Daily Archives: March 11, 2009
Just a couple quick hitters today while everyone gets over the shock of the Netherlands beating the Dominican Republic in the WBC.
MLB.com has an excellent interview with Washington Nationals Assistant 
General Manager Mike Rizzo. Here’s a little clip from the man who will now be handling the day-to-day baseball operations in our nation’s capitol…
MLB.com: You always wanted to become a general manager. Is it what you expected?
Rizzo: It’s exactly what I expected. It’s exactly what I’m embracing. It’s long days and long nights. I’m the only guy in the office just about every night after the games, and I love it.
…I’ve been fortunate to speak with Mike on a number of occasions, and I truly believe he is the man who can bring respectability to D.C.
Elsewhere, new Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Derek Lowe had an outstanding outing on Tuesday.
In four innings of work, Lowe didn’t allow a single baserunner, and the ball did not leave the infield once. Lowe also struck out six in the Braves 7-4 win over the Astros.
For more news, notes, analysis and statistics from around Major League Baseball, be sure to visit Baseball Daily Digest.
Tagged MetsBlog |
In St. Lucie, I spent time talking with the team’s top prospects, who set up inside Tradition Field to sign autographs and talk with fans.
To watch the three-minute video of me talking with Dylan Owen, Reese Havens, Ike Davis and Brad Holt, who had more faith in my ability to hit 80 mph on the radar gun than Owen, click play below:
Here’s a written transcript of my exchange with Holt:
- Matthew Cerrone: Can you give me a scouting report of yourself?
- Brad Holt: I throw a lot of fastballs. I’m able to locate fastballs in and out. And now the breaking ball is coming along pretty well, I’m getting to where I can locate it. Since I’ve been here we’ve been working on the change-up a lot, and it’s getting a lot more consistent too and I’m able to locate it down in the zone. But, mainly I just work off the fastball and everything else is coming along.
…it should be noted, off camera, holt’s teammates were yelling, ‘fastball, fastball,’ during his entire answer, which he was trying not to laugh at…
Tagged Reese Havens |In a report for the Observer, John Koblin writes of his experience not seeing Shea Stadium, while stopping at Willets Point on the 7 train.
Speaking of Citi Field…
C Sponn sent in an e-mail to MetsBlog.com saying…
“What do you think about these ticket prices? I could get box seats to
a Phillies game for $60; Astros box seats for $50; etc… Is this some kind of joke?”
Look, the cost of entertainment is going up, everywhere. I mean, it costs nearly $50 to go to the movies for two hours. This year, I nearly paid $200 for a ticket to see the Allman Brothers Band at the Beacon Theater, but didn’t. I pay roughly $90 for cable every month, compared to $60 a few years ago. It’s just the way it is.
The thing is, like in the cases above, if you don’t like it, don’t pay it – watch the game on TV instead. If you have the money, and you want to see a baseball game at Citi Field, go. I’m not sure what else to say.
Remember, if these prices are truly absurd, then it will be reflected in the team’s bottom line – if it’s not, they sell out, then I’d say they read the market just fine… time will tell.
I will not lie, though, the thought of spending $150 for me and my Dad to see the Mets play the Braves, with food, drink and parking, sitting up in the promenade by right field, in this economy, does seem steep. However, I love going to the game with my dad, and so we’ll probably end up paying it – and we can always sit in the Pepsi Porch, bring our own food, and spend around $80 instead.
My fear is that the real cost may come at the expense of future fans, young fans, who will end up not going to games in the same impromptu, inexpensive, free-for-all way that my generation did, and which helped endear the game to me. Instead, it may end up being easier and less expensive for these kids and parents to just stay home and play Wii Tennis, missing baseball entirely, and putting a dent in to the game’s future customer base. Again, though, time will tell.
By the way, the Mets have added Citi Field’s Seating and Pricing Information to their website, which you can check out here.
There are 28 different type of ticket you can buy, ranging from the Caesar’s Club to the Metropolitan Box, for five different level of games, ranging from Platinum to Value.
In other words, there are 140 different types of tickets to buy, for 140 different people who have 140 different spending habits.
The most-expensive ticket is the $228 Ebbets Club seat for Platinum games, while the least-expensive ticket is the $11 Promenade Reserve seat for all Value games.
Gyro: Will Citi Field still open the gates at 4:40 pm for night games and will you still be able to go anywhere during batting practice?
