Moises Alou once again played in an extended spring training game in St. Lucie yesterday.
According to Willie Randolph, talking to reporters yesterday, whether or not Alou returns to the team this weekend – or next week – is up to the player at this point.
…i still believe they’ll say next week, then he’ll pull a surprise arrival over the weekend…but, that’s just speculation and a gut feeling, which i realize is not a popular way of making decisions among Mets fans these days…
Meanwhile, Brian Schneider was sent back to New York and hospitalized last night because of an infection in his left thumb.
…a thumb infection…how does that even happen…ugh…get well soon, brian…
Schneider will only be put on disabled list if the infection needs to be ‘lanced,’ Randolph explaining, since this would mean a much longer recovery time.
Lastly, Ramon Castro is still not 100 percent while recovering from a hamstring injury – if he was, explained Minaya, he’d be with the big-league team right now.
{ 31 comments }
I hope the WIlpons reevaluate Minaya’s performance the past 2 offseasons in the coming months. Nothing to improve the pen, bringing in washed up players and allowing Willie to stay on with this team after last season… I’m at a loss.
Or bringing in Santana, Church, Shneider, Pagan,
Remember, the 2006 NLCS was as close as it was because of Minaya’s reliance on his old man fetishes (El Duque and Pedro) going down. The man is in over his head.
You seem to be the type to only look at the negative things he has done. Maybe the fact that we were able to get as far as we did in 06 was due to him bringing in Perez, Maine, Delgado, Wagner, and Beltran.
Fair enough. It is his actions (or lack thereof) in the subsequent years that I judge him on. But who am I anyway?
Alas, Pelfy and Joe Smith are the only guys to come through the system on his watch. Talent evaluation is obviously not his strong point.
I think that was a problem even before he got here. Reyes and Wright have worked out as has Kazmir but I remember all of us complaining on the Old Metsonline that we did not have a good farm system.
I was really down on the Milledge trade bc I really like the kid, but I can see that Omar got a good deal there. Chruch is much better than I thought, at least as good as Milledge, though I still think that Lastings has a bigger upside, and may be better off in DC anyway. The clincher here is Schneider. The guy calls a great game and handles the pitchers better than any Met catcher in years. There is a marked difference in the performance of the pitchers when he is not in there. At the end of the day, you cannot complain abou that deal.
Schneider has done nothing short of a great job with this pitching staff. That said, if any of our pitchers could go more than 5-2/3 innings, we may actually have a shot to win a game sometime this weekend.
That is what I see as the major issue. Our starting pitchers having a propensity to melt down in the 6th inning. It’s as if they are still one start removed from Spring Training. Our starters (especially Maine and Ollie) should be able to go 7 innings – especially against the “mighty” Nationals. If we didn’t get Santana, we would be in major trouble.
This isn’t going to be popular, but shouldn’t HoJo take a little bit of a hit here too? I mean, what has he done to help our struggling offense since he took over last July? If I’m missing something, please fill me in.
There’s only so many times that Minaya and Willie can go to the scapegoat hitting coach well. They already went to it last year with Rick Down.
Haha…the scapegoat hitting coach well. That’s a pretty good one.
But it’s true. I don’t think this is about Minaya. I have been a long time Willie supporter, but it’s becoming more and more obvious that if this team doesn’t take its’ head out of its’ collective behinds (starting at 1B), Willie’s days may be numbered – at the end of the season anyway.
Buck Showalter anyone?
Pass on Buck. But I agree, if a team has a collection of talent that is individually and collectively underachieving and not playing fundamentally sound ball, the manager has to be held accountable.
Might be harsh, but it is the only real function of the manager (getting the most out of the team), other than in game moves, which certainly ain’t WIllie’s strength!
It’s not so much the losing, as it is the way they are losing. They just look lifeless. Almost like they know they are going to turn it on in September (we saw how well that worked out last year).
