Daily Archives: February 24, 2009
The Mets play the O’s tomorrow in Fort Lauderdale, for what this season’s first official Grapefruit League game.
According to the schedule Jerry Manuel posted in the clubhouse, the only regulars going to make the trip will be Luis Castillo, Daniel Murphy and Ryan Church.
Here are some random photographs I took yesterday in camp:
To keep an eye on my entire photo album from Tradition Field, including hi-res versions of the pictures in this post, click here.
Tagged Notebook |Here is Episode 13 of my video diary for SNY, featuring footage from today’s intra-squad game in Tradition Field:
By the way, while watching the above video, try to hear the group of fans on mic, who are loud, old and funny – talk about passion, I mean it’s an intra-squad game and they’re taunting people. Hilarious.
Also, I called in live from the field to New York Baseball Today, to talk with SNY’s Ted Berg about Jon Niese and the fifth starter spot, and the difference between Mets and Yankees camp.
To watch New York Baseball Today, click here.
In today’s intrasquad game, John Maine threw two scoreless innings, while J.J. Putz threw an inning and gave up two runs.
Following the game, Jerry Manuel told reporters he was happy with what he saw in both Maine and Freddy Garcia.
Manuel said Tatis missed the last two games with a sore hand, which he would not be surprised to learn is from the 80–pitch drill.
Regarding more talk from Cole Hamels, Manuel said he likes the on-going banter between his team and the Phillies, joking that he is paying Hamels to keep talking.
Maine told reporters he felt good, though his mechanics are a bit rusty, and he’s relieved to be finally be pitching in a game situation.
Mets 22–year-old catching prospect Josh Thole is impressive, especially as a left-handed hitting catcher.
He has a very compact swing. He’s certainly years away, and I’m not sure he will forever be a catcher, but he hits the ball well, and clean.
Actually, he looks a lot like Daniel Murphy at the plate.
Here is an animated image of him taking BP earlier today:
In 111 games at Single-A last season, Thole hit .300 with 25 doubles, five HR and 45 walks with a .382 OBP.
J.J. Putz pitched today, then rushed out of the clubhouse to be with his wife in Arizona, where she will give birth tomorrow to their third child.
Putz told reporters he will intends to be back by Friday, in time to pitch against Team Italy at Tradition Field.
…it looked to me like putz only threw one or two splitters, tops…
John Maine told reporters that his is still a bit 
rusty with his mechanics, as he continues to recover from minor off-season shoulder surgery.
Maine said he only threw one curve ball, a new pitch he has been working on with Dan Warthen this spring.
…maine did, however, strike out Luis Castillo to lead off the game on three good-looking fastballs… he also struck out Carlos Beltran looking…
The pitchers in the bullpen asked the maintenance crew if it will be possible to paint the yellow Nathan’s sign in left field to be black, as it is within view of whomever is warming up the next pitcher.
The head of the player’s union, Don Fehr, is here at camp talking to reporters outside of the conference room.
Tagged Notebook |I’m heading out to the field, to grab a seat, set up my laptops and cameras, to do my best to live-blog images from the game.
Fernando Tatis was seen walking around the 
clubhouse with an electric stim device and ice on his sore hand.
Tatis was scratched from yesterday’s intra-squad game due to a sore right hand, and he is not in either lineup today.
…there is also some buzz around camp that Freddy Garcia is not 100 percent, and Livan Hernandez may not be ready either, and with Tim Redding being a week or so behind, i’m thinking Jon Niese is in an interesting position right now… garcia is scheduled to pitch in today’s intra-squad game, so all eyes will likely be on him this afternoon…
For more on Tatis’s hand, as well as Ryan Church’s I LOVE NY t-shirt, and a bit more on Jerry Manuel, read David Lennon’s blog for Newsday.
…by the way, as lennon points out, WFAN’s Mike Francesa will be broadcasting from St. Lucie later this week, and i hope church confronts him while wearing the shirt…
Speaking of beat writers, Adam Rubin of the Daily News will be doing a live, online chat from Tradition Field today at 3 pm.
Rubin writes, “As usual, you can stop in a half-hour early to start submitting your questions.”
Tagged Notebook |Yesterday, I talked with Jose Valentin, who said he knows the competition to make the team this spring will be hard, but if he has to go to Triple-A he will go and, ‘see what happens.’
Here is a video of my interview with Valentin:
Here is quick sample of the discussion, in text:
Matthew Cerrone: You just finished up an intra-squad game. What do you guys get out these games, knowing the results aren’t important?
Jose Valentin: First off, we’re trying to get ready for the upcoming exhibition games, which are just around the corner… In these two games, you work on it, especially taking picthers, looking at the arm angles on the pitchers and try to work on your set up… You know, it’s the first game and aren’t that too many guys who are ready for games yet, but that’s how you get started – all you do is work to get ready, it’s not about results it’s about getting ready.
Here are some random photographs I took yesterday in camp.
The last photo is a close-up of Johan Santana gripping his circle change, which he was showing to Gabe, the host of SNY’s Kid’s Clubhouse.
To keep an eye on my entire photo album from Tradition Field, including hi-res versions of the pictures in this post, click here.
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