New York Mets 2012

[syam24]

Was a nice victory last nite, getting the tieing run without a hit, then the winning run on an infield hit off the pitcher. What a great effort form Johan Santana, it's a real shame we can't score ANY runs for him. A win is a win, badly needed especially after having to put both Jason BAy and Pelfrey on the DL for who knows how long. The Bisons, I mean Mets will have to pull up their bootstraps and kick ass without them. Let's hope we get RA some runs tonite.

 

[sonny10305]

Your lips to Gods ears Syam
Well as saucy so beautifully wrote yesterday was quite the day for us Mets fans. That game last night was so much fun to watch I always love a pitchers duel and last night was a beaut. Santana returned good as new which was no surprise, I never worry when he has a bad outing as he did in his last one cause he always bounces back, come on, after all he is Santana for heaven sake Johnson was awesome as well love his stuff but the best came when he left the game and the Marlins pen crashed and burned I mean how sweet was that. The important thing for me was that Santana stole the show from Jose Reyes and pitched beautifully striking out 11 in 6 1/3 innings.

It all began with a tempered welcome for Reyes which a just about right I never wanted to make much of that it was I had hoped for , by the end of the game it was all boos which suite me fine. The highlight with Reyes was of course our boy Kirk making that outstanding catch and robbing Jose of a potential triple or perhaps home run that would have sucked a big one. Kirk later said “good thing I caught that ball or Jose would still be running” Jose going 0-4 …perfect.. Murph had a good night even though he got thrown out at the plate after that bad throw did not bother me he made the right call in trying and if not for an amazing play by the catcher he would have scored.

Collins surprised me pitch hitting for Davis with Turner but maybe it was just what Ike needed he has been getting worse not better at the plate and needs to figure things out. Collins is not going to bench him, Ike will be back in the lineup tonight but batting 7th the only way Ike is going to get better is to keep playing, Collins knows that and so does Ike. His reaction was ”OK so that happened, I deserved that lick in the butt.
The rest of the lineup about the same as last night but with Hairston in left field and batting 6th.and Dickey pitching. Should be an interesting race to see which pitcher is faster both Dickey and Mark Buerhle both of whom are known for running fast games.

Now as to Pelf who has a partial tear of a collateral ligament in his right elbow that of course could be tragic news if the worse case scenario pays out and he need Tommy Jones surgery. But lets not get ahead of ourselves here it could be a ligament tear but the Mets are taking a what I consider to be a cautious approach sending Pelfrey’s MRI exam to one of the best doctors in his field a doctor James Andrews, and if needed are prepared to send Pelf to Alabama to see the Doc.The MRI showed swelling in Pelfrey’s right elbow, but no one thinks there is a significant tear. Thing Is Pelf has a history of what you could call durability which will come into play here cause there are no previous MRI images of the his elbow to compare with. Thing is pretty much every veteran pitcher will have some fraying or tearing in his elbow, but without anything to compare it cannot be said whether he has suffered a new injury. On the plus side as well is Pelfrey was able to throw 95 miles per hour on Saturday although he had some tightness, there was no real pain.

Wish DWright would break Straws RBI record he has been stuck there ever sine he tied the darn thing.

Sure would have been nice to see Zack Lutz get his first major league hit, but seriously he has never seen pitches in the minors like the ones he saw for Johnson we will get em next time.

Couple things from the minor's, I am sorry to hear that Darrell Ceciliani once again injured his hamstring going after a fly ball Sunday; this happened just two games in after having been on the DL with a right groin injury. I hate hearing stuff like that it just knocks the wind outta me. One a better note Cory Vaughn had an inside-the-park homer for St. Lucie and Matt Harvey completed 7 shutout innings

 

[Sausy]

Great wins Tuesday and Wednesday against Miami for the sweep!Outstanding starting efforts by RA Dickey and Jonathan Niese
followed up a great bounceback byJohann Santana on Monday.David Wright's two homer home run and Mike Baxter's pinch hit two run single highlighted the Mets offense in Tuesday's 5-1 victory.Today the heroes were Justin Turner coming off the bench with a gutty,outstanding at bat resulting in a walk that led to Kirk Nieuwenhuis' game winning hit,3-2.Captain Kirk is heating up again getting on base after a brief slump,and shows every sign of being the real deal.He has to continue working but he's said that of himself,there's always something to work on and it says so much about his desire and dedication.Sweeping the Marlins was sweet but there was some sad news as it's just about official Mike Pelfrey will be undergoing season ending,Tommy John surgery for a partially torn ligament in his elbow.I'm sure sonny will provide more details but the worst part is how good his last effort was on Saturday against the Giants,eight fantastic innings in which he was throwing hard late into the game,still up to 95mph.It's likely he has thrown his last pitch for the Mets as he is eligible for free agency after the season and it's likely because of the traditional recovery average of over a year he won't be able to pitch again in the majors until after the All Star break next year.Mike showed flashes at times but never seemed to put everything together,with the pressure of having to replace Johann Santana(out for 2011 with an arm injury)as an ace starter resulted in a really disappointing 2011 effort,with a losing record and ERA over 4.70.Always teased beforhand with some great runs and baffling,frustratingly agita inducing slides.Wish Mike the best for a quick recovery and the opportunity to realize to whatever degree possible his potential as a starter,of course except against the Mets!

