Brian Erni
Brian is a life-long Mets fan with undergraduate degrees in Communications and American Studies, as well as a master’s degree in Communication Arts from New York Institute of Technology. When he’s not blogging about the Mets, he is a Senior Account Executive at J. Roderick, Inc. (a public relations and strategic communications firm). He also plays for and manages a championship wood bat baseball team on Long Island.
The impact on the defense is certainly an element of the new dimensions that has flown under the radar. Sure, the fact that more fly balls the Mets hit will leave the yard should help their mental approach to hitting a home. But how will the shortened and moved in fences affect the fielders who roam the outfield 81 games a year in Flushing?
First, as a quick point of reference, let’s take a look at the chart the Mets released earlier in the offseason. I tweaked this slightly to only show the new dimensions, thus making it more clear to imagine the space the outfielders will have to explore in 2012 and beyond:
Looking at the chart, I think the outfield defense will improve. The outfield wall angles are less severe, with the lone exception the jut between the 375 and 395 marks in the right centerfield power alley. As a result, I would expect the caroms to stay more true.
Assuming Angel Pagan is indeed tendered a contract in the next week, he’ll be back in centerfield. I’ve always thought Angel took very strong routes to balls in the right centerfield gap, but struggled going towards left center. Yes, he has made some very impressive catches in left center the past two seasons, but I feel like that the level of difficulty on those catches came as a result of shading towards right center. With such expansive ground to cover in right center in the past, Pagan would cheat that way and still have a long way to go should a ball touch down for extra bases. As a result, the two or three steps Angel gave to right center created a soft spot in left center between Jason Bay and the place Pagan could realistically get to from his defensive positioning. With the fences coming in roughly 20 feet in that power alley, Pagan should be able to move a few steps back toward the left field wall.
That should also allow Jason Bay to move a few steps closer to the line. Now that the fences are in and lowered in left center, it takes away the possibility of a ball touching down and rolling into that jutting nook that existed in the past. If Pagan moves closer to left, Bay should be able to play a more true left field, knowing if a ball is well struck into left center, it will probably be only a double or clear the wall. Looking at right, the elimination of the Mo’s Zone should move Lucas Duda in and over towards right center. Lucas showed some problems coming in on the ball in his first foray into the outfield last year, so this should help give him an extra step or two. Sliding him over should account to help make up part of the room Pagan is now giving up towards right. While it may feel like the line is unprotected, we’ve seen the ball jump out of the park down that line before and that should only be aided more by the new dimensions.
All of this is in an effort to begin playing a more standard defense that the Mets haven’t been able to do consistently since they moved into Citi Field. There’s no question that Pagan will have to make up for limitations both Bay and Duda have at the corners (although Bay has played better defense than his reputation suggested prior to his signing). But the new dimensions should enable the corner outfielders to hide their weakness a bit better, while giving Pagan a bit of a reprieve.
Today’s announcement of the Mets’ plans to honor the 50th anniversary of the franchise marked a very exciting day for me. It may not have been the signing of a player, but what it did ensure is that, for the first time since 1998, the players who take the field in Flushing will actually look like the Mets.
The ’90s were a strange time for uniforms, and the Mets got swept up in it all, first introducing the “hybrid” black crown/blue brim caps, the black tops and incorporating a black dropshadow onto the road grey and snow white jerseys in ’98. By ’99, the dropshadow found its way onto the sacred pinstripe uniform, the all-black cap had been born and the skyline logo had been redesigned in black. And for 14 years, the team propped up the black elements, from wearing black hats in every one of their five World Series games in 2000 to keeping the dropshadow on the new “throwback” alternate introduced prior to the 2010 season.
But all that changed this morning at Citi Field. The Mets will wear this gorgeous logo as a sleeve patch (and a slightly altered one on the back of the blue caps) in 2012. They’ll don dropshadow-less jerseys, wear blue caps, sleeves and accessories on the road and begin to phase out the all-black alternate in favor of blue one similar to the “Los Mets” style worn twice last August. They’ll even get a batting practice look free of black (pictured below) that did not appear at the unveiling today.
