Daily Archives: August 18, 2009
The Mets defeated the Braves by the score of 9-4 tonight at Citi Field.
For a full recap and box score, click here.
The Least You Should Know:
It looked like one of those nights again for the Mets as the Braves jumped out early to a 4-0 lead on Oliver Perez for three runs in the second inning thanks to a Matt Diaz three run home run followed by a third inning Adam LaRoche solo home run.
The tables then turned.
The Mets exploded for eight runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by two extra base hits by Gary Sheffield – a double to score Angel Pagan and Luis Castillo and another double that sent Castillo to third.
Castillo had two singles in the fourth, his second hit knocking Derek Lowe out of the game, who was responsible for eight runs on 11 hits in just 3 2/3 innings.
At one point the Mets put together five consecutive hits in the fourth inning, four of which were singles.
Sheffield had two hits to the right side tonight in his 3 for 5 effort.
Every starting player had at least one hit tonight, and five of the nine had multiple hits in the 17 hit attack, matching a season high by this club.
Perez lasted only five innings allowing all four runs to the Braves, but he only allowed one walk which was definitely an encouraging sign.
Pedro Feliciano made his 66th appearance in the eighth inning tonight.
Other Observations and Notes:
The ten hits in the fourth inning is a new Mets record for hits in an inning.
The last time the Mets scored eight runs in an inning was August 13, 2008 in Washington.
The last Met to have two extra base hits in one inning, before Sheffield in the fourth inning tonight, was Jeromy Burnitz in 2003, against the Braves at Shea Stadium.
I still don’t think the Mets made the right decision to take a pass on Lowe, even though he has had an up and down season for the Braves and the Mets have done a good job overall against him.
I think its funny that this lineup was able to put together an inning like what we saw tonight considering that this group has been generally anemic.
Jeff Francoeur may never be the player Atlanta expected him to be, but he has been a pleasure to watch since he came over to the Mets.
Anderson Hernandez has seven hits since rejoining the Mets ten days ago – he only had 12 hits total for the Mets in parts of 2005 through 2007.
I just wrote that the fact that Perez walked only one was “encouraging”, but I am sick of being encouraged by small signs that he can actually compete again at the Major League level – I want to be convinced and assured at this point.
Speaking of competing, Castillo has raised his average to .306 on the year.
The fourth inning reminded me of the ten-run eighth inning the Mets put together against the Braves on June 30, 2000…those were the days…
In Case You Missed It:
To watch SNY.TV’s Post Game Extra, featuring clips from the game; quotes from Jerry Manuel, and analysis from Keith Hernandez and Gary Cohen, use the video player in the sidebar of MetsBlog.com.
The Next Series:
The Mets continue their series against the Braves tomorrow night with Bobby Parnell facing Jair Jurrjens.
Last weekend, when David Wright was put on the disabled list with a concussion, Jerry Manuel said Wright is a ‘different animal than Ryan Church,’ who 
missed time after suffering two concussions last season.
…i guess i’m naive, since i interpreted this to mean each person is different, in terms of medical issues, or, as Lewis Black once put it, ‘We’re all our own unique snowflakes.’… i guess others, including church, interpreted this statement to mean wright is more important and more special than others…
Today, with the Braves in town to face the Mets, Church, who was asked by local reporters to respond, said:
“I could read between the lines. It was kind of a cheap shot, but it is what it is. I’m not going to get into a pissing contest. It’s not worth it. I’m here trying to make the playoffs… I just find it funny that they take shots now that I’m not in a Mets uniform. It’s kind of odd… I’ll just take the high road.”
…i’m here trying to make the playoffs… zing… nice, churchie…
Later, Manuel tried to clarify, saying Church was never clear with the team about what he wanted to do in recovery from the concussions, whereas Wright was very definitive in his desire to return from the disabled list.
In the end, Manuel said, as he always did, ‘I like Ryan Church.’
