Daily Archives: August 14, 2009
The Mets defeated the Giants by the score of 3-0 tonight at Citi Field.
For a full recap and box score, click here.
The Least You Should Know
Bobby Parnell was solid in his second start, going six solid innings even though he appeared to run out of gas in that top of the sixth inning.
Parnell threw 86 pitches and 61 of them were strikes.
The Mets got on the board early against Barry Zito as Angel Pagan led off the bottom of the first with a home run.
Jeff Francoeur drove in the second Met run with a two out double in the fourth inning which scored Luis Castillo.
Gary Sheffield drove in Castillo for the third run in the sixth inning after David Wright set the table with his 31st double of the season.
Francisco Rodriguez nailed the victory down with his 26th save of the year, and he appeared to have good life on his fastball which is something he has been missing during this recent rough stretch.
Other Observations and Notes
Calling Chris Russo…
The Mets did a nice job overall playing small ball tonight, executing sacrifice bunts and flies, and moving runners up with outs.
I never thought Parnell would figure prominently into the Mets rotation, but I suppose that is what the Mets season has come to this year.
David Wright is having the most bizarre .320+ season I have ever seen.
I don’t know why I get such satisfaction when the Mets beat Zito.
At the very least, maybe this club can play the role of spoiler if they are unable to contend down the stretch…they certainly didn’t help the Giants playoff hopes today.
The Mets continue their series against the Giants tomorrow afternoon at 4:10 pm with Johan Santana facing Matt Cain.
Tagged News |
The Mets (53–61) begin a three-game series with the Giants (62–62) tonight in Citi Field, with Bobby Parnell (2–4, 3.94 ERA) taking on Barry Zito (8–10, 4.40 ERA).
…i’m eager to see how parnell looks tonight… he was only allowed to throw 50 pitches in his last start, which ended up looking very much like one of his relief outings, including his number of innings and overuse of his fastball… tonight, i hope to see him be more economical, mixing in his slider and splitter more, assuming he gets to a second flip through the order…
Parnell will have a roughly 75–pitch limit for tonight’s start.
Meanwhile, Zito is 3-0 with a 2.19 ERA in his last four starts.
Daniel Murphy will not start tonight – instead, Fernando Tatis will start at first base and hit sixth in the order.
CF Angel Pagan will hit leadoff tonight, followed in order by 2B Luis Castillo, 3B David Wright, LF Gary Sheffield, RF Jeff Francoeur, Tatis, C Omir Santos, SS Anderson Hernandez and Parnell.
Sheffield is 8 for 20 with two HR during his career against Zito.
…hey, i wonder if omar can trade Lastings Milledge and Aaron Heilman for zito… oh, nevermind… wow, remember those days…
Update, 4:45 pm:
Jerry Manuel said before tonight’s game that he will keep Livan Hernandez will remain in the team’s starting rotation.
Also, Manuel is still optimistic that Carlos Beltran will play again this year, as he took fly balls in the outfield today.
The Mets today will unveil several enhancements to Citi Field highlighted by new HD video boards in Right Field and on the Promenade Level, as well as another in Left Field and down the third base line, among others.
…i.e., they’re finally turning them on…
Also, they have begun installing photographic imagery of famous Mets and historic moments in team history on the Field and Promenade Levels.
For instance, the image in this post, of Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez and Dwight Gooden, will cover the side of the Empire Suites by section 106 in the Right Field corner on the Field Level, while another celebrating the 1969 World Series championship will cover the other end of the Empire Suite Level on the third base side near section 126 on the Field Level, among others.
…i appreciate the effort… i do… but, is it me, or do the Mets seem to be shying away from their traditional blue and orange… first, these pictures and the ones outside are all black and white, muting the vivid uniform we’ve come to know and love… second, if you notice, the blue and orange they do incorporate around the ballpark is actually the dark navy-blue and red-orange from the Citigroup color scheme… anyway, it’s just something i have noticed the last few times i was there, then reminded of when seeing these new photos…
Additionally, championship banners are now on display on the wall in left field.
