First, you might notice the new name. Ed decided to do away with any Jets and Islanders blogging for the most part (though if the Isles draft a goalie with their first round pick this weekend, I may change my mind), so I needed to change the name. What better name than Keith's favorite saying "Nice Level Swing"? That's what I strive for here, a nice level swing at a good post. Sadly, my average is in Endy territory.
So, last night, game 2 of the Manuel Era. Perez vs. Garland. Jose was in the lineup, so apparently Jerry wasn't too pissed about the temper tantrum Tuesday. Delgado was moved to DH (showcase for an AL team?). Marlon played first.
Mets jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Jose led off with a single (Jerry then yelled from the dugout "Are you all right?" Somehow, I don't see Willie making that joke.). He then stole second, went to third on a throwing error, and scored on a DW groundout. Top third, Jose decides to give the Angels catcher a break and hits a triple. Marlon drove him in with a Sac Fly. In the 4th, Delgado Del-Got-One, and it was 3-0.
The Angels scored one in the bottom of the 4th. In the 5th, they took a 4-3 lead, though DW made a nice play to save another run, and then Torii Hunter got caught sleeping trying to go to second, and got caught in a rundown (nice heads up by El Cabesa Grande to throw to 2nd). Things looked dark for Jerry's Kids, as they did nothing in the 6 - 8th. In the ninth, Francisco Rodriguez, who had not blown a save since April 7th came on to pitch. Castro led off with a pop out. Jose singled. Tatis struck out. F-Rod then uncorked a wild pitch, moving Jose to 2nd with DW at the plate. David has struggled in late games. The Mets struggle with RISP, much less RISP with 2 outs. So of course, DW laces a slider into left, tying the game.
Dirty pitched a scoreless ninth, and we go to extras with the black hole that is the lower half of the lineup due to hit. Delgado grounded out. Nixon struck out. Damion Easley followed with a homer to left, and the Mets led 5-4. Bill came in for a 1-2-3 10th, and the Mets move on to Colorado winners of 2 straight series, and a win against a team that had been 201-2 when leading after 8 innings since 2006. That HAS to be a confidence boost for this team.
Sadly, Ed was not able to see the game as he is out of town, so I cannot say how the players look. But to my eyes on Metsgeek, the team seems looser and having more fun. Heck, they are even hazing Joe Smith by making him wear a "Hello Kitty" backpack on his pre-game walks from the dugout to the pen. Good stuff there.
Is this a turning point? I don't know, the time machine is broken. But I will say this, the team had shown some signs of life lately under Willie. Perhaps they had already started to turn the corner. Maybe the change from automatic to Manuel is going to shift them into the next gear.
I hope so.
Just
Win
Series
LGM
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Change? What Change?
So, game 1 of the Jerry Manuel Era is in the books. A loss. Like you were surprised?
Look, you had Tatis and Chavez in the lineup. Jose lasted all of 1 at-bat before Jerry pulled him (we will get to that a bit later). They were facing Lackey, who certainly isn't one (He's got a 1.73 ERA for a reason). Add to that the turmoil of the day, and you had a recipe for a loss.
Before I get to other things, let's talk about Jose. Apparently, after singling to lead off the game (Positive Impact from Jerry no doubt!), he began to rub his leg. The crack medical staff and Jerry went out to check on him. Jose said he was OK. The trainers probably said the same. Jerry, relying on past experience with the training staff, (see Church, Ryan), pulled Jose quicker than Heilman blows a game (BURN!). Jose apparently did not like this, and let Jerry know it by throwing his helmet and pulling out his jersey. Now, there could be a few reasons for his reaction:
1. Jose was upset that he was hurt.
2. Jose wants to win, and knew that given the lineup out there, his being pulled wasn't going to help.
3. Jose is a petulant child who showed up his manager.
Of course, Gary Cohen opted for #3. Because those who get paid to do play-by-play know more. I'm getting a little sick and damn tired of the constant bullshit about Jose being a knucklehead. From Mike Celzic at MSNBC, to John Delcos, to countless others, this is the shit being fed to fans, and a good portion of the fanbase is eating it up, despite the fact it is shit. If David Wright did the same thing, they would all be praising his "hard nosed approach". Jose does it, and is a baby. Enough. He is back to nearly being where he was in 2006. Look at the stats guys. He's having a better year than the reigning MVP, Jimmy Rollins (who it should be noted, was pulled from a game for lack of hustle, though I didn't see ESPN talking about that too much).
End Jose Rant.
Now, as for the team, it is quite simple. These guys need to know that they cost a good man his job. Willie wasn't the best manager, but he was a good man, and their shitty play cost him. They need to now put up or shut up. If anyone had a problem with Willie, well, he is gone, as is your lame ass excuse. Lift up your skirts, show a little sack, and win some fucking ballgames. Delgado, dive for a ball more than once a month. Beltran, lets try upping that SLG%, shall we? DW, lets take a day off and get back to driving the ball. Wags, STFU and do your damn job.
6.5 games back with 3.5 months left is not a lot. There is a lot of talent there. Show it. Just win series.
Oh, one last thing, Tony Bernazard needs to be fired. Now. For him to tell players what Willie said about them in Front Office meetings is the lowest of the low. I could NOT care less (that's for you Dep) if Jose loves him, or Beltran does. If he undermined Willie, who's to say who won't undermine Jerry, or whoever manages the team next year.
OK, I lied, one more last thing - Bobby Valentine is not walking through that door fans. Put it out of your mind. He gets paid a fortune and is treated like a king in Japan. Why would he come back to the shitshow that is the NY Mets organization at this point? Unless they gave him GM and Managerial duties. Which would SUCK.
Look, you had Tatis and Chavez in the lineup. Jose lasted all of 1 at-bat before Jerry pulled him (we will get to that a bit later). They were facing Lackey, who certainly isn't one (He's got a 1.73 ERA for a reason). Add to that the turmoil of the day, and you had a recipe for a loss.
Before I get to other things, let's talk about Jose. Apparently, after singling to lead off the game (Positive Impact from Jerry no doubt!), he began to rub his leg. The crack medical staff and Jerry went out to check on him. Jose said he was OK. The trainers probably said the same. Jerry, relying on past experience with the training staff, (see Church, Ryan), pulled Jose quicker than Heilman blows a game (BURN!). Jose apparently did not like this, and let Jerry know it by throwing his helmet and pulling out his jersey. Now, there could be a few reasons for his reaction:
1. Jose was upset that he was hurt.
2. Jose wants to win, and knew that given the lineup out there, his being pulled wasn't going to help.
3. Jose is a petulant child who showed up his manager.
Of course, Gary Cohen opted for #3. Because those who get paid to do play-by-play know more. I'm getting a little sick and damn tired of the constant bullshit about Jose being a knucklehead. From Mike Celzic at MSNBC, to John Delcos, to countless others, this is the shit being fed to fans, and a good portion of the fanbase is eating it up, despite the fact it is shit. If David Wright did the same thing, they would all be praising his "hard nosed approach". Jose does it, and is a baby. Enough. He is back to nearly being where he was in 2006. Look at the stats guys. He's having a better year than the reigning MVP, Jimmy Rollins (who it should be noted, was pulled from a game for lack of hustle, though I didn't see ESPN talking about that too much).
End Jose Rant.
Now, as for the team, it is quite simple. These guys need to know that they cost a good man his job. Willie wasn't the best manager, but he was a good man, and their shitty play cost him. They need to now put up or shut up. If anyone had a problem with Willie, well, he is gone, as is your lame ass excuse. Lift up your skirts, show a little sack, and win some fucking ballgames. Delgado, dive for a ball more than once a month. Beltran, lets try upping that SLG%, shall we? DW, lets take a day off and get back to driving the ball. Wags, STFU and do your damn job.
6.5 games back with 3.5 months left is not a lot. There is a lot of talent there. Show it. Just win series.
Oh, one last thing, Tony Bernazard needs to be fired. Now. For him to tell players what Willie said about them in Front Office meetings is the lowest of the low. I could NOT care less (that's for you Dep) if Jose loves him, or Beltran does. If he undermined Willie, who's to say who won't undermine Jerry, or whoever manages the team next year.
OK, I lied, one more last thing - Bobby Valentine is not walking through that door fans. Put it out of your mind. He gets paid a fortune and is treated like a king in Japan. Why would he come back to the shitshow that is the NY Mets organization at this point? Unless they gave him GM and Managerial duties. Which would SUCK.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Ed's Back. And Ed is PISSED
You can't kill me. I'm like Michael Meyers.
Oh, I'm not saying I'm gonna post every day. It might be weekly or less. But when shit pops, I gotta vent. What better day than today. The day Son of Fred (SoF) reared his head. It seems SoF is giving SoG (Hank S)a run for "Biggest Silver Spoon Idiot" in NY baseball ownership (neither of course can hold a candle to Dolan).
But first, some housekeeping. To those who came and wished me well, many thanks. Mike, I love your blog, and miss you over on Metsgeek. Rickey, I love your blog as well. Coop, ditto. Danny, you are the man.
As for the Philth fans, well, what can I say, your team did win the division last year. Kudos. Of course, they then reverted to mediocrity in the playoffs. Maybe Chase ran out of grease for his hair? How's J-Roll doing so far this year? Nice to see the reiging MVP pulled out of a game for lack of hustle. I wonder where Ryan Howard will be traded to, since the Philth ain't gonna pay him. Enjoy the ride so far this year. Remember, it ain't over till game 162.
On to more important stuff. Last night, the Mets, after smacking around the Angels, fired Willie, The Jacket and Tom Nieto. This after making them all fly west. Apparently, the decision was made yesterday morning, but in typical Mets fashion, they waited until the dead of night to pull the trigger. It's like Bob Irsay took over (if you need the reference for that, look up the Baltimore Colts) for the day.
Now, I'm not saying Willie didn't deserve to be fired. I frankly don't care. I do think the way this was handled was bush league, as per usual with the Wiplons. Yes, they spend money, but they have a penchant for idiocy. They listen to players (see Franco, John and Leiter, Al) about rookies. They leak like the levees in New Orleans. They come up with idiotic marketing ideas (You're Season has Come anyone?) Now, they force Omar's hand into firing Willie. I have little doubt that Omar wanted to wait until the off-day, but the constant stream of bullshit coming out of the owners box made him make the move now.
Willie wasn't perfect, and probably should have been let go after last season. But they made a decision to keep him. Now, after putting him on basically a day-to-day notice, they fire him in the dead of night, after a fucking win. Against a top AL team. Nice.
As for The Jacket, I'm torn. I think he has done good work, but it may be that he can't get through to some of the guys he has to work with. He did help a few, but he made some changes that left many scratching their heads (Pelfrey to give up the curve, Heilman to change his arm angle.). In any event, it seems the fans who say "fire" demanded a sacrifice, and they got their wish.
Tom Nieto, well, I have no idea why he was fired and Send-em Sandy Alomar was kept around. I did some research and found the following things he did wrong:
1. Drank jobu’s rum
2. Kept hanging around DW at clubs scaring away the girls.
3. Made jokes about Pedro’s little friend (the dwarf you perverts)
4. Kept yelling “neener neener” at the opposing pitcher.
5. Told Willie to ph Cliff Floyd. Last night.
6. Helped Jose choreograph his dances.
7. Was in the recording studio with Lastings Milledge
So, we get Jerry Manuel, who is 500-471 as a manager. He won one division title. This is the man who is to lead the Mets to victory.
