Dom D's Mets Fan Blog

More Mets Roster Moves to Come?

noreply@blogger.com (Dom DiFucci) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:42:06 PDT

Now that the Mets traded Ryan Church for Jeff Francoeur, it seems that Omar Minaya has other things up his sleeve.

But for what?

In the NY Newsday, Minaya was quoted "I'm hoping that between here and the All-Star break, we have other things we've talked to teams about and they may come to reality," Minaya said before Friday's game. "We've got to keep on trying to do these kind of things. We are working. It's not that we're not.

I guess that standing with what we've got is not working... The offense has been weak... At least Francoeur is a right handed bat!

Minaya also said, "There's a couple things we're talking to clubs about - they may be big, they may be minor - but we need to continue. We're not going to say, 'OK, this is it.' As a front office, we're going to continue to try to do things to shake it up a little bit."

Stay Tuned! Let's see how he can change the chemistry to this team, so it can win.

Video: Watch Daniel Murphy's Great Play @ 1B

noreply@blogger.com (Dom DiFucci) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:20:56 PDT

There has not been much to talk about positive these days, but this has to be one of best plays of the year from Daniel Murphy

Elias : Mets being held scoreless

noreply@blogger.com (Dom DiFucci) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:01:13 PDT

The Mets were held scoreless for the third time in their last five games. It's the first time in 17 years that the Mets suffered three shutouts over a five-game span. It last occurred in July 1992 when the Mets did not score a run in three straight games.

Source: Elias Sports Bureau

Analyzing the Ryan Church/Jeff Francoeur Swap

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Hoops) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:32:26 PDT

Prior to tonight’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, Mets GM Omar Minaya made an unexpected announcement when he announced that he traded away RF Ryan Church to the Atlanta Braves for their respective RF Jeff Francoeur.

This deal has left many Mets fans scratching their heads as Church has been one of the lone bright spots for the Mets this year whereas Francoeur or “Frenchy” as he is affectionately called has continued to be caught in a year and a half long slump.

Personally, I am not a big fan of the swap, especially if the Mets have any hope of being successful this year. On paper the deal looks to be favorable to the Mets. In terms of age Francoeur (25) is a full 5 years younger than Church, and theoretically has still yet to reach his prime years.

More importantly, Francoeur is under team control until 2012, which gives the Mets an ample amount of time to work with him.

Yet, I am still not sold on this trade. Granted Jeff Francoeur put up far better numbers in 2006 and 2007 than Ryan Church ever has in a single season. However Francoeur has struggled mightily ever since the 2008 campaign.

From Opening Day 2008 up until the present Francoeur has hit .243, which is well below league average. Ryan Church, in comparison, has hit .278. For a team, who is in dire need of offense they cannot afford to lose anymore consistency at the plate.

Looking solely at this season Church has 2 HR and 22 RBI, while Francoeur has 5 HR and 35 RBI.

While the Frenchy clearly has better numbers they are a bit misleading. It has to be taken into consideration that Turner Field is a much more hitter’s friendly park than Citi Field is.

Also, Francoeur has been in a much more potent lineup than Church has, which makes it easier to drive in runs.

To be fair I don’t think the Mets made a bad trade because they did get a much needed right handed bat for the lineup. However, they certainly did not help their chances of remaining competitive this season.

What this deal tells me is that the Mets are beginning to throw in the towel and, like the general conensus of Mets fans suggested, rebuild with younger players. And in Minaya’s defense there aren’t too many guys at the age of 25 who have put together two 100+ RBI seasons.

Enemy Watch: Phillies looking at add Pedro and/or Roy Halladay?

noreply@blogger.com (Dom DiFucci) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:27:22 PDT

The Phillies are still looking to add the final touches on their team. The Phillies are recently looking for starting pitching, which seems to be their weakness. They have been inquiring about Pedro Martinez who is a free agent... That would be slap in the Mets faces, Huh! Click here for more!

In the Mets Pre-game , John Heyman from S.I. said the Mets have nothing on the table for anything because there is no trade market for anyone. Adam Dunn is not available right now and Carlos Lee seems to be staying in Houston. Meanwhile their has been discussions about a possible Roy Halladay trade to the Phillies...The Phillies would love to add a quality top line starter and the Phils have the prospects to do it.. If Toronto trades him , they will demand a lot, which the Phils can afford. More Halladay rumors..

As I keep saying the Mets could at least try and land a big fish , but the Mets are content on being just average and under .500. If the Phillies get Halladay, they will run away with the NL East because the Phillies don't need offense, the Mets do. They can also use a Halladay (HINT)..

PREGAME: Mets vs. Dodgers

awharton5@gmail.com (Andrew Wharton) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:58:49 PDT

The Mets (40-43) finish their series with the Dodgers (53-31) tonight at Citi Field. Livan Hernandez (5-4, 4.56) will make the start for the Mets, while Randy Wolf (3-3, 3.49) opposes him for Los Angeles.

Game time is 7:10 PM EST, and will be broadcast locally on SNY.

Tonight's Lineup

Luis Castillo, 2b

Nick Evans, lf

David Wright, 3b

Gary Sheffield, rf

Fernando Tatis, 1b

Ryan Church, cf

Omir Santos, c

Alex Cora, ss

Livan Hernandez, sp

Prior to tonight's game, 20 year-old Fernando Martinez was placed on the 15-day DL with an inflamed knee. Argenis Reyes will replace him on the active roster.

I'm assuming there are some issues with the 40-man roster we aren't familiar with here, because Argenis Reyes just isn't the best option in the minor leagues right now. Heck, he's not even an outfielder.

I wonder if Cory Sullivan is out of options or something because he seems to be the best candidate to replace anybody in the big leagues, and he's already on the 40-man roster. Weird, just weird.

I really hope Omar does go trading away all of our young prospects for one player because I am really getting tired of having to call up guys like Argenis Reyes, who just never have been able to play in the big leagues. It sure would be nice to be able to call on a young guy to at least play with some fire and have the potential to do good things.

