Daily Archives: July 22, 2009
The Mets lost to the Nationals, 3-1, tonight in D.C.
For a full recap and boxscore, click here.
The Least You Should Know:
- Mike Pelfrey didn’t pitch poorly tonight, unintentionally walking one and allowing six hits, but he made a mistake to Josh Willingham in the sixth inning which landed in the bleachers. Adam Dunn scored as well because Jeff Francoeur lost his fly ball in the lights, enabling him to reach second. Pelfrey went seven innings overall.
- The lone Mets run came when Angel Pagan hit a triple, also in the sixth, then scored on a throwing error in the same play.
- The Mets had a chance to rally in the eighth. With one out, Jeremy Reed doubled, then Pagan walked. However, Fernando Tatis and Daniel Murphy were unable to make anything happen.
Etc., Misc., and other Observations:
- The band-aid was pulled off quickly in this loss, as it lasted just over two hours.
- Losing a series to the Nationals is deflating, and I hope this team can muster some heart to play like professionals soon.
- The Mets and Teddy Roosevelt have a lot in common.
- The lack of power, and any kind of offense for that matter, is really unbelievable.
The Mets kick off a series in Houston on Friday, with Johan Santana facing former Met Mike Hampton at 8:05 p.m.
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |
The Red Sox have traded infielder Julio Lugo to the Cardinals for OF Chris Duncan, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Earlier in the week, Adam Rubin of the Daily News said the Mets would have signed Lugo had he become a free agent at the end of this week.
Lugo is due $4.5 million through the rest of this season, plus $9 million in 2010, all of which the Sox will pay, according to reports.
Tagged News |Update, 6:22 pm:
Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post reports on another incident involving Bernazard, during which he exchanged words on the team bus last week in Atlanta with Francisco Rodriguez.
Hubbuch quotes an anonymous player as saying, “That guy is crazy.”
By the way, to see video of Minaya’s ‘statement,’ click here.
Update, 4:59 pm:
Omar Minaya talked to reporters and basically said the team will continue to investigate reports of Bernazard’s conduct.
In fact, he said the word ‘investigate’ 11 times in five minutes.
…that’s it… that’s all he said… the way i heard it is, had the report not surfaced, we most certainly never would have heard of this, and he certainly would not be investigating it… this, to me, is unacceptable… how does he not know what is going on in his own minor league system… and, if he did, and ignored this, what does that say… ugh… either way, this is not good… i suspect he’s on watch, along with everyone else in his administration…
He said his plan all along was to visit the team in DC today, followed by a trip through the minor league system next week.
Minaya said he would prefer to be working on improving the team, noting the Mets will not be sellers considering they are 6.5 games back of the Wild Card in the National League.
The Pope of Baseball, Peter Gammons, from ESPN.com, said earlier, “Everyone knows Tony Bernazard is Jeff Wilpon’s guy. So what does that say? Feeding fraud trade offer stories? Embarrassment born, not made.”
Update, 3:39 pm:
According to Brian Costa of the Star-Ledger, Minaya will arrive to Nationals Park around 4:30 pm, after which he will speak with reporters and address the allegations against Tony Bernazard.
…hey, brian, do they sell peanuts at this circus…
…so, i’m guessing this means SNY will not be airing the press conference until around 5:15 pm…
Update, 2:53 pm:
David Lennon of Newsday explains why Minaya may be working to keep Bernazard from being fired.
Tagged Tony Bernazard |Update, 4:26 pm:
Before today’s game, Jerry Manuel told reporters that Alex Cora aggravated his previously injured thumb, which is why Berroa is starting at shortstop tonight.
Also, Gary Sheffield is still experiencing soreness in his hamstring.
In a post to Twitter, SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt wrote, “Sheffield is working out full steam today to test his hammy. How he feels tomorrow will tell the story.”
Minaya will speak to reporters following Manuel.
Original Post:
Yet again, Gary Sheffield will not start tonight as he continues to rest with a cramp in his hamstring.
Instead, Cory Sullivan will start in left field, in place of Fernando Tatis, who had been subbing for Sheffield.
Additionally, Angel Berroa will start at shortstop in place of Alex Cora.
Angel Pagan will bat leadoff, followed by Luis Castillo at second, Daniel Murphy at first, David Wright, Jeff Francoeur in right field, Sullivan, Berroa and Brian Schneider behind the plate.
However, in a post to Twitter, MetsTweets lists tonight’s lineup as, “Guy we DFAed 2 years ago, Dinosaur, guy Minn didn’t even ask for, Wright, Worst OF in MLB, REALLY? REALLY??, Catcher.”
Mike Pelfrey will be tonight’s starting pitcher.
By the way, congratulations to Wright, who made his debut with the Mets five years ago today.
