New York Mets 2012

[syam24]

Ok, Dillon Gee pitched pretty well, didn't need to start the seventh with a walk, and then throw a DP comebacker into the dirt, but all in all, a good effort for Dillon. The Mets fought back with a pinch hit two run HR from Scott Hairston, only to be undone by the bullpen. THis time it was Jon Rauch, my next candidate, for "He's got to go!". He started out the season well enough, but lately, he gives up hits and runs similarly to the dear departed Manny Acosta. Okay, So we get Chris YOung back into the rotation and Hefner to follow against the Nats, and RA Dickey to close out the series. Should be interesting to see how it works out, the bullpen really needs to show up here in the first two games, in my opinion, along with the offense. Let's go Mets!!

 

[Sausy]

3 out of 4 with great starting pitching over the Cards,especially the Santana no hitter spectacular and the shutout by Dickey....very good game by Niese and he's supposedly going to undergo minor surgery to help correct the tendency he has towards racing heartbeat in games(not supposed to be a serious underlying problem but still a concern)which because of the resulting dizziness bouts got himn out after only six innings on Sunday's game.Gee was very good but the throwing error came back to bite him in the ass...then Jon Rauch threw gasoline on the fire allowing two runs,now we learn he has a serious elbow problem potentially....thankfully pitching reinforcements like Chris Young are on the way.Let's swat the Nats!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sausy]

Oh,a game I hate.....checking out the score while at work and ultimately Mets fall to the Nats,7-6 in an epic q
12 inning,four hour plus mess.Good stuff:Chris young pitched five strong innings first game back from the shoulder surgery that cost him virtually all of the past year,allowed six hits and only two runs.David Wright had two hits including a booming home run,Scott Hairton also hit a big home run temporarily putting the Mets up 6-5 in extra innings,Jordany Valdespin had two hits including a home run as well,and Andres Torres delivered a clutch two run double.

Lowlights...Ike Davis continues his maddening uselessness at bat...I never thought Ike would have so many problems just getting started.He was consistent as a rookie and having a spectacular growth as a player before the unfortunate season ending ankle injury last year...he even made a fielding flub missing a chance at getting a double play in the tenth.Jordany Valdespin had a nightmare tenth as well,badly misplaying two balls which should have easily gotten Bobby Parnell out of trouble and out of the inning...in an earlier a bad throw by Omar Quaninilla on a relay allowed another run to score.Frank Francisco fucked up after a few good outings allowing a ripped single by Ian Desmond to score the tying run blowing an extended save opportunity in the eighth,Mets had a 4-3 lead going in.Obviously Frank can't stand too much prosperity....another reason even with a few good outings I ain't fully trusting this guy in a big game.Too many mistakes,bad pitches or fielding misplays and that can't be tolerated.These Mets have heart,and talent,but NO team is good enough just to win on paper,and these guys do have some serious flaws,and injury/depth concerns which means they have to pick up each other as a team and minimize the crap they can control.Ike better get his head in the game,he always could hit but now he's just not helping the team.We gotta rely on the return of Jason Bay for God's sakes?Valdespin can't play sloppy like that....Justin Turner is a couple weeks away from returning and Ruben Tejada will take awhile more too getting backl from his puleed quad as he had a setback feeling tightness today in a rehab game and he'll be out longer than anticipated.Valdespin 's bat which is so compelling can't be offset by horrendous,non professional level "defense" like tonight.....FUCK two errors like that were inexcusable!

Just pissed off,not surprised at all to see super rookie Bryce Harper bring in the winning run off of Elvin Ramirez(who's got to let go of the nerves he's showing)....all I heard about from his play in AAA ball this year was how unflappable he was and impressive his control and command was,tons of strikeouts and VERY efficient.Let's not waste all the good we've achieved so far with sloppy play ,and not closing things down when we have the lead late in the games.I don't believe this Mets leasdership,be it Terry Collins or Sandy Alderson,will stand for needless mistakes and lack of execution.Terry's a great communicator but also tough...you play well for him,you give every effort he'll always have your back.But sentiment has nop place when you're just not geting things done or seem capable at the moment of taking care of business.He's a manager,a damned good one...not a handholder or babysitter.

 

[Sausy]

Another disappointing loss to the Nats,5-3....Jeremy Hefner got off to a rough start giving up a three run homer but then did a great job of keeping us in the game,giving up only those three runs in six innings.But again mistakes and the inability of the pen to shut the door hurt the Mets.....I'm more concerned about Daniel Murphy's sudden 0-17 slide than his literally booting the ball,he'll be fine though but he has to tighten up defensively at second.On a sports report program after the game one sportswriter called the second base experiment with Murph a failure and the Mets should give up on it,but I certainly don't think the Mets are ready to go that road yet,especially knowing how good a hitter Murph is,especially from last year.And the type of person and competitor he is.