Bottom line is, they have been a .500 team since that horrific road trip to L.A. last year. Things aren’t going to change if attitudes don’t change. There is no tomorrow. They should hire Mariano Duncan to tell them before every game, “We play today. We win today. Das’ it.” Sounds silly, but that’s really what they need.
I am a supporter of Willie for the most part. I am not crazy calling for his head irrationally or crazy defending him in any way. What I think Willie needs to do is really flip a table. I know a lot of people say that it doesn’t work but not doing anything doesn’t either.
I played college sports with a coach who was very much a players manager. Let us do as we pleased. The team went on a spring break trip and we kind of enjoyed ourself with the drinking and relaxing. We did get our work in but it was half-assed. After 2 straight days of playing lazily and stupidly and losing to teams we should have handled easily the coach ripped us a new one in between a double header. Completely flipped out threw a water cooler nuts. It changed our season.
Sometimes a guy who is fiery all the time getting fiery doesn’t change anything but when you get the relaxed calm guy to flip it can do wonders to waking the team up.
My solution: Flip the f-in buffet table Willie. Call players out for letting balls go under their gloves for hitting like they have a stick up their behind. For giving up 3 grand slams in not even 1 month. Rip em all and wake them up. I don’t think the alarm has sounded to wake them up from the off-season yet but a flipped table will certainly help.
Omar has done a fantastic job at rebuilding this franchise. Anyone, anyone who says that he must go is absolutely nuts. This website itself exploded and get on the map with the way Omar built the mets. I found this website when the mets signed Pedro Martinez and I have been hooked every since. Without Omar, I shudder to think where this franchise will be. Keep up the great work Omar and Matt.
Right, just like Steve Phillips (Minaya’s mentor). Win one year (Phillips actually went to the playoffs twice), gut the bullpen, bring in washed up veterans, rinse repeat. By the way, Pedro was signed for a 4 year deal for big money. He has pitched what, one year of that deal?
Pedro’s deal was well worth it, it represented the attitude change of the entire organization.
And he and the rest of the old man DL crew represent a renewed attitude change. Come up a for a few weeks, get hurt, go home for a month, begin rehab in PSL, collect Wilpons money.
Would you have a rotation of Bobby Jones, Steve Trachsel, Victor Zambrano (as the ace), Tom Glavine, and Bobby Jones (the left handed version)?
Can’t knock the Pedro signing. It did represent a change in the franchise’s attitude. We are frustrated with this team now because we expect to win. In other seasons and under other GMs, this slow start would have been routine.
So be it, Omar helped get us a team that has a realistic chance of making (and is expected to make) the playoffs each year. I can’t complain about that. Do you remember what the early 1990’s were like? I do, and that is why I can’t complain about the current situation.
So, you did not want Pedro Martinez on the mets? At the time that was a great deal. How is it Omars fault that Pedro got hurt? The mets are paying him 12 mil. Now grant it, he has not pitched in a while but what kind of pitcher in today’s market are you going to get for 12 mil? Silva?? Phillips brought in Bobby Bonilla, how did that work out? My point is no gm is perfect, some make mistakes, but nobody can deny that Omar has done a great job. Hell, he got the mets Santana.
Phillips brought in Piazza and went to the playoffs twice (World Series once). As for Pedro, the Red Sox would not give him a four year deal because of his shoulder. Guess what? He shoulder fell apart. Take off the Blue and Orange glasses and you might see the problem.
If we had given him a 3 year deal instead of a 4 year deal, he would be gone right now. I don’t think that would be a good thing. Pedro will be back soon and I have a feeling that he will be a very good pitcher. So instead of 1 1/2 out of 3 years, we will get him for over 2+ seasons out of 4 years. I’m still okay with that.
are you really saying you can’t see why the Mets signed Pedro? It has nothing to do with his on the field performance, it has to do with him being Pedro Martinez. It revitalized the fan base, brought more attention to the Mets as a whole, and got more players to sign here because of it, both free agents and young latin playes (Fmart’s main reason for signing here was Pedro, despite more money from another team). You may want to just focus on what he’s done on the field, but you simply cannot brush aside the importance of the other things Pedro Martinez has brought this franchise and what that signing meant.