With that being said, rumors have it that the Pirates are shopping 2B Freddy Sanchez, and if this is true, the Mets should seriously consider it unless they are dead set on acquiring Orlando Hudson this offseason. To me, Sanchez is like another David Wright (without the HR capability), and he is usually the lone threat in that Pirates lineup. Imagine what he'd be like hitting between Reyes and Wright? Besides, look at his numbers with RISP and men on base; they are absolutely off the charts.

Anyway, whatever happens I just want these guys to play fundamental baseball and have fun. If they do the little things, they are capable of playing at least .500 baseball. LGM!

Breaking News: Blue Jays Cut Ties With B.J. Ryan

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Hoops) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:20:29 PDT

In a somewhat surprising move today the Toronto Blue Jays have cut ties with former All-Star relief pitcher, B.J. Ryan.

The Blue Jays signed B.J. Ryan to a mammoth five year deal following the 2005 season, which was the largest ever for a reliever at the time.

Ryan, who was the Blue Jays closer as recently as this year has struggled mightily this entire season. In 20.2 innings pitched Ryan posted an ERA hovering near 7, which is more than double what his career ERA (3.37).

Much of B.J. Ryan’s troubles can be attributed to a decrease in velocity, which most likely stems from Tommy John surgery he had during the 2007 season.

With the Mets struggling in all areas this season, it may make sense for them to take a flier on the former star pitcher, especially a left handed one to try to add depth to their bullpen.

The Blame Game: New York Mets Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Hoops) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:23:06 PDT

The New York Mets find themselves in a rather messy predicament at the halfway mark of the 2009 season. As of now one of baseball’s highest paid teams sits three games below .500 with a 39-42 record which is good for third place in the National League East behind the bargain basement Florida Marlins and the rival Philadelphia Phillies.

This is hardly the kind of performance that management could’ve expected in the offseason after the team acquired superstars, Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez and J.J. Putz.

While there is certainly a lot of baseball left to be played in the season, as of now there is no sunshine for Mets fans, who have had a dark cloud held over their heads ever since the conclusion of the 2006 season.

Obviously, New York fans are always quick to blame someone for their team’s struggles and this year there is plenty of blame to go around.

Injuries

The amount of injuries that have plagued the Mets this season has been astronomical. Three out of their four top players (Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado) have all been out for over a month and there is no telling when any of them will be back in a Mets uniform. Two fifths of the starting pitching staff is disabled as well. This Wednesday Oliver Perez will throw his first big league pitch in over two months following a grueling battle with knee tendinitis.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for John Maine, who suffered a major setback with pain in his surgically repaired shoulder and only just recently was cleared to throw.

Then there is J.J. Putz, whom the Mets envisioned as being the player to shut down the opposition in the eighth inning. Shockingly, Putz failed to deliver. In 29 appearances with the Mets, he posted a down right terrible 5.22 ERA and was charged with four losses. Anyone familiar with Putz and his tenure with the Mariners knew something was wrong. Midseason it was discovered that Putz would require elbow surgery that will keep him out of action until at least August.

Jerry Manuel

Playing the role of manager is no easy task in its self. However, playing the role of manager in the city that never sleeps takes the game to the next level.

From the moment Jerry took the jump from bench coach to manager he has had a target placed on his back by both the fans and the media. It is understandable as the team has suffered two back-to-back collapses as well as a disappointing playoff lose in 2006.

While I am not the biggest fan of Jerry’s antics at times, I think he’s trying to take a step in the right direction. He certainly shows more heart and emotion on the field than his predecessor, Willie Randolph did. Also, at the moment Jerry is being handed a lineup card filled with many players that belong in Buffalo.

Still a team’s performance is a reflection of the manager and when a team, like the Mets, is underperforming that reflects poorly on the manager.

Omar Minaya

Believe it or not I believe a majority of the blame falls on the shoulders of Omar Minaya, and rightfully so. Granted he assembled an All-Star caliber team, however in doing so he neglected a key component in any championship team.

That component is depth. Minaya relied too heavily on Fernando Tatis and Daniel Murphy’s success from last season to carry over. Unfortunately it did not. Both players are hitting below .250 and neither appears to be improving. Unfortunately when taking a statistical look at things this isn’t all that surprising.

Murphy hit .290 in his minor league career (957 ABs), which is by no means poor, but it isn’t a guarantee that his success would translate over into the big leagues. Neither was the .313 batting average he compiled with the big league club in 131 at bats last year.

Fernando Tatis, on the other hand is a career .264 hitter, and that includes a very successful campaign with the Cardinals in 1999 where he hit nearly .300.

Another critical mistake by Minaya was his unwillingness to sign free agent second basemen Orlando Hudson, who did not command an unreasonable contract and on numerous occasions stated his desire to be a Met.

Rather Minaya stuck with Luis Castillo, the second basemen he signed to a ridiculous four year deal, and was rewarded with little improvement and about a quarter of the run production that Hudson has driven in.

In reality as entertaining as it is to point fingers at certain people, the reality is there is no one person or thing to blame this disappointing first half on. The only thing Mets fans can do is patiently wait out the storm and hope that once healthy their star players can pick up where they left off.

PREGAME: Mets vs. Dodgers

awharton5@gmail.com (Andrew Wharton) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:19:57 PDT

The Mets (39-42) host the Dodgers (52-30) in a three-game series at Citi Field this week. Tonight, Mike Pelfrey (6-3, 4.26) makes the start for the Mets, while Clayton Kershaw (5-5, 3.49) takes the mound for Los Angeles.

Game time is 7:10 PM EST, and will be broadcast locally on SNY. Follow live online via MLB.TV or MLB.com's Gameday application.

Pitching Matchup
Mike Pelfrey: 15 GS, 6-3, 4.26 ERA, 88.2 IP, 97 H, 42 ER, 31 BB, 43 K

Clayton Kershaw: 16 GS, 5-5, 3.49 ERA, 87.2 IP, 63 H, 34 ER, 52 BB, 88 K

Tonight's Lineup

Luis Castillo, 2b

Alex Cora, ss

David Wright, 3b

Gary Sheffield, rf

Fernando Tatis, 1b

Ryan Church, cf

Nick Evans, lf

Omir Santos, c

Mike Pelfrey, sp

Omar Minaya spoke with reporters today in regards to Mets players on the DL.

