Daily Archives: September 17, 2009
Update, 4:31 pm:
Jerry Manuel has told reporters that Bobby Parnell will return to the bullpen.
Parnell is 3-8 with a 5.60 ERA for the year, but as a starter he is just 1-5 with a 7.93 ERA in eight starts.
Original post:
The Mets look to salvage the final game of their three game series against the Braves tonight at Turner Field.
Angel Pagan will lead off, followed in order by Luis Castillo, David Wright, Daniel Murphy, Jeff Francoeur, Josh Thole, Fernando Tatis, and Wilson Valdez.
Nelson Figueroa (2-5, 4.57 ERA) will start for the Mets. Figueroa has lowered his ERA by almost a full run over his past four starts, but has found himself on the short end of three of them. He last appeared against Atlanta on August 19, going two innings and allowing two runs in a 15-2 loss.
Jair Jurrjens (11-10, 2.81 ERA) will start for the Braves. The won/loss record does not speak of Jurrjens performance this season – he is averaging almost 6 1/3 innings per start, he will likely top 200 innings pitched, and has not allowed more than four earned runs since May 29. Against the Mets, Jurrjens is 2-0 with a 1.83 ERA this season.
The Crescent News of Ohio catches up with Jon Niese, who speaks about having surgery on his hamstring in August.
“I know there’s a lot of hard work ahead in rehab, but I’m ready to get started so I can be ready to go next spring,” Niese is quoted as saying. “I’m really looking forward to getting healthy and to competing for a spot again in the Mets’ rotation.”
…hat tip to 24 Hours from Suicide for the link…
Tagged News |
To learn more about Mets assistant GM John Ricco, check out this report from David Cassilo for Villanova University, here, from where Ricco graduated in 1990.
The report follows Ricco from his time growing up in north Jersey, to graduating from Villanova, to his internship with the Yankees, his job with MLB and now the Mets.
According to the report, as assistant GM of the Mets, “Ricco deals primarily with players’ agents and contract negotiations, but he also oversees many of the team’s most important areas, such as the department’s budget and statistical analysis.”
In early August, in a post to 1050 ESPN Radio, Andrew Marchand said, “Omar Minaya could be reassigned so Ricco is the face of the front office, while Minaya still plays a vital role in player personnel.”
…i have no idea what the team plans to do, who will be doing what, from what position, etc., but i think it’s quite clear ricco will have a bigger role, in public and behind the scenes, over the next few years… and, i think that’s a good thing…
Tagged News |
On September 23, I am hosting a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society from 6-10 pm at Lansdowne Road, located at 599 10th Avenue in NYC.
The event will coincide with the Mets vs. Braves game and admission is free.
There will be drink specials, and a raffle during the seventh inning stretch with great items from: Ommegang Brewery, Blue Smoke, MeiGray, SNY,Gary, Keith & Ron, Brooklyn Brewery, Top of the Rock, Chelsea Piers, Louisville Slugger, Trapeze School of NY, Random House, Crunch Fitness, Antonio Prieto Salon, Off The Wagon, NY Shaving Co.,Village Pourhouse,Croton Tavern and many more!
No donation required, but any amount is appreciated.
I will be selling tickets for the raffle at the event, and all proceeds benefit ACS.
For more on my ongoing campaign, click here.
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |Josh Thole, who hit second yesterday, was 2 for 4 with two RBI, and is batting .423 in 26 at bats since being promoted to the Mets.
Jerry Manuel told reporters yesterday he used Thole in the second slot of the order because he makes consistent contact at the plate, comparing Thole to Paul LoDuca, who often hit second for the Mets under Willie Randolph.
In a blog post for MLB.com, Anthony Di Como points out that Thole has a contact rate of 93.9 percent, i.e., “when he has swung, he has hit the ball an incredible 93.9 percent of the time.”
According to Di Como, “Thole’s ability to put bat on ball is well beyond his years. And that’s important.”
That said, Joel Sherman of the New York Post explains why the Mets would better off sending either Thole or Omir Santos to Triple-A to start next season, while signing a free-agent starting catcher, such as Rob Barajas, Miguel Olivo or Bengie Molina, who can also provide a bit of power.
Samuel D, a reader of MetsBlog.com, sent in the following e-mail:
Tagged News |In a loss to the Braves last night, Bobby Parnell gave up four runs, seven hits, walked three and struck out four with 83 pitches in 3.1 innings.
In eight starts this season, Parnell is now 1–5 with a 7.93 ERA in 36.1 innings, during which opponents are batting .304 against him.
…actually, it looks like parnell is aiming the ball…
…i talked with someone yesterday who wondered, had parnell been handled like the Braves handled Tommy Hanson, i.e., great spring, but still sent to Triple-A to work on his secondary pitches, would he better off right now for the Mets… in the spring, parnell was working hard on his splitter with J.J. Putz, but i haven’t seen him throw it much since becoming a starting pitcher… like hanson, who needed additional time to work on his curve ball, which is now devastating, i wonder if parnell needed additional time to work on his splitter…
For more on Parnell, who could be bumped back to the bullpen as soon as next week, read David Lennon’s report for Newsday.
