Daily Archives: June 29, 2009
The Brewers defeated the Mets, 10–6, tonight in Miller Park.
For a full recap and boxscore, go here.
The Least You Should Know:
The Fernando Nieve Train came to a screeching halt, as he allowed 11 hits and three runs through one out in the third.
The Mets pulled to within one run in the sixth, on a bases-clearing double from Brian Schneider, but the Brewers immediately rebounded with a game-breaking grand slam from Casey McGehee, which put the game out of reach.
Misc., Etc., and Other Observations:
David Wright snapped an 0–for-16 stretch, with an RBI double in the ninth inning. By the way, he really picked the wrong season to go for a batting title, and forgo the home runs, given the number of injuries and lack of power on the team.
Nieve was overthrowing, had little command of his fastball and got hit very hard. He even let up an RBI single to Braden Looper. Yikes. He must get at least one more start, though. No doubt.
Speaking of Nieve, why does everyone at SNY keep calling him, ‘a journeyman pitcher,’ when he was with the Astros organization for his entire career before coming to the Mets?
The Mets left two runners on in the second, and left the bases loaded in the fourth.
The Mets put together five straight hits in the ninth inning, to score Gary Sheffield hit is 10th home run of the season, and absolutely crushed a ball thrown up and over the plate, hit deep to left center field, to cut the Brewers lead to four.
I can’t take solace in knowing the team scored six runs, because, they did it against the back-end of the Brewers bullpen when the game was a bit of a blow-out. Sorry.
In case you didn’t notice, Mets are now one game below .500.
The Mets continue their series with the Brewers tomorrow night in Miller Park, at 8:05 pm, with Johan Santana taking on Mike Burns.
Oliver Perez will next start on Friday for Triple-A Buffalo, after which he could be activated, Jerry Manuel told reporters before today’s game.
According to Manuel, the Mets received positive reports on Perez following his last rehab start in Brooklyn.
In a post to his blog for the Daily News, Adam Rubin reports on Billy Wagner, as well as John Maine, who will not pick up a baseball until Thursday.
Tagged Oliver Perez |Well, here is where it gets interesting…
Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel have been 
essentially saying, ‘Keep it at or about .500, click days off the calendar, stay within striking distance of the Phillies and wait for the cavalry to return, i.e., Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, John Maine, Oliver Perez and JJ Putz, and hope there is enough time to make a run.’
The thing is, the Mets are at .500 today, at 37–37, and begin a 16–game stretch tonight against the Brewers, Phillies, Dodgers and Reds, and one game against the Pirates, before the All-Star break, after which they immediately travel to Atlanta – at which point the trade deadline will be just 11 games away.
To me, if the Mets can get through this 16–game stretch in July, and still be above .500 and within four games or so of the Phillies, I am certain Omar Minaya will look to trade for young talent.
From what I understand, the Mets are not looking to acquire a rent-a-player.
Instead, they’re seeking a hitter like they got in Xavier Nady during 2006, i.e., a guy in his late 20s, under contract through at least next season, he’s a good hitter, not a slugger, and he will not cost a whole lot in trade because he’s about to start earning more in arbitration and his current team doesn’t want to pay it, such as Rockies OF Ryan Spilborghs or Royals 1B-3B Mark Teahen.
The thing is, if the Mets slip and stumble during these next 16 games, and, instead, they’re around 42–48 and eight or so games out of first, I wonder how Minaya will play the deadline.
My guess is, because of the type of under-contract type hitter he is seeking, Minaya may make the deal anyway, regardless of record, because such a player can be in the mix for the following season as well.
In either case, despite the record and reality, the Delgado-Beltran-Reyes-Wright-Santana-Maine-Perez-KRod Mets are certainly capable of going 30–10 through the end of August and September, I believe, but the team needs to get there first – and a stretch like the next two weeks will do a lot to help bridge that gap.
Argenis Reyes will bat leadoff tonight for the Mets and start at shortstop.
…i fell for it, the text with the lineup i got said, ‘Reyes SS leadoff,’ and i thought, for a split second, JOSE…but, no such luck…
Reyes will be followed in order by Daniel Murphy at first, David Wright, Gary Sheffield, Ryan Church, Fernando Martinez in center field, Brian Schneider behind the and Luis Castillo at second.