I am happy for Ken Oberkfell to get the bench coaching job. Though we are not sure if that is his role, since it was not defined in the press release. Surprise.
The media are already having a field day with this. The Wiplon's are getting slammed left and right. It will be "interesting" to hear Fatso and Ninny on WFAN this afternoon. The "fans" are appeased. The question is, does this translate to WINS? Will this make Big Mouth Billy Bass STFU and close games? Will it make Delgado hit for power? Will it make Alou and El Duque healthy? Will DW be able to hit righties?
Time will tell. In the meantime:
Just
Fucking
Win
Oh, I'm not saying I'm gonna post every day. It might be weekly or less. But when shit pops, I gotta vent. What better day than today. The day Son of Fred (SoF) reared his head. It seems SoF is giving SoG (Hank S)a run for "Biggest Silver Spoon Idiot" in NY baseball ownership (neither of course can hold a candle to Dolan).
But first, some housekeeping. To those who came and wished me well, many thanks. Mike, I love your blog, and miss you over on Metsgeek. Rickey, I love your blog as well. Coop, ditto. Danny, you are the man.
As for the Philth fans, well, what can I say, your team did win the division last year. Kudos. Of course, they then reverted to mediocrity in the playoffs. Maybe Chase ran out of grease for his hair? How's J-Roll doing so far this year? Nice to see the reiging MVP pulled out of a game for lack of hustle. I wonder where Ryan Howard will be traded to, since the Philth ain't gonna pay him. Enjoy the ride so far this year. Remember, it ain't over till game 162.
On to more important stuff. Last night, the Mets, after smacking around the Angels, fired Willie, The Jacket and Tom Nieto. This after making them all fly west. Apparently, the decision was made yesterday morning, but in typical Mets fashion, they waited until the dead of night to pull the trigger. It's like Bob Irsay took over (if you need the reference for that, look up the Baltimore Colts) for the day.
Now, I'm not saying Willie didn't deserve to be fired. I frankly don't care. I do think the way this was handled was bush league, as per usual with the Wiplons. Yes, they spend money, but they have a penchant for idiocy. They listen to players (see Franco, John and Leiter, Al) about rookies. They leak like the levees in New Orleans. They come up with idiotic marketing ideas (You're Season has Come anyone?) Now, they force Omar's hand into firing Willie. I have little doubt that Omar wanted to wait until the off-day, but the constant stream of bullshit coming out of the owners box made him make the move now.
Willie wasn't perfect, and probably should have been let go after last season. But they made a decision to keep him. Now, after putting him on basically a day-to-day notice, they fire him in the dead of night, after a fucking win. Against a top AL team. Nice.
As for The Jacket, I'm torn. I think he has done good work, but it may be that he can't get through to some of the guys he has to work with. He did help a few, but he made some changes that left many scratching their heads (Pelfrey to give up the curve, Heilman to change his arm angle.). In any event, it seems the fans who say "fire" demanded a sacrifice, and they got their wish.
Tom Nieto, well, I have no idea why he was fired and Send-em Sandy Alomar was kept around. I did some research and found the following things he did wrong:
1. Drank jobu’s rum
2. Kept hanging around DW at clubs scaring away the girls.
3. Made jokes about Pedro’s little friend (the dwarf you perverts)
4. Kept yelling “neener neener” at the opposing pitcher.
5. Told Willie to ph Cliff Floyd. Last night.
6. Helped Jose choreograph his dances.
7. Was in the recording studio with Lastings Milledge
So, we get Jerry Manuel, who is 500-471 as a manager. He won one division title. This is the man who is to lead the Mets to victory.
I am happy for Ken Oberkfell to get the bench coaching job. Though we are not sure if that is his role, since it was not defined in the press release. Surprise.
The media are already having a field day with this. The Wiplon's are getting slammed left and right. It will be "interesting" to hear Fatso and Ninny on WFAN this afternoon. The "fans" are appeased. The question is, does this translate to WINS? Will this make Big Mouth Billy Bass STFU and close games? Will it make Delgado hit for power? Will it make Alou and El Duque healthy? Will DW be able to hit righties?
Time will tell. In the meantime:
Just
Fucking
Win
Friday, May 09, 2008
Closing Time
For those of you who continue to come here and wonder "Where is Ed", well, Ed started a new job in January, which has led to limited time to blog.
In addition to not having the time, I just don't have the drive to post anymore. I would either be killing the guys or praising them, just like the many other Mets centric blogs out there. Most of those are a heck of a lot better than this one.
As a result, I've decided to drain the BOG. It was fun while it lasted, and I thank everyone who stopped by to read my thoughts on the Mets, and to a lesser extent, the Jets and Islanders.
I'll be around on Metsgeek of course. And I still read Metstradmus, Toasted Joe and Faith & Fear among others.
Thanks again. And
Let's
Go
Mets!
In addition to not having the time, I just don't have the drive to post anymore. I would either be killing the guys or praising them, just like the many other Mets centric blogs out there. Most of those are a heck of a lot better than this one.
As a result, I've decided to drain the BOG. It was fun while it lasted, and I thank everyone who stopped by to read my thoughts on the Mets, and to a lesser extent, the Jets and Islanders.
I'll be around on Metsgeek of course. And I still read Metstradmus, Toasted Joe and Faith & Fear among others.
Thanks again. And
Let's
Go
Mets!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
An Open Letter to Wally Matthews
Dear Wally,
Have you lost what's left of your mind?
Once again you waste resources with a crappy column bashing the Mets. This time, you decided to attack Jose Reyes, asking if he wants to be Derek Jeter or Rey Ordonez. You see Jeter as a "winner" and Ordonez as a "loser". Now, I (and most Mets fans) would agree with you on Rey-Rey, but as for Jeter, we got a problem.
Exactly what has Jeter won in the past 7 seasons? Nothing. No rings. No championships. He "led" his team to losses to the Diamondbacks and the Marlins in the World Series. He "led" them to the biggest choke in baseball history in 2004. He "led" them to a first round loss last season.
I don't want Reyes to be Jeter, someone who as Captain should have put aside his ego and not been an ass toward Alex Rodriguez, simply because Alex has significantly more talent than Jeter. Someone who as Captain bent over when Roger Clemens was signed, and then resigned, despite having been thrown at by Clemens in the past. Someone who as Captain has had teammates traded who he did not get along with.
The fact is that since other key cogs of the winning Yankee teams of the late 1990's left (O'Neill, Bernie, etc), Jeter has not been able to seal the deal. So tell me Wally, if Jeter gets so much credit for all the winning then, why does he not get the balme now for the losing? If he was such a great player, he would be able to lead the Yankees to victory every year, no?
Has Reyes struggled a tad at the start of this season, yes. As has pretty much every other hitter on the Mets. Reyes' April 2007 was fantastic, but no one in their right mind would expect him to be able to do that all the time. Oh wait, we are talking about you. For example, lets take the past two games in Chicago. David Wright failed to get a hit. Carlos Beltran was awful. So it is not all on Reyes. Even when he does get on base, the team is failing to drive him in.
You note the Mets record last April was 13-6. Right now they stand at 11-9. So tell me, what is the difference? Two games, when there are still a few games left in the month? Tell me, did Jeter share in the blame last season when the Yankees got off to a 9 - 14 April? That included a 7 game losing streak, where the Yanks lost 4 to the Red Sox. Doesn't the #2 hitter share blame, especially one who is the Captain, and is synonomous with "winning"?
You note stats for Reyes, yet an in-depth look, or at least a modicum of intelligence would show reasons behind his slow start. One is the presence of Luis Castillo in the #2 spot. Luis has been a black hole this year. Why would a pitcher want to challenge Reyes when they know they have a good shot at getting Castillo out on one of his patented 24 hop grounders to short? So they give him nothing to hit. Jose meanwhile, realizing he needs to get on base is swinging, and failing. It is little coincidence that he started to hit better when Castillo was dropped in the order and Ryan Church was moved to the #2 spot.
Perhaps Jose was pressing since you and your fellow writers spent the winter bashing him for his slump in September. And for "firing up" the Marlins on the next to last day of the season (which reminds me, if they were so annoyed, why did they not show more fight during THAT game?) The bashing of his "silly handshakes" caused him to bottle up his emotions. It is little coincidence that once Beltran told him to have fun that he started to play better. I like players who enjoy the game much more than guys who just seem to go through the motions. Show some energy, show some flair. I prefer my manager let my players be themselves and not make stupid rules like "No Candy" like Joe Girardi.
I do not deny that Reyes has gotten off to a slow start. At least you have the common sense to note that the season is young, as is Reyes. However, you once again show a lack of knowledge when you write an article trying to tie a Met to a Yankee. Let Jose be the best player he can be, without trying to compare him to some overrated egomaniac in the Bronx.
Eagerly awaiting your firing,
Ed in Westchester
Have you lost what's left of your mind?
Once again you waste resources with a crappy column bashing the Mets. This time, you decided to attack Jose Reyes, asking if he wants to be Derek Jeter or Rey Ordonez. You see Jeter as a "winner" and Ordonez as a "loser". Now, I (and most Mets fans) would agree with you on Rey-Rey, but as for Jeter, we got a problem.
Exactly what has Jeter won in the past 7 seasons? Nothing. No rings. No championships. He "led" his team to losses to the Diamondbacks and the Marlins in the World Series. He "led" them to the biggest choke in baseball history in 2004. He "led" them to a first round loss last season.
I don't want Reyes to be Jeter, someone who as Captain should have put aside his ego and not been an ass toward Alex Rodriguez, simply because Alex has significantly more talent than Jeter. Someone who as Captain bent over when Roger Clemens was signed, and then resigned, despite having been thrown at by Clemens in the past. Someone who as Captain has had teammates traded who he did not get along with.
The fact is that since other key cogs of the winning Yankee teams of the late 1990's left (O'Neill, Bernie, etc), Jeter has not been able to seal the deal. So tell me Wally, if Jeter gets so much credit for all the winning then, why does he not get the balme now for the losing? If he was such a great player, he would be able to lead the Yankees to victory every year, no?
Has Reyes struggled a tad at the start of this season, yes. As has pretty much every other hitter on the Mets. Reyes' April 2007 was fantastic, but no one in their right mind would expect him to be able to do that all the time. Oh wait, we are talking about you. For example, lets take the past two games in Chicago. David Wright failed to get a hit. Carlos Beltran was awful. So it is not all on Reyes. Even when he does get on base, the team is failing to drive him in.
You note the Mets record last April was 13-6. Right now they stand at 11-9. So tell me, what is the difference? Two games, when there are still a few games left in the month? Tell me, did Jeter share in the blame last season when the Yankees got off to a 9 - 14 April? That included a 7 game losing streak, where the Yanks lost 4 to the Red Sox. Doesn't the #2 hitter share blame, especially one who is the Captain, and is synonomous with "winning"?
You note stats for Reyes, yet an in-depth look, or at least a modicum of intelligence would show reasons behind his slow start. One is the presence of Luis Castillo in the #2 spot. Luis has been a black hole this year. Why would a pitcher want to challenge Reyes when they know they have a good shot at getting Castillo out on one of his patented 24 hop grounders to short? So they give him nothing to hit. Jose meanwhile, realizing he needs to get on base is swinging, and failing. It is little coincidence that he started to hit better when Castillo was dropped in the order and Ryan Church was moved to the #2 spot.