Jose Reyes was in New York today to receive a cortisone shot after feeling discomfort in his hamstring.
Carlos Beltran has been riding an exercise bike and will be reevaluated after the All-Star break.
Carlos Delgado has begun hitting off of a tee and things are going smoothly, and is targeting a mid-August return.
J.J. Putz continues to rehab, but nothing baseball-wise.
John Maine threw a flat ground session today.
Billy Wagner is now throwing to live hitters and is doing great, according to team officials. The Mets still say he is likely to return late August-early September.

What a list...I really hope Reyes comes back soon, as I think he is the one the Mets miss the most. He allows guys like Cora and Castillo to slide in the order, while also giving the Mets a legitimate threat in many ways at the top of the order.

Delgado and Beltran would be nice to have right now, too, as it would allow Sheffield to hit in the sixth hole where he belongs and where he is more likely to see fastballs.

Either way, this team has been stricken with bad luck from the get-go...first it was Ollie, then Delgado, then Pelfrey, then Maine, then Reyes, then Beltran, etc., etc...

Come on guys, let's keep afloat until our players get healthy! LGM!

Anatomy of a Franchise: The New York Mets - Part IV - Was 1969 a Fluke?

rsmcloser@cox.net (Vegas Rich) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:15:22 PDT

Bob Scheffing was promoted to the Mets General Manager after the untimely death of Johnny Murphy in January 1970. The Mets had just come off their “Miracle” season of 1969 with their first Playoff, World Series and Championship in its brief seven year history.

The two sided answer to the question, was 1969 a fluke? That would be answered in the next coming months as the Mets prepared for yet another Spring Training in St. Petersburg Florida where they shared the training facilities with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Bob Scheffing came to the Mets organization after a career as a player with a little over 500 games with the Cubs, Reds, and Cardinals. A rather pedestrian .263 career lifetime average set no fires blazing in that realm. He managed both the Cubs and the Tigers, did a little broadcasting and some scouting before becoming the Mets GM.

I have nothing against the man personally and his only point of note in Mets history that it was under his tenure that Nolan Ryan was traded to the Angels for Jim Fregosi in what has been called the most lopsided trade in Mets history. Scheffing was put in a corner by Ryan. Nolan clearly not a big city boy absolutely hated New York and wanted out of this city in the worst way. So what did Scheffing do? He sent him to LA. Now that was a real small town in 1971. Right.

Here was a great opportunity for the Mets ownership to build this franchise and make it a force to be reckoned with for the next decade. They went with a relatively inexperience person in a front office position where they needed a power guy.

This, now looking back, begins the pattern of poor moves that we still see almost 40 years later.

Here is the starting lineup for the 1970 Mets.

1. Tommy Agee CF
2. Bud Harrelson SS
3. Joey Foy 3B
4. Cleon Jones LF
5. Art Shamsky 1B
6. Ron Swoboda RF
7. Wayne Garrett 2B
8. Jerry Grote C
9. Tom Seaver P

This was a pretty good team and it was expected to be near or at the top of the National League Eastern Division.

The Mets finished the 1970 season with an 83-79 record. They had the same record in 1971 and 1972 and although the pitchers did well, the lack of hitting and run production resulted in 3 straight 3rd place finishes.

I moved to Vernon Connecticut in August of 1970 because a good teaching job became available at a small private school specializing in Special Education. My wife’s, whose Mets record was now a glimmering 0-8 was pregnant with out first child and the house we rented had one of those huge roof top antennas’ which rotated 360 degrees. So I was now able to get both New York as well as Boston TV channels as clear as day. Life couldn’t get better than this.

Prior to the 1972 season, one of my boyhood heroes that I got to know personally, who by the way he carried himself with dignity and pride passed away. Gil Hodges was dead at 48 years old from a massive coronary heart attack, just like my Dad.

My memories of the years following the 69 Mets until the “Ya Gotta Believe” Tug McGraw’s rallying cry in the summer of 1973 were that of a fan who now expected his team should and could win all the games they played. Neither the team nor I, I’m sorry to say had a whole lot of enthusiasm. I had an excuse. They didn’t.

When they started their great comeback in the summer of ‘73’ the Mets sat in the cellar in the east with a 61-71 record. Yogi Berra who was as much fun as Casey Stengel was in the sixties, made one outrageous statement after another that kept the media close and put the spotlight on a team that seemed to cherish the limelight they were in. His best quote that year every fan in baseball knows, “It ain’t over till it’s over”. That was Yogi’s answer when asked about the Mets chances that summer.

On September 3rd 1970 Ellen and I drove to the city in my 1967 Dodge Charger with more horsepower beneath the hood than in all of General George Custer’s 7th Cavalry. I was so positive that “Her Streak” was going to end that day, I promised her dinner at Mama Leones in the city the next day.

The Mets had beaten the Phillies 5-0 the previous day and had won 3 of their last 4 so the NL Eastern Division had 5 teams within 6 games of 1st place all of them with a losing record. Oh the mediocrity, or oh the parity depending on your perspective.

The Mets led 3-2 going into the fifth inning and I was feeling good. Craig Swan was pitching well. He had given up a run in each of the first two innings but we had scored three. I figured if we win the game and end the streak I might even consider the request to have a third child which was very much on Ellen’s mind at the time. Barbara Lynn Marsh came to us on June 25th that year and I had her in Mets pink from day one, while my, now almost 3 year old son, Russell Michael was sporting his first Gil Hodges first baseman’s glove.

My dream however was short lived as Greg (The Bull) Luzinski blasted a 2 run homerun off Swan as the Phil’s went on to defeat the Mets 6-3.

Guess who never got to Mama Leones that next day. She was lucky I took her to Nathans for dogs and fries.

Over 30,000 of us went home thinking that no way were the Mets going to make it to the post season and her streak stood now at 9.

Of course, wouldn’t you know it, after my trip to Shea the Mets went on to win 18 of their next 25 and win the pennant with an 82-79 record. Now this was a miracle.