Matthew Cerrone: From what I understand, Citi Field will operate just like Shea Stadium in this regard.
Mark NYC: Hi Matt, You shot done my last trade idea so here’s a new one… Mets trade Fernando Tatis to the Yankees, along with a reliever, maybe Eddie Kunz, for the Xavier Nady?
Matthew Cerrone: Tatis would actually be a good pick-up for the Yankees. However, I think there is a better chance they go with a young, in-house guy, or just sign Esteban German, to fill in during Alex Rodriguez’s absence, before looking to trade Nady, who they could have moved last month and didn’t. The Mets are not ready to give up on Kunz, either, nor should they. Plus, these two teams rarely make a trade like you are suggesting.
Adam B: There are still a lot of available free agents, especially 
quality relievers. Do you see the Mets signing a player or two that is still looking for a team?
Matthew Cerrone: No, I don’t, considering they just cut Duaner Sanchez a week early to save $1.4 million. Will Ohman is the obvious target, but, according to recent reports, he’s still looking for $3 million and a guarantee.
Larry C: If tomorrow was Opening Day, what do you think the bench and bullpen would be?
Matthew Cerrone: Right now, I’d bet on the bench being Fernando Tatis, Alex Cora, Ramon Castro, and Marlon Anderson, and either Bobby Kielty, Cory Sullivan or Jeremy Reed.
I have a feeling Reed is leading for that last spot, but if Kielty shows power from the right side, he could get the nod. Of course, Sullivan is signed to a major-league deal, so I’m sure that will impact his destination as well, since Reed and Kielty can both be sent to Triple-A.
In other words, I’m not sure yet.
Regarding the bullpen, it will depend on 
whether Tim Redding is the fifth starter. If Redding is a starter, the Mets need to bring on three relief pitchers – if Redding is in the bullpen, there is room for just two relievers.
Brandon Knight is out of options, so he has to be a strong favorite. Darren O’Day seems like a strong possibility, because he can be a ‘cross-over guy,’ and has a different look as a side-arm pitcher. Ron Villone is in good position, too, because he is strong against left-handed hitters, and can pitch multiple innings.
In other words, I’m not sure yet.
Mike Pelfrey pitched a bullpen session this morning, and said he is ready to return to the rotation on Saturday, according to Adam Rubin of the Daily News.
To read a quote from Pelfrey, go to Rubin’s blog.
By the way, Rubin will be answering questions from readers live at noon.
To see a picture of Pelfrey in action, go to the Bergen Record.
Tagged Mike Pelfrey |Today at noon, Mets beat writer David Lennon will chat with online fans at his blog for Newsday, as will beat writer Adam Rubin, also at noon, on his blog for the Daily News.
…interesting… let’s call it Battle of the Online Chats… i wonder who will get more participants… good luck, guys…
Yesterday, NBC Philadelphia and the 700 Level posted the Mets.com password, REYES, for Citi Field’s pre-sale for games in April and May, so Phillies fans could try to infiltrate the two-game series with the Mets in early May.
…whatever… we go through this every season, it seems, and it’s always the same mix of fans, in both stadiums… i’m actually starting to enjoy the rivalry, and so this no longer bothers me like it once did…
In a post to the New York Times, Tyler Kepner talks with Mariners OF Endy Chavez, about ‘the Catch,’ and being traded by the Mets.
Dave Singer of NY Sports Dog asks, ‘Who makes the Mets bench?”
Similarly, Eric Simon of Amazin Avenue updates his Make-the-Mets-O-Meter, noting the chances of Marlon Anderson, Nick Evans and Cory Sullivan improved in the last week.
Lastly, the Brooklyn Met Fan says, ‘If Pedro will accept an incentive laden deal BMF is back in the camp of Let’s sign Pedro… If he holds us up for 7 or 8M guaranteed then we pass.”
Mike Pelfrey is scheduled to pitch a bullpen session this morning around 9:30 am.
If all goes well, Pelfrey will return to the rotation on Saturday against the Nationals.
Meanwhile, Jon Niese will pitch a simulated game against minor leaguers today, following Pelfrey’s bullpen session.
Lastly, Jose Reyes and Fernando Tatis will return to St. Lucie on Thursday night, when Johan Santana will make his spring debut against the Marlins at 7 pm, live on SNY.
Tagged Mike Pelfrey |
In a post to his blog for Newsday, Jim Baumbach says he noticed Mets assistant GM Tony Bernazard recently discussed free-agent C Pudge Rodriguez in El Nuevo Día.
