Daily Archives: October 2, 2009
The Mets defeated the Astros by the score of 7-1 at Citi Field tonight.
For a full recap and box score, click here.
The Least You Should Know:
John Maine looked real solid tonight which is really encouraging for him – he went seven innings and struck out seven, and allowed a run on five hits and earned his seventh win of the season.
For the first time since last season, it seemed that Maine had life on every one of his pitches – he had great action on his off speed pitches and his fastball had great late movement.
The Mets pounded out 14 hits tonight, highlighted by Jeff Francoeur‘s go ahead two run home run which scored David Wright in the sixth inning, and then they added four more runs in the eighth thanks to an Omir Santos RBI single, an Anderson Hernandez sacrifice fly that scored Fernando Tatis and a Daniel Murphy pinch hit two run home run.
Other Observations and Notes:
It’s games like this that I wish we could have seen more of in 2009 – not so much the convincing win but a well played game with solid hitting, good defense and good pitching.
I think at this point, in the midst of such a disasterous season, we as fans should look for positives from the pieces we think should be part of the solution for the future, and if Maine is a part of that solution, then it was a very encouraging night for the Mets.
Let the Daniel Murphy debate continue – he certainly has made a case for himself from an offensive stand point lately.
Up Next:
The Mets will look to win their final series of the season tomorrow afternoon at 1:10 pm, with Pat Misch facing Yorman Bazardo.
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The Mets (67-92) open their final series of the year tonight against the Astros (74-85) at Citi Field.
…the Mets would have to sweep the Astros to avoid finishing below .500 at home for the first time since 2004…
Angel Pagan will lead off, followed in order by Luis Castillo, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Jeff Francoeur, Fernando Tatis, Omir Santos, and Anderson Hernandez.
John Maine (6-6, 4.72 ERA) will start for the Mets.
Wandy Rodriguez (14-11, 2.97 ERA) will start for the Astros.
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Today is my last game at Citi Field, and, subsequently, my last day on field, in the 
dugout, etc., before the game.
To keep an eye on live video updates sent from my phone, click here.
Otherwise, here is what is going on:
Update, 3:35 pm: It’s freezing cold here, and it’s October, but not in that good, special baseball way.
Update, 3:53 pm: Nick Evans has been taking ground balls at first base and working on throws to second – to see video, click the above video page, and to see a picture scroll down.
Update, 4:20 pm: Jerry Manuel told reporters that acquiring Jeff Francoeur may be the best thing to happen to the Mets this season.
Manuel said the Mets must answer several questions about their pitching staff this off season, when building for next year.
Update, 4:30 pm:
Manuel said, even if he loses a step due to this most recent set back, Jose Reyes is still capable of being a tremendous player, noting what he had to deal with this season could help him learn and mature.
He said the team has a good, core group of players, when healthy, who can dominate a game, “even though we have some spots that need to be addressed in the off season.”
The size of Citi Field is not an issue for Manuel, he said, he likes the ballpark, and likes that it is built for speed.
He said it can work to the team’s benefit if they can learn to adjustment to it’s dimensions.
Lastly, he said the emphasis for his pitching staff in spring training will be on throwing first-pitch strikes.
For some some video of Manuel’s press conference, use the video link above.
Update, 4:50 pm: David Wright emerged from the dugout to take batting practice, to which a gaggle of young girls behind home plate let out a loud, “Wooo.”
Jeff Francoeur then said, while walking off the field, making puppy-dog eyes and smiling in Wright’s direction, “Oh, David, my hero!”
Wright has a teenage boy from Make a Wish Foundation acting as his bat boy during BP, which you can see a picture of below, and a video at the link above.
Update, 5:33 pm:
Nick Evans told me he doesn’t know why he has not been playing.
…i’m on my way to Citi Field, and will have a Live post running on MetsBlog around 3:30 pm with text and video updates…
SNY will be taping the third season of Beer Money at the Village Pourhouse in New York City during October and November.
To find dates and locations, and to maybe get on air, answer questions and win some money, check out the list here, on SNY.TV.
In a post to the Sports Section, for New York Magazine, Will Leitch digs through several posts from MetsBlog.com to track Jose Reyes’s Mad, Savage Trip in 2009.