 

[syam24]

How SWEEP it is!! Nice job of pitching along with clutch walking, I mean hitting, to get the 3 game sweep. The Marlins are losing the way the Mets seemed to lose last year, just some unbelievable knuckleheaded stuff with all the walks. Great to see the Mets kiddie corps doing the job. Sorry to see Pelf will need surgery, but that is sometimes the life of a pitcher. I see the Mets signed Brad Emaus and Fred Lewis to minor league deals, probably to bolster Buffalo since we are importing their players on a regular basis. We need a good road trip, Let's go Mets!!

 

[sonny10305]

Well the news about Pelfrey hit a lot of people by surprise, but the idea that he is now gone for the season is heart wrenching news to me and pretty much all of the Mets team. It was unexpected a real kick in the stomach and many are just feeling really bad DWright in particular who took the news hard. It is very possible that Pelfrey's Mets career may be over, Mike is not eligible for free agency until after the 2013 season, but the Mets would need to tender him a contract in December in order to hang on to him which sadly now hat seems unlikely. Pelfrey is earning little over $5 million this season, he must earn at least 80 percent of that amount in 2013 if the Mets tender him a contract plus an arbitrator could award him the same salary as this season, so due the math there's no guarantee he'd even get the 20 percent pay cut. Id you take in to account Tommy John surgery generally has a 12-month recovery time, it's unlikely the Mets would commit that type of cash to Pelf who is prolly gonna spend at least the first month of next season on the disabled list. Another point is that once Pelfrey is non-tendered, the Mets have the right to re-sign him for any salary. But Pelfrey and agent ( Boras) also can shop him around to all 30 teams at that point. It is likely that Pelfrey would get a contract with a relatively modest base salary and serious incentives that could set up a bigger contract the following offseason.
As to the surgery Pelfrey heads back to Alabama to see the doctors to have everything explained in complete detail He and his wife will head down there and if he decides to have the surgery, and all indications are that he will, it will be done right then and now no waiting around. There is a half ass option to inject some kind of plasma junk thru what they call a blood-spinning process it goes into the elbow area to try to enhance healing, but the success rate of that is very very low and Pelfrey worries that if he did that a basically pitched with a defective elbow it could lead to an unintentionally altered delivery that could lead to shoulder problems and Mike wants no part of that so it ain’t happin. So expect Mike to be non-tendered and becoming a free agent. Just as he was getting his act together and truly making progress his ERA had dropped to 2.29. The whole thing sucks

Chris Schwinden will take over Mike’s rotation spot tonight in Colorado and wear number 63 we may also see Chris Young in there in a game in about two weeks and much later in the year a good possibility of Matt Harvey coming up.

Andres Torres' is now doing his rehab in AAA Buffalo he will play for the Bisons on Friday and Saturday, then be activated from the disabled list on Monday and head to Houston to join the team. It is looking like a good bet that Kirk Nieuwenhuis will move to left field with Torres returning to center field Not sure what will happen with the batting order but if Torres bats first I would wxpect Kirk to bat second. Of course when Jason Bay returns things will get interesting cause no way is Kirk gonna sit on the bench or go back to AAA

I had asked for two things to happen in the Marlins series with Reyes and got both, he went just 1-for-12 in the series and misfired on a double-play turn that prolonged an inning which David Wright’s two-run homer that changed the game. Jose –jose- jose- jose

Got a chance to catch up with Matt Den Dekker yesterday and he said he is happy with the way things are going, not striking out so much and he was moved up from the #3 spot to leadoff. He’s hitting .308 had three homers and eight RBIs in about 75 at-bats, he is definitely making progress.

By the way The Mets have 6 come-from-behind wins this year, tied for the second-most in the majors.

 

[Sausy]

Thanks sonny for the update on Mike Pelfrey,I was so shocked too about the elbow tear especially since he pitched so well on
Saturday.He was throwing hard and though Mike said he was feeling tightness no real pain or anything.Sucks we may never see him possibly turn the corner and pitch like he can when he has confidence.At least he left on a high note if that's the case...but I think he chose the right course for his long term health and career by not going for the injection option which carried those big risks.

Aww,you really are tough on Jose,aren't you?LOL! I was happiest because we swept those Marlins!Wish things had worked out with Jose,but in the end it wasn't to be.I'm glad though we have Ruben Tejada,he may not have Jose's flash and explosiveness but is
mature beyond his years,fields shortstop beautifully and is a developing solid,reliable bat in the lineup.I actually love him batting eighth and Kirk batting leadoff because Ruben really takes a a smart approach at the plate and extends the bottom of the lineup.I feel the same way about Justin Turner when he plays,though his role is different.He does a good job in the field and at the plate while not a power guy by any means he will be patient and clutch,whether taking a walk or getting a key hit.

My ears perk up when you mention Matt den Dekker,or as I like to call him,Kirk IIbecause ne plays so much like him defensively,a gritty,grinder at all times attitude,and potential for strong offense with power and speed.Two Dutch guys,the Mets own "Dutch Treats"!I just wanna see a stretch of games when they're out there patrolling center and left and enjoying the range and defense they provide.I can dream,can't I?