Perhaps Jose was pressing since you and your fellow writers spent the winter bashing him for his slump in September. And for "firing up" the Marlins on the next to last day of the season (which reminds me, if they were so annoyed, why did they not show more fight during THAT game?) The bashing of his "silly handshakes" caused him to bottle up his emotions. It is little coincidence that once Beltran told him to have fun that he started to play better. I like players who enjoy the game much more than guys who just seem to go through the motions. Show some energy, show some flair. I prefer my manager let my players be themselves and not make stupid rules like "No Candy" like Joe Girardi.
I do not deny that Reyes has gotten off to a slow start. At least you have the common sense to note that the season is young, as is Reyes. However, you once again show a lack of knowledge when you write an article trying to tie a Met to a Yankee. Let Jose be the best player he can be, without trying to compare him to some overrated egomaniac in the Bronx.
Eagerly awaiting your firing,
Ed in Westchester
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Ah, a Beating
One day after the Mets lost Pedro to a hammy injury, they sent Ollie Perez to the mound. Of course, for many, the worry is what Ollie will we get, the control artist with the great slider and fastball, or the Ollie that walks the park and comes unglued after a miscue. Last night, we got the good Ollie.
He went 6 innings, allowing 5 hits, 1 walk, no runs an had 8 k's. The Marlins looked helpless against him (then again, this is the Marlins). Nelson Figeroa followed with a scoreless inning. Pedro Dos and Wags finished it up.
On offense, well, for lack of a better phrase, they beat the snot out of the Marlins pitchers. Lefty Andrew Miller started and got pasted. His line 4.1 ip, 8 hits, 5 runs, 6 k's and a hr allowed (to Ryan Church, who we all know can't hit lefties. Ooops.) He was followed by Matt Lindstrom, who did well in 2/3 of an inning. Lee Gardner was the next victim, allowing 5 runs in one inning, including David Wright's first HR in Dolphins Stadium after over 120 at-bats. Taylor Tankersley gave up a run, and Kevin Gregg gave up 2. Final line for the Mets offense:
13 runs
17 hits
4 walks
2 Home Runs
6 k's
Not a bad nights work. Beltran had 3 doubles, one of which was actually a home run that was called a homer, until the umps conferenced and somehow decided it hit a padded wall and flew about 40 ft in the air. Sorry guys, it hit the railing.
Wright went 3-5 with 3rbi and the homer and a double, missing the cycle by a triple. Jose went 1-3 with a walk and 2 rbi. Delgado went 2-5 with a ribbie. Pagan went 2-4, scored 2 runs and had a walk and an rbi. Church went 3-5, and Schneider went 1-2 with 2 walks.
The early returns (SMALL SAMPLE ALERT) are that the bottom of the lineup might not be the black hole we all thought it would be. Delgado still looks a little slow, but he has had some walks, and had a couple of singles. Let's make some more progress Carlos.
The top of the order is looking good. Jose is having good at-bats. Castillo as well. Wright and Beltran have been raking. Every Beltran hit has been a double this year (417 avg and 833 slg%).
So, on the day Pedro was put on the DL, and is expected to miss 6 weeks, the team came together and put in a complete performance. They travel to Atlanta today, and start a 3 game set against the Braves tomorrow night. Here are the match-ups:
Fri - Maine vs. Hudson
Sat - Pelfrey vs Glavine (on FOX)
Sun - Santana vs Smoltz (making his first start of the year after some shoulder soreness late in the spring put him on the DL).
I'm interested in all the matchups, but Saturday is a big test. Glavine is the type of junkballing lefty who gives the Mets fits. Pelfrey will be making his first start, and needs to pitch well to help allay internal and external (fans) fears about what will happen with Pedro and El Duque on the shelf.
He went 6 innings, allowing 5 hits, 1 walk, no runs an had 8 k's. The Marlins looked helpless against him (then again, this is the Marlins). Nelson Figeroa followed with a scoreless inning. Pedro Dos and Wags finished it up.
On offense, well, for lack of a better phrase, they beat the snot out of the Marlins pitchers. Lefty Andrew Miller started and got pasted. His line 4.1 ip, 8 hits, 5 runs, 6 k's and a hr allowed (to Ryan Church, who we all know can't hit lefties. Ooops.) He was followed by Matt Lindstrom, who did well in 2/3 of an inning. Lee Gardner was the next victim, allowing 5 runs in one inning, including David Wright's first HR in Dolphins Stadium after over 120 at-bats. Taylor Tankersley gave up a run, and Kevin Gregg gave up 2. Final line for the Mets offense:
13 runs
17 hits
4 walks
2 Home Runs
6 k's
Not a bad nights work. Beltran had 3 doubles, one of which was actually a home run that was called a homer, until the umps conferenced and somehow decided it hit a padded wall and flew about 40 ft in the air. Sorry guys, it hit the railing.
Wright went 3-5 with 3rbi and the homer and a double, missing the cycle by a triple. Jose went 1-3 with a walk and 2 rbi. Delgado went 2-5 with a ribbie. Pagan went 2-4, scored 2 runs and had a walk and an rbi. Church went 3-5, and Schneider went 1-2 with 2 walks.
The early returns (SMALL SAMPLE ALERT) are that the bottom of the lineup might not be the black hole we all thought it would be. Delgado still looks a little slow, but he has had some walks, and had a couple of singles. Let's make some more progress Carlos.
The top of the order is looking good. Jose is having good at-bats. Castillo as well. Wright and Beltran have been raking. Every Beltran hit has been a double this year (417 avg and 833 slg%).
So, on the day Pedro was put on the DL, and is expected to miss 6 weeks, the team came together and put in a complete performance. They travel to Atlanta today, and start a 3 game set against the Braves tomorrow night. Here are the match-ups:
Fri - Maine vs. Hudson
Sat - Pelfrey vs Glavine (on FOX)
Sun - Santana vs Smoltz (making his first start of the year after some shoulder soreness late in the spring put him on the DL).
I'm interested in all the matchups, but Saturday is a big test. Glavine is the type of junkballing lefty who gives the Mets fits. Pelfrey will be making his first start, and needs to pitch well to help allay internal and external (fans) fears about what will happen with Pedro and El Duque on the shelf.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
PANIC! At the Ballpark
Oh boy. Losing your #2 starter in the 4th inning of his first start of the year is not fun. Especially when you already have another pitcher on the DL (El Duque), and he is being replaced by your former first round pick (Pelfrey, aka Tongue). Is it time to Panic? Well, based on all the newspaper reports and Buster Olney, yes. Based on my gut, no.
Why not Ed you ask? Why shouldn't we panic? Pedro heard a pop. He's 36. Pelfrey has done nothing, we have no idea what El Duque is going to be able to give us. We have no depth in AAA or hell, even AA. If ever there was a time to panic, it is now.
Well, it's quite simple. We still have, in Johan, Ollie and John, 3 starters who can each win at minimum 15 games (and odds are, each will go over). El Duque will come back shortly, and be able to fill the void. Pelfrey is another question. If we get the Pelfrey from the end of last season, we will be fine. If we get the early 2007 Pelfrey, well, then we got problems.
Let's go into the wayback machine to 2006. Does everyone remember how many starters we used that year? Pedro missed time. Trachsel missed time. Lima got starts. Alay Soler. Bannister got a few. J(G)eremi(y, e, what way is he spelling it now?) got starts. It was a veritable cornucopia of arms. And some of them sucked.
So that's part one of why I say it is NOT time to panic. We've been here before, and muddled through.
So what's the second reason. It's quite simple. BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG PEDRO IS GOING TO BE OUT! The results of the MRI aren't in. Hell, he hasn't even taken it yet. Until we know the severity of the injury, it is silly to get worked up. Let the media panic. Let Buster Olney act like an ass on BBT. For all we know, he tweaked it and he will miss the month of April, or 4 starts. Fine. Will it suck, sure. But then we still have May - September. Add to that, we have an even more rested Pedor for that stretch and then the playoffs.
Now, if it is a major injury, feel free to Panic. I probably will. But you know what? There is still enough talent on this team to be able to overcome the injury. It is time for Mike Pelfrey to put up or shut up. He had a chance this spring, he had the #5 spot by the short hairs, and he punted. Well Mike, you have another shot. Show everyone why you were drafted so high.
Last thing on Pedro, if I'm him, I want Willie changing the rotation so he no longer has to pitch in that park. He has awful luck there the past couple of seasons. First the hip, now this.
Last night was a loss. The good, well, they came back from 4 runs down to force extras. Pagan had a key hit. Schneider went 3-4. Church had a hit. Only Beltran failed to get a hit. Sho had to face a righty, yet got him out (someone please tell Willie that this does not prove Sho can get them out regularly). Willie then pulled Sho in favor of Joe Smith, who completed the inning and looked like the Joe Smith from early last year. Sosa did a good job replacing Pedro. Heilman was great again, for two innings.
The bad, well, Matt Wise giving up a 1st career homer to a 6' 170 lb shortstop. With two outs. Not good.
Tonight, Ollie takes the hill against Andrew Miller. Let's go Ollie!
Why not Ed you ask? Why shouldn't we panic? Pedro heard a pop. He's 36. Pelfrey has done nothing, we have no idea what El Duque is going to be able to give us. We have no depth in AAA or hell, even AA. If ever there was a time to panic, it is now.
Well, it's quite simple. We still have, in Johan, Ollie and John, 3 starters who can each win at minimum 15 games (and odds are, each will go over). El Duque will come back shortly, and be able to fill the void. Pelfrey is another question. If we get the Pelfrey from the end of last season, we will be fine. If we get the early 2007 Pelfrey, well, then we got problems.
Let's go into the wayback machine to 2006. Does everyone remember how many starters we used that year? Pedro missed time. Trachsel missed time. Lima got starts. Alay Soler. Bannister got a few. J(G)eremi(y, e, what way is he spelling it now?) got starts. It was a veritable cornucopia of arms. And some of them sucked.
So that's part one of why I say it is NOT time to panic. We've been here before, and muddled through.
So what's the second reason. It's quite simple. BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG PEDRO IS GOING TO BE OUT! The results of the MRI aren't in. Hell, he hasn't even taken it yet. Until we know the severity of the injury, it is silly to get worked up. Let the media panic. Let Buster Olney act like an ass on BBT. For all we know, he tweaked it and he will miss the month of April, or 4 starts. Fine. Will it suck, sure. But then we still have May - September. Add to that, we have an even more rested Pedor for that stretch and then the playoffs.
Now, if it is a major injury, feel free to Panic. I probably will. But you know what? There is still enough talent on this team to be able to overcome the injury. It is time for Mike Pelfrey to put up or shut up. He had a chance this spring, he had the #5 spot by the short hairs, and he punted. Well Mike, you have another shot. Show everyone why you were drafted so high.
Last thing on Pedro, if I'm him, I want Willie changing the rotation so he no longer has to pitch in that park. He has awful luck there the past couple of seasons. First the hip, now this.
Last night was a loss. The good, well, they came back from 4 runs down to force extras. Pagan had a key hit. Schneider went 3-4. Church had a hit. Only Beltran failed to get a hit. Sho had to face a righty, yet got him out (someone please tell Willie that this does not prove Sho can get them out regularly). Willie then pulled Sho in favor of Joe Smith, who completed the inning and looked like the Joe Smith from early last year. Sosa did a good job replacing Pedro. Heilman was great again, for two innings.
The bad, well, Matt Wise giving up a 1st career homer to a 6' 170 lb shortstop. With two outs. Not good.
Tonight, Ollie takes the hill against Andrew Miller. Let's go Ollie!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
This Week in Wally's World
Opening Day. A new season begins. A time to think good thoughts, to enjoy seeing Santana shut down the Marlins, Jose get on base, Wright clear the loaded bases with a double. To forget last year. Except, that is, if you are Wally Matthews.
