The Mets head back to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter today to take on the Cardinals. Game time is 1:05 pm.
Today’s lineup is as follows:
1. Gary Matthews Jr., CF
2. Luis Castillo, 2B
3. Fernando Tatis, 3B
4. Mike Jacobs, 1B
5. Fernando Martinez, RF
6. Alex Cora, SS
7. Jason Pridie, LF
8. Chris Coste, C
9. John Maine, P
Jenrry Mejia, Kiko Calero, and Elmer Dessens are also scheduled to pitch.
I don’t understand why Murphy isn’t playing more if he’s struggling. He’s working with a new stance and he’s not doing too well. So wouldn’t it make more sense to keep putting him out there until (and if) he works through it or gets more comfortable with it? It seems like Manuel plays him every other day. Perhaps Manuel plans to play him more when they get a little closer to the season, I don’t know.
Reality check:
1) It is becoming evident that Davis will start the season at AAA with a target call-up date of Memorial Day, if not sooner.
2) the starting 1B job until Davis’ call up is Jacobs to lose.
Question: if Murphy is/was the offensive juggarnaut his blind faith followers truely believe he is/was then why is he working on a new stance? And after going 4 for 30 would it not behoove him to revert to his stance from last year. You know, the one that generated awe inspiring power that led the team in HRs???
I hope you are right, so by june we could have the following lineup:
reyes
castillo
wright
beltran
bay
davis
francouer
barajas
FMart too (for Frncoeur, or a platoon).
If Barajas is hitting below .200 look for Thole in early July.
Be if Tejeda hits around .250 then Castillo may see some bench gone.
“The future’s so bright I got to wear shades” – H. Lewis
You think it’s Jacobs job to lose? Wow, you really have it out for Murphy. Jacobs is much worse than Murphy, all he supplies is more power and less of everything else. It’s like you’re going out of you way to say Murphy sucks and we’re all wrong, except you’re only proving your own disdain for him and how you can’t lose an argument. No one thinks Murphy is an offensive force. I don’t think he’s anywhere near a force. But again, you make it seem like we’re calling Murphy that. He’s a decent player. You love to compare him to all other NL first basemen. If you just take his numbers alone, they are pretty good. Then you account for his improved performance in the second half, the depleted lineup, the fact he was learning a new position, and his numbers look even more impressive. When the other players on this team are healthy, Murphy doesn’t have to be an average or above average first basemen. Also, this was essentially Murphy’s rookie season. Do you not expect him to perform better in his second full season? Or are you that against Murphy that you expect him to regress and play poorly? And obviously you don’t understand baseball and the notion that Spring Training numbers count FOR NOTHING. Spring Training is an opportunity to work out the kinks and refine one’s approach. You would want Murphy to go back to his old, less productive stance, just because his ST numbers are poor. Are you saying players shouldn’t try to change and improves their ways of hitting/pitching because it may take some time and their numbers will be poor in the beginning? Again, it is your argument that is flawed.
Then there’s the fact that we have no clue how the Mets will do this season. There is a fair chance that they won’t make the playoffs. Why would you play Jacobs over Murphy? We all know what we’ve got with Jacobs: A low avg, low OBP, power hitter. And if your statistics somehow tell me that Jacobs is a better first basemen than Murphy I will laugh and truly know that statistics are a joke. Let’s see what Murphy can do. Assuming that Ike Davis is our first basemen of the future, if Murphy has a good season this year, perhaps he can be traded for something good. I don’t understand why you don’t want to give a young player, a PROSPECT still, the chance to prove himself and perform.
And then you expect F-Mart to platoon with Murphy and Tejada eating into Castillo’s playing time to be great ideas. Reality Check: Statistics aren’t everything. You’d be slowing the development of F-Mart and Tejada for the sake of an unproven platoon, which will not give them their necessary playing time to develop fully.
And also, getting people on technicalities and breaking down everything they say is not necessary. It’s like you try to prove your superiority or make others look bad. Just chill out and be supportive of our starting first basemen, Daniel Murphy, come opening day.
I apologize for venting I guess but I don’t take it back
F-Mart to platoon with Francoeur* lol
Just had my Koop-Aide. Yes I see your point. Frenchee is much better. That OPS+ of 88 against RHP is exactly what we need. Wait, just had another glass and YES!!! Frenchee is a lock to be the first player to be a first ballot HOFer while still active. They will waive the rules just for him. It must be clear to everyone since your terse comment of, and I quote: “LOL” (I’m assuming you don’t have this copyright protected like Paris Hilton did with her eqully mental gymnastical “that’s hot”). I stand corrected by such insight. I will mail my total paycheck to the Kool-Aide Museum in Hastings, Ne.