 

[sonny10305]

You so funny Saucy

I always write my posts in word then copy and paste here in today’s post above Saucy's I left the last part off so here it is

As I often do pass what I learn about the Mets on to a couple of sports writers, I was careful to include the Matt Den Dekker info in the hopes that it will be published. It is so important to me that Mets fans are kept informed on what is going on in the minor leagues and our future stars. I also sent a text to Burhardt about Matt and asked he pass it on to Gary Cohen I would love for Gary to talk about Matt and also Matt Harvey who is now #6 on Baseball America Hot Sheet
Chris Schwinden is one of nine former Cyclones in the big league

Kirk Nieuwenhuis excited about going back to Colorado where he attended high school and was given the nickname “Horse” lots of ole friends to look up

Tonight’s lineup in Colorado; Nieuwenhuis, Tejada, Murphy, Wright, Hairston, Duda, Lutz Nickeas, Schwinden. Ike gets the night off sitting against the lefty. Zach Lutz will play first base in his first major league start. .

 

[Sausy]

No wonder the guys love ya sonny,you're always in their corner looking out for them!And I'll never forget how you recalled
first meeting Burkhardt,lol!

Tonight's game,well,the less said the better...happens even to the best of em,just a lousily pitched game with bad defense,scored nine runs but when the other aspects of the game are lacking,just a really bad night,so far late in the game it's 18-9 Colorado.11 runs in one inning....awful.I know the guys will shake it off and bounce back but it doesn't make it easy to watch!

 

[Sausy]

Much better!Told ya guys,this club doesn't let a real downer of a loss like Friday night's 18-9 6 error filled debacle
tear them down psychologically.They go right back at it and show character and heart.Dillon Gee bounced back very
well after a poor start previously and even with a rough fourth inning in which Colorado scored three runs he found
himself and kept things in check the rest of the way allowing four runs and seven hits in seven innings.Dillon's a pro and if he can get his command working is very tough,and wins like this can't help but build confidence.
"The Dude"Lucas Duda had two hits,and four RBI including a two run homer....supported nicely by Ruben Tejada's three hits,two runs scored,Daniel Murphy's theee hits and run scored and David Wright's three hits,including a double and an RBI.The last run scored after pinch hitter Queens New York boy Mike Baxter lashed a double and scored a run on a wild pitch pinch hitting in the ninth.Tim Byrdak pitched an easy eighth,and though closer Frank Francisco went the agita inducing route giving up a couple of hits and a run finally closed the door on a 7-5 Mets victory.

 

[sonny10305]

First of all a shout out to Saucy for keeping the thread alive while I was away this weekend. If you missed any of the 3 games all you need to know is right here thanks to him. Thanks also to Syam for his always positive input, I appreciate that.

So it was an interesting 3 games to be sure lots of drama heartache but a few positive notes to be sure.
The most exciting for me was to see my boy Ike Davis begin to come back from his miserable slump, he showed great progress in that regard and is feeling pretty darn good about himself again. I am over the moon about that cause he is such a talent and of course a great guy as well. I want to thank Keith Hernandez for being a big part of Ike’s rebound. A humble Keith played it down saying things like “I talked to Ike a bit and offered some advice” but the truth is it was much more than that Ike was thrilled to have Keith take the time to go in and see him to talk about his problems. As I mentioned to Ike the thing about Keith you should know is that he never goes up to a player and offer advice he does not feel it would be the right thing to do, he prefers instead for players to approach him and ask for his thoughts, and never fear when they do that Keith is all over it he loves to help the young kids absolutely loves it but is uncomfortable makin the first move. So when he went in to see Ike it was a rare move on Keith’s part but he just likes the kid so much he just had to break his rule and talk to him. Ike immediately began implementing Keith’s advice and the result was positive. It stared with Ike standing too upright at the plate which made his hands drop. The adjustment Keith suggested put Ike’s hands in a better spot. Ike is also trying not to lunge the way he had started doing. I jumped out of my seat when he blasted that ball to left field cause even when Ike was hitting well he did not do that or use all fields as he is now. Ike is back baby.
My next thrill was to see Santana on normal days rest pitch as well as he did. he just continues to get back to his ole self; you have to notice the rhythm he has gotten back to especially with his fastball and change-up. I am all about the pitching so when I watch Santana I get all excited seeing him utilizing both sides of the plate and keep hard contact in the air down. Once again we saw him changing location and speed, even against the middle of the Rockies order. I was a little surprised and disappointed hat Collins did not let Johan pitch the 7th but now a days it’s all bout the pitch count.

Andres Torres has completed his rehab work and is due to be activated from the disable list today in Houston. The plan as I outlined to you guys the other day is for Kirk Nieuwenhuis to move to left field with Torres returning to center. Collins spoke to Torres today and because of the awesome job Kirk has been doing there was a chance that Andres would play left and leave Kirk in center Torres has played left before and Kirk never has. But the decision at least for today is Nieuwenhuis in left and Torres in Center BUT batting 7th. Kirk remains in the lead of spot and Davis has earned a move up to 5th spot. Duda is out today and Baxter will play right field, Dickey on the mound. I am sure although certainly not in a platoon situation we will see Hairiston at left here and there especially against the lefties. To make room for on the roster Zach Lutz will be demoted to the minor leagues there was some talk about Jordany Valdespin but Zack ‘s debt was less than expected and so he will be the one to go..