This stretch has to cement the idea that they need to jettison the old farts this off season (or sooner, if they fade out of contention) and blend in more youth.
Even if this means having a rocky year next year, it might be 1 step back for 3 forward.
With the right couple of moves, they can easily retool (not rebuild) and still contend for years to come.
What I don’t want to see is Delgado and ALou being replaced by 33 YO former big names that are on the decline. Been there, done that.
Figure out how to work in a couple of position guys from the minors (from the Binghamton mashing crew) between 1B, LF and the bench. And hope that 1 SPis ready for prime time (say, Neise to replace OP).
For now, other than Mr. .194 (is Delgado slugging lower than Castillo at this point?) the problem areas are getting the SPs to go a little deeper, and stabalizing the pen.
Eventually, they may to work Wise, Muniz and Kunz into the mix. Sosa IMO is done and needs to go. Heilmann I would trade if they could get value (i.e., Morales), toherwise let him work out his issues as a mop up man.
Omar stood pat last year and got burned. Don’t think he can do that again.
Obviously, first base is the biggest concern for next year (and this year). I would be OK with Pagan and Church in the corners next year, but of course my opinion is slightly skewed due to their performance so far this year. But as for 1st base, I don’t see the Mets going into a retooling phase for the first year at Citi Field. Unless one of our minor league 1B really take off, they will bring a big name in to play.
I am completely with you on Sosa. The guy is good for a hanging slider in every one of his outings….and 9 times out of 10, it is mashed by a guy like Ronny Cedeno or Felipe Lopez.
Regarding Heilman….ugh. Don’t understand why he can look lights out one day and completely lost the next. May be time to move him somewhere that he can be an SP. Just a thought, but how about to Pittsburgh, along with Endy or Angel Pagan for the X-Man? I’m not sure how much Pittsburgh wants for him, or if he is even available, but I think that is value for value. Nady will see lots of action, especially with Delgado looking like Abdullah “The Butcher” at 1B.
GHOST, HOW QUICKLY U FORGET TRY TO REMEMBER OMAR IS A REAL LIFE GM WITH REAL LIFE SITUATIONS WHERE YOU MUST PAY EVERY PLAYER U SIGN AND USE ALL THE ONES ON THE 25 MAN. SO U WANTED HIM TO INK ADDITIONAL BULLPEN HELP IN ‘06 OFFSEASON? WHAT IF, AS EXPECTED, BOTH PADILLA & SANCHEZ RETURNED? WHAT WOULD U DO WITH THOSE EXTRA BODIES? HAD BOTH RET’D AS ANTICIPATED, LAST YRS PEN WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN SO IMPLOSIVE. OF COURSE U NEED TO BLAME, BLAME, BLAME! ARE U A STEINBRENNER BY MARRIAGE OR BLOOD? OR IS IT BY IMMATURITY. GHOST, I’M BETTING I HAVE SOCKS OLDER THAN U, BTW THE MONIKER W/’62 MEANS I’VE BEEN A FAN SINCE DAY 1, 1962. YOU HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF HAUNTING TO DO BEFORE U CAN TRULY COMPLAIN. SURE IT’S FRUSTRATING TO HAVE HEILMAN TURN INTO HELLMAN ala DR. JEKYL. PLEASE GLANCE AT A CALENDAR & REMEMBER THINGS DO CHANGE. WHY I BET YOU DON’T EVEN WET YOUR PANTS ANYMORE. DO U?
Hey nice post but watch the caps lock if you can. :)
Good for you. People will take you more seriously, as opposed to a delusional old man, if you stop using caps.
No need to get personal. We’re all fighting for the common good here.
Fire Isiah!!! Oh wait. That’s done already…sort of.
CAPSLOCK REQUIRED TO DEAL WITH DISABILITY, DEAL WITH IT! I DO!
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