Daily Archives: May 9, 2008
Tonight’s game has been canceled, and rescheduled for tomorrow as part of doubleheader.
Game one will be at 1:10 pm, with Johan Santana on the mound, while game two will start at 7:30 pm with Mike Pelfrey on the mound.
Upon the conclusion of the day game, all fans will exit Shea in advance of the 7:30 p.m. game. Tickets for Friday’s game will be honored for the 7:30 p.m. game only.
The Mets have activated C Ramon Castro from the disabled list and Designated C Raul Casanova for assignment.
…welcome back, hippo…
Tagged Mike Nichols, Ramon Castro |
The Mets will play six straight games at Shea Stadium, against the Reds and Nationals, before facing the Yankees on May 16 in the Bronx.
[Poll=89]
Tagged Poll |
One of my best friends, Johnny G, sent in the following e-mail, which read:
“I recently have become annoyed when I see the
stat ‘Quality Start’ used. I think its parameters are terrible. If a pitcher pitches six innings and gives up three earned runs, it qualifies as a ‘Quality Start.’ Don’t people realize that this is an ERA of 4.50.
“If you ask anyone to categorize a pitcher with an ERA of 4.50, it definitely wouldn’t be ‘Quality.’
“The stat should be a minimum of six innings pitched with two earned runs or less, which is an ERA of 3.00. Otherwise, change the name to “Non-horrible Starts.”
…it’s a good point…this term does lower the bar on defining what is and isn’t ‘quality,’ which is sort of your point…actually, the conspirarcy theorist in me thinks this stat had to have been invented by the MLB Player’s Union to use in arbitration cases…
…thanks, johnny…see you at BAR on Saturday…
The Mets have made 115 pitching changes this season, second most in the major leagues behind the Braves, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
…it’s a telling stat, because, in addition, they have also thrown the second fewest innings of any bullpen…which means, Willie Randolph is essentially going wild with the one-and-done scenario…use a guy, then use another guy, then use another guy…etc…
Also according to Elias, the Mets have been outscored by 28 runs during the seventh and eighth innings, tying them with the Padres for the worst run differential in those innings in the majors.
…basically, given the above two bits of info, if you’re a Mets fan, you hate the last few innings of baseball right now…
According to Dan Graziano in the Star-Ledger, citing ‘a person familiar with 
the team’s thinking, who requested anonymity,’ Mets management is planning a reevaluation at the end of this month.
…first off, let me take a minute to recognize graziano, who does a great job for the Star-Ledger…he’s thoughtful in his research and opinions, and he always gives me something new to think about…and i appreciate that…anyway…
The Mets are 71–71 since June 1 of last season, as Graziano points out, adding that, if the team does not find a way to assert itself in the division by June, “the Wilpons will look seriously at whether a change is necessary in the manager’s office.”
Graziano continues on to detail Willie Randolph’s strengths and weaknesses, concluding:
“Randolph is a decent man who cares deeply about his team and his job and believes strongly in himself. But he’s also stubborn, and that’s what has him in trouble.”
…i like willie’s old-school, hard-nosed style, but i just don’t believe the current crop of talent that he is working with plays to willie’s strength…in fact, they may help to expose his weaknesses…the way i continue to see this is, assuming the team continues to step sideways, either the Mets will need new, younger players for willie, or a new manager for these type of players…
…i know, the two worked together in 2006…the thing is, it is no longer 2006, when, for whatever reason, things clicked, and every one was on the same page…remember, “Pick each other up,” which was willie’s mantra that spring, and which was echoed over and over again by the players all season long…words don’t really matter much…however, to me, that was a symbol of how they were all working from the same place, how they had one another’s backs, they were together, all on the same page…this group, today, do not seem to have that same feel…instead, it feels like a lot of individuals, including the manager, all working out of sync, hence the .500 record, win today, lose tomorrow pattern…
…like i said, i like willie…but i also like that the Wilpons will review all of this after Memorial Day, which is seemingly the standard review date in baseball…like i wrote last week, this team just feels like it is at a crossroads, or at a point where it may be time to build upon the accomplishments of the last few seasons, as opposed to clinging to them in hopes that things may get better…
Tagged Willie Randolph |
New Orleans (AAA): 1-0 win over Fresno
RHP Claudio Vargas was terrific fantastic in his second start for the Zephyrs. He fired seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits. He did not walk a batter, and struck out seven. RHP Carlos Muniz recorded his fifth save with a perfect ninth.
The Zephyr offense managed just three hits, with the difference coming on OF Val Pascucci‘s seventh inning solo homer. 3B Fernando Tatis (1-for-2, BB) and OF Brady Clark (1-for-4) had the two other New Orleans hits.
