up on the Nats, Pirates, and Astros. That must explain their ok start.
Matt, I think the complaining about booing is only making things worse. I really doubt it has nearly as much affect on these professional athletes as everyone is making it out to be. It’s been going on for years and it’s going to continue. Get used to it.
I love how athletes get paid millions, have the best jobs on earth, and we have to pay a lot to see them, and now we’re being shamed into not showing our dissatisfaction if they’re not playing up to expectations. If players are seriously affected by booing, not taunting, but booing, maybe the problem is with them and they should grow up (or play better) pick one.
I love ignorant responses like this that assume they can “just play better” by hitting a switch.
A great hitter still fails about 70% of the time.
This team hit the wrong switch 52 games into the 2007 season if only they could hit it again to make the .500 play stop now that would be something.
The booing has gotten worse IMO in recent years.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Mets were the only team in the majors last year to have a worse record at home than on the home. I bet it’s the booing and the antagonistic atmosphere they find at Shea that’s the cause.
That’s a copout to the fact that most of the Mets underachieved all season long. These are professionals and they should be able to play through it. I’m sure Omar and Willie would love to sell your excuse.
Then why did they underachieve more at home than on the road?
If the poor home record was because they simply played crappy, then they should have lost just as much on the road.
The issue is not whether they can play through booing Most anyone can. The issue is how much worse is it making their performance.
The booing is counterproductive. It’s asinine.
i agree with the notion that they were better on the road because of the shea crowd. even when the mets were doing well last year it was silent in that place.
beltran and delgado have both struggled at home even with the former being great on the road and leading the team in rbi. the players don’t feel comfortable at home. look at schoeneweis’ numbers from 2007. home: 6.91era, road: 3.26
If that’s really the case, and I’m not saying that it is, then that really says something about the toughness of this Mets team.
beltran. home: .249 11hr 49rbi, road: .282 22hr 63rbi
delgado. home: .225 9hr 35rbi, road: .288 15hr 52rbi (2007)
No other team in the majors has to go through with this type of booing at home. I don’t even think Yankee fans are this bad. To boo Santana when he has a 3.00 ERA and 2 out of 3 of his starts were very good, that’s just nonsense. The portion of the fan base who does this is like a 6-year-old child who just has no clue what appropriate behavior is.
If you think there exists a team that is tougher then I’d like to know which one. Because I don’t see it.
Also, Scott Schoeneweis last year was so much worse at home than on the road.
His ERA at home was 6.91 :!:
His ERA on the road was 3.26.
No other year in his career has he had splits like that.
Now I don’t like Show, but booing is just going to make him preform worse.
Booing might have cost the Mets the pennant. Of course there were a whole lot of other issues too, but if the home crowd had been different, maybe they would have won the NL East.
I was talking with my friend today about the NFL schedule, and it occurred to me that both the Mets and the Giants played MUCH better on the road last year. Maybe New York fans really just suck? I’ve always thought we were the best fans around, but now I’m starting to wonder.
If this Mets team cannot handle the booing then it is true what the rest of MLB already knows that they are weak minded and soft. Play solid fundamentally sound baseball and the booing will stop. The booing has no impact on wins and loses. Play the game the right way and end of story.
But no other teams are made to put up with this. Probably no other team would perform well under these circumstances. Which means they are weak minded and soft too?
They do play fundamentally sound baseball for the most part. That won’t make the booing stop. Santana giving up a HR has nothing to do with fundamentally sound baseball. He simply made bad pitches. Mistakes. All humans make them. They don’t deserve to be booed for it.
How do you know the booing has no impact on wins and losses? There is of course no way to prove it one way or the other but I believe you are 100% wrong, Booing adversely impacts the performance of many of these players and results in losses. Treat the players the right way and they’ll perform better. End of story.
This discussion has me thinking….
With all the hand-wringing and self-flagellation and, most of all, with some Mets players openly complaining about the Mets fans booing at Shea….I have one question – where is the appreciation for the vast majority of fans who are incredibly supportive, including on the road?
Where is the appreciation by the columnists, bloggers, and the PLAYERS for such great Mets fan support on the road? Games in Miami are non-stop Let’s Go Mets chants. Mets fans brave beatings (and televised demeaning by the Phanatic) to cheer lustily in Philly. I live on the West Coast now and have seen in person Mets fans being louder than home-team fans (in a positive cheering/chanting way) in San Diego, Seattle, and Phoenix.
For example, last year, my cousin and I attended two Mets-D’Backs games in Phoenix at Chase field. The Mets fans were loud; constantly starting LGM chants that the home fans started to get tired of booing down by the middle innings. “Jose, Jose, Jose” chants filled the stadium. After one win (I believe the Mets’ 13th in a row at Chase), the main concourse echoed with chants of LGM and “Shea Stadium West” as patrons filed toward the exits. It was as loud as the LGM chants on the ramps at Shea after a big win.
