Daily Archives: July 7, 2009
The Mets announced tonight that Argenis Reyes has been demoted to the minor leagues to clear a roster spot for Oliver Perez, who will start tomorrow night’s game against the Dodgers.
The Mets lost to the Dodgers tonight, by the score of 8 to 0.
For a full recap and box score, click here.
The Least You Should Know:
The Mets were shutout in back-to-back games for the first time since 2005 and have not scored in their last 22 innings. The team has also not had an extra-base hit since Friday night.
Mike Pelfrey, who allowed five runs, four earned on eight hits over three-plus innings, had good stuff tonight and was locating well, but you have to tip your cap to the Dodger hitters for having a good approach against Pelfrey.
Other Observations and Notes:
The Mets are uncompetitive at this point. It’s frustrating watching them knowing once the opposition puts a crooked number on the board the game is over. At the least the Mets weren’t wearing red hats.
I originally bought into the thought that any one player like Mark DeRosa or Adam Dunn wouldn’t replace the three-fourths of the core that is missing, but at this point the Mets may just need to make a change for the sake of making one to shake up the clubhouse.
Citi Field was dead tonight. Not even much of a response when Manny Ramirez stepped to the plate for the first time. Can you blame them?
I wonder who Fred Wilpon was rooting for tonight? I kid, I kid.
The Mets continue their three-game series against the Dodgers with Oliver Perez making his anticipated a return to the mound tomorrow night.
Manny Ramirez is not the giant I thought he was, though I couldn’t help but snicker when seeing that hair.
He’s been walking up and down the tunnel in Citi Field, talking to personnel, talking with players, like Alex Cora, signing autographs, and eating food.
I couldn’t help but snap a picture when he walke by.
Does this officially switch me from blogger to paparazzi?
Mets GM Omar Minaya talked to reporters from the media room in Citi Field today.
According to Minaya, Carlos Delgado is swinging off a tee, and “coming along good.”
Meanwhile, Minaya said, Carlos Beltran is riding a stationary bike, he is working in the pool, and will obviously not play in the all star game. He is still feeling pain in his knee, and will need to play rehab games before the team has a timeline for his return.
Jose Reyes was back in NYC today to get a cortisone shot, and will now wait for that to take affect. “Hopefully, this will get him started again,” Minaya said, and, “alleviate the discomfort.”
Reyes’s biggest hurdle is “acceleration,” be it moving to get a ground ball or run hard around the bases.
John Maine threw from flat ground today, and will do so again in a few days.
Fernando Martinez had an MRI, which showed swelling in his right knee, but that has disappaited and he is able to play in tonight’s game.
JJ Putz is still rehabbing, but not throwing yet.
Billy Wagner is throwing to live hitters and is “coming along good,” though the team is still projecting a late-August, early-September return.
In the end, Minaya said Delgado is still looking at returning around August 15, or “in that range,” ad he hopes to see the other guys, including Maine, back before that.
Frankly, having watched Minaya in person, listening and watching his body language, I think I’m going to switch gears and assume none of these players are coming back this season, or at least not for a while.
Tagged News |Again, Fernando Tatis will be in tonight’s starting lineup, playing first base.
Luis Castillo will bat leadoff, followed in order by Alex Cora, David Wright, Gary Sheffield in right field, Tatis, Ryan Church in center field, Nick Evans in left, and Omir Santos behind the plate.
Mike Pelfrey will be tonight’s starting pitcher against the Dodgers, who haw Manny Ramirez batting third.
Update, 4:05 pm:
The Mets took infield practice this afternoon, and also worked on fielding pop ups.
Omar Minaya is scheduled to speak with reporters in the media room before today’s game.
Update, 4:30 pm:
Minaya described the climate for trades as one that will require him to “give up a lot,” because so many teams are still in contention.
He said he needs to keep an eye on 2010, 2011, and 2012, not just 2009, when trying to fill holes on his roster, noting there is no “magic bullet fix” available.
Tagged News |In the Bergen Record last week, Bob Klapisch wrote:
“In all the years I’ve covered baseball in greater New York, I’ve never seen or heard a fan base this angry: Mets’ fans want
someone’s flesh — Omar Minaya’s, Jeff Wilpon’s, Jerry Manuel’s, whoever — as payback for three-plus years of frustration.”