In a must-read report for ESPN.com, Peter Gammons writes about how it is wrong to blame Omar Minaya.
The most noteworthy portion of his report, reads as follows:
“Mets ownership does not care to pay above-slot money in the draft… Its scouting people are not allowed to go above slot… There are deeper-seated problems than a focus on how Minaya articulates in press conferences.”
Lastly, Joel Sherman of the New York Post criticizes this morning’s suggestion on the New York Times that the Mets move up home plate to in Citi Field.
Sherman also points out, because they will have one of the worst records in baseball, “The Mets would not lose any draft picks if they signed Type-B free agents,” such as Chone Figgins, Jon Garland, Adam LaRoche, and Rod Barajas.
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Jon Heyman, in a report for CNNSI.com, says that surgery has been recommended to repair Jose Reyes‘ torn hamstring tendon by one doctor.
Reyes will be learning in the next couple of days whether a second opinion calls for surgery.
According to Heyman, the day before he tore the tendon he was feeling confident that he would be able to play one more game this season, and he might have pushed himself too hard in trying to come back.
…i’m not too clear on why Jose would be trying to come back to play in one game down the stretch, other than to prove to people that he is healthy, but one game doesn’t do that for me…but something also has to be said about the fact that the Mets medical staff didn’t just shut him down which could have led to this worsened condition…
…that said, if he was working to come back at the end, it shows me that he has a strong work ethic and that he was disappointed in what happened this year…
For more on this, check out Heyman’s article.
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In a report in today’s Chicago Tribune, Carlos Zambrano tells Paul Sullivan that he expects to stay with the Cubs.
Zambrano told Sullivan, who has a full no-trade clause:
“Like Arnold Schwarzenegger said, ‘I’ll be back’…Believe it. All new episodes next year.”
…to me, this is the type of player the Mets should try to acquire… he did have a down year, but he’s a proven ace with the Cubs and would be a great fit at the top of the rotation… he also brings a unique personality that the team is lacking…his desire to win could rub off on players even though he has a volatile personality…
Added to, by Matthew Cerrone, 1:20 pm:
...i’m still torn on z… i think he’s good enough to be the second-best pitcher on the Mets… it’s just, he’s an absolute loose cannon… to me, that’s a good thing, and a bad thing… i mean, it would not surprise me to see take a swing at someone on his team, and quickly turn this place in to the Bronx Zoo… at the same time, he’d be entertaining, and his passion to win could be infectious… ugh, i don’t know…
Bring me Bobby Valentine… I want him to manage the Mets.
His knowledge of the game, his connection to Mets fans, and the team’s history, and his brand of baseball, is exactly what this franchise needs, for a variety of reasons.
In July, 97 percent of people who voted on MetsBlog.com said they currently have a positive view of Valentine… who, by the way, lost to the Yankees in a World Series… yet, 97 percent of people still like him.
Valentine is a brilliant on-field strategist, which the Mets will need if they are serious about building a team around pitching, top-notch defense, and a hit-and-run, score-from-first-on-a-double type of offense.
He treats all of his players equally, he is notorious for working hard for 27 outs, and he demands that his players do the same. As such, I believe he would bring a more disciplined, more creative, energetic and entertaining brand of baseball to Citi Field, one in which Mets fans have seen from him before and value as much as any other era in team history… despite never winning a Championship.
He explained to reporters on Tuesday that his new contract with ESPN allows him to leave the network at any time to take a job managing in the major leagues… and, according to the New York Post, “Valentine sidestepped a direct question on whether he would be open to returning to the Mets if Manuel is fired.”
The problem is, though Ownership and Omar Minaya like him very much, I think Valentine may be too much for this administration. I sense the team feels his personality and his presence, and his vision, and the stamp with which he’d put on the organization, are more than they are ready to take on right now… which is a shame. From what I can gather, the Mets see Valentine as more of a short-term solution, a Billy Martin-type band-aide, who can come in to change the climate, but who is not someone a franchise can build a sustainable program around.
