Daily Archives: October 6, 2009
Justin Bopp is back with a new statistical-based graphic for Beyond the Boxscore, which essentially says Daniel Murphy is the second-best defensive first baseman in the National League.
…i was quite impressed with murphy’s defense at first, mostly because of what he showed to us in left field, but i wouldn’t go so far as to say he’s among the best defensive players at his position based on just 100 games or so… but, as a scout told me this summer, murphy reacts well to the ball, it’s when he has time to set up and think that he tends to make most of his physical errors… and so, first base, or third base, seem like they play to his strengths…
Yesterday, in his interview with Mike Francesa on WFAN, which you can listen to here, Omar Minaya said Murphy is ‘getting better,’ and can be an every-day first baseman for the Mets.
Francesa later asked what Murphy is good at, to which Minaya said:
“What does Murphy do well? Right now, you’re talking about a young, developing player who is learning at the major leagues and improving at first base… Now, he comes at you everyday and he gives a good effort… He has to improve with the OBP… But, we are talking about a rookie.”
…from what i can gather, the early criticism of murphy was that he had ‘tunnel vision,’ so to speak, and ignored feedback on his hitting, taking it all on himself, working and hitting relentlessly before games, which only hardened his bad habits… however, towards the end of the season, he hit less before games and started working more closely with Howard Johnson, who got murphy to begin being aggressive in his swing on inside pitches…
Murphy hit .282 with 37 extra base hits, 35 RBI, but just 13 walks, in 72 games during the second half of the season.
Tagged News |The Mets will have the seventh overall pick in next season’s draft, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.
…the important thing here is, because they finished in the worst 15, the Mets will not lose their top pick if they sign a Type A Free Agent, such as Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, Orlando Hudson, Randy Wolf and John Lackey…
According to Eddie Bajek and MLB Trade Rumors, both Fernando Tatis and Carlos Delgado project to be Type B Free Agents, meaning, assuming the Mets offer each player arbitration, the team could receive an additional draft pick for between the first and second round.
…the thing is, i have to think there is zero chance the Mets offer either tatis or delgado arbitration, because they’ll both probably accept it… i mean, i can’t think anyone is ponying up a multi-year deal to get delgado, especially since he never made it back from the disabled list this year because he pulled a stomach muscle while rehabbing his hip…
By the way, in a post to Twitter, SNY’s Ted Berg points out, “The Rockies drafted and developed all 10 of their top 10 2009 plate-appearance leaders.”
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According to Yakyu Baka, the Mets and Tigers attended Yusei Kikuchi’s press conference in Japan, during which he announced he will either enter the Japanese draft or sign with a MLB team.
…from what i can gather, the Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, Tigers and Braves have all shown interest in kikuchi, dating back to last spring…
“We’ll see what happens after we meet and talk,” Mets scout Isao Ojimi is quoted as saying. “He needs to make a decision he won’t regret.”
The 18–year-old Kikuchi, who is left-handed and reached 95–mph on the radar gun, is expected to be the top pick of the draft if he stays to pitch in Japan, according to the report.
…i’m no scout, but i know this: any 18–year-old kid who can hit 95 mph, and has a curve ball roughly 20–mph slower than that, and who is left-handed, is worth looking in to…
To see video of Kikuchi, click below:
Tagged News |In a report for Newsday, Wallace Matthews writes the following in response to yesterday’s press conference with Jeff Wilpon and Omar Minaya:
“So much for accountability. So much for consequences. So much for seeing any improvement next year, or the year after that, or the year after that. In fact, don’t expect anything to change in Flushing until the year after they change ownership.”
…i’m still stuck on how something can be ‘unacceptable,’ a phrase that was said three years in a row by the way, and yet essentially the same group of people are all allowed to return to the helm for 2010…
In case you missed yesterday’s events, in Citi Field and on WFAN, Eric Simon posts a nuts-and-bolts recap on Amazin Avenue.
Ted Berg of SNY.TV hopes Minaya does ‘no harm,’ while attempting to ‘put a winning team on the field.’
Steve Popper of the Bergen Record looks more closely at Wilpon’s comments about next season’s payroll. Meanwhile, on his blog, here, Popper describes yesterday as, ‘The Mets Day of Apologies.’