How many MLB clubs have that kind of support thousands of miles from “home”? Yanks, BoSox, yes. Cubbies fans and Cards fans? They are widespread but rarely vocal. The rest of the MLB? – not even close.
Do we ever see columnists laud the loyalty of far-flung Mets fans? Never. Do bloggers note these incidents with pride? Rarely, and never at the level at which they navel-gaze over the booers. Do the players ever make comments that are the opposite of the complaints we’ve heard lately from some players about the boos? I certainly have yet to see a Scott Schoweneweis or Wagner or Delgado quote about the remarkable support the Mets get from our fans in road venues.
Mets players on and off certainly laud Mets fans in general. Players like Wright, Piazza, Floyd, Lo Duca etc. I don’t know what more you want. A medal? Flowers? Love notes? Occasionally reports talk about Mets fans in far-flung places too.
I don’t think the fan bases of the Red Sox or Yankees or Cubs are lauded any more than Mets fans. Yet the ire they express at their clubs is not anything like what we’re seeing at Shea these days.
And why expect Show to applaud Mets fans when the only thing he’s ever gotten out of them are boos? That makes no sense.
You can’t seriously be saying you feel a lack of love and attention so that’s why you boo. If so, that’s a little sick.
And why direct booing at Santana who basically just got here? Makes no sense and is so counter-productive. Mets fans are like babies these days. They need constant attention or they cry.
Dude, I’m not saying we should begiven medals…I’m just asying the media emphasis is on the booing, not the often supportive nature of fans far and wide.
I thought my post was positive – didn’t expect such a virulent response!
Also, I have said many times anybody who was booing Santana is just foolish.
Kudos to Pelfrey! Where are all those who said he should spend the year in AAA? He’s looking great.
Biggest story of the game though, IMO, was the return of Jose. If it’s permanent, then things are really looking up.
Duaner was just the icing on the cake.
I have to admit that I believed during the Spring that he needed to be in AAA when all are pitchers are healthy. His performance is great so far but we should have 2 starters in Pedro and El Duque that need to pitch. Too bad for them both are hurt and hence the great opportunity that Pelf is getting and taking advantage of I might add. Good for Pelf
If Duque ever gets healthy and Pedro too and if Pelfrey keeps up this kind of performance until they get back…..then we have to consider keeping him as a starter and demote Duque to the pen if necessary and bring Sosa back to AAA. Lots of ifs however.
Still….the main point was that in the Spring when it was thought the competition was between Duque and Pelf, most thought Pelf pitched himself out of competition with weak performances and that Duque by default and by his great yr last yr deserved to be the 5 if healthy.
GWG, was it you I had the long discussion with over Pelfrey’s ability to pitch in the majors? I can’t remember who it was with. But that person basically said Pelfrey still wasn’t ready tp pitch successfully at this level. And I kept saying he showed enough last September to show he had progressed. Even if El Duque couldn’t pitch, many didn’t want Pelfrey in the rotation. They kept calling for someone like Marquis or Lohse or Livan.
At any rate, it is a good problem to have with Pelf pitching well and others in the wings. However, I honestly don’t think El Duque is ever coming back. Omar said in the papers today that he can’t even drive a car. That’s how bad his foot is. Bottom line is he can’t pitch without his old delivery. And he can’t use his old delivery without re-injuring his foot. So I think his career is over.
I think it just goes to show how misleading spring training numbers can be. In 2007 Pelf’s spring numbers were great but he stunk out of the gate. This year his spring numbers stunk but he’s great out of the gate. Go figure.
Great win, felt good to see Reyes hit AND Sanchez pitching. Reminded me of ‘06, the first half that is.
This was such a great grame on so many levels, even if it was against only the nationals. Welcome back Duaner. I almost forgot just how dirty your pitches are. I can’t wait for you to replace Heilman in the 8th.
Could you imagine IF Duaner IS truly back and can pitch like he did in ‘06 to the point he COULD become the 8th inning guy?….
And let’s say God forbid, Pedro doesn’t come back for awhile, nor El Duque…..
Well, in this scenario as I just laid out, could it be at all possible that the Mets try Heilman as a starter? I seem to recall the guy throwing a one or 2 hitter (maybe over 8 innings?) in the first couple of years of his career. I would just hate to see the Mets lose this guy to another team when he becomes a free agent (whenever that would be) or trade him at some point down the line and then see him become a good starter on another team like we’ve see with Kazmir and Bannister….