Who better to piss on the parade the next morning after a resounding win? Who better to bring up the end of last season? Who else but Wally would try to compare Johan's win to Tom Glavine's win in the opener last year?
I know, I know, the collapse is going to be the story, at least in the early going. But why today? Why after seeing a truly dominant performance in all areas of the game does Wally feel the need to rehash all that happened at the end of last season? (Oh, and Wally, do us a favor and look at the Mets record. While they blew the lead at the end, they played 500 ball basically from June on forward, so the collapse was a long one).
"Don't Celebrate Yet, Mets Fans" was the headline. The funny thing is this, the second paragraph in the story
Meanwhile, I'm sure there were a number of Mets fans wondering what cliches Wally would spill out. He didn't disappoint, that's for sure.
And of course, Wally followed Vic Zeigel of the Daily News in pointing out a pointless miscue by Luis Castillo:
Both conveniently forgot two things. One, that Castillo is still recovering from off-season knee surgery (which every media person in New York had written about ad-nauseum this spring). Two, that Castillo also bunted for a single and then stole second base. Did he make a mistake? Sure. But it is possible that he forgot how many outs there were, and it is also possible that Sandy Alomar had given him the stop sign. But why let other possibilities get in the way of stirring the pot? Why let that stop Wally from once again writing a Mets bashing article?
He then proceeded to talk about how winning the first game means nothing, and brought up a couple of teams that lost the first game and wound up winning the division. And of course, one team mentioned was the 1998 Yankees, because what would a column in Wally's World be without a mention of his favorite team? Of course, Wally forgot to mention another Mets team that won their opener, the 1986 World Champions.
Then again, why would I expect Wally to bring up something that would blow away his theory?
Who better to piss on the parade the next morning after a resounding win? Who better to bring up the end of last season? Who else but Wally would try to compare Johan's win to Tom Glavine's win in the opener last year?
I know, I know, the collapse is going to be the story, at least in the early going. But why today? Why after seeing a truly dominant performance in all areas of the game does Wally feel the need to rehash all that happened at the end of last season? (Oh, and Wally, do us a favor and look at the Mets record. While they blew the lead at the end, they played 500 ball basically from June on forward, so the collapse was a long one).
"Don't Celebrate Yet, Mets Fans" was the headline. The funny thing is this, the second paragraph in the story
The Mets beat the Marlins, 7-2, yesterday behind a gem of an Opening Day outing by Santana, and you could almost see the headline writers trotting out the cliches in 130-point type, about PAYBACK and VENGEANCE, about "Wiping the Slate Clean" and "Evening the Score."
Meanwhile, I'm sure there were a number of Mets fans wondering what cliches Wally would spill out. He didn't disappoint, that's for sure.
And of course, Wally followed Vic Zeigel of the Daily News in pointing out a pointless miscue by Luis Castillo:
Yesterday, Santana came as advertised, but there were other signs that this club is not completely over the bugaboos that brought it down last year, notably a first-inning brain freeze by Luis Castillo, who somehow stopped running on a wind-blown, two-out pop fly by Carlos Beltran that dropped in. Castillo should have easily scored the first run of the game but was forced to hold at third.
Both conveniently forgot two things. One, that Castillo is still recovering from off-season knee surgery (which every media person in New York had written about ad-nauseum this spring). Two, that Castillo also bunted for a single and then stole second base. Did he make a mistake? Sure. But it is possible that he forgot how many outs there were, and it is also possible that Sandy Alomar had given him the stop sign. But why let other possibilities get in the way of stirring the pot? Why let that stop Wally from once again writing a Mets bashing article?
He then proceeded to talk about how winning the first game means nothing, and brought up a couple of teams that lost the first game and wound up winning the division. And of course, one team mentioned was the 1998 Yankees, because what would a column in Wally's World be without a mention of his favorite team? Of course, Wally forgot to mention another Mets team that won their opener, the 1986 World Champions.
Then again, why would I expect Wally to bring up something that would blow away his theory?
Monday, March 31, 2008
2008 - A New Beginning.?.?
Game 1 is in the books. What looked to be a little worrisome, considering Mark Hendrickson is a lefty junkballer (you know, the guys who give the Mets fits) turned out to be a nice all-around performance as the Mets started off with a 7-2 victory over the Marlins. Contributions from many of the new guys, from Angel Pagan, to Ryan Church, to Johan Santana. The old guard helped out as well, with Jose, David and Beltran contributing. Ah, I love DVR.
Johan went 7, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits, 2 walks and 8 k's. Matt Wise started the 8th, and allowed a couple of hits surrounding an out. Willie had the quick hook with a 4 run lead, and brought in Scot Schoenweis to face a lefty, who he retired. The next batter was Josh Willingham, a righty. Last year, Sho would have stayed in. This year, Willie stunned all of the Mets fan base into complete silence by actually doing what the book says and pulling Sho in favor of a righty (Jorge Sosa) to face the righty Willingham. Let's hope Willie follows "The Book" more than "The Gut" the rest of the year. Sosa got the last out on a nasty slider. Heilman pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, with 2 k's. He looked real good, throwing nice change-ups and a few bb-type fastballs. Frankly, the only pitcher who didn't look that good was Wise, but he seemed to be thisclose on a few of his pitches, and the 2nd hit was an infield single that was only a hit to due Amezega having a great jump off first, barely beating Reyes' throw.
The lineup did well overall. A couple of RISP left hanging ealry, but then came the 6 run 4th inning, capped by a DW bases loaded clearing double to drive in the final 3 runs. Beltran led off with a raked double to left. Delgado walked, Pagan doubled, driving in Beltran. Church followed with a single, moving Pagan to third. Schneider hit a liner to first that Jacobs snared, but Church beat him back to the bag. Johan k'd, but Jose singled to drive in Pagan. Castillo followed with a walk, and DW finished Hendrickson off.
A good start. Delgado, though hitless, did look better. The walk was nice to see, and he did look to be trying to go to left against the shift. Jose had 2 hits, but was caught stealing (on a bad call from what I saw). Castillo had the first SB of the season, along with a hit and 2 walks. Well rounded offensive attack.
Tomorrow, Pedro vs. VandenHurk.
Johan went 7, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits, 2 walks and 8 k's. Matt Wise started the 8th, and allowed a couple of hits surrounding an out. Willie had the quick hook with a 4 run lead, and brought in Scot Schoenweis to face a lefty, who he retired. The next batter was Josh Willingham, a righty. Last year, Sho would have stayed in. This year, Willie stunned all of the Mets fan base into complete silence by actually doing what the book says and pulling Sho in favor of a righty (Jorge Sosa) to face the righty Willingham. Let's hope Willie follows "The Book" more than "The Gut" the rest of the year. Sosa got the last out on a nasty slider. Heilman pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, with 2 k's. He looked real good, throwing nice change-ups and a few bb-type fastballs. Frankly, the only pitcher who didn't look that good was Wise, but he seemed to be thisclose on a few of his pitches, and the 2nd hit was an infield single that was only a hit to due Amezega having a great jump off first, barely beating Reyes' throw.
The lineup did well overall. A couple of RISP left hanging ealry, but then came the 6 run 4th inning, capped by a DW bases loaded clearing double to drive in the final 3 runs. Beltran led off with a raked double to left. Delgado walked, Pagan doubled, driving in Beltran. Church followed with a single, moving Pagan to third. Schneider hit a liner to first that Jacobs snared, but Church beat him back to the bag. Johan k'd, but Jose singled to drive in Pagan. Castillo followed with a walk, and DW finished Hendrickson off.
A good start. Delgado, though hitless, did look better. The walk was nice to see, and he did look to be trying to go to left against the shift. Jose had 2 hits, but was caught stealing (on a bad call from what I saw). Castillo had the first SB of the season, along with a hit and 2 walks. Well rounded offensive attack.
Tomorrow, Pedro vs. VandenHurk.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
2008 Preview Time!
The season begins today for the Braves and Nationals. Tomorrow, the Mets open in Florida against the Marlins, then move on to Atlanta for 3, before coming home and welcoming the Phils for the Home Opener on April 8.
Now, most of the previews we've read talked about "The Collapse" and how it was Willie's fault, or Jose's fault or some combination of the two. The result of that is the perception that the team lacks "chemistry". Now, I don't downplay the need for some cohesion, but frankly, the players can hate each other so long as they get it done on the field. Most of the "experts" are picking the Mets to finish behind the Braves (the chic pick for most) and the Phils. Good. Let them underestimate our team.
I'm not going to sit here and waste my time poking holes in the theory that the Braves have the best starting pitching in the NL East (we all know that Hampton is no given, and, well, Tommy is bound to cause some Braves fans to feel devastated). And yes, the Phils have a nice lineup, but their pitching is possibly the most suspect in the National League. The Nationals may be improved. The Marlins, notsomuch.
The Mets are not perfect. There are still questions in the pen (Stokes over Register? Sho against righties? Joe Smith? Dirty's arm?). The 5th starter is a huge question (will Duque be able to be there all year, and if not, can Pelfrey improve enough to take over?) But for the most part the rotation is solid (Santana, Pedro, Perez and Maine is quite an impressive 1-4. I don't know why the experts cannot see this). Wagner is still a top tier closer. Heilman has accepted his role and looked fantastic this spring.
Folks, the question is really the lineup. 1-4 is fine. Once we get to #5, that's when questions start. Alou is already on the DL. How many more games will he miss once he comes back? Can Delgado rebound? Can Church hit lefties? Can Schneider hit, period? I'm not worried about Reyes, he will be fine. Castillo will do his job as well. Wright will have an MVP season, but split votes with Jose and Beltran, allowing some other player to win.
I think Delgado will be better than last season. I think he has healed up. I think his missing time this spring hurt him. He had a good second half, after a poor first half, which was encouraging. Hopefully he can rebound this year and put up 25-30 and hit 285. He's had good and bad games this spring. Let's hope the good outweigh the bad once the season starts.
I have concerns about the bench. Now, we know what we get with Endy. Angel Pagan is on the team as well apparently. Angle had good minor league numbers, but notheing special in the bigs when he's had a chance. He also "Pagan'd" a few balls in the outfield this spring. He will be playing left until Alou returns. Also on the bench are pinch-hitting specialist Marlon Anderson (I swear, if Willie puts him in center this year, I'm taking a drive to Flushing), Ramon Castro (unless his hammy forces him to the DL, then Casanova will be the 2nd string catcher), and Damien Easley.
Notice the absence of Ruben Gotay, who was claimed on waivers by the Braves last week). Now, I don't think Gotay is going to be a star, but I do wish we had someone in his 20's who could hit (that's right Anderson Hernandez, HIT) who could play if Castillo's knees begin to bother him. Now, we have Easley, or Hernandez (who will be in NOLA). Not good. Gotay was waived to allow for either Fernando Tatis or Brady Clark to make the team. Both suck. Both are right handed batters, something that is needed on the bench. Tatis allegdly can play multiple positions. Clark is a natual outfielder. I don't want either, but will settle for Clark over Tatis. Alas, as noted, they both suck. I'm not devastated over Gotay being claimed, I think Omar took a calculated gamble, and lost. But it does suck a bit.
So what do I think is gonna happen? Do I see another Division Title, or another miss? I'm not sure. I think the talent is there to quite frankly run away with the division. The pitching is the strongest in the NL. The lineup is strong. The pen is improved from last year. I just have questions about Willie and his ability to put guys in situations where they can succeed. I hope that last year taught him a lesson. Starting tomorrow, we will start to learn for sure if it did.