David Wright reached base 5 times Sunday with 2 hits and 3 walks. It was the 9th time in his career, he’s done that.

In the Jose who department Ruben Tejada had 10 hits during the three-game series against the Rockies in Colorado. Tejada is batting .310 with 8 extra base hits, 8 RBI, 1 stolen base and 13 runs scored in 21 games for the Mets so far. He is smart enough not to worry about hitting for power, but spraying the ball around and using the middle of the field, Like I said, Jose who??.

Mike Pelfrey went to see the doctor today and based on what he was told has decided to have Tommy John surgery. You will call I told you guys that once the decision was made Mike would waste no time having the surgery and so it will be performed in a day or two..

I am not going to post them cause I am sure by now you guys saw many of the Mets players in cowboy outfits for the trip to Houston, the pics are in many sports columns. Fun.

 

[Sausy]

Yep,sonny..saw the pics of the cowboy and western style regalia and it looked like the guys were having so much fun!Only disappointment was not being able to see David Wright as one of the three amigoes....not sure he wanted to get photographed with a silly mustache,but c'mon David,you had fun!Ike as a cowboy,RA dickey made an imposing sheriff and was Daniel murphy wearing pink,lol?!!!He looked like he was having a blast though!

Great weekend winning 2 of 3 in Colorado,tough loss tonight though 4-3.RA Dickey was strong early but faltered a bit in the sixth,though the bloop hit that was between Ruben Tejada and new left fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis(still leading off but giving up center field to a just activated Andres Torres)was just a tough break.Giving up a three run homer though I'm sure RA knew he just made a bad
pitch.Still left us in good position only behind 3-1 and so we scored twice thanks to a clutch ripped single to right by Captain Kirk,who seems to relish the challenge in these clutch RBI situations(remember the opposite field double Saturday)Kirk is growing so much as a player,looks so much like he belongs there,love the way he plays!The thing that was most impressive,even mentioned by the broadcast guys is that some guys in clutch situations want to do tto much,drive the ball...but Kirk just wants to do what it takes to win,get the runs home.If he keeps that approach and discipline,he'll be a foundation in the Mets outfield for a long time to come!

Ike is looking good!Yep sonny,he continued hitting the ball with authority tonight,and thanks for the update on how Ike's confidence and mechanics have really been enhanced by Keith Hernandez.He feels I guess as not part of the coaching staff he really shouldn't push anything on players and like you said only help if asked,Yet Ike looked so lost until recently it's what a real winner like Keith does,tries to give players an understanding of what's needed to succeed in the long run.He always worked his ass off and knows Ike does too,but that Ike needed to just get some focus back and make adjustments.

Wanted to also mention about Mike Baxter how I just love his approach,and the kid has some real talent!He's gonna grind it,play hard whatever he's called to do.A local boy from Queens who grew up a Mets fan,he's been big in some great situations lately and it's got to be a thrill for him to play for the club he rooted for.Seems like a nice,grounded guy who can play along with Justin Turner a very important supporting role.

Tejada's been amazing...no,he won't be explosive and dynamic on the bases as "Jose Who"?He is very solid,fundamentally sound and will get on base,make the pitcher work with his patience and maturity.Defensively,he goes out there and will make some really great plays,and will also be consistent.You don't have to worry with Ruben out there...he'll get a little bigger,and may develop some more power,but he definitely is an offensive asset at the plate.

 

[sonny10305]

RA Dickey may have lost last night but I think he had a very good outing never the less. He did allow three runs on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts in the six innings he pitched and then there was that two out, two-run home run to Matt Downs. I consider him an outstanding pitcher always has; if you think about it had it not been for that one lousy pitch his night would not have been all that bad at all. After all he did take a no hitter into the sixth inning and threw 55 of his 77 pitches for strikes. He had a killer movement on his knuckleball from the very beginning and it always thrills me to watch the way he is able to vary the speed on his knuckleball instead of using his fastball as his off-speed pitch. And we are seeing more and more of that now since the fastball has been a big time weapon for a while now and ya had to love how he baffled those Astros with that fast knuckler that was somewhere between 78-82 mph His 4.45 ERA may seem a bit high but I don’t think it truly represents how well he’s pitched this year and certainly does not represent how good his knuckleball has been overall. His pitch has more movement now than I recall seeing before

