Category Archives: MetsBlog

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To see other #Mets80sPopBands posted to Twitter, click here.

In a post to Mets by the Numbers, Jon Springer writes:

The last player to where 17, according to Springer, was Fernando Tatis on July 4, 2010.

To see the list of 15 players who wore No. 17 between 2010 and the time Hernandez left the Mets, check out Springer’s post on MBNT.

Here are the results from this past weekend’s poll on MetsBlog asking fans if they will boo Jose Reyes when he makes his return to Citi Field with the Marlins:

In case you missed it, at the BBWAA dinner in New York City on Saturday, Reyes was honored with the Good Guy Award.

According to the Daily News, “Reyes was cheered by fans in the audience when he was introduced. He told Mets fans while receiving the award, “I know I am not going to be here no more, but I appreciate all the support you gave me all these years.”

Last Friday, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN said the Mets, Reds, Blue Jays and Mariners have been “keeping tabs” on free-agent LHP Jeff Francis.

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Matthew Cerrone: I’ve also heard the Twins, Cubs and at least two or three others teams are interested in Francis as well. In addition to Francis, teams are also looking at Kyle Davies, Zack Duke, Jon Garland, Rich Harden, Livan Hernandez and Brad Penny, among others. Because there are so many available pitchers and so few spots, it reads like teams are pushing low-base salaries (like $1 million) and a minor-league deal with incentives if they make the Opening Day roster. From what I can gather, the Mets are offering the same, while also still looking at middle infielders as well.

The thing is, it’s a delicate balance, because (as is the case with these other teams) the Mets will need to find a guy who is good enough to have upside, but questionable and desperate enough to take a low-paying, minor-league deal that (if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster) can keep him pitching in extended spring training and not elect to be a free agent (like they had with Jason Isringhausen last year).

In term of talent, I realize Francis had 16 losses last year, but his advanced statistics indicate he actually performed better than he did when he won 17 games in 2007. So, he could end up being a bargain if he agreed to come to St. Lucie on Sandy’s terms.

In either case, I do think the Mets will sign one of these guys to act as insurance, which should also help them keep from rushing a guy like Matt Harvey later this summer.

In response to a question about Mike Pelfrey being used as a closer, MLB.com reporter Anthony DiComo says:

Pelfrey has pitched in 150 games in his career, just four of which were in relief.

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Matthew Cerrone: From a physical perspective, DiComo is dead-on correct about Mike and his sinker in regards to pitching in relief. Technically, it does seem like his game would be better suited for relief.

However, mentally, I’m just not sure he has a closer’s mentality … and that goes for most pitchers I think. Most people say that and think ‘bulldog,’ or ‘fighter,’ etc., but that is not actually what baseball mean when discussing the mind of a closer. Instead, it has nothing to do with aggression or anger, but everything to do with being resilient and focused and able to forget yesterday and move on to today without looking back. And, as a starting pitcher, he’s accustomed to always having a few days to look back and a few days to look forward. That is a luxury a closer does not have. Also, as one former pitching coach once told me about Pelfrey, he’s a ‘tinkerer,’ in that he can’t ever leave well-enough alone (be it start to start or batter to batter or pitch to pitch).

It’s all irrelevant, though, because he’s basically been a No. 4 starter at his worst (2011) and a strong No. 2 at his best (2010) and no team is going to abandon a guy like that, who also has delivered roughly 200 innings and at least 30 starts each of the last four years.

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To read DiComo’s other answers to fan questions about moving Ike Davis to right field and what to do at catcher, check out his mailbag post for MLB.com.

In a post to Mets Today, Joe Janish takes a closer look at David Wright‘s 2011 and writes:

Wright hit just .254 in 102 games last season with 14 HR, 61 RBI and 97 strikeouts in 389 at bats. He missed more than two months after fracturing a bone in his back in May.

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Matthew Cerrone: The new wall is going to help. This winter, I have talked with old coaches, hitting instructors, former players, etc., and they have all told me he should now have the confidence to wait on pitches and hit the other way again.

In previous seasons, they say he clearly felt he had no choice but to speed up his swing and pull the ball for power – because any ball hit to opposite field would be an out. When I point out that Wright hit .375 when going opposite field, they point out that – because outfielders play so deep in Citi Field – Wright’s ball would drop in for singles or role for doubles, but stand no chance of being a home run. So, if he’s going to his for power, which is why he was clearly trying to do, he had to speed up his swing and pull the ball. As a result, he was guessing more than ‘hitting,’ his strike outs increased and - unfortunately - his overall power dropped. It also didn’t help that he was drilled in the head a couple of years ago and made a bit shy about crowding the plate.

However, that is all in the past. And these men all expect him to be more like he was in 2006, spraying the ball more with authority and hitting around .300 with 25 HR, a .380 OBP, 90 or so RBI and significantly less strike outs. … and I hope they’re right.

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Michael Baron: In regards to his defense, I agree with Joe, Wright’s defense has regressed over time. However, I don’t think it’s due to a lack of effort. Over the years, Wright has talked about the need to improve his fielding – most notably his throwing. In watching him on field before games last year, he consistently focused on groundballs and throwing to various bases during batting practice. His struggles appear to be a lot like Daniel Murphy‘s (although to a much smaller degree): when Wright has time to think, his arm slot becomes inconsistent and his throws become errant. However, in reactionary plays, he is brilliant with both his glove and arm.

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Jon Scippa: Statistically speaking, Wright had by far his worst defensive season with a -10.5 UZR. In fact, he’s posted a UZR south of -10 in three straight seasons. I’d expect a more healthy Wright to bounce back a little from his defensive issues last year, but his play at third has been well below league average since 2009 – even without injury,. CAIRO projects him to be about -7 runs this year which, while an improvement over recent seasons, still puts him at the bottom of the rankings for third baseman in 2012.

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To read the rest of Janish’s analysis of Wright, check out his post at Mets Today.

I’m not typically a big memorabilia guy. However, my step dad gave this authentic, in-great-condition 1962 Mets Yearbook, which I was really excited about.

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Flushing Meadows Stadium? Really?

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Who’s better than Ralph Kiner? Anyone?

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They tell me this is worth less because the original owner made handwritten updates to the team’s roster throughout the season. I don’t care. I think that’s pretty cool, and it’s probably exactly what I would have done had I been alive, and so – to me – this is the best part of the book, because it speaks directly to what it means to be a fan.

In a post for MLB.com, team beat reporter Anthony DiComo raises and answers 10 questions facing the Mets as we begin 2012:

1. Are the Mets truly in rebuilding mode?
2. How will the Bernard Madoff situation affect the Mets?
3. Will Johan Santana be an effective pitcher again?
4. Could the Mets really trade away Wright?
5. Will the Mets remain intact as currently constructed?
6. Are Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Jeurys Familia on the fast track?
7. How will Ike Davis bounce back from injury?
8. Can Ruben Tejada effectively replace Reyes?
9. Will the new fences make a difference?
10. Can Daniel Murphy play adequately at second base?

To read DiComo’s answers to all 10 questions, go to his post MLB.com.

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Matthew Cerrone: DiComo does a good job answering these questions, so be sure to check them out. Here are my quick responses, which I will put significantly more thought in to for posts I will run later this week: 1) Yes; 2) It certainly won’t help; 3) Yes, but he won’t win a Cy Young again; 4) Anything is possible with this front office; 5) I hope not, they need to be better; 6) See 4, but no way any get to the big leagues without at least 100 innings in or above Double-A; 7) Ike will be fine; 8) No one can replace Jose, but Ruben will be good enough for now; 9) Yes; and 10) Yes, so long as no one hits in to a double play.

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