|
21–year-old Jon Niese will be tonight’s starting pitcher for the Mets.
Niese is wearing No. 49, the same number worn by Philip Humber during his start in September last season. Unfortunately, when I see 49, I think Armando Benitez. Hopefully, Niese will erase that image from my memory.
For other No. 49s, check out Mets by the Numbers.
Actually, I have pretty high hopes for Niese tonight.
Being that he’s left-handed, with such a strong curve ball, if he can remain poised, I expect him to be in control through much of the evening.
“I expect him to be in control through much of the evening.”
You can’t be serious. These aren’t the Nat’s he’s facing…
Niese is nice…
It doesn’t matter if you’re a righty or lefty….if you mix your pitches well and change speeds you will be successful against anybody. Will he do just that? Idk, we shall see, but another intriguing stat is his incredibly low number of walks.
Correct me if I’m wrong here, because I very well may be, but didn’t Bannister have a low walk rate in the minors?
Niese is Neat.
I’m a bit nervous for him as the Brewers supposedly eat up lefties. Santana did just fine agains them but he’s Santana. Hopefully the offense will score early to take some of the pressure off the kid.
Oh, we know the offense will score early. Let’s hope they can score late…he’ll need late inning support.
I was thinking 5-6 early runs rather than their normal “2-3 and pray the pitchers can hold the lead”.
Do you honestly think that 5 early runs are enough to skip the “pray the pitchers can hold the lead” situation?
Having been to their most recent meltdown Sat. night, no.
Screw Armando. Let’s go Niese
Is Niese projected to “compete” for a roster spot in 09,
or do expect him to be the #5 by default ?
or, do we expect Omar to sign Perez + 1 more starter
C.
Lima Time?
whatcha know about number 49 – Orber Moreno!!!!
What about Duffy Dyer? That’s who i think of when i see number 49.
Everyone calm down.
I’ll be elated with a reasonable start of 5 innings 4 runs.
I think that’s reasonable as well but I can’t imagine that being enough to win the game. Too many expectations for the offense AND the bullpen.
You’d be ‘elated’ with 4 runs in 5 innings? Cmon with the hyperbole – I’d be elated with 7 innings, 2 runs, and 8 Ks. I’d be fine with 5 innings and 4 runs, not elated.
Strangely, that’s what I think will happen. We all expect the Brewers to chew him up and spit him out. 7 IP, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K. Gets the W. If I’m wrong, it won’t be the first time. But, if I’m right, it also won’t be the first time.
I would love to have Benitez in our pen right now.
you cant be serious
I would much rather have Benitez closing games right now than anyone else not named billy wagner. it may be painful to hear, but that’s the truth.
wait, are we talking benitez in 99-00 or Benitez now? id rather have braden looper than the latter
obviously no one wants benitez as he is now. he’s probably available, lol. Yes, we’re talking about the benitez, who with all his shortcomings took us much further into playoffs than billy wagner.
Wow. You can’t be–Wow…
Huh?
Sorry, I’m done.
Really?
I’d like to have Armando Benitez hawking
beer at the stadium.
where did these ridiculous expectations come from? isn’t this his first major league start??
lets just pray Niese doesn’t read Metsblog.com
Anybody know the official word on Beltran for tonight?
Rubin said he’s testing out his knee and looking good. I can’t imagine having to sit him down with Niese pitching and expecting to win…
hold on, i’ll ask him.
lol…
“oye chico, tu va jugar hoy”
“si amigo. despues de voy al bano”
lol…my spanish is horrid. please dont joke me
manny parra is a pretty decent pitcher in his own right and did a pretty good job when he faced the mets last year, i believe, in a long relief appearance. didn’t he strike out in like 3 innings or something like that.
the mets definitely better be ready to hit and hit often and the bullpen hopefully is ready to hold the fort.
what do you mean, “didn’t he strike out in like 3 innings or something like that”?
should have read “didn’t he strike out something like 6 batters in 3 innings”
sorry about that.
Good Luck Neise…
I hope that curveball is as good as people say it is, santanas offspeed stuff kept fooling the brew crew yesterday. Hopefully this kid can find the same luck
GO NEISE!!
I have hopes but fears as well. It was just hope until I found out before the series that the Brewers eat lefties for lunch.
Screw it. Go get em, young man. Eat this overrated bunch for lunch.
I feel much more comfortable with a rookie on the hill when we have Schneider behind the plate. He calls a pretty good game and knows how to go after these hitters. I just hope that Niese will trust him.
I also trust Warthen with the young guys more than I did Peterson. Like I said, I don’t know what will happen but there is definitely cause for excitement.
If we could get 5 innings out of Niese with him giving up 3 runs or less I will be satisfied. Remember, Niese has been struggling with his pitch counts ala John Maine recently and has been far from lights out in New Orleans. The best remedy for Met fans? Expect nothing. Hope for the best. Fortunately Parra has been struggling recently.
Also the best thing is that Beltran is in the lineup batting 4th tonight, so his leg must be semi ok.
Great news…whew! Regards to Niese, 6 IP, 3 runs. That is a good start in my book. Just don’t get blown out in 2 innings with 5 ERs.
it’s his first ML start against a team that will be looking for blood after Gagne-ing it on Monday.
Anyone else out there enjoying fat-cesca’s eulogy on the Skankees this afternoon?
In between his tears, he is constantly throwing jabs at the Mets pen.
After today, I will never listen to WFAN between 1-6 again…that is, unless Mets are playing.
Matt, you’re being way too optimistic. Niese is going to get shelled tonite. It’ll look like the early starts for Pelf & Humber if we’re lucky.
(Gee, I hope I’m wrong and we get a Buchholz…but I’m a Mets fan, so I’m expecting the worst.)
can you be exiled from being a mets fan?
You know he is telling the truth in some ways. We always have these hyped up prospects but for some reason or another almost all of them struggle badly when they first come up.
As for Niese, I really don’t get how we expect anything from him. I have NO idea what we will get and this time will be no indication of how he will be in the future. Either way, LGM.
“Being that he’s left-handed, with such a strong curve ball, if he can remain poised, I expect him to be in control through much of the evening.”
How do you write something like this? You should just have “homer” stamped on your forehead like that guy from that old commercial for dime bank (i think) that got the big red “rejected” stamp.