So let me talk about one of my favorite Mets, of course I loved em all but truth be told I do have a few favs one of whom of course would be Kirk Nieuwenhuis who have telling you guys about for a while now having watch him grow up in the minors knowing he was going to be a major player for us someday. Last night once again he had a great night going 2 for 4, including a two out, two-run single that tied the game in the seventh. As to his first crack at left field he did have a ball fall in front of him in the sixth that set up a three-run inning for Houston, he felt bad abut that and admitted last night that he should have charged in a little bit harder..But it was his first time in that position ever so give him time to grow there and grow he will don’t forget the magic he did for us in Center Field. I want to clear up something about that pick off at first, he seemed perturbed and even scowled at the umpire but truth is he knew he was out he felt the tag before he got back to base but the first call from the ump was safe and then changed to out, so Kirk thought he got a way with something only to have the ump change the call, basically Kirk was saying make up your mind ump..That is what pissed him off and not that the ump made a bad call just wanted to clear that up. Kirk has not joined the Ike Davis kill the ump school of thought By the way I am very proud of Ike and as he put it his new improved attitude towards the umpires all is just “peachy keen” now between him and them So lets look at what Kirk has done, In 22 games, he is batting .325 with two homers and eight RBI, his OBP is close to .390 He had the 3rd-highest April rookie average in franchise history. The kid is very special athlete I mean look how much he has accomplished already and most important is that he not fazed by it all he puts zero pressure on himself just does what he does and continues to excel gathering multi-hit games, and driving in the runs in big spots. Kirk is a lot like Murphy wanting only to master every aspect of the game and like Murph shows a level of maturity far beyond his time in the game. So my feelings for him to be the contender for rookie of the year remains strong, it would be only the second time a Met has won that ward since 2001 which went to Justin Turner last year.

Tonight’s lineup will be Nieuwenhuis, Tejada, Turner, Wright, Hairston, Davis, Torres, Thole and Niese. Duda still not feeling well and Murphy has the night off.

Just wanted to tell you guys that the St Luice Mets now have the best record in professional baseball at 20-4. Not to shabby, our kids continue to plat hard and make us proud.

 

[Sausy]

Sonny,I wanted to be a good boy and hold off any rip jobs and see where the boys are
going.Yet it just frustrates me no end when they give such great effort like the past weekend two out of three
from Colorado,sweeping the Marlins last week at home and even in the 4-3 loss to Houston where they showed fight coming back before losing.Not gonna blame RA like I said that game that one bad pitch was all he really wanted to take back,I still
always have confidence about RA on the mound.

Jon Niese pitched his only bad start so far after a great April,but the offense has to get more in synch(not having Lucas Duda the past couple of days because of the flu hasn't helped).Now nice Sausy is leaving and nasty Sausy has a few things to say.

Can we get rid of Chris Schwinden already?The guy's barely a bullpen pitcher let alone a fifth starter.I know losing Pelf was tough but sometimes you have to push up ypur timetables and really think about calling up Matt Harvey or Jeurys Familia.Dwight Gooden was ready at 19...these guys have pitched whether college or minors considerably more extensively.When you lose a solid innings eater as Mike Pelfrey,even one as maddeningly inconsistent,the ideal game plan to give more time for Harvey and Familia has to be weighed with how the team would benefit from their youth and presence,a little injection of enthusiasm and talent now really can be very helpful.And I don't know WTF is going on with Manny Acosta but he's been atrocious lately and he'd better right his ship asap.We need the bullpen this year more than ever and we have to have everything pick each other up,give us a chance to stay in the game.Hoping the Mets make it clear to him that will not be granting a long leash to guys who just can't get themselves straightened out.

Also,Andres Torres was acquired for Angel Pagan because the Mets weren't sure what they had in the organization was anywhere near ready.Well,Captain Kirk is showing he certainly is....he should be in center and leading off as much as possible,as Ruben Tejada makes the bottom of the lineup really tough because of his torrid hitting.Andres Torres is 34,only had one decent year two years ago,and is much better served as the club's fourth outfielder.He has not earned the starting job in center field....Kirk Nieuwenhuis is showing that he's the future there and that future should be right NOW.


Two nice things,cause Sausy always wants to end on a positive note!I LOVE Mike Baxter off the bench,love his enthusiasm,and the kid really plays hard and the right way.It's gotta be incredibly exciting for the Queens native,who grew up rooting for the Mets and now is living a hometown boy's dream...and seems like a great guy,too.Also,David Wright playing with such passion and like he's turned the clock back to when he was one of the best players in the game....Mets gotta on the field emulate him and battle and regain that look of a serious contender his early days promised,and we gotta hope the Mets organuzation works out an extension,he means so much to the franchise.I know the Phillies would try to swoop on him in a hurry if they had an opportunity,and while letting "Jose Who"go was understandable there is no way if David is back to the real deal,and has some real good years left,that we can have a situation that finds us without him in the organization after next season's option year.

 

[syam24]

WHat a godawful series that was in Houston!! The Mets need to rebound quickly from that debacle. I've had it with Manny Acosta, he has provided NO relief in any of his outings, always gives up hits and runs, he needs to go. Not blaming him for all the troubles, but he is one of changes that needs to happen. As Sausy stated, after the nice weekend in Colorado, to just go to Houston and bomb out is inexcusable. Need to turn it around now. Let's hope we get a good weekend series, Let's go Mets!!

