Daily Archives: April 24, 2009
Following tonights 4-2 win over the Nationals, SNY’s online, post-game, call-in show, The Happy Recast, took to the airwaves.
During tonight’s show, we took your calls, recapped the night’s game, talked to Matt Cerrone, and recapped the night’s minor league action.
To listen on demand, CLICK HERE.
Tagged News |
The Mets (7–9) defeated the Nationals (3-12), 4 to 3, in Citi Field.
For a full recap and boxscore, go to SNY.tv.
The least you should know…
- Johan Santana was magnificent allowing just one run on six hits and a walk, while striking out 10 batters over 6.0 IP. Santana’s ERA is now 0.70.
- The Mets offense struggled again with runners in scoring position, going 2-for-18, leaving 13 on base.
- Bobby Parnell, Pedro Feliciano and J.J. Putz combined to a pitch two scoreless innings in relief.
- Despite giving up a two-run homerun in the ninth, Frankie Rodriguez picked up his four save of the season.
Other Thoughts…
- The Mets were a few ill-advised dives by Nationals outfielders away from losing this game.
- The Citi faithful showered David Wright with boos in the fourth inning after striking out with a runner on third and one out.
- The Mets inability to drive in runs is a far greater concern to me than any of the starting pitchers not named Santana.
- Is it me or does Keith Hernandez say, “I love this kid’s stuff” about every opposing pitcher.
The Game Ball…
- Tonight’s Game Ball obviously goes to Santana.
The Mets continue their three-game series versus the Nationals tomorrow, with Mike Pelfrey facing off against Daniel Cabrera, starting at 1:10 p.m. EDT.
Tonight’s Game:
The Mets (6-9, 3-3 Home) begin a three-game series versus the Nationals (3-11, 0-6 Road) tonight at Citi Field, starting at 7:10 p.m. EDT.
On the Mound:
- LHP Johan Santana (2-1, 0.46 ERA) will start for the Mets. Santana was stellar in his last start on April 18 versus the Brewers, throwing seven scoreless innings, allowing five hits, while striking out seven, earning the victory. He is 4-1 with a 2.50 ERA in five career starts versus the Nationals, including 3-0 last season. He
- LHP Scott Olsen (0-2, 9.00 ERA) will pitch for the Nationals. Olsen earned a no-decision in his last start on April 18 versus the Marlins, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits and a walk, while striking out five over 7.0 IP. Olsen is 1-5 with a 4.74 ERA in 13 career starts versus the Mets.
At the Plate:
- Jose Reyes, SS
- Luis Castillo, 2B
- Carlos Beltran, CF
- Carlos Delgado, 1B
- David Wright, 3B
- Gary Sheffield, RF
- Fernando Tatis, LF
- Ramon Castro, C
- Johan Santana, P
Random Thoughts:
- Just what the doctor ordered: Santana vs. Nats.
- I think we all need to step back from the ledge for a bit. Let’s see where this team stands after 40 games before we jump.
Tonight’s Broadcast:
- Tonight’s game will be broadcast locally on SNY and WFAN.
Enjoy, and as always, Let’s Go Mets!
The infamous Dwight Gooden autograph is currently down in the Bullpen Entrance, below the old Apple, in glass, sitting on an easel.
From what I can gather, this is a temporary home, as it will move to a new location later this spring.
I was told several former players have already submitted similar signatures to join Gooden’s in what will eventually serve as a Wall of Fame, located next to the Mo’s Zone in a museum, complete with the World Series trophy and other historic items, which will open around June.
Tagged News |In a post for Newsday, Anthony Rieber recaps Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya’s pre-game media session with reporters before today’s game.
Manuel, regarding the fans response to the Mets slow start, according to Rieber:
“I’m at the bridge. I ain’t jumping. I’m not thinking about it yet, but I’m at the bridge. If I’m at the bridge, I’m taking some folks with me.”
According to Rieber, Manuel reiterated his starters, not named Johan Santana, will have one more chance to improve before making changes.
When asked for a response to Manuel’s plan to revamp the rotation, Minaya wanted to know if Manuel really made such a statement.
…wow, the Mets aren’t on the same page… in the words of Billy Wagner, ‘shocker!’…
For a complete recap of Minaya’s remarks, check out Rieber’s post.
Tagged Mike Nichols |Today, starting at 3 pm, I will be out at Citi Field.