…nice… no brainer… as opposed to sticking them out back, under the bridge, where they had been hiding… thanks…
According to the release, “The Mets will announce plans for additional recognition of club history in the weeks ahead.”
Benje309: Hey Matt…So I’m a die hard Mets fan and my girlfriend is a die hard Yankees fan. How do you do it? How can I get excited for her team? Especially when the Mets are done. Should I be excited for her or just roll with it? I’m not changing my team!
Matthew Cerrone: Do not change your team, Benje. My wife and I agree that the Mets and Yankees are not necessarily rivals. She, like me, sees no on-field threat, so long as the teams are in separate leagues. So, the Yankees success does not impact me, and the Mets success does not impact her. Sure, it was difficult in 2000, no question. I don’t think we talked the entire Subway Series. Today, however, we just sort of ignore the fact that the other team exists, while rooting for one another’s individual happiness. That said, if I see her watching a Yankees game, and she claps in excitement, I get a bit irritated. I can’t help it. But, the dynamic of the Mets fan to the Yankees fan is a lot different than that of the Yankees fan to the Mets fan, it seems.
In a post to 3 Dot, for the San Francisco Chronicle, columnist Bruce Jenkins writes about Tim Lincecum, Rich Aurilia and other topics regarding the Giants, but also slips in the following:
“The Mets are completely exasperated with Jose Reyes… He signed a four-year deal in August of 2006, but as far as the Mets are concerned, the expiration date has already arrived.”
Reyes will earn $9 million next season, after which he can be a free agent, unless the team picks up the $11 million option for 2011.
…i would love to know how or why jenkins knows the Mets are exasperated with reyes, ready to trade him ASAP… i don’t get that sense at all, from people connected to the team… i do think they’re concerned about him, and wonder if he’s reached his potential, and i do believe they would trade him in the right deal… and, from what i understand, there are a handful of teams who are curious about his status and would be interested in taking him on… but, this recent injury is going to raise a ton of questions around the league… i mean, it started as leg cramps from an airplane ride, and has grown to become who knows what, three months later, threatening his entire season… remember, reyes was notorious for mysterious, debilitating leg injuries early in his career as well…
In case you’re wondering, David Wright is signed through 2013, while Carlos Beltran is signed through 2011.
Tagged News |MXCte32: The Mets need to hire a tough, 
strong-willed, no-nonsense manager who will hold the players accountable like Charlie Manual… I firmly believe that current Dodgers third base coach, Larry Bowa, fits the bill very well… Bobby Valentine is simply a bad fit.
Matthew Cerrone: How many World Series has Lou Pinella won? Look, it’s not about anger and motivation. I believe it’s about matching up the right players with the right manager. Yes, I think those hard-nosed, old-school kind of guys are great, but they must be matched up with old-school, hard-nosed players who will respond to that method of leadership – otherwise, you create tension and chaos, and it’s going to fail. Believe me, if it were as simple as finding a gruff, Lou Brown type to knock heads together and flip over card tables to win a ring, every team would hire that type of guy. Baseball is not football. Bill Parcells would make a terrible baseball manager, I can almost guarantee it. Baseball is about refined skill, patience, smarts and focus, in addition to hustle and effort – it’s not about brute strength, aggression and power, at least not naturally. To bring in a manager who can only harness one, will inevitably come up short.
Tagged News |Sam Page of Amazin Avenue breaks down stats and swings to 
determine whether Jeff Francoeur is simply on a hot streak, or whether he has benefited from a change of scenery.
Mack Ade of Mack’s Mets explains why signing top pick Stephen Matz is a departure from business as usual for the Mets.
According to the Brooklyn Met Fan, the Phillies are the team we want the Mets to be.
Don’t expect a lot of home runs this weekend in Citi Field, explains Ben Shpigel in a post to his blog for the New York Times.
In a post to Bugs & Cranks, Brad Bartone writes the opening speech for The Celebrity Roast of Omar Minaya.