 

[sonny10305]

So we hard from the good Saucy and the evil Saucy which is always welcome, I am too close to the guys to write too much bad stuff so we need Saucy here to keep it real sometimes.
Soooooooo tell us Syam how you really feel. A share your pain babe

It was an ugly series to be sure but I never let that dampen my enthusiasm in the least, the boys remain upbeat they know they are capable of better and that’s important, the plane ride home had some disappointment but absolutely no feelings of failure they all remain optimistic for the future and why shouldn’t they. They admit the Astros played really well and out-played them pretty much every part of the game. Basically they played really well and the Mets not so much
Lemme stat with Schwinden who saucy wants to get rid off, I wrote basically nothing about him so far and when he was brought in to replace Pelfrey I was surprised, I did not think he could do the job. I had seen him pitch in Buffalo and he was decent but no great shakes I made no attempt to meet or get to know him so I have no stories to tell but I did not expect him to move up just yet. But Sandy saw it differently and made the move which was premature he I just not ready. I have to tell you that two Mets pitchers told me that Schwinden is going to be fine just give him more time. Apparently the bug going around the camp that knocked Thole and Nickeous out also effected Scwinden he was not feeling well and probably should not have pitched that second game. Let’s just hope those guys are right and if he stays in he will show us more than he has so far. Meantime Terry Collins is uncommitted about using Schwinden in the next go round the rotation a decision which will be made in a day or two, the Mets have the day off today to figure out what is next.
So who is next, well until Young is ready I really like Jeremy Hefner, a kid that would have been a better choice Miguel Batista could also help us that a starter keep in mind that the Mets are going to need to open a bullpen spot for D.J. Carrasco.

Back to Chris Young who I believe I wrote abut a couple of weeks ago, he is making fantastic progress on his rehab and could be ready by the end of May. He threw about a 75-pitch simulated game Monday and his fast ball velocity was about 85 mph.
As to Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia the Mets are going to be very careful not to rush either one of those guys and I agree. I know Harvey pretty well and have seen him pitch many times and he always excites me. When he is ready watch out! I speak to matt from time to time and he has been pitching really well. I checked in on him this morning cause I knew he had pitched yesterday in AAA but it was raining kinda bad so after like a half hour rain delay he got pulled from the game. He did get in 4 innings but the rain affected his game and he did not pitch well he did throw 35 strikes out of 65 pitches however. But he also gave up a few hits and runs as well. I can’t evaluate a pitcher who throws in the rain, been there done that, it sucks. The kid is smart and is trying to keep a level head when he gets ready for each outing he knows here is a ton of major league talk going on about him but he really does try and not pay attention to it Wally Backman knows Matt pretty well and just encourages him to throw quality start after start he said if Matt goes out there and does that eight or nine times in a row, it's going to make people wonder and think. But Wally agrees a cal up now would be a bad move let him cook a bit more.

As for Manny Acosta, the guys I spoke to believe that he is just trying too hard, he's overthrowing, balls are in the middle of the plate. If you watched him you saw the balls were down a little bit, although they were still down the middle. It’s his 3rd year two of which were pretty decent, he's just got to relax and pitch.

Yup Saucy everybody loves Mike Baxer you get a good feeling when he steps up to pinch hit somehow you just know he is going to get the job done.

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Wade Miley, beat out my boy Nieuwenhuis for NL Rookie of the Month. As it happens Miley is opposing Dillon Gee on Friday at Citi. Dono yet if Kirk will be playing in that game against Miley who is a lefty but I say let Kirk play and get his revenge. Grand slam maybe??

A couple of the guys are taking part in Celiac day tomorrow at Citi they will be in the bullpen plaza from around 5:30 given out gluten-free food and beer, and signing autographs and there will be auction items It is all a part of Celiac awareness something like One in 100 have Celiac Disease but few even know they have it the Mets participation in this will benefit R.O.C.K. Long Island, those nice folks offer free support to parents, families and friends on the gluten-free diet

 

[Sausy]

I hate when strong starts like tonight's effort by Dillon Gee go to waste....six innings,only two runs....not going to blame Ike for the error that opened the gates in the eighth,fairly well hit ball that had some bite on it and would have been tough to handle.But I'm not happy with Jon Rauch's ineffectiveness in giving up a two run lead,and the Mets lost 5-4 to Arizona.I'm just not sure if Acosta is going to straighten himself out soon,and why I'm frustrated with him is that he was so effective last year when Parnelll was just unreliable.We need focus and the ability to close the door when we have a late lead.Two runs especially,it's clear we're going to be dependent on the bullpen this year and we need them to hold up.


Only problem with Ike right now is that just as he seemed to be out of his rut he finds himself in another one.Very fortunate tonight when he rolled that ankle that had kept out last year that nothing happened and he appears fine after that scary moment....he doesn't need any more setbacks.Mets had a coouple of opportunities late but just couldn't capitalize.....Scott Hairston(who's starting to annoy me with his lack of execution and mental mistakes lately)failed to move the runner with no one out and later Josh Thole hit a liner to left that was caught.

Sonny,my apologies about one of "Bad Sausy"items....you're right about letting Matt Harvey develop and sharpen his command in Triple AAA.Sandy Alderson for one while very high on Matt wants him to be ready for the long haul,not just the short term.I forgot all about Chris Young,though I worry because he's prone to injury despite when healthy being very effective,had one great start for the Mets last year before he was lost to another arm injury for the season.Jeremy Hefner seems to be opening eyes too as someone with promise who could relieve or spot start.We don't need to panic and call for Harvey or Familia just yet...when the time comes,they'll answer the call.Just so hard for me to be patient after all the agita we've gone through.

