Daily Archives: February 16, 2009
Jerry Manuel talked to reporters today from the podium at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie.
Manuel said he projects Sean Green to be used in the sixth and seventh innings, depending on match ups, while pitching him mostly in situations when the team has a lead. Though Manuel has not yet seen Green pitch, he has heard a lot of good things about him.
Manuel said Luis Castillo was delayed yesterday in getting to St.Lucie, though he is expected to report to camp tomorrow. Manuel said he plans to spend a lot of time with Castillo this spring. He says he hopes to change the way people view Castillo, noting it will be a good project.
Manuel said he wants to elevate Jose Reyes to another level of play, and 
he believes Reyes is ready to take that step. He would like to get him to a point where he can bat lead-off, second or third in the batting order, because he is only technically a lead-off hitter in that first at bat of the game.
Manuel is not concerned with Reyes’s reaction to this approach, because the whole idea this spring training is that players put the team first. If it benefits the overall team, Manuel explained, the players must make the necessary adjustments.
Asked about decreasing Reyes’s at bat total by lowering him in the batting order, Manuel pointed out that the Mets have not won a championship the way things have been, adding, “Once we win, we’ll have a template of what we should do.”
That said, where Castillo hits will depend mostly on the rest of the lineup. Batting second would be the ideal spot for him, but lead-off will work well too.
Lastly, Manuel said the fifth starter’s spot is wide open, saying no one pitcher is leading the race at this date in camp.
By the way, tonight on SNY, Kevin Burkhardt will talk with John Maine, while showing video of Manuel’s Q&A and the days workout in St. Lucie.
To watch Manuel talk about Reyes during today’s Q&A, click play below:
SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt sent in a text message saying things were quiet today at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie.
According to Burkhardt, Jose Reyes was scheduled to 
arrive in camp today, but his wife gave birth to their third child over the weekend, so he’ll arrive in camp tomorrow instead.
…i love how having a baby only delays him by one day… i have a feeling my wife may view that differently, when she and i decide to one day have kids…
Tonight, on SNY, Burkhardt will talk with John Maine, who says Dan Warthen is working with him on throwing a curve ball, ‘something he hasn’t thrown in a few years.’
Julie Alexandria will be the new host of SNY’s Mets Weekly, according to the Rumble, in this Sunday’s New York Post, which adds:
“Mets fans will get their first glimpse of Julie this week as she heads down to Port St. Lucie to start filming segments with players for the upcoming season… Alexandria also will be doing Mets video features in conjunction with Matt Cerrone’s MetsBlog.com and SNY.tv.”
…you probably know julie from Beer Money… or, if you’re like me, you also know her from Wall Strip, which is a fantastic, funny and informative video podcast… she’s a big Mets fan, knows her sports, and will make a great host…
Tagged SNY |Adam Rubin, at his blog for the Daily News, explains why Jose Reyes will report to camp on Tuesday, and no earlier, adding that Johan Santana will make his first start on March 3.
John Maine threw bullpen session this morning.
In a post to his blog for the Bergen Record, Steve Popper relays a quick off-mound conversation between Maine, Jerry Manuel and Nelson Figueroa.
David Lennon, of Newsday, relays a similar discussion, and reports on when Sandy Koufax will make his annual appearance in Mets camp.
The Mets and Giants blog is running a variety of poll questions about Barry Bonds, steroids and MLB, if you’d like to vote click here.
In a post to Amazin’ Avenue, Sam does a statistical compares between Ryan Church and Lastings Milledge, ‘who will be forever tied together.’
Robby O’Daniel at Hot Foot looks at the team’s ‘catching carousel.’
In the New York Post, Bart Hubbuch profiles Livan Hernandez, who was signed by the Mets to a minor-league deal over the weekend.
Adam Rubin of the Daily News takes a closer look at Mets sidearm reliever Darren O’Day, who was acquired in the Rule V Draft from the Angels.
…by the way, o’day is my darkhorse candidate for the team’s final bullpen spot… meaning livan most likely gets left behind, because i also believe the fifth starter spot is Freddy Garcia’s to lose…
Lastly, Doug Branch from MetsMerized Online says, ‘It’s not too late to sign Orlando Hudson.’
…the problem with that frame, doug, is that time is not the issue… it’s money… it’s not like the Mets are sitting on $5 million and don’t know what to do with it, and every second that ticks by they get closer and closer to losing hudson… the reality is, they have all the time in the world… it’s the money they don’t want to part with…
…i mean, if the Mets were unwilling to spend even $5 million on Bobby Abreu, i’m not sure why they would turn around and spend $5 million on hudson… i know people want to say, ‘Well, they spent money on Livan Hernandez, Freddy Garcia, Rob Mackowiak,’ and so on, but, the reality is, those guys only cost serious money when they make the roster… until then, it isn’t spent… and, there is no situation in which they all make the roster at the same time, let alone on Opening Day… but, $5 million to hudson would be a guaranteed deal, and i think the team has made it clear they have no interest right now in locking any one in at that price, guaranteed…
According to the Associated Press, free-agent C Ivan Rodriguez might 
sign soon with the Marlins, Astros or Mets.