Prediction - 95-67. Win division by 12 games over Braves. NL representative in the World Series. That's all you get for now.
Now, most of the previews we've read talked about "The Collapse" and how it was Willie's fault, or Jose's fault or some combination of the two. The result of that is the perception that the team lacks "chemistry". Now, I don't downplay the need for some cohesion, but frankly, the players can hate each other so long as they get it done on the field. Most of the "experts" are picking the Mets to finish behind the Braves (the chic pick for most) and the Phils. Good. Let them underestimate our team.
I'm not going to sit here and waste my time poking holes in the theory that the Braves have the best starting pitching in the NL East (we all know that Hampton is no given, and, well, Tommy is bound to cause some Braves fans to feel devastated). And yes, the Phils have a nice lineup, but their pitching is possibly the most suspect in the National League. The Nationals may be improved. The Marlins, notsomuch.
The Mets are not perfect. There are still questions in the pen (Stokes over Register? Sho against righties? Joe Smith? Dirty's arm?). The 5th starter is a huge question (will Duque be able to be there all year, and if not, can Pelfrey improve enough to take over?) But for the most part the rotation is solid (Santana, Pedro, Perez and Maine is quite an impressive 1-4. I don't know why the experts cannot see this). Wagner is still a top tier closer. Heilman has accepted his role and looked fantastic this spring.
Folks, the question is really the lineup. 1-4 is fine. Once we get to #5, that's when questions start. Alou is already on the DL. How many more games will he miss once he comes back? Can Delgado rebound? Can Church hit lefties? Can Schneider hit, period? I'm not worried about Reyes, he will be fine. Castillo will do his job as well. Wright will have an MVP season, but split votes with Jose and Beltran, allowing some other player to win.
I think Delgado will be better than last season. I think he has healed up. I think his missing time this spring hurt him. He had a good second half, after a poor first half, which was encouraging. Hopefully he can rebound this year and put up 25-30 and hit 285. He's had good and bad games this spring. Let's hope the good outweigh the bad once the season starts.
I have concerns about the bench. Now, we know what we get with Endy. Angel Pagan is on the team as well apparently. Angle had good minor league numbers, but notheing special in the bigs when he's had a chance. He also "Pagan'd" a few balls in the outfield this spring. He will be playing left until Alou returns. Also on the bench are pinch-hitting specialist Marlon Anderson (I swear, if Willie puts him in center this year, I'm taking a drive to Flushing), Ramon Castro (unless his hammy forces him to the DL, then Casanova will be the 2nd string catcher), and Damien Easley.
Notice the absence of Ruben Gotay, who was claimed on waivers by the Braves last week). Now, I don't think Gotay is going to be a star, but I do wish we had someone in his 20's who could hit (that's right Anderson Hernandez, HIT) who could play if Castillo's knees begin to bother him. Now, we have Easley, or Hernandez (who will be in NOLA). Not good. Gotay was waived to allow for either Fernando Tatis or Brady Clark to make the team. Both suck. Both are right handed batters, something that is needed on the bench. Tatis allegdly can play multiple positions. Clark is a natual outfielder. I don't want either, but will settle for Clark over Tatis. Alas, as noted, they both suck. I'm not devastated over Gotay being claimed, I think Omar took a calculated gamble, and lost. But it does suck a bit.
So what do I think is gonna happen? Do I see another Division Title, or another miss? I'm not sure. I think the talent is there to quite frankly run away with the division. The pitching is the strongest in the NL. The lineup is strong. The pen is improved from last year. I just have questions about Willie and his ability to put guys in situations where they can succeed. I hope that last year taught him a lesson. Starting tomorrow, we will start to learn for sure if it did.
Prediction - 95-67. Win division by 12 games over Braves. NL representative in the World Series. That's all you get for now.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
It's Fantasy Draft Time!
For only the third time, Ed is taking part in a fantasy baseball league. It's a 12 team head to head money league, using the following categories:
Hitters - Runs, HR, RBI, SB, BB, K, AVG, SLG%
Pitchers - W, Saves, H, K's, ERA, WHIP
The first year I was in the league (2006), I was able to snag DW and Jose, along with a few other guys. Alas, I finished out of the money, in 9th. Last year, I was injury riddled, and finished in 11th. This year, I must redeem myself.
Below is my team, in order the players were drafted. I drafted in the 5th slot. Comments follow each name:
Reyes (Do I really need to justify this? DW went 1st overall.)
Beltran (The man will hit 40 hr's and drive in over 100. Book it)
Granderson (some steals, some SLG. And now he breaks his hand. Shit)
Helton (consistent avg, walks and rbi's. Possibly early, but needed a 1st baseman)
Verlander (my ace.)
Markakis (O's are gonna suck, but Nick can flat out rake. I wish he was in Queens)
McCann (I hated to do it, but he's a top catcher)
Orlando Hudson (early, but was worried about losing 2nd base)
Carmona (my #2, starters look pretty good so far)
Francoeur (Frenchy can hit. my utility guy)
Beltre (needed a 3rd baseman, best one left on the board)
Maine (I love this pick. He's gonna win at least 18)
Rafael Soriano (probable Braves closer. I needed a closer.)
Tim Hudson (It killed me, but I needed a good starter, and there weren't a lot of options left)
Heilman (my set up guy. I like this pick.)
Geovany Soto (back up catcher. Possible trade bait)
Oliver Perez (not a bad pick for round 17. I hope he matches last year. I had him then.)
Ryan Garko (Lister on Metsgeek loves Garko. I hope he is right about him)
Ty Wiggington (I always seem to have infield injuries. Ty covers everything but SS)
Joaquin Benoit (relief pitcher, possible Rangers closer)
Jamie Walker (relief pitcher, possible O's closer)
Well, that's it. I'm not so happy with all the Braves, but at least no Yankees. And I have more Mets than Braves. Once again, I cross my fingers.
At least I didn't pick El Duque or Pelfrey this year.
Hitters - Runs, HR, RBI, SB, BB, K, AVG, SLG%
Pitchers - W, Saves, H, K's, ERA, WHIP
The first year I was in the league (2006), I was able to snag DW and Jose, along with a few other guys. Alas, I finished out of the money, in 9th. Last year, I was injury riddled, and finished in 11th. This year, I must redeem myself.
Below is my team, in order the players were drafted. I drafted in the 5th slot. Comments follow each name:
Reyes (Do I really need to justify this? DW went 1st overall.)
Beltran (The man will hit 40 hr's and drive in over 100. Book it)
Granderson (some steals, some SLG. And now he breaks his hand. Shit)
Helton (consistent avg, walks and rbi's. Possibly early, but needed a 1st baseman)
Verlander (my ace.)
Markakis (O's are gonna suck, but Nick can flat out rake. I wish he was in Queens)
McCann (I hated to do it, but he's a top catcher)
Orlando Hudson (early, but was worried about losing 2nd base)
Carmona (my #2, starters look pretty good so far)
Francoeur (Frenchy can hit. my utility guy)
Beltre (needed a 3rd baseman, best one left on the board)
Maine (I love this pick. He's gonna win at least 18)
Rafael Soriano (probable Braves closer. I needed a closer.)
Tim Hudson (It killed me, but I needed a good starter, and there weren't a lot of options left)
Heilman (my set up guy. I like this pick.)
Geovany Soto (back up catcher. Possible trade bait)
Oliver Perez (not a bad pick for round 17. I hope he matches last year. I had him then.)
Ryan Garko (Lister on Metsgeek loves Garko. I hope he is right about him)
Ty Wiggington (I always seem to have infield injuries. Ty covers everything but SS)
Joaquin Benoit (relief pitcher, possible Rangers closer)
Jamie Walker (relief pitcher, possible O's closer)
Well, that's it. I'm not so happy with all the Braves, but at least no Yankees. And I have more Mets than Braves. Once again, I cross my fingers.
At least I didn't pick El Duque or Pelfrey this year.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
This Week in Wally's World
This week, Wally tells us the Mets are crazy to even consider signing Barry Bonds. He is appalled that they would even consider signing Bonds.
Of course, Wally conveniently forgets that this is the Wilpons we are talking about. Does he seriously think Fred would sign Barry? This is a man who traded Carl Everett after some abuse allegations were raised. This is the man who got rid of Bret "Bleach Boy" Saberhagen. The man who had Milledge traded. They let PLD go for pete's sake. The Wiplon's are nothing if not concerned about portraying a positive image these days. Gone are the days of the 86 team. Oh, they may have some fun guys like Pedro, but that is the exception.
What Wally wanted was for the Mets to say "NO WAY" when the question was raised about Bonds. Now, I want no part of Barry, but of course they are going to think about it. Every available player should be considered. At the end of the day though, the odds of Barry playing for the Mets are about as long as Fred inviting Wally into the owners box for every game this season.
And why wouldn't they sign Barry? I mean, he is an OBP and hitting machine. Well, frankly, so they wouldn't have to read stories by every NY area writer like the one Wally wrote. The Mets were tied to every story relating to steroids and HGH thanks to Radomski. Does Wally really think Fred wants the added attentionof signing a guy who is under federal indictment?
But Wally, in his own world, wants things done his way. No one should think, let alone act, in a way that would go against the principles of Wally's World. To even think about signing Bonds is anthema to all that he believes in. Of course, what Wally believes in is building a team the Yankee way. No HGH or steroids there, right Wally?
I wonder, where is Wally's article telling the Yankees to cut Andy (the bestest, most honest cheater in all of baseball) Pettitte. You know, a guy who ADMITTED using HGH? Oh, Wally ripped Andy. But did he tell the Yankees to cut him? Is he railing about Jason Giambi still wearing the hallowed Yankee uni?
Nope, instead Wally is taking a simple "we looked at Barry" comment and using it to craft yet another Mets bashing article. Which is nice, because it gives all Mets fans another chance to see him for the Assclown he is, and me more material to write about. So thanks Wally!
In Wally's World, you can do nothing right if you are the New York Mets. In Wally's World, everything they do should be thought of in terms of WWWMD? (What Would Wally Matthews Do?)
I can tell you what Ed would do if he ran Newsday. See if you can guess.
****************************
In other news, the walking wounded are slowly making their return. Church, Easley, 'Stache, Endy, Dos Carlos' and Dirty all played over the past few days. This of course was a week after the sturm und drang from the local media about the myriad injuries on the team and how it meant they were screwed this coming season. As it stands now, only Moises is not expected to be ready for March 31. El Duque could also miss that date. In my mind, I would rather get the injuries out of the way now, when there is little pressure to play through them. Get healthy now. Play later. The games don't count at this point.
*****************************
As for the Islanders, well, what can I say. The season looked good at the start, but lack of offense killed them. Memo to Garth, please find a scorer. kthnksbye
As for the Jets, well, they've spent the GDP of a small country this offseason. Will it matter? We shall see. I'm reserving judgement. Should be an interesting draft. Wonder if they will take Darren (Daddy) McFadden.
Of course, Wally conveniently forgets that this is the Wilpons we are talking about. Does he seriously think Fred would sign Barry? This is a man who traded Carl Everett after some abuse allegations were raised. This is the man who got rid of Bret "Bleach Boy" Saberhagen. The man who had Milledge traded. They let PLD go for pete's sake. The Wiplon's are nothing if not concerned about portraying a positive image these days. Gone are the days of the 86 team. Oh, they may have some fun guys like Pedro, but that is the exception.