Class move before the game with the Mets starting lineip each being introduced with a Beastie Boys song in honor of Adam Yauch,one of the long time trio punk rap legends who died yesterday at only 47 after battling cancer the past few years.I'm sure sonny will have more on that in his next post.

 

[sonny10305]

So we are rid of Chris Schwinden who has been sent back to the Buffalo, to fill in the roster Vinny Rottino was called up. The decision was made not to bring up another pitcher to replace Pelf but give the job instead to Miguel Batista taking him out of the bullpen, although he will remain the pen this weekend and make his first start Tuesday in Philly, this will be until Chris Young is ready to take the position which should be in just a few weeks. I would have preferred Jeremy Hefner who has been killin em in Buffalo including that recent shutout win. I guess the Batista thing fit in with the original idea that he was brought in not to be just in the bullpen but also used as a spot starter at any time, so that plan is the way they are going…for now. The pen could also soon see D.J. Carrasco, who is in AAA Buffalo now doing his rehab assignment. You can expect another pitcher to be brought in on Sunday when Batista moves to the rotation.

Our bull pen has been failing us again although I dono of we are ready to use Saucy’s "poison pen” term Hopes were high when Alderson made moves to try to bolster the bullpen with guys like Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch, and Ramon Ramirez. But except for a few good outings they have mostly had way too many meltdowns and I have zero confidence in our closer Francisco, he scares me to death. We have had good starting pitching but the run support has just not been there with guys who were hitting really well not getting it done lately with only Wright and “little Reyes” gettin er done. Hariston had a few good days including that cycle he hit for but mostly he is a waste and I have been underwhelmed by his work in the outfield, that ball he did not get to last night would have for sure been caught by Captain Kirk or Justin Bay for that matter, it should have been caught.

I kinds like Rottino he had a decent spring and as hitting a little over .300 in Buffalo a nice utility man who can play corner infield and outfield spots as even catch

I guess I gotta talk about Ike Davis who once again is getting lost at the plate going back to his bad habits. Seriously, that kid needs a good swift kick in the butt and I am just the guy who can do it. It was very scary to see him twist that ankle; in fact I swear I stopped breathing for a second or two. I had just come down from Nick Evans who had surgery to repair a broken left hand he injured attempting to make a diving catch in AAA. He is fine at home recovering but I sure did not want more injury news this week thank you very much.
Ike was thinking “Oh no not again” cause it was the same ankle he messed up last season. When he twisted it he thought he was in trouble in fact his first thought was not to move and make no attempt to run to first base but then went immediately back to the dugout basically somewhat nervous about what he might have done. It was just a little tweak and he played the remainder of the game in fact as soon as he started waking it off he felt much better and the pain stopped. Funny thing is Ike had said he was waiting to see what would happen when he got the chance to test out that ankle in a situation where he would turn on it so at least that happened and we can relax and not worry he came thru with flying colors on that. But he needs to get his head out of his butt he is batting a buck seventy and that is just ridicules. Even his defense struggled last night on that play he missed, Ike said the ball had more spin on it than he thought and was hit harder than he thought. He thought he could get in front of it, but it kept spinning so he just I didn't have enough room to catch it. It seemed like yesterday was going to be a good day at the plate, during batting practice he said he drove a ball 15 rows deep into the right-field porch which by the way was something that hasn’t been done at Citi so far this year. Oh Well
Of course we need to remember that Ike never had much of a second season in the majors last year he only had a little over 100 at-bats last year when he should have had closer to 500, I will tell you Ike was really down last night after the game pretty much about how the whole season has been going I am glad about that, he needs to be and I would be upset with him if he wasn’t. I am actually going to see Ike on Thursday maybe I can pick his brain a bit about what he is thinking he needs to do. Ike will sit today he is fine it’s more about the lefty on the mound alhough Niewenhuis is in the line up at right field so perhaps a little message from Collins to Ike?? Hummm.
So the lineup today will be Torres in center, Tejada at short, Wright third, Hairston in left, (Duda also out against the lefty) Murphy second, Turner first, Nieuwenhuis right, Nickeas catching and Santana pitching
Zack Wheeler will be placed on the 7-Day Disabled List with a small problem with his right middle fingernail Zack has been pitching well with a 1.75 ERA in five starts with AA Binghamton so far this season.

Saucy I was as you were really touched by that Adam Yauch tribute last night in having the walk up song all dedicated to beastie’s. It was actually Scott Hariston and Justin Turner who came up wit the idea. In case you could not hear the songs it went like this: Tejada "Intergalactic" Murphy "No Sleep 'til Brooklyn" Wright "Brass Monkey" (he has used that before) Duda "The New Style" Hairston "Root Down" Ike Davis "You Gotta Fight For Your Right To Party" Torres "So What'cha Want" Thole "Make Some Noise" and Dillon Gee used "Body Movin'" In fact beastie boys where paying all day yesterday in the locker room out of respect for Adam Yauch .