Binghamton (AA): 6-1 win over Reading
RHP Sal Aguilar, starting in place of RHP Jake Ruckle, who is on the DL with right shoulder tendinitis, threw five shutout innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out three.
OF Fernando Martinez had his second big night in a row, launching his second and third homers of the season, two solo shots that were part of a 3-for-4, 3 RBI night that also included a walk. 1B Nick Evans went 1-for-4 with his seventh longball of the year, while both 3B Danny Murphy and LF Mike Carp were 0-for-4.
St. Lucie (A+): 6-2 loss to Fort Myers
RHP Dillon Gee surrendered four runs, three earned, on eight hits in six innings. He did not walk a batter, and struck out four.
St. Lucie bats scratched out just two runs on five hits against former Met farmhand RHP Deolis Guerra, who was dealt to Minnesota in the Johan Santana trade. 1B Lucas Duda was 2-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI; 2B Luis Rivera went 2-for-4, as well, doubling, tripling and scoring a run.
Savannah (A-): 5-2 loss to Hickory
Tagged Minors |RHP Elvin Ramirez took the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) in five plus innings. The 20-year old Dominican surrendered seven hits and two walks while striking out three.
The Gnats were held to just three hits. 1B Jose Jimenez was 1-for-2, getting hit by a pitch and scoring a run. OF Casey Craig went 1-for-4 with an RBI, and OF Darren Stegall was 1-for-3
In an editorial for the Journal News in Ohio, Hal McCoy leads by writing:
“There is a reason Shea Stadium’s mailing address is Flushing, N.Y. The place smells like a cesspool and, in fact, it is shaped like a toilet bowl.”
…actually, hal, it’s shaped like a toilet seat…not a bowl…
…if you’re going to be critical, get it right…
…also, Shea Stadium does not smell like a cesspool…instead, it smells of a unique combination of grilled sausage, jet fuel and day-old beer…which, oddly enough, no longer bothers me…
…hat tip to Baseballer for the link…
Tagged Shea Stadium |In a report for the New York Post, Bart Hubbuch talks with David Wright about his recent slump.
Wright is hitting just .155 in his last 58 at bats.
Howard Johnson, on Wright, as quoted by Hubbuch:
“He’s just been over-swinging. That’s going to happen in the
course of a year. We’ll keep making adjustments. He’s going to get back to going off the way he used to do. I’m convinced of that.”
Last season, Wright hit .244 in April with just six RBI, yet finished fourth in the MVP vote for the National League.
…frankly, i am not at all concerned about wright…he’s in a rut…it happens…he’s always shown the ability to pull out of it and i am fairly certain he will do so again…of all the things surrounding this team, he is the least of my worries…
For what it’s worth, prior to his appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Wright was hitting .311.
Since Letterman, Wright is hitting .259.
In 2006, Wright hit 20 home runs prior to an appearance on Letterman during the All-Star Break, after which he hit just six the rest of the season.
…it’s official: letterman is a jinx…also, he’s a Yankees fan…
[Poll=88]
In a post to his blog for the New York Post, Joel Sherman quotes a long-time National League scout as saying, while the Phillies have spirit and the Braves can hit, “I really think the 
Mets are the class of the division if – and this is my big if – if the two Carloses hit.”
…there has been a lot of talk regarding Carlos Delgado, and rightfully so, but some are saying that Carlos Beltran is getting a free pass from due criticism…
In 110 at bats this season, Beltran is hitting .218 with just two home runs and 13 RBI – all while batting clean up.
Beltran is hitting .167 with runners on base, and is 0 for 19 with runners in scoring position and two outs.
However, he is on pace to draw nearly 130 walks this season, compared to just 69 all of last year.
…to me, this says he is not getting any quality pitches to hit…and so he is being patient and taking the walk…and when he does choose to swing, if you notice, most of the pitches are outside of the strike zone – and, as such, he is on pace to strike out the most of any season in his career…
…frankly, you can thank delgado’s struggles and the early-season absence of Moises Alou for this…i mean, why would any pitcher give beltran a decent pitch to hit if the only threat behind him is Ryan Church, assuming he isn’t batting second that day…
…also, there are lots of people who keep suggesting that beltran is playing in pain…to which i think, no kidding…when isn’t he playing in pain…i suspect he hit 40 home runs in 2006 while in pain, and he strikes out in pain…it is what it is…
…the problem, now, be it physical or mental, is that beltran looks to have developed some bad habits – probably from having the bat on his shoulder so much – and now seems to legitimately be in a slump…such is baseball…
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