Every lifelong Mets fan alive knows that these underdogs of underdogs went on to beat up the Big Red Machine in the playoffs and Bud Harrelson kicked Pete Rose’s ass.

They also just missed winning their second World Series in 5 years as they led the powerful Oakland A’s 3games to 2 with Seaver and Koosman to pitch game 6 and 7. But that victory was not meant to be.

That year ended another streak in Mets history. They finished over .500 for 5 consecutive years. They had the opportunity to become a dynasty with this team. The ownership made poor decisions from the GM down. Mrs. Payson might have been a wonderful little old lady but she knew squat about baseball and turned the operation over to people who knew little more than she did. The fact that they did as well as they did during these 5 years was because they had kept some of the great talented pitching core together with the exception of Nolan Ryan. Plus frankly during this time the rest of the National League wasn’t having any breakout teams as of yet.

This trend will only get worse during the next 10 years which I call “The Lost Years” coming to you in part 5 of the Anatomy of a Franchise.

Thanks for listening.

Vegas Rich

Sunday Banter: Little Leaguers play better than this

noreply@blogger.com (Dom DiFucci) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:25:56 PDT

You can't sugar coat what we have been seeing this year from the Mets. It is clearly a team that is unwatchable at this point. The more Mets fans clamor over getting a trade done, Omar comes out and says he will stand pat with what he has.. Is he kidding? I have seen better play from Little Leaguers this year.. At least they catch..

Another point is , when the Mets come home next week - Stay home! The Mets will get the point.. The Dodgers will come in and pound the baseball and outscore the Mets. That's all you have to do is let the Mets make a couple of errors or walk the bases loaded and wait for the big hit from the opposition. Even the great Johan Santana has let his guard down in recent starts...

So let's get it straight Mets Fans, No Trades because we have players coming off the DL soon (we hope). By then the Mets will be 7 games behind and looking up at the Phillies again...

The Mets don't care that we want to see a winning product on the field, they just care about their pockets...

I think Omar overrates his minor leaguers. Nick Evans is nothing special to watch, either is F-Mart ( who is now hurt). Daniel Murphy could be something, but is now pressing.. Jon Niese did not impress me or the Mets (obviously Minors)..

It's really, really sad that in a big market the Mets can't get back on track by making a move, but instead making excuses. Show some balls Wilpons and spend some money!

ESPN Video : Is Stephen Strasberg the real deal?

noreply@blogger.com (Dom DiFucci) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:14:24 PDT

ESPN's Keith Law is impressed with what he sees from Stephen Strasburg.. The Washington National first round pick.

Injury Update: No timetable for Reyes, Pagan coming back

noreply@blogger.com (Dom DiFucci) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:53:37 PDT

According to the TCPalm.com, Jose Reyes has been in St.Lucie working out.

Reyes arrived Wednesday and has been taking batting and fielding practice, and was seen jogging on the team’s training facility backfields. He appeared to be in good spirits Thursday, sticking around to chat with Gulf Coast League Mets manager Julio Franco — and others — after his workout.

Reyes, 26, has not played for New York since May 20, when he took himself out of a game in Los Angeles after aggravating a right calf injury. He then tore a hamstring tendon during an extended spring training game here on June 3 and following that setback he returned to New York.

Mets vice president of media relations, Jay Horwitz said Thursday “there is no timetable” on how long Reyes will remain here or when he will be ready to play in a game. Reyes told the New York Times on Saturday he was still “a long way” from running at full speed.

Meanwhile, outfielder Angel Pagan, who is recovering from a right groin injury, is getting closer to his return from the disabled list. Pagan said he is going through a series of tests to determine if he can be cleared to begin a rehab assignment with either the Gulf Coast League or St. Lucie Mets.

Pagan was batting .333 in 42 at-bats before his latest injury. He missed most of last season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder and started this season on the disabled list after undergoing surgery to remove a right elbow bone spur.

“I feel like a million bucks,” Pagan said Thursday. “I’ve been working out great, and I feel better than the first time when I got hurt (and came back). I’m very positive I will stay healthy this time.”

Source:TCPalm.com

News: Oliver Perez slated to start Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Dom DiFucci) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:44:30 PDT

New York Mets left-hander Oliver Perez took another step toward returning from a right knee injury, allowing three runs in five-plus innings Friday night in a Triple-A rehabilitation start.

Perez gave up five hits and four walks while striking out four for the Buffalo Bisons. He threw 92 pitches, 46 for strikes, and delivered a first-pitch strike to only seven of the 23 Rochester Red Wings he faced.

Perez has said reaching 100 pitches in a rehab start was all he needed to rejoin the Mets' rotation.

Matt Macri hit a leadoff homer in the fifth against Perez, who allowed back-to-back doubles in the sixth before being replaced.

Perez is scheduled to return to the Mets for a start on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

PREGAME: Mets @ Phillies

awharton5@gmail.com (Andrew Wharton) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:39:19 PDT

The Mets (39-40) continue their weekend series against the Phillies (40-37) today at Citizens Bank Park. Fernando Nieve (3-1, 2.25) takes the hill for the Mets, while Jamie Moyer (6-6, 6.05) opposes him for the defending World Champions.

Game time is 4:05 PM EST, and will be broadcast nationally on FOX. Follow the game live online via MLB.com's Gameday application.

Today's Lineup

Luis Castillo, 2b

Alex Cora, ss

David Wright, 3b

Gary Sheffield, rf

Fernando Tatis, 1b

Ryan Church, cf

Nick Evans, lf

Omir Santos, c

Fernando Nieve, sp

Mets' Lock & Key
Lock: David Wright will have a solid day at the plate against old-timer Jamie Moyer.

Key: Fernando Nieve must keep the Mets in the ballgame, unlike Livan Hernandez did last night.

The spot is yours for now, Fernando. Redding is in the bullpen, so prove Jerry right for sticking with you over Redding for the #5 spot in the rotation. With Ollie set to come back next Wednesday (I never thought I'd be so happy for him to return, either), Fernando and Livan must step their game up.

I have a hunch Nieve will be okay today, giving up only two or three runs in six innings of work. A rested Mets bullpen will come in and shut down the Phillies for a big 5-3 win.