Jerry Manuel talked with WFAN today at 5 pm, for his weekly interview with Mike Francesa.
To listen to the entire interview, click here.
During the discussion, Manuel said the team essentially sat in disbelief when Fernando Nieve went down with a torn quad muscle, suggesting a feeling of ‘what next?’
Manuel agreed with Francesa that Angel Pagan is a great outfielder to have on the team, because he is so versatile in strong on both offense and defense.
Manuel said he likes what he’s seen so far from Jeff Francoeur, noting he is very positive, team-oriented, and loves to work ask questions.
Manuel said, he told David Wright, “If you can live through these times, and you begin to see things change, and get right, you have now the right to step up and say, ‘I’ve been through it.’”
Daniel Murphy has found a home at first base, Manuel acknowledged, saying he believes Murphy can be strong enough on offense at first base once other hitters return from the disabled list.
In the end, Manuel says the current, topical issues involving management and team doctors have had zero impact on the team.
The biggest issue, by far, he said, is the unknown status of players like Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, John Maine and Jose Reyes.
Again, to listen to the entire interview, click here.
Tagged Omar Minaya, WFAN |
The Red Sox have acquired 1B Adam LaRoche from the Pirates, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
…so far, there are no indications of what the Sox sent to Pittsburgh… keep an eye on MLB Trade Rumors, who does an amazing job of following and logging the activity of these deals when in action…
The 29–year-old LaRoche is hitting .247 with 12 HR and 40 RBI in 87 games for the Pirates this season.
He ended the last two seasons with at least 21 HR, 85 RBI and a .341 OBP, while batting at least .270.
LaRoche will be a free agent at the end of this season.
For what it’s worth, Jack Wilson was not in today’s starting lineup for the Pirates as well, though there is no indication he is being moved.
Update, 1:15 pm:
According to WEEI, the Sox traded RHP Hunter Strickland and 21–year-old SS Argenis Diaz in exchange for LaRoche.
Gordon Edes of Yahoo! Sports believes the Dodgers would have interest in LHP Pedro Feliciano if the Mets become sellers at the July 31 Trade Deadline.
…this jives with what i said yesterday, in 
that, feliciano is the only veteran player worth anything on the roster, who is healthy and able to be traded, and who will return a minimal amount of talent, such as some mid-level prospect you and i have never heard of…
In 51 appearances this season for the Mets, Feliciano is 2–3 with 2.95 ERA in 36 innings, during which left-handed hitters are batting .186 against him.
Feliciano is again eligible for arbitration next season, after which he can become a free agent.
Tagged Pedro Feliciano |In a must-read report for the Daily News, Adam 
Rubin says Mets VP Tony Bernazard removed his shirt and challenged the Double-A players to a fight during a recent ‘postgame tirade.’
According to Rubin, “alleged underage drinking on the team apparently was one motivation for the eruption,” all of which he confirmed through ‘multiples sources,’ and ‘insiders.’
Earlier this week, also in the Daily News, Rubin said Bernazard was recently seen in the stands going into a profanity-laced tirade directed at the team’s manager of baseball operations, “which left witnesses in the section behind home plate aghast.”
Meanwhile, also in the Daily News, columnist John Harper joins in, pointing out that Bernazard is notorious for his alleged influence in the firing of Willie Randolph and Rick Peterson, adding, “Scouts and executives from other organizations have whispered in recent years about Bernazard’s bullying style of leadership.”
…frankly, if i had a dime for every person who has told me the Mets currently have Three GMs, i could retire… i have heard from agents and other baseball people around the league that, basically, at this point, Jeff Wilpon and Bernazard have a closer relationship than Bernazard and minaya or minaya and wilpon… yet, minaya is supposed to be in charge of all baseball operations… so much for full autonomy, i guess… how did the Mets get to this point again… i mean, it seems like we keep having this same conversation every five to 10 years…
This morning on WFAN, morning host Craig Carton has been calling for Bernazard to be fired, repeatedly calling him a ‘tool,’ and a ‘clown.’
In a poll from Rubin’s report, 71 percent of voters said Bernazard should be fired for his antics in Binghamton.
That said, yesterday, on WFAN, Jon Heyman was asked about recent reports of Bernazard’s behavior, to which he said:
“Well, you know what, it seems to be all in one newspaper, though… You know, there are a lot of personalities that go around, the papers like one guy who’s helping them, they don’t like another guy for whatever reason… I mean, sides are taken and people are made to look bad.”