Yes, the pride is back. Now, when I hear that line in Meet the Mets that reads, “Oh, the fans are true to the orange and blue,” I can smile again. It makes sense for the brand, it makes sense for business and, most of all, it finally gives me one less thing to gripe about. I can now count the Mets as one of the best-dressed teams in the Majors again. Now, onto the player moves!
All images courtesy of Sportslogos.net and ColorWerx. Hat tip to MetsPolice for fighting the good fight for so long.
With news breaking today that Matt Kemp is close to signing an eight year, $160 million dollar deal with the Dodgers, one has to wonder what impact that will have, if any, on the Jose Reyes market?
It’s possible that the two may not end up correlating, but it’s rare that long-term, big dollar contracts get looked at in a vacuum by Major League front offices. Executives are prone to look at a long-term deal and say, “Well, if Player X got that, then Player Y deserves this.” So what happens when Kemp is stacked up to Reyes? Does Jose’s perceived value sky rocket or end up taking a hit?
$20 million a year seems to be the going rate long associated with Reyes. And that’s exactly what Kemp will sign for, should this deal go through. At 27 years old, Kemp is a year and three months younger than the 28 year old Reyes. Both dynamic players close in age, Kemp stands to evolve as a very different kind of athlete. Kemp led the league in homers (39) and RBIs (124) last year, while still swiping 40 bases in 51 attempts and posting a .324 average and a .399 on-base percentage: a season that could very well earn him National League MVP honors. Kemp has played in at least 155 games in four straight seasons and has played in 162 and 161 in the last two years respectively.
Reyes’ skill set is obviously more focused on speed than power. Jose has scored over 100 runs four times in his career and stolen 370 bases and tallied 99 triples since breaking into the league in 2003. And while he has been seen as an injury risk, missing time with leg problems in ’03 and ’04, as well as each of the last three seasons, Reyes high-caliber defense stands out over Kemp’s spotty play in center. Furthermore, Reyes’ performance could also be seen as a more valuable at a scarce shortstop position, where the drop off to available replacements could make Jose more attractive than at a deeper position such as centerfielder could be had.
Overall, the deals these players sign will carry different implications. The Dodgers bought out Kemp’s last year of arbitration while rewarding him with long-term security, while Kemp gave the Dodgers back assurances that he would be manning their outfield for the next eight seasons. On the other hand, Reyes will be looking to cash in on his impressive nine year resume while potentially enticing a bidding war to drive up his price. But no matter how this shakes out, I have to imagine the timing of this deal raised eyebrows both in Jose’s camp and around the league one way or another.
Roy from Florida sent in an email asking: If Jose Reyes does leave, I think Daniel Murphy gets pushed into the spotlight. Obviously Murphy proved he is a Major League hitter last season, but will the Mets ever find a spot for this guy to play full time? Assuming Tejeda shifts to short, is Murphy the team’s every-day second baseman? And more importantly, can he handle it defensively?
However, the one thing that worries me is how vulnerable Murphy has left himself on the double play turn. Second base is a challengingposition because of the increased difficulty in turning over a double play. It requires fast and slick footwork in order for the player to work his way around the bag, shielding himself from a runner that is bearing down on him with his back turned. Often times, that can leave the second baseman’s lower body – particularly his knees – wide open to an injury. Last year marked the second consecutive season that Murphy went down with a season-ending injury on a break up play at second (granted the slide that took him out in 2010 while he was rehabbing was dirty); but hard and dirty slides are not something that’s going to go away.
One hidden factor here could be the return of Ike Davis. With a strong defensive first baseman to help Murphy cover the hole between first and second, Murphy can cheat up the middle in order to make up for the shortcomings in his range. That should also enable him to get to the bag faster and put himself in a position to handle the throw from the left side of the diamond while doing a better job protecting himself. Murphy has an above average Major League bat. It’s one that, I believe, this lineup sorely needs. But in order to keep him on the field, he needs to master a position and stay healthy. I think he can do that, and should be afforded that opportunity this year, but I do think he’ll be feeling heat from a number of challengers including Justin Turner, Jordany Valdespin and Reese Havens.
With the recent chatter about the soon-to-be Miami Marlins contacting Jose Reyes the moment free agency began, it got me thinking about the very real possibility that the Fish will open a new stadium with our home grown star donning what may be one of the most insane uniforms in MLB history. The conclusion I came to: I’m not okay with it.