Of course, I've been wrong before... Happy 4th of July, and LGM!

Mets inside the numbers...

noreply@blogger.com (Dom DiFucci) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:14:06 PDT

Mets Ranking in the NL:

AVG	R	OBP	SLG	OPS	SB
.272	354	.349	.399	.747	79
1st	7th	1st	11th	4th	1st
ERA	BAA	OPS	SV	WHIP	QS
4.29	.261	.741	23	1.43	42
9th	10th	9th	4th	14th	6th

Elias Stat:

Livan Hernandez allowed 10 hits and four walks in just three innings pitched in the Mets' 7-2 loss to the Phillies Friday night. Hernandez is the third starting pitcher in Mets' history to allow at least 14 base runners while pitching three or fewer innings. Pedro Astacio allowed 12 hits and two walks in three innings pitched in a start against the Dodgers in 2002 and Oliver Perez posted those same numbers against the Rockies in 2006.

Mets Top Ten Salaries:

Player	Salary (US$)
1. Carlos Beltran	19,243,682
2. Johan Santana	18,876,139
3. Gary Sheffield	14,000,000
4 a. Carlos Delgado	12,000,000
4 b. Oliver Perez	12,000,000
6. Billy Wagner	10,500,000
7. Francisco Rodriguez	9,166,666
8. David Wright	7,750,000
9. Luis Castillo	6,250,000
10. Jose Reyes	6,125,000

Only five players in the top ten in salaries are active (In Green)

2009 - Attendance		Home				Road			Overall
RNK	TEAM	GMS	TOTAL	AVG	PCT	GMS	AVG	PCT	GMS	AVG	PCT
1	NY Yankees	39	1,762,064	45,181	86.3	40	35,199	81.1	79	40,127	83.9
2	Philadelphia	36	1,577,736	43,826	100.7	41	30,858	67.2	77	36,921	82.4
3	LA Dodgers	41	1,776,562	43,330	77.4	39	33,054	75.0	80	38,320	76.4
4	LA Angels	37	1,511,912	40,862	90.7	41	28,279	59.2	78	34,248	73.7
5	St. Louis	44	1,770,110	40,229	85.8	38	28,915	68.5	82	34,986	78.3
6	Chicago Cubs	36	1,435,664	39,879	97.0	41	35,419	82.0	77	37,504	88.8
7	NY Mets	39	1,526,308	39,136	93.2	40	32,662	74.2	79	35,858	83.4
8	Milwaukee	40	1,515,444	37,886	89.4	40	29,317	68.9	80	33,602	79.1
9	Boston	36	1,361,477	37,818	101.5	43	34,115	74.4	79	35,803	85.4
10	San Francisco	37	1,287,964	34,809	83.8	41	30,432	66.1	78	32,508	74.1

Mets 7th in Attendance

Best Parks to hit in:

Park Factor - Through Friday, July 3, 2009
Rk	Park Name	Runs	HR	H	2B	3B	BB
1	Chase Field (Phoenix, Arizona)	1.340	1.513	1.123	1.437	1.291	0.992
2	Coors Field (Denver, Colorado)	1.308	1.049	1.178	1.183	2.044	1.023
3	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (Minneapolis, Minnesota)	1.278	1.134	1.138	1.179	1.677	0.907
4	Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri)	1.214	0.882	1.145	1.160	2.188	1.124
5	Land Shark Stadium (Miami, Florida)	1.175	1.101	1.124	1.063	0.673	1.110
6	Wrigley Field (Chicago, Illinois)	1.121	1.047	1.022	0.992	0.651	1.005
7	Yankee Stadium (New York, NY)	1.121	1.527	1.085	0.814	0.479	1.056
8	Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (Arlington, Texas)	1.095	1.035	1.083	1.170	1.465	1.094
9	Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati, Ohio)	1.091	1.135	1.056	1.117	1.404	1.102
10	AT&T Park (San Francisco, California)	1.074	0.851	1.052	1.051	1.746	0.856

Worst Parks to hit in:

Rk	Park Name	Runs	HR	H	2B	3B	BB
21	Oakland Coliseum (Oakland, California)	0.905	0.847	0.957	1.094	0.855	0.813
22	Safeco Field (Seattle, Washington)	0.903	0.920	1.002	0.809	1.792	1.175
23	U.S. Cellular Field (Chicago, Illinois)	0.883	1.110	0.850	0.797	0.333	1.157
24	Minute Maid Park (Houston, Texas)	0.880	1.107	0.993	0.789	1.036	1.051
25	Progressive Field (Cleveland, Ohio)	0.877	0.754	0.955	0.977	0.567	0.943
26	Turner Field (Atlanta, Georgia)	0.871	0.755	0.949	0.736	2.114	0.985
27	Citi Field (New York, NY)	0.852	1.042	0.897	0.831	1.245	0.893
28	Miller Park (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)	0.842	0.979	0.891	1.211	0.762	0.974
29	Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, California)	0.829	0.936	1.006	0.979	0.428	0.799
30	Petco Park (San Diego, California)	0.767	0.675	0.809	0.828	0.566	1.159

Petco being the worst, Citi comes in 4th.....

Remember the name Aroldis Chapman

noreply@blogger.com (Dom DiFucci) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:13:41 PDT

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the big off-season free agents won't be Matt Holliday, Jason Bay or even John Lackey.

It will be 21 year old left handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman, who just recently defected from Cuba..

His fastball has been clocked at 101 - 102 MPH with a plus curve and plus slider..

Chapman pitched for Cuba during the World Baseball Classic in March, where he posted a 5.68 ERA in 6 1/3 innings. Reports during that tournament listed Chapman's age as 26.

In an interview with the Times, Yale University professor Roberto González Echevarría, the author of The Pride of Havana: A History of Cuban Baseball, called Chapman "the most promising young pitcher" to leave Cuba since Fidel Castro took over in 1959.

"He throws at a 100 miles per hour, he is more polished than most young pitchers at his age," González Echevarría told the Times. "He is a really hot property, and it will be interesting to see how much teams pay to sign him."

Hopefully it will be the Mets...But the Yankees also have interest..