Last week, El Nuevo Dia cited an anonymous source who said Rodriguez prefers the Mets to the Astros, though the Marlins were never mentioned.
“I’m in great shape,” Rodriguez is quoted as saying by MLB.com. “Whoever gets me, it’s going to be a lot like hitting the lotto. I’m back in the shape I was in 2004. I’m at 195 to 200 [pounds], and I’m ready to go.”
J.M. Franklin sent in an e-mail asking:
“I think that by keeping three catchers the Mets are essentially hurting their own bullpen. If they only carried two catchers the bullpen would be able to have one more roster spot and that would help lighten the load by be able to give time off to different members of the bullpen because their would always be an extra arm out there.”
That could be right. It depends on who they see as their right-handed bat off the bench, which is missing right now from the roster. The way I see it, they have room for one more pitcher and one more bench player.
The only way I see them carrying three catchers is if they commit to using Ramon Castro as a right-handed pinch hitter, while carrying a back-up catcher, like Robinson Cancel or Rodriguez. This to me would be smart, but on so many occasions they had this opportunity last season and didn’t do it, so there is nothing to lead me to believe this year will be different. Plus, the talk has been, if Rodriguez is signed, it’s because they traded Castro, but the team seems very comfortable with Cancel, so I’m not even sure there is an urgency to acquire Pudge, despite his interest.
In the New York Times, Ben Shpigel profiles Daniel Murphy.
“The guy is obsessed,” J.J. Putz said of Murphy. “All he talks about is hitting, hitting, hitting. It’s not a stretch to say that it consumes about 90 percent of his day.”
…you know why, don’t you… because Daniel Murphy means Business…
Meanwhile, in the New York Post, Steve Serby conducts a Q&A with David Wright, who talks about being mentally tough, the 2009 team, steroids, using drugs, Citi Field, leadership, the bullpen, Jerry Manuel and living in New York City, among other topics.
Wright, as quoted by Serby, when asked about Cole Hamels’s off-season comments about the Mets being choke artists, and the Mets do not like the Phillies and why the Phillies do not like the Mets:
“It’s one of those things where I feel if you talk the talk, you better walk the walk, and he’s done that. Those guys are defending champs; as much as I don’t like those guys, I respect them. Until we prove we can beat those guys, they can talk all they want… I don’t think they like us; in return, we don’t like them. When you play a team so many times, you develop that kind of tension, especially when our fans are as intense as they are and their fans are the same.”
Lastly, speaking of Wright, David Lennon of Newsday explains why, with or without a C on his jersey, Wright is ready to carry Manuel’s team-first message through the clubhouse.
The Mets have launched an online registration for the opportunity to purchase tickets for Opening Day at Citi Field.
Registration will start tomorrow, Feb. 17, at 10 am EST, at Mets.com, and will run through Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 11:59 pm.
All fans who register will eligible for the random drawing, but are limited to one entry per person.
According to the team, “A limited number of fans will be selected in the online random drawing and will be notified via e-mail by Friday, Feb. 27 with instructions regarding the online purchase of up to four (4) tickets.”
During his first talk with reporters this spring, on 
Saturday, Jerry Manuel said he may try using Luis Castillo in the leadoff spot, while batting Jose Reyes third.
I did a chat with The Happy Recap last night, and I listened to a lot of talk radio this weekend, and I think people may be taking Manuel’s comments a little too literally.
Sure, Manuel may bat Castillo leadoff, but my guess is this is more of a spring-time motivational strategy than it is a permanent solution.
Manuel talked during the off-season about working to create an environment this spring that would help Castillo succeed, and batting him leadoff certainly gets him more pitches and allows him more freedom to start the game. Also, Castillo’s not even in camp yet, so by pumping him up and trusting him with more responsibility, and making him a big part of the offense before he even gets in camp, it, again, puts him in a leadership position and in a better chance to do well.
Manuel is clearly looking to preach the message of team this spring, not going so far as to say his 
team was selfish last year, but saying that to be successful his players need to be more team-first in their thinking.
“Stolen bases aren’t important to me,” Manuel said, “It’s important when you steal the base, you know what I’m saying. But, just to have the numbers aren’t important. It’s when you steal a base that’s important.”
Manuel has also talked about challenging Reyes to utilize not only his instincts but his intelligence, and I bet by asking him to bat second or third for a bit in spring, it could help Reyes think differently, and be a smarter hitter.
Lastly, the whole shake-up could just be a way to, again, stress that it’s not about stats, it’s not about stolen base totals or RBI situations or home run numbers, it’s about making adjustments and doing what’s best for the team – so if Wright has to hit fifth one day, or Reyes bats third, so be it.
In the end, on Opening Day, I bet Reyes bats leadoff, Wright bats third, and so on, but for spring, I think it’s all up in the air.