Ah, resorting to sarcasm and rhetoric to prove your superiority, I expected nothing less. You may have noticed I said absolutely nothing about Francoeur in my post lol (That lol was directed at you for arguing with a mystery person). I would rather let Francouer, who has shown promise in the past, to play full time on a team that may very well not make the playoffs. Perhaps towards the end of the year if we are in contention and Beltran is back, then a platoon would be something to consider for the sake of making the playoffs. Either that or trade Francoeur and let F-Mart play full time. A platoon is something only a stats oriented person would suggest when referring to a prospect. Obviously you care little for developing prospects and care only about present statistics. I rest my case.
I compare him to other NL 1Bmen because he is a NL 1Bman. Comparing him to AL catchers doesn’t seem relavent. But, if I were to do so Murphy may be a decent hitting ALcatcher. Just he’s in the NL and he’s a 1Bman.
He’s not decent. He was the worst hitting NL1Bman last year. That implies he sucked.
He is not, and never was, a prospect. And all those excuses are just that – excuses. I pointed this out on a different thread yesterday.
I love how you disregard my other valid points and only point out my flaws. You really can’t stand to lose an argument can you I won’t even bother wasting my time arguing with you as others have. I know you will never give in or acknowledge others for being right and making some good points.
BTW I also love how you’re calling Murphy a non-prospect. Maybe we should talk to Toby Hyde of MetsMinorLeageBlog and see whether he thinks Murphy was a prospect. I’m sure he’d agree with me. Also, you’re implying a non-prospect with little talent was able to put up those kinds of numbers, irrelevant of position. He must be the best non-prospect I’ve ever seen lol.
What kind of “numbers” are you talking bout? The ones that propelled him to a 95 OPS+?
Btw, regarding pointing out the flaws in your arguement: I just dealt with the low hanging fruit. The comment window on my iPhone is difficult to navigate to properly critique “War and Peace”.
As far as I’m concerned, Maine better pitch one hell of an afternoon. He is the one person I have doubts with. Honestly, I was a huge Maine fan prior to this season; not so much anymore reading the articles I have this off season and seeing him struggle in spring training.
Hopefully Maine will be “into” this game.
The man of many excuses.
Yea, his attitude is starting to reallllly wear on me. THE KID (and I stress kid) MAKES 7 FIGURES AND HE DOESN’T THINK HE SHOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE GAME SERIOUSLY? He should be “into” every damn SEAM he grips on that ball as far as I’m concerned. You don’t hear the heart surgeons at Mercy Medical go, “yea sorry Ms. Smith, unfortunately for your husband I just wasn’t too into my job today…” … and a heart surgeon gets paid LESS than Maine. I hate to say it, but to me it looks like John is being lazy; until you have proven yourself on a Major League level, you have NO RIGHT to be taking your position on this team, or any team, nonchalant.
I think its time to say bye bye to Johnny boy, he’ll never be mentally capable of pitching in the majors; he should have matured two seasons ago, it looks like he may never mature.
well he better pitch longer because the season starts 2 weeks from monday and he’s only pitched 2 1/3 innings so far this spring
Some of you all need to cut Murphy some slack, he did lead the team in offensive categories last season while being jerked around defensively. So what he is struggling in ST, so is Johan Santana, should he be worried about his job too?
Are you seriously comparing Santana and Murphy? Murphy was bad last year. He is far from a lock as a starter.
Ike Davis just tied the game with a HR in the 9th. Can’t wait for this kid to take over 1B during the summer.
Game over, Ex-Mets Ruben Gotay just hit a walk-off HR against Former-Card Kiko Calero.
Davis looked good. So did FMart. The Cards announcers (I live in St Louis) loved both. They talked a lot about FMart’s play in RF.
KRod looked like KMart today.
I wouldn’t be surprise to see Davis become the Mets 1B by May, if Murphy struggles and he is hitting a ton at AAA.
As for F Martinez, we may see him later on during the summer or August. I don’t see the Mets finding a spot for F-Mart, once Beltran is back, even if Francouer struggles. I could see a rotation between Pagan and Francouer during the season.
GMJ, have a feeling he will be traded once Beltran returns.