I will be making live posts to my Twitter feed, including pictures, which you can follow below:
I’ll be heading out to Citi Field this afternoon, in hopes of getting video of the right-field corner, as well as to ask people, “Is there a connection between passion-and-intensity and performance in baseball?”
I think I know my answer, but I’m curious what other people have to say first.
I expect to get to the ballpark early, and, as usual, I will post random observations in my Twitter feed – the text of which will 
post to MetsBlog.com in real time.
Last stop, as usual, will be chicken tacos. I’m addicted to those things. So, if you’re out in center field around game time, please stop and say hello.
Johan Santana, like Dr. Rumack said, “I just want to tell you good luck, we’re all counting on you.”
I believe the Mets are good enough to win a Championship this season, and I hope they will, but I can’t help but wonder if their five-year window is starting to close.
There is a much-talked about idea in sports about how a team is developed, built, tweaked, etc., from the ground up, and from day one it has roughly a five-year window 
to achieve their goals.
The longer it takes to win, the less likely it is to happen, as players lose focus, become dejected, fans become callous, media is stoked, and changes begin to be made, the window begins to close.
The Mets were on the right track when Omar Minaya took over in late 2004, when he said he would build a ‘New York-style team,’ gritty, with young, home-grown players, while also signing key free-agent players like Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez.
The team struggled in 2005, but finished with a respectable record under Willie Randolph, who, according to Minaya, embodied the New York sensibility he was hoping to capture.
The following season, the Mets were dominant, won the NL East in a landslide, but lost to the Cardinals in the final game of the NLCS – in a series most people expected the Mets to win.
I am always hearing from fans who believe 2006 was this team’s peak, the most open the window has or will be. In other words, Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS was their chance to win, they missed it, and it has been downhill ever since – complete with two September collapses, a managerial switch, coaches being fired, and a GM who appears to be reacting to the past, instead of building for the future.
Last November, I wrote that Minaya 
needed to cut ties with a handful of veterans, not just from his bullpen, but from all corners of the roster, and build a newer version of his team in the model of David Wright, Jose Reyes and Johan Santana; who I believe should be challenged to step up and lead this team towards a new window, so to speak.
This did not happen. Instead, Minaya focused on the bullpen, which was last season’s problem. Unfortunately, he did very little to address other issues that plagued his offense, defense and starting rotation over the last two seasons, and which continue to plague them today.
In short, it continues to feel like Minaya is chasing the past, and not looking to the future, which would suggest people may be right who believe his team’s best days are behind them.
Nobody likes to hear it, but it is early. There are 147 games, or 90 percent of the season, left to be played. Typically, I prefer to give a team until Memorial Day, before I start to judge who they are, and where they may be capable of going.
Individually, the 25 men on this roster are capable of being successful and delivering strong performances. I have no doubt that if they begin to win, as I think they can, this entire post will seem meaningless in review – but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an underlying problem that must eventually be addressed, and which most fans seem to fearing in their heart of hearts.
By the way, if you have yet to do so,
click here to vote in today’s MetsBlog Fan Confidence Rating.
As the Mets kickoff a three-game series versus the Nationals at CitiField tonight, I did a quick Q&A with Ed Chigliak from Federal Baseball: 
Brandon Eddy: After starting the season 1-10, which included blowing three straight games last weekend, Nationals management didn’t waste time by shaking up the bullpen on Monday. Do you see the trio of Garrett Mock, Kip Wells and Jason Bergmann stabilizing the bullpen for the long or short term? And what kind of message do you think it sent through the clubhouse?
Ed from Federal Baseball: I’ve been arguing for Jason Bergmann moving into the bullpen for some time now. In his first Spring Training working strictly in relief, Bergmann threw 11.1 innings without allowing an earned run, and the fact that he had an option remaining was cited as one of several reasons he was sent to Triple-A to start the season, so you can argue that he should have been here from the beginning.
“Acting” GM Mike Rizzo was with Arizona when the D-Backs drafted Garrett Mock in 2004, and Mr. Rizzo was the Nationals’ Assistant GM when Washington acquired him in a trade in ’06. There’s talk that Mock’s being groomed as the next closer should Joel Hanrahan falter, so Mock and Bergmann could both play important roles the rest of the way. Kip Wells is 10 years removed from being a 1st Round pick, he’s bounced around and he’s one of those guys you sign and hope he still has something. He earned a job and a promotion so far, so who knows?