Fernando Nieve (3–0, 1.31 ERA) will start for the Mets and bat ninth. Nieve has not faced the Brewers since 2006. Left-handed hitters are batting .125 against Nieve this season
Braden Looper (5–4, 5.16 ERA) will start for the Brewers. The Brewers are 9–6 in Looper’s starts this season. He has thrown eight quality starts, including wins over the Cubs, Phillies and Cardinals.
Update, 4:51 pm:
In a post to Twitter, the Star-Ledger’s Brian Costa writes, “Jerry and Willie chatting near the batting cage… No word on whether Jerry offered him his old job back.”
Update, 5:51 pm:
Carlos Beltran is getting a second option from a highly-regarded doctor in Colorado, who is best known for doing knee surgeries.
Meanwhile, Carlos Delgado is ‘tracking his swing,’ though he has not yet taken live swings at a ball.
Tagged News |
Fernando Nieve will make his fourth start of the season for the Mets tonight, when the team takes on the Brewers in Milwaukee at 7 pm.
Nieve is 3-0 with 1.48 ERA in his three starts for the Mets, during which he has 11 strike outs in 18.2 innings pitched.
In a report for the Star-Ledger, Andy McCullough quotes Nieve as saying, of his time in Houston where he struggled, “I was thinking about the minor leagues and all this stuff. Am I moving to the bullpen, the minor leagues or whatever? Now I’m more focused on pitching. I just worry about pitching and nothing else.”
…like i wrote following his last start, i’d be skeptical, but he’s 26… and so, it’s certainly possible, after hundreds of appearances between the majors and minors, he’s starting to figure it out, and that the Mets caught lightening in a bottle…
Nieve signed with the Astros in 1999 as a nondrafted free agent.
The Mets claimed him off waivers in March for $414,000.
…so far, he’s had serious command of all of his pitches, specifically his secondary stuff, which sets up that 95–mph fastball, which, if you notice, hitters always seem to be late on… he’s also pitching smart, pitching around dangerous hitters, and, as he said after the game, he’s not over-thinking things… eventually, advanced scouts will inform other teams what to do, but, for now, he’s been phenomenal… the key will be, once that happens, how will he adjust…
According to Elias Sports Bureau, courtesy of ESPN.com, Nieve is the sixth pitcher to win his first three starts for the Mets and the third to do so while posting an ERA under 2.00. The others were Bob Ojeda in 1986 and Pedro Astacio in 2002.
In his new book, Miracle Ball: My Hunt for the Shot Heard ‘Round the World, author Brian Biegel spends two years unraveling the mystery surrounding Bobby Thomson’s 
secretly hidden 1951 HR ball.
For more, click here.
In a post to his blog for Newsday, David Lennon lists the similarities between this point in the season compared to last season, including the presence of Willie Randolph.
Speaking of Randolph, according to Daniel Krieg, of Baseball Like it Oughta Be, a fan in front of him yesterday was chanting, ‘We Want Willie!’
Rich Coutinho, of 1050 ESPN Radio, asks, “Is the Mets season in crisis mode?”
Joe, the Disgruntled Mets Fan, says, ‘It’s time Omar.’
Lyle Spatz of Seamheads looks back at March 13, 1985, when Dwight Gooden faced Tom Seaver.
Lastly, for a non-baseball related link, check out Tara Parker-Pope in the New York Times, who lists 11 Health Myths that May Surprise You.
David Wright hit .462 during the 13 games prior to June 17, since then he’s batting .222 in his last 12 games.
In other words, Wright continues to be hot and then cold in 10 to 20 game stretches, back and forth, up and down.
The thing is, Wright looks like he needs a nap.
I mean, he’s basically the only regular, legitimate, all-star caliber hitter on the team right now, shouldering the absence of half the offense.
Thanks to the World Baseball Classic, it may as well be August to Wright, who has been playing day in and day out pretty much since early March.
He has started in 73 of his team’s 74 games this season.
Lately, it looks like he’s been sluggish, like he’s not running out fly balls, and he’s starting to seem slow with the bat – not to mention the constant mental pressure he must be under, considering the number of injuries he has had to make up for.
He’ll be honored to make the All-Star team, I’m sure, but I hope he is not able to go – because the guy looks like he could use three consecutive days of sleep.
The Phillies took two of three from the Blue Jays this weekend and seem to have turned things around for the moment.