…whatever… seriously… i mean, i know some fans – and especially reporters – want to turn sports in to a soap opera, and to some extent it is, but, come on… these two guys didn’t 
get along… so what… it happens… they’re two dudes at a job… seriously, i have lost count of the number of people i have worked with in my life who i disliked… it happens every day… not every relationship is worthy of a reality show… news flash, sometimes, two men will actually not get along… crazy, i know, and in sports of all places…
…yeah, yeah, i know, Mets, bad public relations, etc., i get it… i don’t know, maybe i’m just worn down from a long season of this type of stuff… or, maybe i’ve grown calious to the sideshow, wishing for Meaningful Games in September again… but, frankly, in this case, i just can’t muster the energy to think this really matters… i mean, i’m guessing some coach in Kansas City once said something bad about a guy, too, but since they had like two reporters covering the team, and no talk radio, nobody cared…
Tagged News |
The Mets put infielder Alex Cora on the 15-Day disabled list, retroactive to August 13.
Wilson Valdez was promoted from Triple-A Buffalo to replace Cora – he will be available for tonight’s game.
Valdez hit .208 in 11 games with the Mets earlier this season. However, he’s hitting .400 in his last 35 at bats with Buffalo.
…it’s just so hard to believe that he’s the best option to replace cora… but, at this point, pre-September, given the standings, it makes no sense to burn a shirt… so, valdez it is… stay hot, buddy…
Tagged News |
The Mets (55-63) open a three game series tonight against the Braves (62-56) at Citi Field.
Angel Pagan will lead off, followed in order by Luis Castillo, Gary Sheffield, Daniel Murphy, Jeff Francoeur, Fernando Tatis, Omir Santos, and Anderson Hernandez.
Oliver Perez (2-3, 5.97 ERA) will start for the Mets. After a promising start in San Diego on August 7, Perez took a step backwards in his last outing against the Diamondbacks, walking six in 5 1/3 innings. His only appearance against the Braves came on July 16 when he allowed three earned runs in six innings while walking four. Lifetime Perez is 6-4 with a 3.53 ERA in 15 career starts against Atlanta.
Derek Lowe (12-7, 4.08 ERA) will start for the Braves. Lowe has won four consecutive decisions and has not allowed more than three earned runs since allowing four to the Nationals on July 5. He has appeared in two games against the Mets this season and is 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA. Lifetime he is 2-2 with a 6.23 ERA in ten appearances against the Mets, four of which are starts.
Update, 4:00 pm:
…as people have pointed out to me on e-mail, the Mets did not have a legit number one
pick, nor a sandwich pick, thus lowering the amount of money they’d likely have spent…
…plus, the number is for just seven picks… so, to compare to a team like the Nationals, who had the top pick in the draft, plus additional players to sign, is unfair…
…excellent point, guys… thank you… nice catch…
Original Post:
According to Baseball America, the Mets spent the least amount of money on top draft picks of any team in the major leagues, totaling $1.9 million on seven players.
…thanks to D Ross Baker for the link…
In terms of team’s from the NL East, the Nationals spent the most, followed by the Marlins, Braves, Phillies and Mets.
…i am not going to pretend to understand what this means, or how this influences the ultimate production of a farm system… especially since this isn’t for the entire draft, just top picks… that said, for a team whose minor league system is always be questioned in the media, and is ranked middle-of-the-pack by Baseball America, you’d think the team would at least spend middle-of-the-road money…
For what it’s worth, the Yankees spent $4.7 million on eight players.
…by the way, i’ve been at Citi Field all afternoon, filming a segment for SNY and Verizon, and word is the team’s top pick from this season, Stephen Matz, is in the house and could speak with reporters later tonight… where, i am sure, he will get tackled with questions about being a Mets fan from Long Island, as he should…
Tagged News |
In a Q&A with ESPN.com, prospect guru Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus looks back on a collection of former pitching prospects, and discusses how they’ve developed.