If the Nationals do trade Nick Johnson or one of their outfielders this season, it will be for pitching, but I think the biggest boost to the pitching might come from the Draft…if the Nationals can sign San Diego State University’s Stephen Strasburg. As for the message the bullpen moves sent, along with Lastings Milledge‘s demotion, the Nationals have let the players know that there are other options in the organization, which hasn’t been the case until recently with this franchise.
Brandon Eddy: Despite a two-hour rain delay in his MLB debut, Jordan Zimmermann was impressive on Monday night. He worked out of trouble and stayed aggressive in his six innings of work. How important was that win, not only for Zimmermann, but for the team after their poor start to the season?
Ed from Federal Baseball: That two-hour wait to make his major league debut must have been excruciating for Jordan Zimmermann. DC’s “Acting” GM Mike Rizzo predicted early this spring that Zimmermann would make the rotation, and he was ranked as the top prospect in the organization by just about everyone who makes lists, so his debut generated a good deal of interest from the core of the fanbase and even registered in the baseball world more than most Nationals’ debuts.
I see Zimmermann’s rise as a sign that the work the Nationals have done to replenish the system is finally paying off. The fact that he went toe to toe with Derek Lowe and earned the win was impressive, and the fact that Zimmermann’s win is one of only 3 the Nationals have so far, with 22-year-old Shairon Martis having won the other two, is one of the few positives to point to early.
Brandon Eddy: My last question is in regards to Ryan Zimmerman‘s contract extension. Would you agree or disagree that the Nationals potentially got a discount on Zimmerman? Nine million a season is definitely nothing to sneeze at, but if he reaches his offensive potential in 2009 and beyond, his price tag could have gone much higher when he hit free agency. Please break down the deal in a positive and negative view.
Ed from Federal Baseball: I think it’s tough to judge Ryan Zimmerman’s worth since he’s succeeded on a losing team in what’s generally been considered an inferior lineup. The comparisons I always hear are Dustin Pedroia (25yo, 6-years/$40.5M), and Ryan Braun (25yo, 8-years/$45.0M). Zimmerman, (24yo, 6-years/$45.0M) is a year younger, and has more MLB experience than either Pedroia or Braun, so I think Zimmerman got about what the market dictated, (though Pedroia has won a World Series and an AL MVP Award, and Braun has put up far better power numbers).
I think Zimmerman enjoys his position as the cornerstone and face of the Nationals’ franchise, and the Nationals have marketed him as such, so as they continue to struggle this was an important move to make to show the fanbase they’re serious about building around their young stars. Zimmerman may have been able to get more in a few years, but it’s impressive that he got $45 million now when there’s not a lot of money being handed out.
As for a negative view of the deal, with the Dunn signing, and now Zimmerman, the Nationals have spent a lot of money just months before they’re going to have to try to sign a #1 pick, and the #10 pick. They better keep the checkbook open.
Brandon Eddy: Great stuff. Thanks Ed!
Tagged Nationals |
If it’s any consolation for Mets fans, the Phillies haven’t been playing too well either lately.
Yesterday, Milwaukee’s Dave Bush took a no-hitter into the eighth inning en route to helping the Brewers beat Philadelphia, 6-1. Ryan Braun and Bill Hall hit home runs for the Brew Crew.
Phils starter Cole Hamels left the game in the fourth inning after taking a line drive off the left shoulder. Hamels was treated with ice and all reports indicate he’ll be fine for his next start.
Philadelphia begins a weekend series tonight against the Marlins in Florida. Brett Myers opposes Josh Johnson.
The Braves, who were off yesterday, kick off a series in Cincinnati against the Reds. Javier Vazquez will get the start for Atlanta. Edinson Volquez goes for Cincinnati.
For those of you going out to Citi Field tonight, I’ll be there as well taking in my first game in the Mets new home. I’d love to meet some of you and maybe even share an adult beverage while we cheer on Johan Santana.
Post a comment below if you’ll be around or drop me an email at jhamrahi@baseballdailydigest.com, and I’ll see what I can arrange.
For more news, notes, analysis and statistics from around Major League Baseball, be sure to visit Baseball Daily Digest.
Tagged MetsBlog, News | ← Older posts