…sadly, Mets Day of Apologies is becoming an annual event, like some sort of sad holiday, it seems… all Mets fans should get the day off from school and work…
For a response-by-response response of Jerry Manuel’s comments yesterday, check out Fire Jerry Manuel… and for a similarly snarky rundown on the day’s events, read Paul Moro’s post on Ump Bump.
Wilpon and Minaya later talked in-studio at WFAN, and asked host Mike Francesa what he would do to the team this off season, to which Mike Silva of NY Baseball Digest asks, “Honestly, wouldn’t it be easier to consult the magic eight ball instead of Francesa? At least the eight ball has an excuse for not watching the team.”
Silva also picks apart Wilpon’s argument, which claims the team spends money on their top draft picks.
Lastly, in a report for MLB.com, Marty Noble explains why yesterday means Minaya and Manuel are facing ‘monumental tasks.’
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In a post to his blog for the New York Post, Joel Sherman says Omar Minaya might be planning to trade mid-level prospects for other team’s overpriced commodities.
…well, he should, but he also should be looking for ways to include moving his own overpriced commodities, such as Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez…
…actually, i have heard the plan is to do everything possible to keep their top prospects, instead spending money on free agents, trading current players and cash for other players, including change-of-scenery guys, all in an effort to change the edges of the team and protect the core… the thing is, i recall people saying the exact same thing last off season…
As an example of an ‘overpriced commodity,’ which should interest the Mets, Sherman lists Braves RHP Derek 
Lowe, who has three years and $45 million left on his contract; Royals RHP Gil Meche, who will earn $24 million the next two years; White Sox OF Magglio Ordonez, and his one-year, $15 million option; and Rays OF Pat Burrell, who will earn $10 million.
Speaking of which, Mark Bowman of MLB.com believes the Braves will explore trading Lowe, who had a 4.67 ERA this season.
To read more from Sherman, who also explains why next season is all on Jeff Wilpon, and not Minaya and Jerry Manuel, go here.
Tagged News |In the Daily News, Bob Raissman parses Keith Hernadez’s on-air comments in the final moments of Sunday’s broadcast, and 
wonders if Hernandez will soon be leaving SNY.
Matthew Artus of Always Amazin does not understand why the Mets felt it necessary to have Jeff Wilpon and Omar Minaya talk for more than two hours yesterday, only to say nothing.
Aaron York of the Daily Stache lists reasons why you should care about Cardinals-Dodgers in the NLDS.
According to Caryn Rose, of Mets Grrl, yesterday’s press conference was ‘60 minutes of the most condescending, ill-prepared, arrogant, ill-informed, unprepared, unprofessional blather.”
In a post to Brooklyn Met Fan, Adam explains why, if you’re a season-ticket holder, you should call the team’s ticket office and say, “I will not renew my season tickets unless Bobby Valentine is back with the team in some capacity next year.”
Lastly, to see Mike Piazza talking to Fox Business about his support of treating paralysis, click below:
Tagged News |In a report for the Daily News, Filip Bondy says Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel are ‘on the hot seat,’ writing:
“Jeff Wilpon yesterday called this ‘a one-year thing,’ meaning a one-season commitment to these two guys.”
…actually, that is not at all what 
he said, as SNY’s Ted Berg and i were sitting right there and talked about it following the press conference… instead, and MLB.com’s Marty Noble even asked jeff to clarify his comments in a follow-up question, jeff said, ‘one-year thing,’ in regards to how 2009 played out, i.e., the injuries…
In response to Noble’s follow-up, asking him to clarify the definition of ‘one-year thing,’ Wilpon said:
“We obviously didn’t perform this year, and I hope the non-performance is a one-year situation. We don’t plan to not perform next year. As I said, it was unacceptable. The one-year thing is 2009.”
…that said, i actually think bondy is correct in his thesis, in that omar and jerry may be ‘singing for their supper,’ to to speak, not because of any one quote, but because it is typically how the Mets behave, especially when considering manuel is without a contract for after this season… and, the rumor among baseball people has long been, where jerry goes, omar will follow…
For a full transcript of Wilpon’s responses, go to MLB.com.
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