Is Ryan Church The Mets Unsung Hero?

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Hoops) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:11:02 PDT

It’s funny how things have changed. A little over two months ago Mets skipper Jerry Manuel had all but officially denounced Ryan Church as an everyday player. There were rumblings that Church would eventually be traded. For the next month or so Church fell out of the limelight, rarely earning a start in right field.

However, the team began to drop like flies to the injury bug. First it was Carlos Delgado. And then others, including outfielders Carlos Beltran and reserve Angel Pagan that went onto the disabled list as well. At first Jerry tried to install rookie phenom, Fernando Martinez in center field.

When Martinez showed he was not yet ready for the task of everyday centerfielder Manuel had no choice but to put Ryan Church in the lineup everyday. Rather than, dwell on his lack of playing time earlier in the season, Church has proved Manuel wrong on the field.

Since June 22nd, which is the day Carlos Beltran went down with a knee injury Church has a .359 average (14 hits in 39 AB) and has driven in 6 runs. This includes two game winning hits in the past two games against the Pirates and Brewers respectively.

As a matter of fact, excluding his dreadful campaign in May where he hit .224, Ryan has hit well over .300 in both April and June.

For a team that has struggled recently offensively these numbers are very impressive.

In the field Church has been no slouch defensively either. In his natural position, right field, Church has a solid 0.990 fielding percentage. Recently, in order to accommodate the club’s needs, Church has moved into the more challenging center field. Although he has only played a handful of games there, Church looks rather comfortable.

While only sporting a .292 average and 21 RBIs, Church may not be the glamorous hitter, like Matt Holliday or Aubrey Huff that fans have been seeking, however he is getting the job done and deserves a little bit of recognition.

Is it time to CASH-IN on Fernando Martinez?

noreply@blogger.com (Dom DiFucci) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:14:59 PDT

The Mets have a opportunity to make some personnel moves (trade) while they are in striking distance and only 1 game out..... But, the Mets seem to think that they will have a healthy Beltran , Delgado, Reyes, and maybe Putz after the All-Star break...They also have a chance to get Billy Wagner back, who seems to be making head way. This maybe the reason we have not seen any moves yet...

But the Mets do have Fernando Martinez , a guy who the Mets are infatuated about..

It might be time to trade him and Cash-in now before it's too late.. He is only batting .178 and his fielding at times looks like a circus act. His value will only decline if it gets worse..

He is a guy that I don't get a really good feeling about. The Mets are hoping he can be Beltran's replacement, but he might be nothing...

When Reyes came up from the minors we knew we had something.. He had a swagger like I am here - (Hate me !!) I don't sense that with F-Mart.. He has some flashes, but some bumps too..

Here is a suggestion to Mr. Minaya, maybe the Mets could trade F-Mart and Niese plus lower level prospects for Roy Oswalt and Carlos Lee... The Astros would love to dump salary, but will the Mets take on salary? The Mets are not really selling out Citi Field like the thought they would and the injuries to stars are not helping much. This the type of splash you could make in a time of need..

In the other side, Drayton McLane's team is only 1 game out , but the team is losing money... The Astros could use some prospects because there farm system is one of the worst. Plus, if you can shed $ 30+ Million off a $109 Million in salaries who is better than you?

Carlos Lee is a run producer and HE IS A RIGHT HANDED HITTER.. and Oswalt is a winner on a bad team..The Mets could use these 2 guys to bolt them into October while giving up some prospects.. I don't think we can get in to the playoffs on just wait and see attitude..

The Mets are putting too much pressure on these guys (Reyes, Delgado, and Beltran) to come back in here after their injuries and make major impacts..

I hope if the Mets don't get into the playoffs they fire Minaya, but the Mets won't..

I think all the Mets care about is saving a dollar..

Here is Carlos Lee's Stats:

Batting
Last 3 years	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
2007	HOU	162	627	93	190	43	1	32	119	53	63	10	5	.303	.354	.528	.882
2008	HOU	115	436	61	137	27	0	28	100	37	49	4	1	.314	.368	.569	.937
2009	HOU	77	288	34	87	13	1	12	47	24	23	2	2	.302	.353	.479	.832
Career		1557	5921	908	1722	353	13	293	1048	484	788	112	40	.291	.344	.503	.847

Oswalt's stats:

Pitching
Last 3 years	Team	G	GS	W	L	SV	BS	HLD	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	BAA
2007	HOU	33	32	14	7	0	0	1	1	0	212.0	221	80	75	14	60	154	3.18	1.33	.265
2008	HOU	32	32	17	10	0	0	0	3	2	208.2	199	89	82	23	47	165	3.54	1.18	.253
2009	HOU	17	17	4	4	0	0	0	2	0	105.1	107	47	47	13	30	83	4.02	1.30	.267
Career		270	258	133	68	0	0	1	17	6	1727.1	1680	659	611	148	400	1418	3.18	1.20	.256

F-Mart's Stats:

Batting
Last 3 years	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
2009	NYM	28	90	11	16	6	0	1	8	5	14	2	0	.178	.245	.278	.523
Career		28	90	11	16	6	0	1	8	5	14	2	0	.178	.245	.278	.523

Niese's stats:

2009 Stats		G	W-L	ERA	IP	H	BB	K	SV	WHIP
NYM	MLB	2	0-0	5.91	10.2	14	2	10	0	1.50
BUF (nym)	AAA	13	3-6	4.85	72.1	80	21	65	0	1.40

You're Move Minaya ...

PREGAME: Mets @ Phillies

awharton5@gmail.com (Andrew Wharton) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:01:49 PDT

The New York Mets (39-39) will travel to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies (39-37) in the opener of a weekend series that is sure to be a hit. Livan Hernandez (5-3, 4.04) will make the start for the Mets, and he is coming off a nice outing against the Yankees. Rodrigo Lopez (0-0, 0.00) will take the mound for the Phillies, pitching in the Major Leagues for the first time since 2007.

Game time is 7:05 PM EST, and will be broadcast locally on SNY. Follow live online via MLB.TV or MLB.com's Gameday application.