I know this scenario of Heilman as starter and Duaner as 8th inning guy would be way down the road. Obviously it hinges on Duaner’s ability to come back all the way. I’m just saying could anyone see it ever happening?
I mentioned that this winter, but now that the season has begun, forget about it. If Pelf and Figgy stink it up, they will go to Sosa, Armas, Vargas, and maybe Niese or maybe even Fab-5-Freddy Garcia. No Heilman starts this year. Sorry.
very nice win, one to build on over a long season. everyone with the negativity needs to just relax. not to go all willie randolph but it’s a long season so just chill out. they’re better than .500, they will be in the hunt for the playoffs, the fun is rooting for them and seeing how far they can take it. get on board now and enjoy the ride……
Do I dare take some Mets on my fantasy team for tomorrow?
It never works out; but i get real tempted to take wright and reyes after they do well.
ive been sticking with arizona, san diego, and omg…kansas city pitching.
I benched Reyes last night, assuming it would take him a little while to get back in the groove .. whoops! (luckily Carlos Guillen, starting in his place, hit a HR ;)
BTW…just saw the replay of Phils comeback and an Utley HBP was in the middle of it. When are the umps going to refuse to let him take his base? He made no attempt to get out of the way. He turned his back and leaned in. The ball was barely inside and may have crossed the plate. Ridiculous.
Put one in his coconut…..that’ll end that.
lol that was good. Im I the only won who thinks shane victarino’s helmet is something marvin the martain would wear?
i think i said, “i cant stand that guy,” like a dozen times (meaning victorino).
i miss having a team to hate. im not sure how much the mets and phils actually dislike each other though.
Oh I can’t stand the Phillies and Victorino is at the top of the list. Hated teams in order- Phillies, Braves, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs
victorino is the most irritating centerfielder, he looks so far away from balls that he just “skates” right under…Ashamed to say, but I wasn’t too sad to see him come up on the DL. Maybe Beltran can get a few down in the gap this weekend now.
Can you idiots that go to the games and feel it is necessary to boo to please stop. You are a complete embarassment to all the good Mets fans. Booing Santana was one of the most idiotic things I have ever seen from a non Philly fan, Schoenweiss doesn’t deserve to get booed anymore, and tonight with a 4 run lead there were idiots were booing Heilman.
I know the argument will be “I pay good money for my seats so I could do whatever I want.” The fans that booed Heilman tonight are an embarassment plain and simple. The Philly fans have rallied around their team for the last year and look at how they perform late in games. Look at how the Red Sox fans act when Manny, Ortiz, or Youkilis are up to bat and look at how the Red Sox players perform late in games.
i agree with you. remember when we gave Delgado a huge ovation when he was struggling and went up against the Dodgers with a runner on base and he got a hit? maybe we should start supporting our team rather than putting them down…i mean c’mon we’re not even half way through the season yet…give them confidence
I’d love to see the players come out with megaphones and boo those fans.
A couple of years ago, Burrell came out of the gates in a dreadful slump (he finally played the way he looks — tired, bored mule.) Tired of booing him, the notoriously negative Philly fans tried something novel — encouragement. Now, I’m pretty sure it didn’t help Burrell, but it certainly didn’t hurt him, as booing may have. He ended up with a solid second half, and has played (or hit, at least) quite well since.
So Willie didn’t complain tonight that Pelfrey couldn’t go 8?
I kid, I kid. Good game tonight with the exception of all the failed opportunities to score runners in scoring position with less than 2 outs. I can’t really complain when they score 6 runs regardless though.
Wow, where to start? Well, Wright and Reyes hit and hit well. And of course Duaner Sanchez returned (and K’ed Met killer Ronnie Belliard!). But I was most impressed with Mike Pelfrey. The thing that stood out was how economical he was with his pitch count. Big Pelf hit 100 pitches in the 7th inning. On average, he hits that amount in the fifth innings. His two-seam fastball had late bite and he found his groove. Hopefully he can repeat this.
Great game by Pelfrey…a shame they booed Milledge he would have stayed if he could have
The Maine Event will get us the win tomorrow for sure
Anyone else watch the Wheelhouse on SNY at 5:30 by the way? Tierney has got to go that guy is a clueless moron – just give Ferrall the show to himself the dude is hilarious
they should boo LMILLZ – he was a part of the 07 Mets. booooooooooo!