 

[Sausy]

DJ Carrasco.Yeech!Nothing personal against him,probably a lovely guy.One of most agita causing problems with last year's relief staff,however!
Talk about poison "pen",sonny!

Well hoping Young and Hefner can help pretty soon as you indicate.Thankfully tonight we had ole reliable Johann Santana who wasn't at his best but still good enough to only allow three runs on nine hits in seven innings.Parnell and your buddy Francisco(lol,just kidding,he does scare me too a lot though)got em home with minimal fuss or dramatics for a Mets 4-3 victory.

Offense scored on two relatively soft singles both driving in two runs by Andres Torres and Mke Nickeas.Daniel Murphy has been a bit quiet offensively lately but was 4-4 and scored a run.Good to get a solid effort from old pro Johann Santana after we've had that slide lately...hope we can get a measure of consistency going.

I really hope you talk with Ike,help try to get him to ease up...maybe give him something to crack up over and help loosen him up.He's just all over the place lately nothing like the emerging star he appeared before that collision with Wright and the ankle damage ended his season last year.I read today maybe part of the reason is how few at bats he had last year and now in coming back and getting into the flow of things,that's what Terry Collins thinking appears to be on some of the stuff going on now with Ike's whole approach.Ike hit some really long balls to right center and center last year as having the remarkable power to left field when he gets going.Maybe sonny you should convince Ike to shave his facial hair and come in clean shaven just to shake things up...I know he loves the scruffy look but heck,it couldn't hurt!

 

[syam24]

Well, the Mets finished up the weekend very nicely with stellar performances by Johan and RA Dickey to take two of three from the D'Backs. The bullpen remained a little shakey, but got nice work from Parnell, and outs from Byrdak and Francisco. Unfortunately, we've lost Tejada at least for a few days, hopefully not too much longer than that. Daniel Murphy is on a tear, let's hope he continues and gives some tips to Ike. Sure could use some power in the lineup, especially against the Phillies this week. It would be nice to see DJ Carrasco return to a the form of a decent pitcher. Let's go Mets!!

 

[sonny10305]

Yup Syam another great outing for R.A. Dickey, it broke my heart he missed the shutout but still to go into the ninth like that is just awesome. When he left the game you probably saw him though down his rosin bag in disgust but in true R.A. style it not because he missed the shutout it was all about how he felt that he had let Collins down after Terry left him in to pitch the ninth. That is so R.A. just such a class act.

Saucy I feel your concern over Carrasco returning but we have to take a breath and see what he can do for us, he did have a pretty good spring. Of course I am not forgetting last year when he was drop dead awful with an ERA of about 6. Hopefully his fastball velocity will be back and won’t cause any balks (member that in Atlanta?) I will be especially interested in seeing what angle he will pitch from, he has pitched a lot better than he did last year and I can recall him having the ability to give us some length out of the bullpen, and let’s be real we really need that now. If he can show us what he had in 2008-2010 he'll be a useful bullpen piece. Fingers and legs crossed. He will be in camp and ready to pitch this weekend
Saucy you also brought up Ike’s beard again but I don’t think I can help you there; Ike loves that thing and is very unlikely to shave it anytime soon. Actually I think now that he keeps it trim I think he looks pretty good and as Ike would tell you it takes attention away from this big nose ( Did I saw that out loud? He has been keeping his hair trim as well, I recall a while back when that hair was wild and all over grown and the beard shaggy but he has been doing a good job of keeping both of those things in check. I think now his hair is the shortest it has been in a while, it may have something to do with when he was looking particularly shabby last year I actually said “dude you look homeless” It is easy for the guys to keep the beards and hair sharp there is a barber that comes by the clubhouse regularly to take care of them.

How boy our boy Murphy in that 5 spot, he is looking good there I like it. Collins had been thinking about how Murph was not hitting as well as he had been and thought about making a change in the batting order to get him kick started again and low and behold it worked. It seems that the middle of the order is where he belongs, of course he was productive when he hit second because he gets on base. Buy now he gets a chance to be the guy who can swing the bat to drive some runs in. That’s what Murph does he is all about that. If Ike finds himself again prolly we will see Murph batting second again.

Rubin Tejada has been put on the disabled list and Jordany Vladespin has been added to the 25-man roster and is available for tonight’s game, but as of now Justin Turner will play shortstop tonight and Viadespin will play tomorrow. Sorry to hear about Rubin who after Wright and Murph is our most productive position player and ya hate to see him out. I am not sure why Justin Turner is at short tonight and not Jordany my understanding is that Jordany has joined the team in Philadelphia; Kevin Burkhardt will sort the whole thing out later on Mets pre game and explain it all. I have not yet spoken to Justin about it but I am sure knowing him his response will be “I’m ready”. He is a gamer a terrific kid and will give it all he has. Justin did play short Triple-A Buffalo last year but thus will be his first major league start at SS.

Tonight’s line up will be Andres Torres in center, Kirk Nieuwenhuis in left, David Wright at third Lucas Duda at right, Daniel Murphy plays second, Ike Davis, at first, Justin Turner short, and Josh Thole catches Jon Niese