Speaking of the September rotation…
John Maine told reporters yesterday he is feeling good following his first start off the disabled list, and is on schedule to start again Saturday.
Tagged News |Ike Davis has been named the Mets Sterling Minor-League Player of the Year.
According to Adam Rubin in the Daily News, “Davis could unseat Daniel Murphy at first base sometime in 2010.”
Rubin provides a must-read profile on Davis, and says Jerry Manuel intends to travel to Arizona to watch Davis and Jenrry Mejia in this year’s AFL.
To read more about Davis, read Toby Hyde’s recent post to Mets Minor League Blog.
Davis hit .309 with a .386 OBP, 27 extra base hits and 43 RBI in 55 games in Double-A this season.
Speaking of prospects, in a post to NY Baseball Digest, Mike Silva looks at the Mets quest for the best draft-pick possible.
Tagged News |
Last night, with the Mets up one run in the ninth inning, Francisco Rodriguez gave up a leadoff double to Garret Anderson.
…had murphy been playing the line, he might have stopped it altogether…
Murphy said after the game that he thought the ball was foul.
Regardless, you’ve got to stop the ball, somehow, some way,” Rodriguez later told reporters. “After that, the game fell apart.”
Rodriguez then hit Brian McCann, after which the tying run scored on a sac fly.
Ryan Church then hit a ground ball to first base, which Murphy, mishandled, allowing the winning run from second base.
Murphy, speaking about the inning, following the game said:
“Inexcusable, I’ve got to make that play. It’s a play I make 100 times. I booted it, and we lost the ball game… It’s tough any time we lose a ball game and you feel personally responsible.”
“I don’t understand why he just didn’t block the ball and keep it in play,” Jerry Manuel said. “After he muffed the ball he seemed to panic.”
In a post-game write up for Mets Today, Joe Janish breaks down the chain of events, and writes, “In an incredulous lack of class, K-Rod was quoted as saying about Murphy’s error, ‘That ball has to be stopped.’”
…murphy has had a tough week… he was lectured in a private meeting with David Wright and Jerry Manuel the other day, for his base running mistakes… and, now he’s being called out by his closer…
…i never like it when one player is blamed for a loss, including the manager… there are so many moments in a given game, nobody is ever solely responsible… for instance, in the ninth, murphy is not the guy who hit mccann, or let up the double, or the sac fly… or, how about the fact that the Mets left 14 runners on base…
…that said, murphy has made a wide-variety of mistakes this season, from dropped pop ups, to mishandled grounders to base running mistakes… but, he’s also looked quite good at times on defense, he runs hard, he’s aggressive and he puts the ball in play… in short, he’s a work in progress, no question, and he’s going to have weeks like this… the hope is, there are less and less with every month that goes by with him out on the field…
Tagged News |The Mets lost to the Braves, 6-5, in walk-off fashion tonight at Turner Field.
For a full recap and box score, click here.
The Least You Should Know:
After a two hour rain delay, they finally got under way in Atlanta.
Ugh…with a 5-4 lead in the eighth, Francisco Rodriguez was called on to get the four out save. He cruised through the frame, but blew his sixth save of the season in the ninth and gets the loss. Garret Anderson doubled past Daniel Murphy, and Brian McCann was then hit by a pitch. The runners advanced on a fielder’s choice to first, and with one out, K-Rod intentionally walked Adam LaRoche to load the bases. Omar Infante promptly hit a sac fly to tie the game. Then, Ryan Church hit a chopper to first which Murphy completely booted, twice in fact, allowing the winning run to score.
The Mets had 16 hits to the Braves’ 9, but lose. How low can you go.
With two outs and the bases loaded in the second, Josh Thole hit a single to right field, scoring Jeff Francouer and Jeremy Reed. David Wright then had an opposite field hit to the same spot to drive in Luis Castillo, giving the Mets an early three run lead.
Over the next two innings, Bobby Parnell gave the lead right back, and was not impressive to say the least. He lasted only 3.1 innings, and gave up four runs, three of them earned, on seven hits. Parnell simply had no command, and his secondary pitches were completely ineffective.
With the game being tied in the eighth, Omir Santos came in and had a pinch hit home run to give the Mets a 5-4 lead…which would eventually not matter at all.
Other Observations and Notes:
No Mets should sleep well tonight, but I am beyond tired. I really thought they would win this one but I probably should have know better.
Derek Lowe left the game after two innings with a blister on his right hand.
The Mets bullpen, all five of those who appeared between Parnell and K-Rod, did not allow any earned runs.
Someone in the SNY booth kept sighing which was funny, yet did not help keep me engaged during this redeye.
Up Next:
The Mets hope to avoid being swept tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m., with Nelson Figueroa (2-5, 4.57 ERA) taking on Jair Jurrjens (11-10, 2.81 ERA).