Lastly, Mike Silva of NY Baseball Digest talks with former Mets GM Jim Duquette about the use of statistical analysis and decision making.
In a must-read report for Newsday, beat reporter David Lennon asks, ‘Now what,’ and writes about what the Mets can do this season to help their chance of winning in 2010, such as, ‘No more front-office follies.’
…word up to that, as my great grandmother would say…
…by the way, Newsday, what in the world did you do to your website… it looks like it’s not loading right, except that it is… white text on a dark background… really…
…anyway, back to the Mets…
In a report for ESPN: The Magazine, Buster 
Olney looks at who will be the top free agent pitchers in this year’s off-season market, such as RHP John Lackey and LHP Jarrod Washburn.
…from what i can tell, like it or not, the Mets will have roughly $20 million to spend towards next year’s player payroll… one of the big complaints has been Omar Minaya’s lack of attention to fat, i.e., the edges, the bench guys, depth, etc… so, to go out and spend all $20 million on one of two players will mean going down the exact same road from the last few seasons…
…it’s early, but, my educated guess is the team spends on one big free agent, likely a bat, and then makes a series of trades to re-shuffle the roster…
Tagged News |
Daniel Murphy has played in 158 games for the Mets, nearly a full season’s worth of game, while hitting .266 with nine HR, 76 strike outs, 55 RBI and 19 doubles.
…to me, this is a positive… i see a young hitter, who skipped Triple-A, who started hot, had to adjust to big-league pitchers who adjusted to him, and who has stabilized and is holding his own in a lineup with no support, on a team that cannot be easy to play for these days… but, i understand how some people see a guy who will always be a shade below what is necessary from a power position like first base…
In a report for the New York Times, Ben Shpigel explains, “With Delgado out, the Mets can play Murphy every day, continuing to evaluate how he fits - and even if he fits - into next year’s plans.”
Meanwhile, in a post to Mets Today, Joe Janish looks at The Murphy Myth, saying he may be more Matt Franco than Mark Grace.
“It’s time to start seeing Murphy for what he is, rather than placing unreasonable expectations upon him,” Janish concludes.
…first of all, i liked Mark Grace as a player, i can’t read his name and not think of the parody to the tune of Amazing Grace, which went, ‘Amazing Grace, he played first base.’…
…second, that’s a good range, Mr. Janish: franco and grace… because, grace’s typical line of .300, 12 HR, 50 strikeouts, and 80 RBI is probably murphy’s ceiling, though murph is not likely to ever win a Gold Glove to make up for the lack of punch… or, he’ll drift and end up being a franco type, i.e., .270 or so against right-handed pitching, but capable against lefties, mostly a bench player who is good at moving runners over, while eventually playing multiple infield positions…
[poll id="291"]
Billy Wagner is scheduled to make what is likely to be his final rehab appearance for Single-A St. Lucie tonight.
Earlier this week, assistant GM John Ricco told reporters the team no longer has plans to throw Wagner back-to-back days.
The Daily News wrote on Wednesday that Wagner will be activated by the Mets on Sunday against the Giants.
…i’m happy to see wagner back… i love his work ethic and his attitude about life and baseball… he has a fascinating story, he’s worked hard and been through a lot in his life, and i hope things work out for him in the end…
…it will be interesting to see how the Mets handle him, and whether they trade him, since there will certainly be teams who are interested…
…like i mentioned earlier in the week, Eddie Bajek and MLB Trade Rumors predict wagner will be a Type A free agent, meaning he could net the Mets compensatory draft picks, assuming they offer him salary arbitration, he doesn’t accept it and signs with a new team…
…from what i can gather, the Mets will try to trade him… if they can’t move him, they’ll likely offer him arbitration, because, at minimum, he accepts, and they have an inexpensive left-handed set up guy to replace J.J. Putz… wagner will likely seek a job as a closer, though… if he walks, the Mets get draft picks… in either scenario, it could work out well…
For other players on Mets who are Type A and B free agents, and how the team should approach them, read this post on Amazin Avenue.