According to Baumbach, Bernazard said:
“Some of us wished we could have him with us, but the truth is that we have two catchers under contract… It’s not so easy to make a move right now, to make it possible to have him with us.”
…i have no interest in seeing pudge replace Brian Schneider…
…pudge is notorious for struggling to work with young pitchers, because he loves to throw down the fastball over and over and over again… people connected to the Yankees even complained of this, and that was just a few months ago… so, given that he’d be catching Mike Pelfrey, John Maine and Oliver Perez, and maybe Jon Niese, i want schneider, who knows these guys, behind the plate…
…that said, i am torn between pudge and Ramon Castro…
…for all of castro’s injury issues, when he’s healthy, he hits… so much so, that i have fielded endless e-mail over the years yelling how he should be the starting catcher… so, to throw him overboard for pudge, who is 37, seems like a risk to me… of course, pudge will likely hit at least .275 and he’s typically healthy, and it is hard to argue his track record and leadership…
…from what i can gather, there is little chance the Mets sign pudge, unless he’s willing to accept a minor-league deal, which does not seem to be the case just yet… as i said yesterday, if some team were to suddenly want castro, or he got hurt, i bet pudge’s name resurfaces… but, as is, i just don’t see it – given the roster and how the Mets have been treating their payroll…
Yesterday, the Netherlands eliminated the Dominican Republic in Round 1 of the World Baseball Classic.
During the game, Pedro Martinez pitched three more scoreless innings, while striking out two more batters.
…he did look good… he was hitting 92 mph, but 
his fastball looked a lot quicker, as it had the old-school tail on it…
Following the game, Martinez told reporters he has had offers to pitch in the major leagues since he filed for free agency, but chose to remain a free agent so he could dedicate himself to the WBC.
…i understand not being excited about Tim Redding, Freddy Garcia and Livan Hernandez… i get that… but, i can’t go bananas for pedro because he struck out six hitters from Netherlands… i mean, i can understand wanting pedro prior to the WBC, because of what he accomplished in his major league career, and how it may stack up against redding, livan and garcia… but, six guys from the Netherlands, come on…
…no, i don’t want the Mets to re-sign pedro…
…for me, it’s because i know he wants a guaranteed job in the rotation… by the way, he will not accept a job pitching in the bullpen – i believe he’d sooner retire… sure, if he would accept a minor-league deal, or a one-year deal making $1 million, yes, i’d bring him in… but, i know the Mets do not want to spend the type of money he is looking for, and can probably get from the Dodgers… and, so, if it means signing him to, say, $5 million, and a guaranteed job, i can’t see doing it… i just can’t… he has not been that good, and i am not confident he can be that good again… or, at least any better than livan, who, at the least, can help save the bullpen every five days…
Yesterday, Buster Olney of ESPN.com said there is ‘no chance’ the Mets sign Martinez, adding, “The reasoning is not financial, but based on concerns about Martinez’s pitching command.”
Tagged Pedro Martinez |Yesterday, the Mets released RHP Duaner Sanchez.
In the New York Post, Bart Hubbuch writes, “Jerry Manuel obviously wasn’t happy with Omar Minaya’s abrupt decision to release Sanchez just hours before Sanchez was scheduled to pitch here.”
Manuel, on Sanchez, and whether the decision was ‘cut and dry,’ said yesterday:
“No, I would say not. For me, you’re always optimistic, when you have a guy. But, at the same time, everybody kind of sat down and discussed different issues and I guess you have to be realistic. Like yesterday, I felt good about him… We felt that Duaner had not made the progress we wanted to see. That’s the bottom line. It’s strictly performance… I wouldn’t say it was vigorous or a long meeting. I think from Omar’s point of view, I’m sure it was discussed quite a lot.”
When asked if he agreed with the decision, he paused, and said, while looking towards the ground, ‘Uhh, sure.’
…yes, manuel looked annoyed… and, so what… i mean, Omar Minaya is the boss, and he made a decision, and like it or not, jerry has to move on and work with what he has towards the goals that have been set for him… last i checked, this happens every day in offices all over America, and yet we all keep doing our job… he’ll get over it, just like every one else… also, i’m glad he was optimistic about duaner… he should be optimistic and want to keep all of his players… i think that’s a good message for his players, to know they all have his support like that…
To watch all of Manuel’s comments on Sanchez, click here.