…i get hundreds of e-mail every day, and hear from fans on Twitter, Facebook, and on the street, all of whom like to stop me and talk about the team… i sense three moods, 1) anger and frustration, 2) defeat and apathy, and 3) cautious hope… the problem for the Mets, as a business, which relies on tickets and advertising and television ratings, is that i believe the apathetic group is growing… i bet this is their biggest fear… i mean, anger and frustration equal passion, and to a certain extent, interest… apathy, however, equals empty seats and a lack of eyeballs and people just not caring…
…personally, i’m not angry, though i am certainly frustrated… i’m kind of hopeful, but that’s my nature… i’m still very interested… so, if i had to paint myself with one label, it would be: disappointed…
…it’s tough to be angry… i mean, i have my issues with him, but, how can i be angry at Omar Minaya for adequately not planning for this many injuries… i can’t be angry at Jose Reyes for tearing a tendon in his leg, you know what i mean… it happens… and so, i can only expect so much from Fernando Tatis and Jeremy Reed, or Nick Evans and a 20–year-old rookie… i see arguments on e-mail and in the comment 
section on this blog and others, where people debate whether reed or tatis should be batting sixth, and i laugh… i mean, seriously, does it really matter…
…that said, i do not feel defeated, because i enjoy rooting for the underdog… so, in some ways, the more depleted the team is, the more compelling i find them… that is until they’re eliminated from contention, in which case, according to the 1990s, i’ll become apathetic…
…for now, though, i’m just disappointed, because the Opening Day roster had so much potential… and so, i’m disappointed i never had the chance to really see that group click on all cylinders…
“You just have to keep playing, man,” Alex Cora said on Sunday, according to the Bergen Record. “I don’t think anybody is going to quit here. You just have to keep playing. We’ve been here together, and we’re going to be in this together for the rest of the season.”
…exactly, this is why i’m still hopeful this current group can fight on, stick around and get help down the line, be it from the disabled list or in trade, and from other teams in their division who have plenty of issues of their own… however, the clock is ticking, and i’m growing more and more skeptical by the day…
In a post to MLB Trade Rumors, Ben Nicholson-Smith lists 12 corner infielders who are rumored 
to be available in trade, including O’s 1B-OF Aubrey Huff, Nationals OF Adam Dunn and Nick Johnson, and Mariners 1B Russell Branyan.
Marty Noble of MLB.com answers reader e-mail, and writes about whether the Mets will make a trade; what to expect from Oliver Perez; and the red liquid in Willie Mays locker; among other topics.
Dave Kushner from Karate and Flying explains the evolution of his Keith Hernandez drawing.
In a post to Bleacher Report, Joe DelGrippo debates whether the Mets should trade David Wright to the Red Sox.
According to this report from Baseball Prospectus, Gary Sheffield is exceeding expectations, while David Wright is right where he should be.
Matthew Artus of Always Amazin pens a letter to Jose Reyes.
Lastly, Bill Bender lists six reasons in the Sporting News why fantasy-baseball owners should stick by the Mets.
In a post to his blog for ESPN.com, Buster Olney relays information from the great Mark Simon of ESPN Research regarding David Wright.
“Wright is taking pitches he should be crushing,” Simon explains. “In July, Wright has seen 11 fastballs in the strike zone while in a hitters’ count, but has not put any of them into play.”
According to Simon, Wright is 0–for-12 in July during at bats ending with a fastball.
Yesterday morning on WFAN, Darryl Strawberry said he believes Wright is dropping his back shoulder when hitting, and he has asked Howard Johnson to work with Wright on standing taller in the batter’s box.
…i am not smart enough to know how to fix wright, or know why he’s doing what he’s doing, or not doing actually… what i do know is he’s a mess, for now… and, i am fairly certain he will be on fire in around a week or so… and then he’ll be in a head-shaking slump, during which people will pick apart his stats and swing, just in time for him to be red hot again… and round and round we go…
Olney later blogs about Ryan Braun; the trade market; and who he believes should be the All Star team; among other things.
Tagged Stats |Yesterday, my MetsBlog.com Fan Confidence rating dropped to 30 percent, its lowest in-season point since 2004, prior to Omar Minaya being hired as GM.
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com quotes Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi as saying his team is not necessarily shopping RHP Roy Halladay, but he is open to listening to offers.
That said, last week, in a report for the Globe and Mail in Toronto, Jeff Blair said the Jays will essentially give away Alex Rios or Vernon Wells, so long as it saves them money to help re-sign Halladay.
However, as Rosenthal explains, “The Blue Jays know that Halladay would prefer to pitch for a winner anyway when he becomes a free agent after next season.”
The 32–year-old Halladay is 10–2 with a 2.79 ERA in 16 starts for the Jays this season, three of which were complete games.
…tough call for the Blue Jays… i suspect they’d like to rid themselves of the money due rios and wells anyway, regardless of halladay… that said, it’s still a tough trick to turn… i mean, j.p. could trade Halladay and rios, while eating some of rios’s contract, and re-stock their farm system for the next few years… either way, he still has the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays to contend with, year in and year out…
Rosenthal lists 11 teams who he speculates could have interest in Halladay, including the Mets, who would need to trade OF Fernando Martinez, SS Wilmer Flores and RHP Brad Holt in a deal.
…in other words, the Mets would need to part with their three best prospects… of course, going to battle with with Johan Santana and Roy Halladay with Francisco Rodriguez in the bullpen is intriguing…
…if i had to bet on a landing spot for halladay, though, assuming he ever gets traded, i’d bet on the Dodgers, who have a ton of young pitching to give back in a deal, and who are about as far from Toronto as you can get…
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