Ike Davis had some encouraging moments with two walks and drove a double into the left center gap,but grounded into a double play in the ninth.Really hope he continues to show signs of getting out of his funk,it just seems to have affected his fielding.Sonny,can you give us some perspectives on the top guys the Mets drafted a few days back?Gavin Cechini sounds intriguing,a Louisiana boy who is currently committed to the University of Missisipppi.....how good a chance the Mets have of getting him to sign with the organization?He played for his dad and is a shortstop with great offensive tools,some really good speed(31 steals in his senior year),a .413 average and supposedly played mostly with a wooden bat the pros use instead of the standard typical metal bats high schoolers use,which is encouraging.Three years to the Gavin Cechini era(yay,part Italian!)perhaps?

 

[sonny10305]

Sonny,can you give us some perspectives on the top guys the Mets drafted a few days back?Gavin Cechini sounds intriguing,a Louisiana boy who is currently committed to the University of Missisipppi.....how good a chance the Mets have of getting him to sign with the organization

I am excited about a lot of the picks and of course I have been following the situation closely. These kids are important to our future and attention must be paid. As to Gavin Cecchini the deal is done I will have more on that after he takes his physical, Gavin left Louisiana and is in NY now. He is the first to my knowledge who is signed, although several other draft picks have agreed to terms. What I know of him is that he is 12th overall pick, a shortstop who can also hit well. By the way he has a brother named Garin is also a highly regarded draft prospect who has been taken by the Red Sox. Yup Gavin and Garin
Gavin has gotten strong marks for his Shortstop ability he handles the ball well rarely booting or dropping them he gets high marks for his hands he also looks good moving around and fielding ground balls, he is also said to have quick feet. He also has reported to have an above average arm. The only area where he has not shown much is his speed where he is an average runner he is no Reyes in that area for sure. But he's a smart base runner who will pick his spots well, where he may lack in speed he makes up for in positioning, he understands how to play hitters based on the situation.
Then there is his bat which is where he really shines, he has a direct and smooth swing and outstanding hand-eye coordination and a very nice approach at the plate. Like Murphy He understands the importance of being selective and wait for his pitch but aggressive enough to know when he needs to shorten up and swing on the ball. Don’t look for a whole lot of power cause he's just not strong enough, but he has the ability to drive the ball through the zone and into gaps. Ike Davis could learn something from this kid and the away he rotates his hips and transfers his weight from back foot to forward, unlike Ike who has been spreading himself out too far in his stance leaning forward when he should shift his weight with his feet planted. That is why Ike loses his balance and falls forward, which makes him swing off his front foot and which means his swing has less power behind it.
Lastly what is being said about Gavin is that he works hard and has an outstanding understanding of the game or high baseball IQ if you will. For sure he knows what he's doing out there, and he would fit right in with the team we have now cause he is the kind of a guy who makes it easier for the players around him to play well.

Another ss is Richie Rodriguez but I am not as excited about him as I am Cecchini he has average speed with good hands but an average arm, so he may not have the range needed for a shortstop which is why the Mets drafted him as a second baseman. But he should be a good defender and may still be able to play shortstop in a pinch, and we can always use a good utility player.

I will be speaking with Kevin Burkhardt at Yankee stadium on Sunday and I am sure he will have plenty to tell me about the other guys in the draft and I will pass it on next week.

 

[Ninja108]

Have to throw my two cents in on the first game. Kuroda pitched as good as he ever has against the Mets. It was far easier for him this time not having to face Reyes and Beltran. Def oculd have stayed in for a CG if not for the liner off his ankle.
As for Santana,the extra days rest threw him off IMO. Way too many pitches up in the strike zone and he was made to pay for everyone one of them. He did settle down but the damage had been done by then.
As for tommorrow's game,since it's on FOX I will be listening via radio.