However, to me, Valentine is exactly the type of person you mold your team around, especially the Mets, as he embodies everything Mets fans are about. Yes, he is quirky, but he is also an underdog with local roots, he played for the Mets, he grew up rooting for them, he played hard, he manages hard, he is organized and different and constantly working to be the smartest person on the field, and, most important, he wants to win, but he also understands that baseball is a game and should be fun – these are all qualities I want the Mets to be.
In fact, I’d like to see Valentine’s approach to baseball being supported by people in the minor-league system, as well, like through his friend, Wally Backman, who would be the ideal candidate to manage their Double-A team.
In other words, “If you are going to play for Valentine and the Mets, you will play smart, old school, exciting National League baseball,” or else go to another team.
Frankly, I believe, if the Mets make no other change this off season, fans would be excited for Opening Day simply knowing Valentine was in the dugout. Instead, however, I see the Mets leaning towards giving Minaya and Manuel one more year together, ‘to finish what they started,’ so to speak, and, if the team falls short again next year, maybe they’ll look to re-shape the franchise the following off season.
The thing is, with so many holes on the roster, in the farm system, and in the stands, why wait for tomorrow when you can get started today.
Bring back Bobby Valentine, before he goes to another team.
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Davidoff points out that Manuel and his team are 18–41 in their last 59 games; he says Manuel looks at statistics only in passing; and he has no edit button between his mouth and his brain.
…these are excellent points, and it’s nice to read such an honest review from someone who has to look manuel in the eyes every day… the thing is, though everything davidoff says is true, and though i know jerry is not the best baseball mind on the field, the Mets were 55–37 under his leadership last season, and they were 21–16 and in first place this season on May 17, the day Jose Reyes first reported pain in his calf – and i fear these numbers will be too much for Ownership to turn their backs on…
…the problem is, that is not how they should make their decision…
…the decision shouldn’t be based on whether jerry did a good job, or even if he could do a good job next season…
…the decision should be based on what the Mets are trying to build for the future, what type of baseball do they want to play, what type of players do they plan to put on the field, and is jerry the right guy to lead them…
In the end, Davidoff asks, “Is Manuel everything you’ve always wanted? If he is, then, to be blunt, your standards are too low.”
…i want more, ken, i want someone else to manage the Mets, and i’ll explain who and why in about 90 minutes…
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Andrew Beaton continues his Pinching Pennies series for Hot Foot, today looking at the team’s bench.
Jessica DeMattia of Mets Merized Online explains why it is difficult being the only Mets fan in Southwest Florida.
In a post to My Summer Family, season-ticket holder Coop makes a very honest post about why she will be skipping Citi Field this season.
Shannon of Mets Police makes nine suggestions to the team’s ticket office, such as, “Offer some 7-packs like the old days.”
Dave Kushner is back, this time with a painting of Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden, which you can check out here.
Lastly, if you are a baseball fan, like statistics, and own an iPhone, drop everything and download the FanGraphs App – it’s outstanding.
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In a report for the New York Times, Joe Ward explains why the Mets should consider moving home plate 10 feet forward, like the Dodgers and Reds once did, to help encourage more home runs in Citi Field.
According to Ward, using information from Hit Tracker Online, David Wright hit nine balls that were not home runs in Citi Field, but would have been in Shea Stadium; the same can be said for Johan Santana, though, who allowed nine balls that would have been home runs in Shea Stadium, but were not in Citi Field.
… here’s the thing, joe, the Mets hit 47 home runs in Citi Field this season… but they hit 46 home runs on the road… yes, the Mets hit MORE home runs in Citi Field than they did on the road… so, should they ask the other 15 teams in the National League to move their home plates up 10 feet too…
…what’s more, Mets pitchers allowed 81 home runs in Citi Field, just five more than the National League average; meanwhile, they allowed 77 home runs on the road, just four less than at Citi Field… four…
…so, they allowed four more home runs on the road than they hit, and they hit one more home run at home than they hit on the road, and yet people want to demolish walls and move bases…
…i have a better solution: put Carlos Beltran, Jeff Francoeur and just one other home run hitter in the lineup for 160 games, and get better pitchers, and i bet those numbers get back to where everyone wishes they would be…
The Mets told reporters last month that they have yet to make any official decisions regarding next season’s dimensions in Citi Field.
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