But it’s not for the obvious reasons. Yes, of course the idea of Reyes in Marlins’ rainbow colors hitting home runs and inciting animation
from that freakish new art deco sculpture in centerfield makes me queasy. And of course it would be the ultimate indignity to have to watch Reyes play against the Mets 19 times this and every year for whatever the length of the contract. But the scarier thought is not even getting a first round draft pick for the departure of one of Flushing’s brightest stars.
I said last week on Twitter that one undervalued component of Reyes potentially leaving is the two draft picks the Mets would net from the signing team. Sure, MLB draft picks are volitale, but for team looking to restock their system and turn it into a legitimate feeder, a first rounder and pick in the supplemental round (between rounds one and two) from the signing team, in addition to their own assuming they do not sign a Type A free agent, would be a nice way to enter the 2012 draft. That is unless the Marlins land Reyes.
Of the serious suitors pegged for the star shortstop, only the Marlins boast a protected first rounder (for finishing in the bottom half of the league). That means the Mets would get the Marlins second round pick and a pick in the supplemental round. But wait, there’s more. That pick could go down assuming the Marlins sign another free agent that’s ranked higher by Elias from another team. You may be thinking like I did that the type of guys who could outrank Jose would be players like Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder, who Miami couldn’t afford in addition to Reyes. But as Chris Walendin pointed out, those aren’t the only free agent that could keep the Mets down.
Scary, but true. Here is the MLB Trade Rumors post of the official Elias rankings. Of course, another team could sign one of these guys and knock the Mets potential first rounder down to a second thanks to a completely messed up system, but with the Marlins, you’re already starting a round behind. Therefore, in order to give the new stars of this team (the front office) a shot at doing what they’re here to do, if Jose leaves, let’s hope it’s not for Miami.
At the forefront of the list of Mets arbitration-eligible candidates whose place in the fold for 2012 is in question is Angel Pagan.
The Mets’ centerfielder for the past two seasons just finished his third year of arbitration eligibility and is entering his fourth, meaning this will be his final season due for a
raise through arbitration before team control expires and he heads to free agency. The Mets have until December 12th whether or not to decide to tender Pagan a contract for 2012. If they choose not to, Angel will become a free agent. And with the air of discontent that seems to permeate around Flushing lately, the mindset from some seems to be change is good. Though, at what point is change just for the sake of change?
Taking a look at the market, a few names jump out as potential low-cost investments that could pay dividends if things break right: Grady Sizemore, Coco Crisp and David DeJesus. But do any of these options truly offer a substantial upgrade over Pagan?
In 123 games, Pagan hit .262 with seven home runs, 56 RBIs, 32 stolen bases in 39 attempts and got on base at a .322 clip. In 30 at bats from the lead off position — something he would be called on to do should a certain shortstop not resign — he hit an even .300. And in crunch time, Pagan got it done, going 21 for 70 (.300) with 24 RBIs with two outs and runners in scoring position. He’s a career .300 hitter at Citi Field with 45 stolen bases, and plays at a high level defensively, something needed with Lucas Duda likely to be given a full-time shot in right.
MLB Trade Rumors projects Pagan’s 2012 arbitration salary at $4.7 million, so factoring in what it would cost to lure Sizemore (29), Crisp (32) or DeJesus (31) to New York with the risk each one assumes, is retaining Pagan for one more year at around $5 million simply a better alternative?
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the A’s plan to offer DeJesus arbitration, making him a Type B free agent who will net the A’s a supplemental pick (not from the Mets) upon leaving. In the same report, Crisp’s agent tells Slusser that his client prefers to stay on the West Coast. And, while Sizemore can be a dynamic player when healthy, he has played in just 104 games over the past two seasons due to serious hip and knee problems.
It seems here for the Mets that the devil they know may be better than the devil they don’t. While Pagan’s age and skill level may not project him as a long-term, I think the Mets will be hard-pressed to find an upgrade for next year in the pool of current free agents. If B.J. Upton gets non-tendered, well…we’ll cross that bridge when he come to it.
It didn’t clinch a division. There was no champagne celebration in the clubhouse after the fact. Actually, the game seems all but forgotten in the annals of Mets lore. But June 11th, 2005 was the best regular season game I had ever been a part.