 

[sonny10305]

Well I will tell you Ninja I was concerned about Santana not pitching for a full a full week, I have been pitching for almost as long as I have been walking and I will tell you that move was a mistake you simply can not sit that long and not get rusty. Santana himself said that he wanted to go on normal rest Wednesday but Collins wanted to give him the two extra days after that 134-pitch no-hitter. No question Terry understands and regrets that mistake. Johan had little command of his stuff he was just not sharp, he seemed to have a lot of unusual problems with his change-up as well as his slider throwing some pitches which weren’t even close, and surprising to me was how many of em just stayed up. I thought the velocity on his fastball was fine and more importantly he had good speed differential with his off-speed pitches which is so so very important, but that change was a big problem ya just can’t throw it up in the strike zone as he did.
Our offensive was in a coma last night which did not help but you have to give it up to Kuroda who had one heck of a nasty sinker that made us look pretty silly.
By the way what was up with Nick Swisher after he hit that cutter out for a homer, jezz did you see him in the dugout acting like he had just completed a walk off win in the world series…please. I usually don’t condone this but that dude needed to be dusted off the plate on his next at bat. An important point here is that later last night Santana said he feels fine and the shoulder is completely healthy.

We saw the return of Jason Bay who was to play earlier this week but poor baby had flu symptoms and sat out another day. Are you kiddin me???? Flu symptoms??? Please, these prima donnas and their so called illness gets me peeved, he needed to put his big boy pants on and get his tired ass back on the field. Not that his return went all that well he just picked up where he left off before his injury going 0-3, just we needed now that fool going back to being useless at the plate. Bay should have learned a lesson in what it means to be a team player and play with those sniffles or what ever the heck was bothering him from Quintanilla who played with a injured left index finger, which has turned out now to be a fracture at the tip, he knew the team need him and sucked it up and went out and played. I’m tellin you I will be very interested in seeing if Bay remains useless to us how long Collins puts up with him and what moves he will make in setting up the outfield with Bay in the lineup. That crowed outfield is not a problem this week with us using the DH in American league parks but after that what will happen will be very interesting.

Ninja, hear what you are saying about not watching the game on Fox, those guys really blow I suffer watching that as well. ESPN is no better maybe worse with all those annoying graphics and cut a ways to other games in the middle of no where not to mention the lame play by play. Even the field reporter is a joke have you seen that Howdy Dowdy looking mother fella? I may be partial to SNY after all many of the guys working for them are friends of mine but besides the overall presentation of the game including the direction in particular by the awesome Bill Webb you can not beat the combination of Gary, Keith, Ron and Kevin who make the game that much more interesting and fun to watch.

 

[Ninja108]

Swisher is always noted for being amped up. Having met him a few times, I can safely it's just part of who he is.
It doesn't bother me as much as watching closers like Valverde,Papelbon,Joba and Perez rub in it hitters faces with stupid dances,fist pumps etc. Mo is and always will be the standard for how a pitcher should act.
As for Jason Bay..just throw that in the bad contract pile that the MEts and the Yankees have done over the past few years.

 

[sonny10305]

HEY NINJA!!

 

[Ninja108]

Nice sweep of the Mets by the Yanks!
Niese pitched a solid game and should have gotten a win but the defense of the Mets once again bit him in the butt and gave Martin a chance to do damage..which he did. And the bullpen..yuck. Rauch and Franisco stunk when they were with the Blue Jays,not any better now.
Not that the Yanks are without their own flaws. Our RISP continues to be a problem and we have to rely on the long ball way too much. I'm glad we swept the series but I want to see us do more damage in other ways.

 

[sonny10305]

Yeah Ninja last nights loss was a heartbreaker I really thought we had that one. But it all started to unravel after David Wright made that bad throw which should have been the inning ending play, I do think however that had Davis been on that bag he would have scooped that ball it’s what he does and why Wright loves playing with him. But Omar Quintanilla also committed an error of his own followed by our leaky pen which slammed the door on our shot at avoiding the sweep. Early in the season we thought that Alderson had fixed the problems in the pen but we have serious problems there and I mean dead serious. The good thing that came out of yesterday’s game was seeing Ike Davis continue to hit the ball better and in fact that double was a great sign he may be coming out of that awful slump. A real shame for Jon Niese who pitched so well, in fact one thing we have going for us is the starting pitching which has been strong We need the starters to go deep into games because going to the poison pen is a very scary proposition .

All in all up until the 8th inning it was a fun game to watch I was at the stadium and forgot how much fun watching a game there can be. The back and forth chants of “Lets go Yankees” …”Let go Mets” is thrilling it actually sends chills down my spine, so fun. Then there is those bleacher guys calling out all the Yankee players by name and the players responding to that is just in a class by it self something that only happens at Yankee games the fans are awesome Just one heck of a good time.

It was the first time many of the new Mets had been to Yankee stadium and Burhardt took some of then on a tour, like kids in a candy store they all appreciated the aura of greatness that surrounds every part of the park It’s Yankee stadium for heavens sake one of the most awe inspiring places in baseball to be. Kirk Nieuwenhuis was just so excited walking around the park especially when we took him to Monument Park he just felt so honored to be in a place with so much great baseball history. I got very emotional watching his reaction to that park I forgot what it meant to see it for the first time.