J.A. Happ ran his record to 5-0 with a complete game shutout on Saturday, while Chase Utley’s double and triple propelled the team to victory on Sunday.
In a battle for Florida, the Marlins ran into a red hot Tampa Bay squad and promptly got swept by the Rays.
Florida managed just seven runs in the three game series.
In Atlanta, the Braves scored just three runs in three days against the Red Sox. Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield shut down the Braves offense before Tommy Hanson helped salvage the finale for Atlanta with six shutout innings on Sunday.
Finally, the Orioles won two of three from the Nationals in the Battle of the Beltways. Washington scored just nine times in three games, five of which came on Sunday.
…for those of you scoring at home, if you discount the Phillies and their 16 runs this weekend, the rest of the National League East scored a total of 22 runs in 12 combined games…
For more news, notes, analysis and statistics from around Major League Baseball, be sure to visit Baseball Daily Digest.
Tagged MetsBlog, News |
Dyer 18: Is it possible that if the Mets continue to struggle, and find themselves in third or even fourth place in the division, will Omar decide to trade one of the core players in order to acquire some young talent?
Matthew Cerrone: Well, they’d have to tank hard in the next two weeks or so, because the trade deadline is 27 games away, and I don’t see that happening. Of course, they could put players like Livan Hernandez on waivers, and probably get a low-level player in return.
That said, as frustrated as I am right now, today, I still believe this team is capable of reeling off a hot streak, especially in September, especially if Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, Billy Wagner, J.J. Putz, John Maine and Oliver Perez return, and hopefully Jose Reyes. I mean, think about that? Why give up if you can remain in striking distance, get those players back and get hot at the end? There is still more than half of a season left to be played. Believe me, I am as frustrated as the next guy, but it would be foolish to suggest the season is over in late June, especially considering how poor the rest of the division is, and how many 
players could still return to play a big chunk of games.
Bill Meakem: Jerry Manuel correctly said late last week that if you produce you will play. Can someone please then explain to me why it is that when Ryan Church is scratched due to flu symptoms that double-play machine Fernando Tatis and not Nick Evans replaces him as the left field starter?
Matthew Cerrone: I have no idea, Bill. I really don’t. I don’t understand why Manuel repeatedly says one thing, than does something else. Tatis was a great story last season. But, he’s batting .223 in his last 109 at bats, and has just three extra base hits. What’s worse, at this point, even I know to pitch him inside, because it’s essentially an automatic ground ball. Now, Evans is just 4 for 10, but at least he’s 4 for 10. So, play him. Play him, Murphy, Ryan Church and Gary Sheffield, and be done with Fernando Martinez and Tatis for now, because these guys need every drop of offense they can find.
Jaime D: Why do you love Bobby Parnell so much and refuse to include him in trades? Just because he throw 96 mph does not make him a great pitcher. He needs secondary pitches, as we have seen in 
the last couple of weeks. If a team wanted Parnell and player X, I would do that in a minute for the right guy. There are a lot of guys who can throw hard and become 8th inning guys.
Matthew Cerrone: A) I do not love Parnell, I like him, and B) I too would trade Parnell and Player X for the right guy. The question is: Who is the right guy? To me, it’s not Mark DeRosa. It’s not Adam Dunn. Look, I like Dunn, and think he’s a perfect fit, but I do not think he alone will make much of a difference on this current roster. And so, trading away a young pitcher with Parnell’s potential, to me, in this situation, to plug one hole when so many others remaining, would be a foolish move.
Last night, Jerry Manuel was asked by a reporter about the team’s offense, which Manuel responded to by saying he must find offense some place on the roster.
He was then asked, ‘Where,’ to which he laughed, looked under the table, joked around, and laughed more.
To listen, click play below, though the laughing continued for at least 10 seconds or so after this clips ended, with reporters joining in:
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What… are you… laughing at?
Look, I dig Manuel’s personality, the laughing, the charm, the cool glasses, his zen-like philosophies… but, in the moment following a sweep from the Yankees, while sitting on the edge of slipping below .500, during a season that has already tested my patience, the laughing is obnoxious.
I know what he’s trying to do, but, to me, I see a man and a group of reporters laughing at the same thing: the Mets, the team you and I care so much about, and spend so much of our time and money on.
You want a joke? Here’s a joke: What happened to the fanbase that got jerked around and mocked for 10 years?
I don’t know either, but I have a feeling we’re gonna find out.
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