Sure, it wasn’t scoring 10 runs with two outs in the eighth inning against a hated rival. Or hitting a home run that made a country heal and gave a fan base hope of an improbable run at the division. What seemed anything but noteworthy — a early June contest in an interleague matchup against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — was one of the most riveting games my eyes have ever witnessed.
Kris Benson took the hill against Jarrod Washburn on a steamy night that even provided a hour long rain delay. The Mets had fallen behind when Bengie Molina bounced into a double play with runners on the corners in the second. But they got the run right back when Washburn walked Benson with the bases loaded in the bottom half of the frame. The Angels retook the lead on an Adam Kennedy sac fly in the fifth, and it looked like that run would ultimately decide the game for the eventual-AL West champs.
The Mets had left four runners on, two in scoring position, with the opportunity to tie the game. But when Aaron Heilman escaped a self-inflicted two on, two out jam in the ninth by striking out Dallas McPherson, the Mets had one final shot against then-Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez.
David Wright struck out for the first out in the ninth and Marlon Anderson was called upon to pitch hit for Chris Woodward. K-Rod fell behind in the count 3-1 and then, out of nowhere, it happened. Anderson drove the ball up the right centerfield gap and Steve Finley made a sliding attempt for it. Finley came up short and the ball ricocheted off his foot past Vladimir Guerrero and into the right field corner. Anderson raced around second to third, where Manny Acta waved him around. Guerrero’s cannon of an arm made a play of it, but Anderson slid in ahead of the throw to score the game tying run on an inside-the-park home run.
The Mets got nothing else in the ninth, and things again seemed to be gloom and doom when Braden Looper surrendered a two out RBI single to Darin Erstad to again give the Angels a lead. But destiny had other ideas and its darling that night was Cliff Floyd.
Facing Brendan Donnelly in the ninth, Jose Reyes led off with a single, and Mike Cameron followed by drawing a walk. The Mets had something cooking, but Carlos Beltran and Mike Piazza put the Mets’ chances on the brink with back-to-back strikeouts. The Floyd at bat that came next was torturous, one I wasn’t sure I would survive. On a 2-2 pitch, Floyd blasted a ball down the right field line, but just feet foul. The count eventually pushed full and the tension built. The runners were off with the pitch, and with one more thunderous swing, Cliff shook Shea to its core.
Floyd rocketed the pitch over the right centerfield wall and off the scoreboard, sending me and every member of the Shea faithful into a frenzy. From down one to up two and headed for the parking lot, Floyd had capped an amazing night at the yard with a home run of epic proportions.
The win pushed the Mets within four games of first place: a mark they would reach only twice more the entire 2005 season. It was the lone win during a seven game stretch that included two losses a piece to the Astros, Angels and A’s. The team finished with 83 wins, 7 games behind the Braves. Overall, the game didn’t do much to shape baseball history or even Mets history. But what made that night great was what makes this game great. That a mundane occurrence can go from something completely ordinary to extraordinary on any given night. Every once in a while, in the grind of a 162 game season, a game pops up out of nowhere that just stays with you forever. For me, that’s the legacy of June 11th, 2005: a date that will forever live in my memory and baseball obscurity.
Yesterday, Ruben Tejada went 2 for 4 with four RBI, including the eventual game winning hit in the top of the eighth inning.
Tejada also cleared the bases with a three-run double in the fourth inning.
Both hits gave the Mets the lead.
Brian Erni: When Tejada is going well, his swing path is short. Ruben has a tendency of trying to do too much, and that can result in an overswing and a lot of weak fly balls. But yesterday, he stayed within himself and was aggressive in key RBI situations.
In the fourth, Ruben got a 0-1, 79-mile-per-hour hanger from Brandon Beachy and jumped all over it, lacing it over the head of Matt Diaz in the left center field gap. Then in the eighth against Jonny Venters, Tejada went after a 1-0 fastball (after Venters had thrown the previous nine pitches out of the strike zone). Ruben was able to pull his hands in and get enough of the barrel on the ball to float it into right center for the eventual game winner. But most importantly, Tejada’s swing matched the pitch he saw and the situation he was in, which is a big step forward in his approach.
Tejada now has a eight game hitting streak over the course of which he is hitting .361.
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