Ninja I appreciate putting Swisher into perspective, I spoke to Burkhardt about that and he agrees with you Nick is a very funny dude and someone who you can expect just about anything I have a better understanding and appreciation the guy now. I have not met him or any Yankee for that matter I have met a few players outside the Mets a few of em have come to Cyclone games but my baseball friends are all with the Mets organization.

So the boys have today off many of them brought family members to Florida to enjoy the day

 

[Sausy]

Wish I could comment more but computer issues limit the time I can actually post something here,so gotta say proud of our boys dusting themselves off from the disappointing Yankee sweep and taking it out on Tampa Bay with an 11-2 thrashing.First win for Chris Young in over a year since his near identical shoulder surgey to Johann Santana's.So happy for Ike Davis,key three run homer breaking the game open late.Our boy needs some great at bats like that,get back to the slugging heights he seemed to be heading before his injury last season.

 

[Ninja108]

Much thanks to you guys for beating the Rays and helping our lead in the AL East. Seeing the Nats this weekend should be intresting..

 

[syam24]

TWo great victories over the Rays in Tampa! Another superb pitching performance from RA Dickey, a one hitter, to stifle the Rays, and another offensive outburst by the Mets! Where were these hits over the weekend vs the Yankees??? It appears Ike might FINALLY be getting it together, two hits off Price last nite. I probably shouldn't even put it in print. Let's see how we do tonite with Johan on the bump, or will the Mets revert to their early season ways of providing no runs for Santana. Lets Go Mets!!

 

[sonny10305]

Yup Saucy, we are over the moon seeing Ike bouncing back and man does he feel good finally smiling again. I was really happy Collins took a chance on Ike against Price yesterday Ike rewarded his trust that’s for sure.

Ninja, we will dedicate today’s sweep to you and the Yankees

Syam we get another shot at the Yankees next weekend we need and deserve a sweep then, but don’t tell Ninja

Spoke to Justin Turner just a few hours before he was getting on a plane for Buffalo to begin his rehab with the Bison’s. The kid is healing fast and should be back with the Mets ahead of schedule. I will let you guys know how he does this weekend and when he will be back with the team it’s just a matter of JT getting some ABs. Ronny Cedeno will also begin rehab assignment Friday in Buffalo.

RA Dickey is officially the best pitcher in baseball, I’m just sayin. Too bad about that Upton thing but just for giggles The Mets will appeal the play to have Upton's infield hit changed to an error on David Wright. If successful, although unlikely, R.A. would have the second no-hitter by a Met this month if the commissioner's office goes along, an MLB committee can reverse an official scorer's decision If you missed it came on what was scored a two-out infield single in the first inning by Upton a ball when David Wright was unable to pick with his bare hand. By the way Dickey does not expect the ruling to change calling it “Hail Mary."

We go for the sweep this afternoon, line up Nieuwenhuis cf, Valdespin dh, Wright 3b, Duda rf, Davis 1b, Murphy 2b, Bay lf, Thole c, Quintanilla ss with Santana on the mound



.

 

[syam24]

Sweepers, sweepers, man your brooms! Wow, what a way to finish the road trip! The offensive outburst here was incredible, especially on the heels of last weekends debacle in the Bronx. Contributions from most everybody, which makes it a bit easier to overlook the slump that Murphy is in. We will need him to come back around very soon! The Mets even scored a bunch of runs for Johan, which is usually not the case. He wasn't on his game, but the bullpen actually came through big time, especially my latest dartboard, Jon Rauch. Hopefully, we can now feast on some home cooking at Citi Field. Let's go Mets!!

 

[Sausy]

Disappointing loss to the Reds last night,Dillon Gee just didn't have command early and we weren't able to score enough runs once the bullpen allowed a couple more runs,losing 6-3.Chapman was nasty in the ninth blowing the Mets away without breaking a sweat...99mph strikeout to Josh Thole to end the game.Scott Hairston continues his amazing power drive hitting his ninth(and also giving away in the field with a misplay)Kirk Nieuwenhuis added his sixth homer after two the other night.....Kirk's on a real power roll right now!Hope Jason Bay is okay after apparently suffering another concussion hitting his head after diving for a ball.As bad as he's been offensively,the poor guy has had no breaks at all in his Met career.Easier not to care if he was a prima donna,a jerk or space waster but Jason gives his all on the field and is well respected in the clubhouse.Maybe best move would be to try to trade him in the offseason,pay maybe half the contract on his last guaranteed year and give him a fresh start elsewhere.It would be a shame for a good career(including a very impressive year and a half in Boston pounding a ton of homers following in the shadows of Manny Ramirez'exploits)to be remembered for a complete offensive collapse as a New York Met.