What Wally wanted was for the Mets to say "NO WAY" when the question was raised about Bonds. Now, I want no part of Barry, but of course they are going to think about it. Every available player should be considered. At the end of the day though, the odds of Barry playing for the Mets are about as long as Fred inviting Wally into the owners box for every game this season.
And why wouldn't they sign Barry? I mean, he is an OBP and hitting machine. Well, frankly, so they wouldn't have to read stories by every NY area writer like the one Wally wrote. The Mets were tied to every story relating to steroids and HGH thanks to Radomski. Does Wally really think Fred wants the added attentionof signing a guy who is under federal indictment?
But Wally, in his own world, wants things done his way. No one should think, let alone act, in a way that would go against the principles of Wally's World. To even think about signing Bonds is anthema to all that he believes in. Of course, what Wally believes in is building a team the Yankee way. No HGH or steroids there, right Wally?
I wonder, where is Wally's article telling the Yankees to cut Andy (the bestest, most honest cheater in all of baseball) Pettitte. You know, a guy who ADMITTED using HGH? Oh, Wally ripped Andy. But did he tell the Yankees to cut him? Is he railing about Jason Giambi still wearing the hallowed Yankee uni?
Nope, instead Wally is taking a simple "we looked at Barry" comment and using it to craft yet another Mets bashing article. Which is nice, because it gives all Mets fans another chance to see him for the Assclown he is, and me more material to write about. So thanks Wally!
In Wally's World, you can do nothing right if you are the New York Mets. In Wally's World, everything they do should be thought of in terms of WWWMD? (What Would Wally Matthews Do?)
I can tell you what Ed would do if he ran Newsday. See if you can guess.
****************************
In other news, the walking wounded are slowly making their return. Church, Easley, 'Stache, Endy, Dos Carlos' and Dirty all played over the past few days. This of course was a week after the sturm und drang from the local media about the myriad injuries on the team and how it meant they were screwed this coming season. As it stands now, only Moises is not expected to be ready for March 31. El Duque could also miss that date. In my mind, I would rather get the injuries out of the way now, when there is little pressure to play through them. Get healthy now. Play later. The games don't count at this point.
*****************************
As for the Islanders, well, what can I say. The season looked good at the start, but lack of offense killed them. Memo to Garth, please find a scorer. kthnksbye
As for the Jets, well, they've spent the GDP of a small country this offseason. Will it matter? We shall see. I'm reserving judgement. Should be an interesting draft. Wonder if they will take Darren (Daddy) McFadden.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Introducing a New Feature - "This Week in Wally's World"
Since I've been posting, Wally Matthews at Newsday has been the target of some barbs, primarily due to his anti-Mets slant. It seems every wekk Wally gets his panties in a bunch over the Mets, and proceeds to write some drivel. Until now, I have only picked here and there to opine, and had even stopped posting about him because his writing is such repetative tripe (Mets suck, they do nothing right, the poor junkyard guys).
Starting today, and continuing for as long as Wally continues his attacks on my favorite Sports team, I will post a response to Wally's crap. The comments will be there for you to either agree, or tell me I'm as stupid as Wally (which, let's be serious here, is highly impossible).
Onto the fun.
In this weeks version of Wally's World, Wally has written a column mocking the Mets lack of a slogan this year, after last years admittedly asinine "Your Season Has Come" (seriously, it is a good thing there is no slogan, the team has had crap out there for years. There is no need for it, just play the fraking games).
He proceeds to list several suggestions:
"This Time We Mean It."
"One Year Older. One Year Wiser. One Win Better?"
"Missed It By That Much ... "
and so on. He even caps it with a Green Day title "Wake Me Up When September Ends."
So, in the spirit of Wally's column, I have come up with a few slogans for him to use on his columns.
"American Idiot"
"Same Shit, Different Week"
Feel free to add some more in the comments.
Now, Wally a few years ago did show some sack. Back when some asshat gossip writer at the Post "outed" Mike Piazza, Wally, who worked there at the time, wrote a column blasting the guy. The Post didn't run it, and Wally took his pen and went home. Good for him. Since then however, it seems Wally has written a column a week abusing the Mets. Oh, he will occassionaly bash the team in the Bronx, but it is rare, and usually innocuous.
The best is how Wally always manages to put in a little pro-yankee stuff in the column. This week it was
You see Wally, if you want to use the Yanks as the benchmark, at least be consistent. You cannot bash the Mets like this
And yet use the Yankees as the benchmark, when they outspent EVERY OTHER TEAM.
Did the Mets underacheive last year? Sure. Do fans remember that? Sure. Did the team improve over the offseason? Damn right. They added Santana, added Wise to the pen, got rid of Mota. Oh, and Pedro is now 15 months removed from surgery and is looking for a new deal. There is one rule that Wally is forgetting:
Jose Reyes is focused. David Wright is going to get better. Oh, and despite your writing that Carlos Beltran is among the aging portion of the roster at not yet 31 years old, he had a damn fine season last year. Perhaps you should look at more than batting average, and notice that he was among the best on the team in August and September. He is only starting to enter his prime.
So, as we wrap this week, a recap of Wally's column.
"The Mets stink. blah blah blah. Yankees are good. Blah blah blah. The Mets stink"
That's Wally's World.
Feel free to post some comments.
Starting today, and continuing for as long as Wally continues his attacks on my favorite Sports team, I will post a response to Wally's crap. The comments will be there for you to either agree, or tell me I'm as stupid as Wally (which, let's be serious here, is highly impossible).
Onto the fun.
In this weeks version of Wally's World, Wally has written a column mocking the Mets lack of a slogan this year, after last years admittedly asinine "Your Season Has Come" (seriously, it is a good thing there is no slogan, the team has had crap out there for years. There is no need for it, just play the fraking games).
He proceeds to list several suggestions:
"This Time We Mean It."
"One Year Older. One Year Wiser. One Win Better?"
"Missed It By That Much ... "
and so on. He even caps it with a Green Day title "Wake Me Up When September Ends."
So, in the spirit of Wally's column, I have come up with a few slogans for him to use on his columns.
"American Idiot"
"Same Shit, Different Week"
Feel free to add some more in the comments.
Now, Wally a few years ago did show some sack. Back when some asshat gossip writer at the Post "outed" Mike Piazza, Wally, who worked there at the time, wrote a column blasting the guy. The Post didn't run it, and Wally took his pen and went home. Good for him. Since then however, it seems Wally has written a column a week abusing the Mets. Oh, he will occassionaly bash the team in the Bronx, but it is rare, and usually innocuous.
The best is how Wally always manages to put in a little pro-yankee stuff in the column. This week it was
"It wasn't like the Yankees, who had to scrap and scramble to make the playoffs, only to come up empty in the first round."I'm sorry, they had to scrap? They spent $200 million on payroll. They should have walked away with the AL and won the WS. I mean, he bashes the Mets for spending and coming up short. Should the Mets use the Yanks of the past 7 season (no WS wins, one HUGE CHOKE in the ALCS) as a model?
You see Wally, if you want to use the Yanks as the benchmark, at least be consistent. You cannot bash the Mets like this
So far, this incarnation of the Mets, this $145-million boondoggle, hasn't been nearly as good as it was supposed to be,
And yet use the Yankees as the benchmark, when they outspent EVERY OTHER TEAM.
Did the Mets underacheive last year? Sure. Do fans remember that? Sure. Did the team improve over the offseason? Damn right. They added Santana, added Wise to the pen, got rid of Mota. Oh, and Pedro is now 15 months removed from surgery and is looking for a new deal. There is one rule that Wally is forgetting:
Never Underestimate PedroThe man is motivated. A motivated Pedro is damn good.
Jose Reyes is focused. David Wright is going to get better. Oh, and despite your writing that Carlos Beltran is among the aging portion of the roster at not yet 31 years old, he had a damn fine season last year. Perhaps you should look at more than batting average, and notice that he was among the best on the team in August and September. He is only starting to enter his prime.
So, as we wrap this week, a recap of Wally's column.
"The Mets stink. blah blah blah. Yankees are good. Blah blah blah. The Mets stink"
That's Wally's World.
Feel free to post some comments.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The Return of the Observations
I’ll be typing some of these with my eyes closed. Helps the muscle memory. See if you can figure out which one’s.
1. So Hillary lost two more races last night. Bill’s depressed, because to save money, Hill is firing more interns. (my apologies, but I've got to use the easy ones from time to time)
2. McCain has basically sewn up the Republican nomination, leading to the possibility that Rush and Ann will jump off a bridge.
3. Andy Pettitte, the bestest, nicest, most honest cheater in baseball arrived in Yankee camp Monday and had an hour long press conference. He said he was sorry, felt badly and that he wanted to move on. The NY media of course proceeded to carry him out of the meeting on their shoulders.
4. The Islanders lost another defenseman to injury, making the count 4. No word on whether Ted Nolan is calling Denis Potvin to see if he can play.
5. Lindsay Lohan posed nude. Like Marilyn Monroe did shortly before her death. Was this really smart LiLo? On second thought, I forgot, we are talking about Lohan here.
6. Bill Belichek claims Matt Walsh, who was his videographer is a liar. Scott Pioli claims Walsh was fired for taping conversations. Walsh says, “that’s not true, I have the tapes to prove it.”
7. Last week, Roger Clemens appeared before a House panel investigating Steroids in baseball. We haven't heard that much talk about buttocks in the House since the Clinton andminstration.
8. I swear, I half expected Suzan Waldman to show up at the hearing and scream “of all the dramatic things, Roger Clemens is really showing how bad a guy MacNamee is.
9. Loved the semantic debate over whether MacNamee is a drug dealer. He is of course. I’m just thankful Chris Shays pointed it out. Next for Shays is to figure out if someone who drives a taxi for a living is a hack or livery driver.
10. Chris (Screaming Ninny) Russo and Mike (His Pompousness) Francessa both want to drive Shays out of office. Now, I know the two have a large following, but really, how many are smart enough to vote?
11. Nice prank the Phils pulled on Kyle Kendrick, making him think he’d been traded to a Japanese team. Of course, the Phils don’t get the real issue, which is that Kyle is so stupid he didn’t realize it was not possible. Hell, even the Screaming Ninny knows that. I think.
12. Carlos Beltran has named the Mets the team to beat, and said “Tell Jimmy Rollins”. Jimmy of course was too busy counting his WS share to respond. Oh, wait…
13. Hank Steinbrenner says that Joe Girardi is like Billy Martin, only without the baggage. Well, that, and the track record of being a good manager. But besides that…
14. After the hearing ended, Rep. Waxman said he was sorry that the hearings had been held, but that Clemens wanted to have his chance to speak. Clemens’ lawyer claims Waxman is misremembering the conversation.
15. Castro has resigned as President of Cuba, ceding power to his brother Raul. That makes two old decrepit dictators who are senile who have abdicated their rule. Wonder if Raul will make as many stupid comments and Hank S.
16. Jason Kidd has finally been traded to Dallas. In return, the Nets get a bunch of guys who suck, $3 million, two draft picks, and the carcass of Keith Van Horn.
17. Hank S went off the other day saying football has a big drug problem and should be investigated like baseball. The NFL responded by saying they have testing, and the program works. Yep, it’s a real deterrent, which is why they keep suspending guys who use drugs.
18. The sad thing is that I agree with Hank. Excuse me while I go break my fingers with a hammer.
19. This morning, Joel Sherman in the Post wrote that he wanted to be mad at Andy, but he’s just such a nice guy that he can’t stay angry. I half expected Joel to write “I tried to be mad, but when he looked into my eyes and spoke, he had me at “Hello””.
