Daily Archives: May 11, 2009
In games when a Mets starting pitcher has thrown a Quality Start, i.e., at least six innings pitched and three or less runs allowed, the Mets are 12–3; they are 5–10 in games when they do not throw a Quality Start.
The Mets starting pitchers are 6-0 
with a 2.44 ERA in their last seven starts, during which the team has not lost.
To me, success will always flow from the pitcher’s mound. The team’s starting pitchers are doing well, which is clearly taking pressure off the offense, it is letting the bullpen get proper rest, and it’s allowing the team’s relief pitchers to settle in to specific roles – and so everything is clicking, they’re winning, believing, and all playing hard and free and with focus.
That said, the minute the starting pitchers hit a bump in the road, which I hope never happens, but I know it will, we’re all going to freak out again, because then the hitters will press, the bullpen will be in disorder, and every game will again look like a pinball machine on tilt.
Tagged Mike Pelfrey |Last Monday, the Mets were 11–13 and two losses back of the Marlins for first place in the NL East, during which the first four posts on MetsBlog.com dealt with Carlos Delgado’s hip pain; what to do with Oliver Perez; Phillies quotes pointing out the emotional difference between them and the Mets; and whether or not there will be a target on Omar Minaya if the Mets keep losing.
Today, the Mets are four games over .500, they’ve won seven games in a row, and they are in first place in the NL East.
…it really is amazing how different one week can be… but, remember the old Bobby Valentine advice, ‘You’re never as good as you think are in a winning streak, and you’re never as bad as you think you are during a losing streak, you’re really some place in the middle.’…
“The last couple of years we learned about that. Don’t let up,” Jose Reyes said yesterday, according to the Daily News.
“The last two years, at the last part of the season, we lost some games against the Nationals, games that we needed. But we came today to play with the Pirates, and it’s the same attitude that we had when we play against the really good teams. That’s the attitude we have to bring every day.”
Following yesterday’s game, David Wright told reporters, “I think we just needed to get hot for an extended period to realize how good we really are.”
…this is essentially what i learned in my quest to better understand the idea that passion, heart and fire matter in baseball… basically, from talking with current and former players, it matters, but not as much as confidence… it’s all about confidence… if a team is confident, it starts winning, it finds a swagger, and they play with intensity… if they’re not confident, and they do not believe, they second guess themselves, get down, and they look flat…
…in short, you can’t only want it more than the other team, that’s not good enough… more important that passion and fire, a team needs confidence and must believe in itself, and from that everything else follows…
On May 1, Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com quoted Omar Minaya as saying, while the team does not lack leadership, his stars do lack a certain ‘edge.’
Minaya later backed off his statement, though his players, including David Wright and Jose Reyes, seemed to take issue with the comments.
Since then, the Mets are are 8–1.
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Tagged Omar Minaya |In case you missed it…
Ramon Castro left Saturday’s game with a tight right quadricep.
Omir Santos was 3 for 5 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored on Saturday and Sunday.
According to Newsday, Castro said he 
could pinch hit and play an inning or two during yesterday’s game.
Prior to yesterday’s game, Jerry Manuel acknowledged Brian Schneider is dealing with a calf injury, though he initially went on the disabled list with back pain.
However, Manuel would not give a specific timetable for Schneider’s return.
In 16 games for the Mets, the 28–year-old Santos is hitting .300 with eight RBI and five extra base hits.
Meanwhile, Castro is hitting .292, and also has five extra base hits with eight RBI in 16 games for the Mets.
…from what i can gather, schneider is at least a week or so away from being able to return, though it will probably be longer… and so, who knows where santos and castro will be at that point… but, it will make for an interesting situation when schneider returns, because, most things being equal, i have to believe the Mets send santos down… unless, of course, they decide to carry three catchers and one less relief pitcher, like they did through much of last season…
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Tagged Omir Santos, Ramon Castro | Newer posts →