 

[sonny10305]

I admit to have been hard on Jason Bay but you can’t help but feel sorry for the guy, as Saucy wrote Bay can’t get a break. Nothing official annnounced yet but he appears to have a mild concussion which will mean at least 7 days on the DL cause that is the rule now about that. My boy Justin Turner has left his rehab assignment in Buffalo to rejoin the team today and be activated to take Bay’s spot on the roster. Justin is feeling great with no ill effects left on that ankle injury. He played in two games in AAA went 1-4 both days with 8 at bats playing short and second. Justin was scheduled to come home Sunday night but when Bay went down he got an early call back. We have missed his bat and glove but most of all we have missed the fun and excitement of just having him in the dugout and playing hard on the field one of the truly good guys, stay well JT.

So glad that ridicules request from the Mets about the call that cost Dickey that no hitter it was the wrong move and they should not have embarrassed themselves with that. I don’t know Dickey but I am told by a couple of players that he is more than ok with the decision not to change the ruling he did not want the win that way and it marked by an asterisk he wanted to win it without that controversy. I was surprised that Collins would try that, I get that he did it for Dickey but what about DWright whom he totally threw under the bus did he not realize that? Makes me wonder if that decision came from a higher source.

Ike Davis continues to return to his ole self if my math is correct Ike will need just 3 more hits to get off the interstate and reach .200. It has been a tough road for the Ike man but it’s looking like he is back and that 5th spot in the lineup agrees with him does it not?

I have been spending most of my days and night with the Cyclones as we prepare for opening day Monday against the Staten Island Yankees. The roster looks exciting starting with my good friend Brandon Nimmo, who has just completed an extended spring training. The full Cyclones roster looks like you may not recognize some of these names but my hope is that soon you will know who they are.
Pitchers: Matt Bowman, Luis Cessa, Darwin Frias, Jeremy Gould, Julian Hilario, Matt Koch, Rainy Lara, Luis Mateo, Mincone, Hansel Robles, Richard Ruff, Paul Sewald, Juan Urbina, Tyler Vandenheinden, Brandon Welch, Whalen, Beck Wheeler, David Wynn, Ernesto Yanez, Gabriel Ynoa.
Catchers: Xorge Carrillo, Jeff Glenn, Plawecki, Nelfi Zapata.
Infielders: Cole Frenzel, Alex Sanchez, Richie Rodriguez, Jorge Rivero, Jeff Reynolds, Dimas Ponce, Juan Gamboa, Phillip Evans, Yucarybert De La Cruz.
Outfielders: Jonathan Clark, Julio Concepcion, Nimmo, Eudy Pina, Stefan Sabol.
Best of luck and we wish a great season to the next generation of Mets stars.

On a sad note Warner Fusselle the voice of the Cyclones since it all began 2001 has died, Warner has called the play-by-play action all that time. I cannot imagine what it will be like without that very special and distinct style and that magnificent iconic voice and a sweet guy he will be missed he was just a very special man, he was 68.

I won’t be on here for a day or so busy with the Cyclones and of course Father’s day let me wish all of you dads out there a great day tomorrow. A special salute to my own dad who besides being my dad is also my hero and my best friend. I Love you dad.

 

[syam24]

Another superb effort from our "stopper" RA Dickey, two one-hitters in a row!!! He was awesome once again, can't say enuff about his pitching this season. Additionally, he gets the hit to start the 4 run rally topped off by Ike's massive first ever grand slam HR to seal the victory. Great all around game by our Mets, nice to see after the weekend hiccup vs the Reds. Need Johan to get back in the groove tonite to get us back on a roll. Let's go Mets!!

 

[Sausy]

Omg,can't say enough about the Dickey second straight one hitter(loved Terry Collins teasing reference to the past one hitter controversy,it was all in good spirits)....stories like RA Dickey are so inspiiring because there ordinarily would be no way he should be pitching anymore,certainly not successfully.It's all determined however by the heart and dedication of RA,and few can match him there or in his incredible positive energy and professionalism.So great to see Ike unlooding on that grand slam,just seeing him smile and take the curtain call made me so happy.Johann followed with six strong scoreless innings of four hit baseball,followed by the relief staff closing the door.Lucas Duda continues to show his impressive power and growing confidence and Daniel Murphy better be careful...love Murph but Jordanny Valdespin is really giving them some energy and flashes of nice gap power.One more till the Subway Series II this weekend at CitiField....like Syam says,"Let's go Mets"!!!