…basically, and i don’t mean to put words in his mouth, but, what i’m hearing 
in this statement from heyman is: the Daily News has an axe to grind with Bernazard, for whatever reason, and are using the power of the press to tarnish him and force him out… by the way, Bernazard oversees the Mets farm system, and the Daily News does an amazing and honest job of covering the farm system… and, from what i can tell, the Mets take public perception of their farm system very seriously…
For what it’s worth, the Mets Double-A and Triple-A teams are a combined 71-116, while the team’s farm system was ranked middle-of-the-pack in all of baseball heading in to this season.
…here’s the thing, though, in the middle of a baseball season, when the focus should be on field, why are we even discussing the team’s VP, a guy who is supposed to work below the GM…
…actually, how many fans even know who their team’s Assistant GM or VP is… yet, you and i do… why… i have written Bernazard in six posts this season… for pete’s sake, i have a whole category on this blog dedicated to him… why…
Last week, on Baseball Digest Live, Mark Healy spent an entire 90 minute radio show focused on Bernazard’s role on the Mets, during which much of what the Daily News is reporting had been discussed.
The Daily News headline was a scroll in Time’s 
Square for everyone to see, according to this photo from Robert K.
…all of this makes me very uncomfortable and concerned about the direction of this organization… i realize, now, in the wake of so many injuries, losing was likely, regardless of GMs, power-struggles and front-office chaos… one may have nothing to do with the other… then again, it might… in either case, be it fact or fiction, here we are again, five years later having the same conversation we had five years before that, talking about undermining authority, leadership, split autonomy, weak farm systems, and a general sense of disarray, all while the team across town is marching towards yet another post-season appearance…
…man, October 2006 seems like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it…
Tagged Omar Minaya, Tony Bernazard |Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi told MLB.com he has set a July 28 deadline for a potential Roy Halladay deal.
However, he added, “I think at this point, it’s probably unlikely that we’ll trade Doc… As you get closer and closer to the deadline, no one’s 
really stepped up yet… We’ve got to be highly motivated to move him, so we haven’t been highly motivated yet.”
According to Ricciardi, he does not want Halladay going in to his start on July 29 wondering if he will be traded.
By the way, from what I can tell, having talked with people connected to the team, representatives from the Mets had been in contact with the Blue Jays earlier this month, during which the team discussed Roy Halladay, among other players who might become available from Toronto.
However, much like Mike Francesa said on WFAN yesterday, no specific players or packages from the Mets were discussed.
…in other words, much like the case with most teams this time of year, i suspect team assistants, scouts, representatives, etc., not Omar Minaya and not J.P. Ricciardi, from both sides, were probably in contact to feel one another out, but no specific deal was discussed…
…yesterday i was convinced the Minaya-rejected-Halladay rumor had been pushed from toronto to try and bait the Phillies… however, now i’m convinced it came from the Mets, looking to pump up their own prospects… this way, if they do not make a trade, they can say, ‘These prospects are good, I mean, we wouldn’t even trade them for Halladay,’ as if that makes any sense…
…that said, i would love to know if the Mets at least asked about Alex Rios, who i still believe would be a good fit for Citi Field…
In early July, Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com said the Jays were listening to offers for Rios, who is hitting .264 with 10 HR, and will earn $60 million over the next five seasons.
In late June, Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail said the Jays will essentially give away Rios and Vernon Wells, in an effort to cut payroll.
Tagged Roy Halladay |In the New York Post, Bart Hubbuch writes, “Jerry Manuel’s putrid, Triple-A level lineup needed just 2 hours, 9 minutes to work its way through a 4-0 embarrassment at the hands of the worst team in baseball last night.”
“The Mets have been shut out five times in 
their last 13 games, and seven times in 26 games since Carlos Beltran went on the disabled list June 22,” according to the Associated Press.
Manuel acknowledged that his team’s lack of offense is ‘staggering, based on today’s standards, when you see teams scoring so many runs.’
…i see… so, the Mets should be spending their money on a time machine, so they can go back in time to an era when having Fernando Tatis and his 12 double plays make sense batting fifth… when exactly was that era, jerry…
…that said, lannan totally has the Mets number… he can seemingly get them to ground out on command, especially when behind in the count…
Manuel said he feels the team could have been more patient earlier in the game, noting Lannan has been very tough on his team this season.
This was the second time that Lannan has thrown a complete game against the Mets this year, both coming in Washington.
In the end, Manuel believes losing Gary Sheffield to the disabled list has created a huge hole in his team’s offense.
“When you lose impact players, impact players who can hit a home run, hit a ball in the gap, score from the first, when lose those types of things overtime it weighs on everyone else… It’s the impact player, that has speed and power, is what we’re missing at this point.”
Manuel said he might start Cory Sullivan in left field, instead of Jeremy Reed, while waiting for Sheffield to return, in an effort to try and find more offense.
Sullivan, who hit .290 in 85 games with Triple-A Buffalo, has yet to get an at bat on the 2009 Mets.