Tonight's Lineup

Alex Cora, ss

Daniel Murphy, 1b

David Wright, 3b

Gary Sheffield, rf

Ryan Church, cf

Fernando Tatis, 2b

Nick Evans, lf

Brian Schneider, c

Livan Hernandez, sp

According to the Elias Sports Bureau (courtesy of Michael Baron at Metsblog.com), tonights marks only the second time in Mets franchise history that they have played in three different cities in three days (Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia). The last time it happened was July 23-25 in 1995 when the Mets played in Colorado, Chicago, and St. Louis. The Mets were 0-3 during that stretch.

I think it is very interesting how this team leads the league in many offensive categories, yet remains at .500. Some people claim it is because they leave a large amount of runners on base, but the last time I checked, the Mets were also among the top teams in the league hitting with RISP. Personally, I think it is a combination of untimely bad pitching and bad hitting, as this team seems to click at the wrong times.

What do I mean by that? For instance, they may score 5 or 6 runs in a game (with a depleted offense), yet the pitching will give up 5 or 6 and another couple of runs will score due to mental/physical errors. If they Mets had been playing solid, fundamental baseball this last month, they'd probably be in first place by three or four games given the way the Phillies have fallen through the floor.

Anyway, these two teams always get up to face each other, and with two of three games needing extra frames in their last series in New York, the fourth of July weekend may play host to some exciting baseball (whether the Mets win or lose).

As always, LGM!

Here's Your Leader, Right Here!

rsmcloser@cox.net (Vegas Rich) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:50:39 PDT

As we watch the Mets struggle with injuries and put secondary players into the everyday line up, the never ending talk of leadership reared it's ugly head yesterday when David Wright responded to a comment made by former Mets closer and hometown son, John Franco.

In a rather gentle way which is the (W)right was David basically told John that he does not go what goes on in the Mets clubhouse so he really isn't qualified to make that kind of statement.

Rather than adding fuel to that debate I thought we should look back at Mets in the past that were gritty players that defined leadership to the nth degree.

My earliest memory of such a player was the first tough, gritty, no nonsense type of player who Mets fans immediately identified as a player they could call their own.

That player; Ron Hunt.

He was born on Feb 23rd 1941 in St Louis Missouri. He broke into the major leagues as the second baseman for the New York Mets in 1963 and played there through the 1966 season.

Ron's speciality was to get hit by the pitch. In 1963 the Mets needed base runners and Casey Stengel didn't care how that happened. Ron has told reporters that they even had a signal that Casey would flash from the dugout to the 3rd base coach which actually called for Hunt to be hit by the pitch. Ouch, very big ouch. This became his signature trademark and contribution to the game.

Ron has attributed this to be his motto, "Some people give their bodies to science; I give mine to baseball.” During his years with the Mets Ron was hit 45 times. From 1968 through 1974 he led the league in this painful category with a total of 192 HBP. In 1971 he was hit a ridiculous 50 times falling one HBP short of the major league record.
Author Poll

Who is the leader in the Mets Clubhouse

* David Wright
* Carlos Beltran
* Johan Santana
* Gary Sheffied
* Other

vote to see results

In 12, what had to be very sore, seasons Ron's had some very respectable statistics.

He played in 1487 games. In 5235 at bats he collected 1429 hits with 223 doubles, 23 triples and 39 hr's. He drove in 370 runs with 65 stolen bases with 555 walks and 382 strike outs. Striking out 7 times out of every 100 at bats is a huge statistic. Add 243 HBP and you'll find that Ron Hunt was not an easy out.

Overall his lifetime BA .273 with a .368 OBP and .715 OPS. Those are very respectable career numbers.

The following is copied from Ron Hunt's Instructional Baseball Program.

Since 1986 Ron Hunt has been teaching the fundamentals of baseball at his facility in Missouri. He is now offering group and one-on-one instruction either at his facility or he will travel to your hometown.

Dedicated players and coaches of all ages are taught all aspects of the game 'personally' from Ron Hunt, 12 year major league veteran.

Philosophy:

Over the years Ron Hunt's players and coaches have had one thing constant ….. discipline! He teaches the mental aspects of the game as well as the physical regimen. Ron's students may not always have the most ability on the field, but they do have the most heart, desire, and dedication towards the game. His credo: executing basic fundamentals on routine plays, not committing mental errors, and maintaining a never give up attitude.

What are the benefits of his program?

Ron Hunt teaches the game of baseball personally to each and every player and coach and will provide exposure to college and professional scouts if warranted.

Along with the fundamentals of baseball, there are many other principles of life that are part of the learning experience in his program. These include self-discipline, getting along with others, taking responsibility upon oneself, being a team player, and equality.

Since 1986, 95% of Ron's summer program players have received college scholarships (20 of which that did not play high school baseball) and 11 have been drafted. Nineteen players from other organizations have received scholarships through association with the Ron Hunt Eagles Baseball Association, and 9 have been drafted.

Ron Hunt was the right player for the right team at the right time. Maybe, just maybe when one of these 10 million dollar a year players get into a rut at the plate and can't hit himself out of a paper bag, he will let the pitch take a chunk out of his hide and I bet that slump ends the very next at bat.

Ron Hunt. Now there was a leader.

Mets Look To Venezuela For The Next Big Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Hoops) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:31:37 PDT

In July of 2005, the Mets signed outfielder, Fernando Martinez out of the Dominican Republic for roughly $1.4 million. At the time the signing was seen as a pivotal move in making the Mets a winning franchise following the acquisitions of Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran.

Almost four years later, Fernando has finally broken into the big leagues. While he is off to a slow start (.180 average., 1 HR and 8 RBI) in 89 at-bats. However, his play has improved as of late and it makes it look more and more like the signing will be a success.

Today is the first day of the international free agent signing period and the Mets have signed LHP Juan Urbina. Urbina, who is the son of the troubled former MLB pitcher Ugueth Urbina, is only 16 years of age.

The team appears to be very committed to him as they have rewarded him with a large signing bonus worth around $1.2 million.

Similarly to Fernando Martinez, Urbina has a great deal of upside and the potential to be the Mets’ next top homegrown star, following in the footsteps of Jose Reyes, David Wright and Mike Pelfrey.