On the topic of booing (yes I know, its beaten to death, sorry) and how players get paid so much that we have a right to boo them and they shouldn’t mind it. I don’t get that. It’s not the players fault baseball is immensely popular and team owners make A LOT of money. They play the game, they’re good at it, so they get paid. Millions of people watch, go to games, so there is plenty of money around. It’s economics. How does that mean that they shouldn’t be affected by booing? They’re people, not robots out there with paychecks on their jerseys. If the people who are supposed to support me, even through rough stretches (which every player goes through) I’d be affected by it. I’d feel like all they care about are wins/production, not the actual team. I think that’s where a lot of Mets fans stand. They don’t really care about the team, the players, what goes along with that, and all they care about is winning. For me, being a fan goes far beyond just winning. If the Mets win, I’m happy, if they lose, i’m disappointed, but i’ll always be able to brush it off and support my favorite team. Players don’t want to fail anymore then we don’t want them to, they want to succeed just as much (or more) then we want them to. For me, its all about supporting them, unless a guy just isn’t hustling, doesn’t care, all that. But i’m not seeing that. Do I see great play from everyone? No. But that doesn’t mean they’re not trying. So yeah, call me a homer, whatever, I don’t care, I’m a fan and I support the NY Mets.
oh, and one more thing, GO BIG PELF!
and willie cares about winning more than anyone. he grew up a mets fan, took his wife on their first date to shea stadium, played for the mets, and manages the mets. not to mention he get paid better and an extention if they win. omar too on the latter point.
from 2001-2004, the mets were an embarassment. those teams performed poorly and didn’t play hard. willie and omar turned this franchise from a laughing stock to a point where fans expect to be in first place by ten games. that’s success. now let’s get back to the playoffs and take our chances with a rocking shea for it’s last season.
every crowd at shea should be like the crowd at the playoff games in 2006. if you want them to bring their game every night…so should the fans
i think kevin james being on the jumbo screen saying lets go mets got the biggest ovation of the night.
Ugh. That Kevin James DiamondVision thing is horrid, The cadence is off, and his voice is grating. They ruined a nice, fun bit with the clip with the guy from “Network”.
Kevin James is a nice guy, funny comic, a local boy done good and a big-time Mets fan…..but that DiamondVision bit is just irritating.
Definitely agree, Gip. The lack of a cadence or rythm of any kind to the Kevin James Jumbotron appearances ensure short, disconnected shouts of “Let’s Go Mets!” And ultimately, you can’t get a good chant going during a rally or tight spot. Compare this with the Chris Rock Jumbotron appareances where he has a steady rythm and and is cadenced. The chants tend to last much longer and be more coherent. I don’t mind Kevin James, but I would like to see the Mets perhaps refilm this one so that it’s coherent. I don’t care if he does overemphasize the word “Let’s;” so long as he does it to get a rythm going.
Yep, re-film it is fine by me.
Keep the numbers off the home jersey, on the road jersey.
no numbers on the home jersey? that would be really setting a trend…
He must have meant names.
Isn’t that how names on jersiies came about in the first place? On road unis first? Vague memories on this one.
I know, I was just busting balls. I’m not sure about that one ya old geezer! :-D
I think Gipp is right, though someone should ask “Uniwatch.”
Actually, I kind of like the names on the back. Still enjoy seeing posters with “Strawberry” crammed on the back of Darryl’s jersey — Carter, 8; Gooden, 16; Piazza, 31. Can’t lose that. Glavine, 47 . . . OK, perhaps not that one, but you get the point. Also, fans can put their own name on jerseys. Not exactly my cup of tea, but a lot of people get a kick out of it.
as i remember it the mets first wore numberless jerseys in 98 or 99, whichever was the first year the yankees visited shea for a 3 game set. and yes, they did this to honor the yankees
“strong pitching from the starters and relievers, clutch hitting, aggressive base running and solid defense…”
refreshing for a change
can we stop documenting the booing? its a fact of life in ny that the fans will boo in unreasonable situations. they booed chad pennington last year as he was leaving the game injured.
Has everyone forgotten this little gem from Lastings? I’m sure it contributed to the fan reaction last night. I know I didn’t forget:
“Enough is enough,” David Wright said yesterday. “You’re a Washington National now. Don’t worry about what happened last year or the year before that. Just go out there and try to help the Nationals win.
“It makes no sense to bash your former team. He just needs to turn the page and worry about helping the Washington Nationals. Forget about what we’re doing over here. Forget about the New York Mets.”
Earlier this week, from a safe distance at the Nationals camp in Viera, Milledge chirped to SI.com that he was miserable with the Mets and also suggested that he was mistreated in the clubhouse by his teammates.
“I can’t go through anything worse than I went through in New York. It only gets better from here,” Milledge said. “A lot of veterans didn’t like the way I play the game. They thought I didn’t respect it.”
Milledge added: “The vets here (on the Nationals) have no problem with me. They know I respect (the game). They know I work hard.”