20. Fernando Martinez (THM The Hitting Machine) stated he will be in NY playing by the end of the season. I’m waiting for Billy to hang the “Know your role rook” sign this morning.
21. Careful THM, the NY media doesn’t like brash young men who seem too arrogant. See Milledge, Lastings.
22. As camp opens for the Mets, the big concern is not how healthy Pedro is, or how Johan will fit in. No. The big concern is with Carlos Gomez being traded, who is going to help Jose choreograph his dugout celebrations?
23. Remember everyone, think about the children. Don't let them grow up to be steroid users. Or blowhard congresspeople.
That’s all for this time folks. Ed will be taking a vacation next week. I’ll say hi to Mickey for you. And if I happen to see Steve Phillips at EPSN the Weekend, I’ll ask him how he has fooled ESPN into thinking he knows baseball.
1. So Hillary lost two more races last night. Bill’s depressed, because to save money, Hill is firing more interns. (my apologies, but I've got to use the easy ones from time to time)
2. McCain has basically sewn up the Republican nomination, leading to the possibility that Rush and Ann will jump off a bridge.
3. Andy Pettitte, the bestest, nicest, most honest cheater in baseball arrived in Yankee camp Monday and had an hour long press conference. He said he was sorry, felt badly and that he wanted to move on. The NY media of course proceeded to carry him out of the meeting on their shoulders.
4. The Islanders lost another defenseman to injury, making the count 4. No word on whether Ted Nolan is calling Denis Potvin to see if he can play.
5. Lindsay Lohan posed nude. Like Marilyn Monroe did shortly before her death. Was this really smart LiLo? On second thought, I forgot, we are talking about Lohan here.
6. Bill Belichek claims Matt Walsh, who was his videographer is a liar. Scott Pioli claims Walsh was fired for taping conversations. Walsh says, “that’s not true, I have the tapes to prove it.”
7. Last week, Roger Clemens appeared before a House panel investigating Steroids in baseball. We haven't heard that much talk about buttocks in the House since the Clinton andminstration.
8. I swear, I half expected Suzan Waldman to show up at the hearing and scream “of all the dramatic things, Roger Clemens is really showing how bad a guy MacNamee is.
9. Loved the semantic debate over whether MacNamee is a drug dealer. He is of course. I’m just thankful Chris Shays pointed it out. Next for Shays is to figure out if someone who drives a taxi for a living is a hack or livery driver.
10. Chris (Screaming Ninny) Russo and Mike (His Pompousness) Francessa both want to drive Shays out of office. Now, I know the two have a large following, but really, how many are smart enough to vote?
11. Nice prank the Phils pulled on Kyle Kendrick, making him think he’d been traded to a Japanese team. Of course, the Phils don’t get the real issue, which is that Kyle is so stupid he didn’t realize it was not possible. Hell, even the Screaming Ninny knows that. I think.
12. Carlos Beltran has named the Mets the team to beat, and said “Tell Jimmy Rollins”. Jimmy of course was too busy counting his WS share to respond. Oh, wait…
13. Hank Steinbrenner says that Joe Girardi is like Billy Martin, only without the baggage. Well, that, and the track record of being a good manager. But besides that…
14. After the hearing ended, Rep. Waxman said he was sorry that the hearings had been held, but that Clemens wanted to have his chance to speak. Clemens’ lawyer claims Waxman is misremembering the conversation.
15. Castro has resigned as President of Cuba, ceding power to his brother Raul. That makes two old decrepit dictators who are senile who have abdicated their rule. Wonder if Raul will make as many stupid comments and Hank S.
16. Jason Kidd has finally been traded to Dallas. In return, the Nets get a bunch of guys who suck, $3 million, two draft picks, and the carcass of Keith Van Horn.
17. Hank S went off the other day saying football has a big drug problem and should be investigated like baseball. The NFL responded by saying they have testing, and the program works. Yep, it’s a real deterrent, which is why they keep suspending guys who use drugs.
18. The sad thing is that I agree with Hank. Excuse me while I go break my fingers with a hammer.
19. This morning, Joel Sherman in the Post wrote that he wanted to be mad at Andy, but he’s just such a nice guy that he can’t stay angry. I half expected Joel to write “I tried to be mad, but when he looked into my eyes and spoke, he had me at “Hello””.
20. Fernando Martinez (THM The Hitting Machine) stated he will be in NY playing by the end of the season. I’m waiting for Billy to hang the “Know your role rook” sign this morning.
21. Careful THM, the NY media doesn’t like brash young men who seem too arrogant. See Milledge, Lastings.
22. As camp opens for the Mets, the big concern is not how healthy Pedro is, or how Johan will fit in. No. The big concern is with Carlos Gomez being traded, who is going to help Jose choreograph his dugout celebrations?
23. Remember everyone, think about the children. Don't let them grow up to be steroid users. Or blowhard congresspeople.
That’s all for this time folks. Ed will be taking a vacation next week. I’ll say hi to Mickey for you. And if I happen to see Steve Phillips at EPSN the Weekend, I’ll ask him how he has fooled ESPN into thinking he knows baseball.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Hope Blooms
February 14. Valentine’s Day. Don’t forget to tell the one you love how much they mean to you.
But the bigger thing happening today is Pitchers and Catchers reporting to Spring Training. Fans across the country are excited (well, maybe not Pirates fans). Mets fans of course have much to look forward to. Hope blooms today.
Several players came early. Johan (do I need to type his last name people?) showed up yesterday and threw for 15 minutes on flat ground with The Jacket, then spoke to him for a while afterwards. Dirty Sanchez was there, saying he hasn’t been in this good a shape since he was 19. Reports are that he is bouncing back from throwing sessions very well. David Wright came early, because, well, he’s David Wright. Aaron Heilman will be happy, as he has a parking spot this year. Pedro isn’t there early, but, he is Pedro, so I think he is already in shape and raring to go.
As fans, this is a happy day. We can begin to put last year behind us. We can start to erase the bad memories (I shall not speak of them here today). We can think about how nice it will be to have Heilman in the 7th, Dirty in the 8th, and Wags in the 9th. We can dream about Johan pitching a dazzler, followed by Pedro doing the same. Add to that the talents of Maine, Perez and El Duque. What a rotation. The kind that brings hope to fans everywhere.
Spring is a time when we start to think about how good things can be. We see low level prospects get hyped up (see Petit, Yusmeiro), and dream of how they will look atShea Citifield. A pitcher comes out of nowhere to make the pen. An infielder flashes some leather and the bat. We start to think about the smell of the grass, the apple popping up after Beltran hits one out. The sounds of Keith (“Nice Level Swing”) and Ronny and Gary on SNY. Baseball in HD. Updates from Eddie C on the FAN. Howie making the call on the FAN.
Guys have now had the offseason to rest. Some, like Castillo and Beltran, had some surgery. Others, like Delgado, got to rest. The spring is the time where we think guys who slumped a bit last year will rebound. We push aside all thoughts of decline, regression. It is a time of hope. Hope that injuries are behind players. Hope that guys will be able to turn on a fastball. Hope that sinkers sink, and command is there. Hope that we won’t have to dip too far into AAA for help. Hope that new additions blend in seamlessly, and that those who left won’t come back to haunt us.
Hope that this year is better than the last. Hope that we can say goodbye to Shea with a big old party in late October. And christen Citifield with a couple of new banners.
But the bigger thing happening today is Pitchers and Catchers reporting to Spring Training. Fans across the country are excited (well, maybe not Pirates fans). Mets fans of course have much to look forward to. Hope blooms today.
Several players came early. Johan (do I need to type his last name people?) showed up yesterday and threw for 15 minutes on flat ground with The Jacket, then spoke to him for a while afterwards. Dirty Sanchez was there, saying he hasn’t been in this good a shape since he was 19. Reports are that he is bouncing back from throwing sessions very well. David Wright came early, because, well, he’s David Wright. Aaron Heilman will be happy, as he has a parking spot this year. Pedro isn’t there early, but, he is Pedro, so I think he is already in shape and raring to go.
As fans, this is a happy day. We can begin to put last year behind us. We can start to erase the bad memories (I shall not speak of them here today). We can think about how nice it will be to have Heilman in the 7th, Dirty in the 8th, and Wags in the 9th. We can dream about Johan pitching a dazzler, followed by Pedro doing the same. Add to that the talents of Maine, Perez and El Duque. What a rotation. The kind that brings hope to fans everywhere.
Spring is a time when we start to think about how good things can be. We see low level prospects get hyped up (see Petit, Yusmeiro), and dream of how they will look at
Guys have now had the offseason to rest. Some, like Castillo and Beltran, had some surgery. Others, like Delgado, got to rest. The spring is the time where we think guys who slumped a bit last year will rebound. We push aside all thoughts of decline, regression. It is a time of hope. Hope that injuries are behind players. Hope that guys will be able to turn on a fastball. Hope that sinkers sink, and command is there. Hope that we won’t have to dip too far into AAA for help. Hope that new additions blend in seamlessly, and that those who left won’t come back to haunt us.
Hope that this year is better than the last. Hope that we can say goodbye to Shea with a big old party in late October. And christen Citifield with a couple of new banners.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Nice Job Elijah!
Oh, I am a Jets fan, make no mistake about it. But it was very nice watching the Giants beat the Patriots last night. The wife is a Giants fan, and frankly, I don't hate them anyway (unlike the Yanks and Rangers). So, kudos to the Giants.
Eli made one of the best plays I have ever seen escaping from that sack on 3 and 5, then making that pass to Tyree (who made the other best play I've ever seen) for the first down. Then, the pass to Plaxico, what a thing of beauty. The look of dejection on the faces of the Patriots was a sight to behold.
So, a tip of the cap, and the drinking of copious amounts of beer to the Giants.
Of course, they now have the bullseye on their backs.
Sorry Tiki (he-he).
Eli made one of the best plays I have ever seen escaping from that sack on 3 and 5, then making that pass to Tyree (who made the other best play I've ever seen) for the first down. Then, the pass to Plaxico, what a thing of beauty. The look of dejection on the faces of the Patriots was a sight to behold.
So, a tip of the cap, and the drinking of copious amounts of beer to the Giants.
Of course, they now have the bullseye on their backs.
Sorry Tiki (he-he).
Friday, February 01, 2008
“Will he make the other team lose?”
The title comes courtesy of my 7 year old daughter.
Yes honey. He will.
For the next 7 years.
'Tis a good day to be a Mets fan.
Hopefully, it will be a good day for the next seven years.
Good job by Omar here.
Good job by the Wilpons', paying $21.5 million on average.
Good job by Johan, who apparently said "I want to be a Met".
Welcome Johan. Welcome.
I leave you with this fans, our rotation next year:
Johan
Pedro
Maine
Ollie
EL Duque
Looks pretty good, don'tcha think?
As lefties in the NL East start to have nightmares.
Mets fans get to have sweet dreams.
BEER TIME ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes honey. He will.
For the next 7 years.
'Tis a good day to be a Mets fan.
Hopefully, it will be a good day for the next seven years.
Good job by Omar here.
Good job by the Wilpons', paying $21.5 million on average.
Good job by Johan, who apparently said "I want to be a Met".
Welcome Johan. Welcome.
I leave you with this fans, our rotation next year:
Johan
Pedro
Maine
Ollie
EL Duque
Looks pretty good, don'tcha think?