According to Baseball America, Urbina’s fastball hovers in the upper 80s (88-89 mph to be exact), while topping out at 91 mph.

The move signifies Omar Minaya’s desire to rebuild an otherwise weak farm system following the trades to acquire both Johan Santana and J.J. Putz.

If successful Urbina could find himself in the starting rotation within the next three years or so as Oliver Perez’s contract runs following the 2011 season and John Maine is eligible for free agency come 2012.

PREGAME: Mets @ Pirates

awharton5@gmail.com (Andrew Wharton) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:40:16 PDT

The New York Mets (38-39) will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates (36-42) in a make-up game from last month, when the Pirates swept the Mets in three games at PNC Park. Tim Redding (1-3, 6.35) makes the start for the Mets, while Paul Maholm (5-4, 4.35) takes the hill for the Bucs.

Game time is 12:35 PM EST, and will be broadcast locally on SNY. Right now there are light showers in Pittsburgh and the tarp in on the field, but it should clear up soon and they should be underway shortly.

Today's Lineup

Luis Castillo, 2b

Alex Cora, ss

David Wright, 3b

Gary Sheffield, rf

Fernando Tatis, lf

Ryan Church, cf

Nick Evans, 1b

Omir Santos, c

Tim Redding, sp

It would be nice to get a little bit of revenge on the team that absolutely embarrassed the Mets a couple weeks ago, so I'm hoping for a blowout victory in the Mets' favor. You've got to believe that they are hungry to get even with these guys, especially with the shots Beltran and Adam LaRoche were taking at each other after the series had concluded.

Tim Redding no longer has to face the pesky Nyjer Morgan or Nate McClouth, either, so this may be a good day after all. However, McCutcheon, Wilson, and Young are hitting the ball pretty well lately, so as long as he gets through the top of the order, he should be fine.

By the way, Baseball Prospectus reports that the Mets signed Venezuelan LHP Juan Urbina, who is the son of former MLB pitcher Ugueth Urbina. Here's a brief scouting report:

"Juan Urbina, who has a slender 6-foot-1 frame, throws an 88-89 mph fastball that some scouts say has touched 90-91. With a loose arm and a projectable body, Urbina'a fastball projects as a future plus if not plus-plus pitch. Urbina also has a curveball that could be a future plus offering, with a smooth delivery and a clean follow-through.

One scout called Urbina the best lefthanded pitcher he has seen in Venezuela in the last five years, high praise for a country that produced Martin Perez of the Rangers."

Not bad...maybe he turns out to be a decent relief pitcher?

Anyways, LGM!

POSTGAME: Mets 1, Brewers 0

awharton5@gmail.com (Andrew Wharton) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:26:37 PDT

The Mets (38-39) blanked the Brewers (42-36) yesterday in traditional fashion at Miller Park, as Mike Pelfrey (6-3, 4.26) pitched seven-plus shutout innings against a team that had scored 16 runs in the previous two days against Mets pitching.

Yovani Gallardo (8-5, 2.75) was just as brilliant, pitching seven innings of one-run ball while striking out 12.

Notables
Nick Evans: 1 for 3, 2B
Ryan Church: 1 for 3, RBI
Luis Castillo: 1 for 4, 2B

The Good:

Mike Pelfrey proved me wrong, and was absolutely amazing. I think that might be the best I've ever seen Big Pelf pitch. He totally owned the hitters, worked ahead in the counts, and got some big ground balls when he needed them.
Nick Evans and Ryan Church continue to hit, even against a tough pitcher like Gallardo. Church is hitting .327 with five doubles and seven RBIs in his last fifteen games.

The Bad:

David Wright had three more strikeouts, bringing his season total to 79. Although hate the "on-pace" stat, it's still scary to see that he is en route to striking out 167 times this year, after striking out 118 times last season. I blame HoJo.

The Ugly:

Nothing at all. This was a beautiful, classic pitcher's duel.

Mets' Player of the Game: Mike Pelfrey

Great game all around...I love pitcher's duels, but only when it involves two high-caliber pitchers. If it was Pelfrey versus Seth McClung, that'd be another story.

Hopefully they are righting the ship, and hopefully this win propels Pelfrey into stardom. Like I said, hopefully...

PREGAME: Mets @ Brewers

awharton5@gmail.com (Andrew Wharton) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:50:29 PDT

The Mets (37-39) finish their series with the Brewers (42-35) today at Miller Park in the sunlight. Mike Pelfrey (5-3, 4.67) takes the hill to begin the new month, while Yovani Gallardo (8-4, 2.86) opposes him for the Brewers.

Game time is 2:05 PM EST, and will be broadcast locally on SNY. Follow live online via MLB.TV or MLB.com's Gameday application.

Pitching Matchup
Mike Pelfrey: 14 GS, 5-3, 4.67 ERA, 81.0 IP, 91 H, 42 ER, 29 BB, 37 K

Yovani Gallardo: 15 GS, 8-4, 2.86 ERA, 97.2 IP, 69 H, 31 ER, 44 BB, 102 K

Today's Lineup

Alex Cora, ss

Luis Castillo, 2b

David Wright, 3b

Ryan Church, rf

Nick Evans, lf

Daniel Murphy, 1b

Fernando Martinez, cf

Brian Schneider, c

Mike Pelfrey, sp

Once again, Mike Pelfrey is slated to go opposite the other team's ace, which seems to happen more often than not these days. In one way I feel bad for Pelfrey because now everybody is looking to a young arm to try and put a stop to a horrific slide, but on the other hand, he is a big boy now and should be able to handle this sort of thing.

I'm also curious as to how the young guys like Evans, Murphy, and Martinez are going to handle the filthy stuff of Yovani Gallardo, who tends to make even the best hitters look completely clueless when he is on. My guess is that Gallardo wins the battle.

Mets fans, you might want to get ready for loss number six because Pelfrey is going to have to shut down the Brewers in order to stay in this game. I don't think Pelfrey will do too bad, but I think he is likely to give up at least two or three runs with the way he has been pitching lately.

I hope I am wrong, though...LGM!