Daily Archives: August 13, 2008
Phillies RHP Joe Blanton‘s ERA is over 1.5 runs lower with the Phillies than it was with the Oakland Athletics. He’s walking more batters, but giving up fewer hits – sounds like the Phillies put a better defensive team behind Joe.
As the Braves get set for a double header today, 3B Chipper Jones is 7 for 16 in twin bills this season. He’s scored four runs and driven in two.
The Marlins claim they fixed the signs that caused both Wes Helms and Dan Uggla to make mistakes Monday night.
After nearly 140 years of professional baseball, teams should have this down.
Garrett Mock moves to the Washington bullpen, where his high strikeout numbers may be more useful. He has yet to allow a run as a reliever this season.
For more real-time information, news, links and stats from around MLB, check out Baseball Musings.
The following is my MetsBlog Minute, regarding Jerry Manuel’s use of the media when speaking to his bullpen:
To chat live with Mets beat reporter David Lennon at his blog for Newsday, go here.
Prior to yesterday’s game, Jerry Manuel told reporters he may consider moving John Maine, Oliver Perez or Mike Pelfrey in to the bullpen – even after Billy Wagner returns from the disabled list next Monday – in an effort to help bolster the bullpen.
During SNY’s Pre-Game Show, Ron Darling noted how Manuel’s statement was most likely just a ‘shot across the bow,’ in that such a notion, i.e. using a starting pitcher to help clean up the bullpen’s mess, would be taken as an insult by the team’s relief pitchers, thus hopefully motivating them to do better.
Prior to yesterday’s game, and following Manuel’s statement, Scott Schoeneweis held a private meeting with his fellow relief pitchers to, ‘get some things out,’ as he described it to reporters.
Schoeneweis, on the meeting, said after the game:
“When Billy is not here, and even when he is here, I’m down there the majority of the game, and I feel responsible for what’s going on. Being an older guy, being in these situations before in the past, I take it personally…I just thought that it was time and stuff needed to be said and I got some stuff off of my chest. I talked to other guys in the bullpen and they were on the same page. We, as a bullpen, tend to meet and talk and do things together, you know, several times a year…I thought was enough was enough, and today was a good day.”
Following the game, Manuel was straight-up asked if he was truly considering using Maine, Pelfrey or Perez in the bullpen, or was it simply a motivational tactic, to ‘light a fire beneath the bullpen,’ to which he responded”:
“Hmmm, I’m not trying to light any fires or anything like that…If a fire is lit, that’s cool with me. I’m trying to be as honest as I possibly can with what needs to be done and what needs to happen in our bullpen.”
…manuel began his statement with a big grin, then got serious, suggesting, yes, it’s currently a motivational tactic, but it’s not totally out of the realm of possibilities…
Tagged Scott Schoeneweis |
The Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs lost 15-6, last night at the hands of the Iowa Cubs.
During the 12-run eighth inning, Val Pascucci, who started the game at first base, took the mound with one out. He allowed a pair of doubles, but recorded two outs – twice as many as Tim McNab and Ivan Maldonado combined to retire in the inning.
Pascucci also doubled home two runs in the loss.
…sorry, i couldn’t resist… so many possible jokes…
Tagged Ted Berg, Val Pascucci, Valentino Pascucci |Last night, Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano combined to 
pitch two scoreless innings in relief, while striking out four of the seven batters they faced, to lock down a win for the Mets and Johan Santana.
Prior to the game, Jerry Manuel told reporters that he might turn to Eddie Kunz in a save situation, but instead he stuck with Feliciano in the ninth inning – while Kunz continued to warm up in the bullpen.
Manuel, on why he stuck with Feliciano instead of using Kunz, while speaking to reporters after last night’s win:
“Willie Harris is a patient hitter and he was leading off the inning. Feliciano has been very good for us. He hasn’t had a lot of glitches in his appearances…I felt very comfortable with him. He then goes to another right-handed hitter, and once you get the one guy, I feel very confident that you’ll get the other guy. I felt (their) strength was from the left-side on the bench. I did not want to start Eddie with (Harris), who I didn’t think was a swing-early guy. You know, had that lineup started out in the ninth with, say, Ryan Zimmerman and that group, then Kunz would have been the guy.”
…seriously, i appreciate the honest, logical, rational thought and explanation to reporters…i really do…
Smith, regarding the bullpen, told reporters after the game:
“With the way our bullpen has been pitching, you’ve got to come ready to pitch every day. So, you can’t really let yesterday bother today. When we come in (Wednesday), it’s going to be, ‘Can the bullpen do it again.’ So, it’s a new day no matter what we did today.”
Manuel, specifically on Smith, who let the first batter he faced to reach base, who advanced to second on a stolen base, but then retired the following three batters he faced to end the inning:
“I think Joe checked some of his films out. He came up before, in the dugout, right before the National Anthem and said, ‘Hey, I’m ready to go.’ So, I just wanted to send a little challenge out there, he’s had success against some of these hitters and he was very successful tonight.”
…frankly, the best part about last night’s performance is that the rest of bullpen, kunz included, should be fresh and ready to go for the rest of the series…actually, both smith and feliciano were so economical in their pitches, they’ll probably be available tonight as well, though hopefully they will not be needed…
…all this said, the Mets were facing the worst offense in baseball…of course, a win is a win, and if ‘baseball is 90 percent half mental,’ just getting through the bullpen to be successful could be a victory on its own…
Tagged Pedro Feliciano |During last night’s win against the Nationals, Johan Santana let up three runs on eight hits, one of which was a homer, while striking out six and walking two through seven innings pitched.
Though the Mets are 5–3 in Santana’s last eight starts, he is just 3–0, including five no decisions.
That said, Santana has not been charged with a loss since June 28, roughly seven weeks ago.
Santana said the following to reporters after last night’s game, regarding:
…the win, and having the bullpen hold down the lead:
“It’s a big relief, it’s good to see we won this game. It’s good to see the bullpen performing well…I trust everybody, and tonight they did a good job.
…i love it, ‘It’s good to see the bullpen performing well,’ i.e., it’s about friggin time, guys, thank you…
…whether he fought Jerry Manuel to stay in the game, instead of being pulled after the seventh inning:
“Well, that’s thing about the National League, you never know what’s going to happen out there…I was told that Murphy would hit and if we get a couple of runs, I’d get that at bat and continue pitching. That wasn’t the case, though, and so Brian pinch hit. But, I was ready, you know, for either call…It turned out to be a good call.”
…his overall performance:
“I felt pretty good tonight. I threw some pitches that stayed up in the strikezone, my change-up wasn’t right, it wasn’t the best tonight, but I was able to stay in the game, battle and throw the right pitch.”
…and that’s the thing about johan, in that, even when he is not sharp, or totally on his game, he is able to command the inning in such a way that he continues to keep his team in the game, which, i assume, is exactly what that phrase is supposed to mean…
…my generation has become so stats oriented at times, i think some people tend to overlook the artistry of what a guy like johan is capable of doing out on the mound…
This season, Santana’s 2.89 ERA is fifth-best in the National League; his 141 strike outs rank him seventh among National League pitchers; and, lastly, he has thrown the fourth-most innings of any pitcher in the league.
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