Regarding Mike Pelfrey, Goldstein writes, “I think with Pelfrey we can pretty much say he is what he is, which isn’t that good. We can just add him to the very long list of guys who just never threw as hard as they did as amateurs… For me, he’s just a good arm who didn’t develop as expected.”
Goldstein also looks at Homer Bailey, Luke Hochevar, and others.
…i wrote this a few weeks ago, and it still holds true:
…he’s looked good at times, he’s looked bad at times… he’ll have a good inning, then a bad inning…
…Tom Glavine once told me it takes a young pitcher roughly 50 to 100 big-league starts before the game truly starts to click, and the pitcher can start putting together what he’s learned, how to use it and how to get his best results from batter to batter and start after start… this is not a rule, of course… see John Lannan and Tim Lincecum… but, it’s mostly accurate if you look at when pitchers begin to settle in to a career line…
…pelfrey has made 70 starts in his career, he’s roughly .500 with a 4.50 ERA in that time… he’ll command an inning, look confident and in control, then lose focus, let up four runs and ruin the outing… he’s close… but he’s not yet there… he obviously has the potential to be a front-end starter, not quite Brandon Webb, but of that mold… the Mets were wise not to trade him two or three seasons ago… however, the clock is ticking… and he needs to start putting it together, as they say…
…i guess the clock has stopped ticking, and is where it is, in goldstein’s opinion…
Tagged News |Jeff Wilpon traveled to upstate New York and told Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News that 
the big-league club will do better to support the Triple-A franchise in 2010.
Harrington provides a series of quotes form Wilpon, but also writes the following:
“Wilpon is spending the week touring the team’s affiliates and was joined Monday by Assistant GM John Ricco… Minaya went on a similar tour last week.”
“We want a competitive team for the entire year, not just two-thirds of the year, and we’re going to spend the money on Buffalo,” Wilpon said.
…by the way, your major-league team is need of a number two starter and people who can produce more than a single… i’m just sayin…
Tagged News |Carlos Beltran ran sprints in the outfield before yesterday’s game.
The next step in his rehab will be to run the bases, he said.
In his latest Under the Knife column, Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus says the Mets are keeping an on eye on Saints RB Reggie Bush, “who one source said was a good physical comp for Beltran.”
Carroll says the Mets believe Beltran could still have surgery in October, and be back in time for spring training.
Carroll also writes about David Wright, and how best to handle his return from a concussion, while discussing other injured players from around the league.
Tagged News |Dave Singer of NY Sports Dog takes a moment to look at other intriguing stories around MLB, such as Twins C Joe Mauer, who is batting .380.
…like i said earlier in the season, i 
have always wanted to see someone hit .400, so i have been watching this mauer story quite closely… he’s on fire right now… i can’t see it continuing…
The guys at Oh Murph are giving away free tickets if you can guess who is in the mystery picture.
Mike Silva of NY Baseball Digest thinks Billy Wagner can help the Mets and Yankees this season.
There will be at least 200 Phillies fans in Citi Field this Saturday, thanks to Phillies Nation, when the Mets honor the 40th Ann. of their 1969 World Championship.
In a post to Mets Police, Shannon Shark considers why he should or shouldn’t re-up his season tickets for next year.
Lastly, to learn more about the The Mike Coolbaugh Memorial Golf Tournament, which will take place in November, click here.
Tagged News |In a recent report for FoxSports.com, Tracy Ringolsby writes, “Don’t be surprised if Bobby Valentine returns to manage the Mets in a setup that allows him to be active in front office activities, too.”
…fascinating… i have no idea what this means… 
however, i have heard, from people who know valentine, he has no interest in coming to a team to just manage, that he wants a say is the type of talent being acquired… i don’t know if he means simply having a seat at the table, or if he’s talking in more of an official capacity, though… more and more, he sounds like the perfect fit for the Nationals… the thing is, is DC a big enough spotlight…
In addition to providing other notes from around MLB, Ringolsby also writes about the future of Omar Minaya, John Ricco, and Jeff Wilpon’s involvement in day-to-day decisions.
Tagged News | ← Older posts