As lefties in the NL East start to have nightmares.
Mets fans get to have sweet dreams.
BEER TIME ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Oye Como Va
Johan is a Met!
gigitty giggitty!
After all the talk about how the Red Sox or Yankees were going to get him.
After all the talk about how the Mets prospects weren't good enough to get the deal done.
After all the talk about how the Mets were going to go into next season having done nothing to improve.
Omar tells the Twins - "This is my deal. Take it or leave it", and Bill Smith says "OK."
The price? Humber (basically Major League Ready). Gomez (needs a year in AAA). Mulvey (one full pro season so far.) Guerra (huge upside, but still under 20 and in low A).
Now, before we all fret about the prospects, remember, the Mets have a 1st rounder and 2 sandwich picks (thank you Atlanta!) in the draft this year, so that will help (assuming Omar is really going to ignore the slotting system).
The bottom line is this. Humber isn't Santana. Mulvey is probably a back end guy. Guerra has a lot of upside, but is what, 4 or 5 years away? As for Gomez, I wasn't overly impressed last year. I know he was rushed, but he is going to need a lot of seasoning.
Omar was able to hold onto the jewel, Fernando Martinez. He is probably at least a year awy, if not two. Fine, we can sign a stop gap next offseason if need be. His upside is a lot higher than Gomez.
The time for complaining about this offseason is done. The Mets, with one trade have dramatically altered the landscape of the NL East. The team is stronger. Look at this rotation
Santana
Martinez
Maine
Perez
Hernandez
This gives Pelfrey time in AAA to work on being consistent. Then he can take over for Hernandez when he needs a rest.
Time to rejoice all. Enjoy it. Wilpon better open the wallet. You have a network, and a new ballpark opening in 2009.
And the best pitcher in baseball. Think of the jersey sales.
Oh baby!
gigitty giggitty!
After all the talk about how the Red Sox or Yankees were going to get him.
After all the talk about how the Mets prospects weren't good enough to get the deal done.
After all the talk about how the Mets were going to go into next season having done nothing to improve.
Omar tells the Twins - "This is my deal. Take it or leave it", and Bill Smith says "OK."
The price? Humber (basically Major League Ready). Gomez (needs a year in AAA). Mulvey (one full pro season so far.) Guerra (huge upside, but still under 20 and in low A).
Now, before we all fret about the prospects, remember, the Mets have a 1st rounder and 2 sandwich picks (thank you Atlanta!) in the draft this year, so that will help (assuming Omar is really going to ignore the slotting system).
The bottom line is this. Humber isn't Santana. Mulvey is probably a back end guy. Guerra has a lot of upside, but is what, 4 or 5 years away? As for Gomez, I wasn't overly impressed last year. I know he was rushed, but he is going to need a lot of seasoning.
Omar was able to hold onto the jewel, Fernando Martinez. He is probably at least a year awy, if not two. Fine, we can sign a stop gap next offseason if need be. His upside is a lot higher than Gomez.
The time for complaining about this offseason is done. The Mets, with one trade have dramatically altered the landscape of the NL East. The team is stronger. Look at this rotation
Santana
Martinez
Maine
Perez
Hernandez
This gives Pelfrey time in AAA to work on being consistent. Then he can take over for Hernandez when he needs a rest.
Time to rejoice all. Enjoy it. Wilpon better open the wallet. You have a network, and a new ballpark opening in 2009.
And the best pitcher in baseball. Think of the jersey sales.
Oh baby!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
8 Random Facts about Ed...
is 8 more than you really wanted to know. You can blame Toasty Joe for this pain.
1. Ed's "dream car" is a 1968 Plymouth Barracuda.
2. When younger, Ed disliked chinese food. Now, he eats it way too often.
3. Ed is happy Jackie Hyland is back doing the news in NY. He was sad when she left the CW11.
4. Ed is able to quote lines from way too many bad movies.
5. Ed has never seen Field of Dreams start to finish in one sitting.
6. Ed finally read Moneyball this past summer. (bonus fact - Ed thinks Billy Beane comes across as an arrogant jerk).
7. Ed thinks Mike Milbury knows how to draft talent. It's TRADING that gets him into trouble.
8. Ed's first time on an airplane was on his honeymoon. In Greece.
God, I hate these things.
Anyhow, one week left until the Super Bowl. One more week of everyone trying to figure out if Brady is really hurt. One more week of Ed laughing at how much energy is being expended on that wild goose chase. If Brady did sprain his ankle, the best thing would be this week off. Let's not get excited until say next Friday if he isn't practicing.
Knowing that asshole Belichicken, it could all be a ploy anyway.
I the pundits would just up and admit they don't have a fracking clue where Santana is going or what the offers are. The same stories every week. Cripes, I felt like what the Post and Journal News had today was nearly word for word the same. Yes, we all know the Mets could use Santana. Yes, we know the Yanks and Sox have good deals offered. Yes, we know the Twins would like to deal him before Spring Training. Guess what, we also know that the writers and talking heads are just spewing the same crap day after day, just changing the words around a bit. Enough. Omar made his offer, it is up to the Twins to piss or get off the pot.
Good Luck tonight to Ricky DiPietro. Show everyone Milbury was right drafting you #1 overall.
1. Ed's "dream car" is a 1968 Plymouth Barracuda.
2. When younger, Ed disliked chinese food. Now, he eats it way too often.
3. Ed is happy Jackie Hyland is back doing the news in NY. He was sad when she left the CW11.
4. Ed is able to quote lines from way too many bad movies.
5. Ed has never seen Field of Dreams start to finish in one sitting.
6. Ed finally read Moneyball this past summer. (bonus fact - Ed thinks Billy Beane comes across as an arrogant jerk).
7. Ed thinks Mike Milbury knows how to draft talent. It's TRADING that gets him into trouble.
8. Ed's first time on an airplane was on his honeymoon. In Greece.
God, I hate these things.
Anyhow, one week left until the Super Bowl. One more week of everyone trying to figure out if Brady is really hurt. One more week of Ed laughing at how much energy is being expended on that wild goose chase. If Brady did sprain his ankle, the best thing would be this week off. Let's not get excited until say next Friday if he isn't practicing.
Knowing that asshole Belichicken, it could all be a ploy anyway.
I the pundits would just up and admit they don't have a fracking clue where Santana is going or what the offers are. The same stories every week. Cripes, I felt like what the Post and Journal News had today was nearly word for word the same. Yes, we all know the Mets could use Santana. Yes, we know the Yanks and Sox have good deals offered. Yes, we know the Twins would like to deal him before Spring Training. Guess what, we also know that the writers and talking heads are just spewing the same crap day after day, just changing the words around a bit. Enough. Omar made his offer, it is up to the Twins to piss or get off the pot.
Good Luck tonight to Ricky DiPietro. Show everyone Milbury was right drafting you #1 overall.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Has it Been That Long?
I didn't realize it had been over a month since I last bored anyone. I have been inundated with emails (OK, 1 email) from readers wondering where I've been. They (he) wants to read what I think of the various goings on. So, he goes.
FIrst, I've started a new job, so time will be limited in terms of posting, for a while. Plus, there isn't a whole lot going on these days anyway (the hot stove is at a cool place right now). I'm not one of those guys who bitches after every guy signs elsewhere. I trust Omar to make smart decisions. He re-signed Heilman for $1.2 million. Good deal. Aaron is one of the top set-up guys in the game. Plus, you never know, we may need him to start. OK, that's a reach.
Now, we are left with Church, Chavez, Perez and a couple of others to sign before arbitration. Signing Ollie to a 2 or 3 year deal is a must. I knwo Boras is his agent, but Ollie ain't got a lot to back himself up right now. He is going to need at least 2 more years of solid pitching to get PAID. et 'er done Omar. The others shouldn't be too hard, and the distance in dollars isn't that great.
Enough baseball for now. Congratulations to the New York Giants on reaching the Super Bowl. Can they win? Who knows. They've got as good a chance as anyone. The Pats are good, but they can be had. If the Chargers were healthy, they could have caused Tom and his mates a bit more trouble. So long as the Giants can get healthy, and not take stupid penalties (SAM MADISON!), they could shock the Pats. So long as it doesn't come down to a field goal try that is (am I the only Jets fan who had visions of Doug Brien yesterday?) It would be especially sweet for the Pats season to end in a Super Bowl loss. The benefit to me is that the wife wants to watch the game, so I shall be having a few friends over for some wings, chili and other fine foodstuffs. And beer. Lots of beer.
On the ice, the Islanders have been up and down. As it stands, they are in the top 8. As expected, scoring goals has been an issue. The goals for is among the bottom of the league. In net, Rick DiPietro has been fantastic. He was named as the back-up for the All-Star game. Do others have better stats? Sure, but no other goalie is as relyed upon as Ricky. Remember, this team is going to score an average of 2.5 goals a night. They need a goalie who is going to keep the opposition below that. RIcky has done that for the most part. He is making that 15 year contract look like a smart deal by Wang. He has won 5 times against the Devils this yea, and has won 3 against the Rangers, even the two losses were close. He is going to be a very good goalie for a very long time. And soon, we will see Kyle Okposo on the wing. I can't wait for that.
That's all for today.
Next time, my thoughts on Santana. Should he have recorded "Smooth" with Rob Thomas or not.
FIrst, I've started a new job, so time will be limited in terms of posting, for a while. Plus, there isn't a whole lot going on these days anyway (the hot stove is at a cool place right now). I'm not one of those guys who bitches after every guy signs elsewhere. I trust Omar to make smart decisions. He re-signed Heilman for $1.2 million. Good deal. Aaron is one of the top set-up guys in the game. Plus, you never know, we may need him to start. OK, that's a reach.
Now, we are left with Church, Chavez, Perez and a couple of others to sign before arbitration. Signing Ollie to a 2 or 3 year deal is a must. I knwo Boras is his agent, but Ollie ain't got a lot to back himself up right now. He is going to need at least 2 more years of solid pitching to get PAID. et 'er done Omar. The others shouldn't be too hard, and the distance in dollars isn't that great.
Enough baseball for now. Congratulations to the New York Giants on reaching the Super Bowl. Can they win? Who knows. They've got as good a chance as anyone. The Pats are good, but they can be had. If the Chargers were healthy, they could have caused Tom and his mates a bit more trouble. So long as the Giants can get healthy, and not take stupid penalties (SAM MADISON!), they could shock the Pats. So long as it doesn't come down to a field goal try that is (am I the only Jets fan who had visions of Doug Brien yesterday?) It would be especially sweet for the Pats season to end in a Super Bowl loss. The benefit to me is that the wife wants to watch the game, so I shall be having a few friends over for some wings, chili and other fine foodstuffs. And beer. Lots of beer.
On the ice, the Islanders have been up and down. As it stands, they are in the top 8. As expected, scoring goals has been an issue. The goals for is among the bottom of the league. In net, Rick DiPietro has been fantastic. He was named as the back-up for the All-Star game. Do others have better stats? Sure, but no other goalie is as relyed upon as Ricky. Remember, this team is going to score an average of 2.5 goals a night. They need a goalie who is going to keep the opposition below that. RIcky has done that for the most part. He is making that 15 year contract look like a smart deal by Wang. He has won 5 times against the Devils this yea, and has won 3 against the Rangers, even the two losses were close. He is going to be a very good goalie for a very long time. And soon, we will see Kyle Okposo on the wing. I can't wait for that.
That's all for today.
Next time, my thoughts on Santana. Should he have recorded "Smooth" with Rob Thomas or not.
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