From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
NEW YORK METS - Building A Better Bullpen.
The bad news - Bobby Parnell blew Wednesday's Grapefruit League game. The good news - only 3,908 fans saw it. Of course that's unfair to say. But it's spring training for fans too. I'm just trying to get in shape - like Sandy's bullpen remix. Compared to last year's unit, and despite Frank Francisco's prolonged elbow issue, you can't help but feel a little better about this year's group of bullpen candidates. Despite taking a cheap shot at Parnell, Wednesday was his first hiccup in Grapefruit League action. Prior to surrendering four runs (three earned) against the Nats, Bobby hadn't allowed an earned run in six innings. Until Frank Francisco is game ready, Bobby Parnell is still tentatively scheduled to start the season as the Mets closer.
From the right side, Brandon Lyon and Scott Atchison have combined to pitch nine innings. They've allowed five hits and three earned runs. Together they have issued one walk and struck out five.
Corey Mazzoni is certainly doing enough to earn a seat on the bus trip back north. But will the Mets allow the clock on this twenty-three year old to start ticking so soon? Or will the club delay his MLB debut till late April or beyond, as the rules for service time change? Although he escaped the first round of 40-man roster cuts, odds are Corey starts the season in Las Vegas. In 2012, Mazzoni pitched in twelve games at St. Lucie, then made fourteen appearances at Binghamton. So far, Corey has participated in four Grapefruit games, compiling seven strikeouts in eight innings pitched.
In truth, Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia remain as unfamiliar to us as they were two years ago, when we were hyping them as the future. At least with Familia, we are starting to get a regular view. He has tossed six innings so far, allowing three hits, and striking out four. Jenrry Mejia, however, has been limited to two innings so far. Visa issues caused him to arrive late to camp. Jenrry then missed time when he was discovered to have a hyper-active thyroid gland. He has since been cleared to resume his life and told to lay off the seafood.
It is hard to say where Greg Burke; the sub-mariner; stands in the eyes of Sandy Alderson. In 6.1 innings, he has allowed seven hits and four earned runs. However, he struck out eight with no walks. His ERA sits at a lofty 5.68 mark. And lastly, LaTroy Hawkins seems to have made a friend in Terry Collins.
I think the Mets have issues from the left side. As their top southpaw, Josh Edgin has been getting hit around some, allowing nine hits in six innings of work. The Mets are hoping he avoids a sophomore slump as it relates to hurlers. After stepping in last year in the manner which he did, Edgin made himself indispensable to the Mets entering this season. Robert Carson hasn't fared much better. In seven innings, he has allowed eight hits, and five earned runs. Third in, free agent pick-up Aaron Laffey is yet to surrender an earned run in 5.2 innings pitched, but has allowed seven hits.
With all due respect to Pedro Feliciano, you would be hard pressed to find another left-hander headed north with the team. It is hard to say what Pedro can offer the Mets. My guess is, not much; not this time. The other lefty the Mets had in camp was Darin Gorski, who was re-assigned to AA-Binghamton along with some of his fellow Spring mates.
As part of the first round of cuts to get within the 40-man limit, the Mets re-assigned Gonzalez Germen, and Gorski as mentioned, to Binghamton. Colin McHugh, Elvin Ramirez, and most notably, Zach Wheeler, have been re-assigned to AAA-Las Vegas. Hansel Robles gets a promotion from Brooklyn, to Savannah.
Mike.BTB
Showing posts with label Frank Francisco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frank Francisco. Show all posts
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
New York Mets: The Bullpen 2013
From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
NEW YORK METS - Please Pardon The Appearance. Bullpen Still Under Reconstruction.
The Mets aren't looking for government handouts to help pay off their debts. But their bullpen desperately needs relief assistance in the worst way. Truth is, there are no readily available answers for their dilemma. While the Mets aren't the only team to suffer this calamity, it just goes to show the value of a good, reliable closer. This also goes to show how great the Mariano Rivera's in life really are. Sorry for the cross town reference.
Sandy Alderson tried renovating the bullpen last season..., remember? Frank Francisco remains his largest free agent signing to date. And I do mean large. The Mets were not happy Frank-Frank showed up in camp last season out of shape. His two injuries and subsequent surgery only exasperated an already terrible season. He made forty eight appearances and only recorded twenty three saves. That's a low save-to-game rate by any measure. His 5.53 ERA was equally disheartening. But he's back! And he says He Is The Closer! His manager Terry Collins (who's contract status beyond this season is still unresolved), agrees with Frankie. However, Sandy Alderson, in so many words, expressed a lack of confidence in his 2012 acquisition.
Based primarily because Sandy Alderson signed Francisco to a two year $12 million dollar deal, he gets to survive the purge. Relieved of their duties over the course of 2012 are - D.J. Carrasco, Miguel Batista, Ramon Ramirez, Jon Rauch, and Manny Acosta. Tim Byrdak was originally set free by the Mets, but was re-signed to a free agent contract in December.
So if you're Sandy Alderson, how do you rebuild another bullpen? Well, you put on your mining hat, and start prospecting the baseball landscape for pitchers....again. The Mets took not one, but two looks at ex-Giants closer, Brian Wilson. Several teams seemed interested in at least monitoring a private work-out held by Wilson. But so far he has failed to impress anyone, especially for the guaranteed money he is reportedly seeking. There were also rumors swirling the Mets could be considering failed ex-Detroit closer, Jose Valverde. Those two examples are another way of saying - Yes Mets fans, the bullpen will be a source of agitation..., again.
LAST YEAR'S RETURNING PITCHERS: Frank Rodriguez - Bobby Parnell - Robert Carson - Elvin Ramirez - Josh Edgin - Jeremy Hefner - and I'll include Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia. All eight are on the active roster.
TRANSACTIONS: Signed back in November to a free agent contract, Greg Burke is now on the 40-man active roster. Additionally, Brandon Lyon signed a free agent contract with the Mets earlier this month. He is on the 40-man active roster as well.
In addition to Burke and Lyon, Sandy Alderson signed six other pitchers over the winter to free agent contracts. Scott Atchison, Pedro Feliciano, LaTroy Hawkins, and Carlos Torres are all non-roster invitees this winter/spring. Aaron Laffey, and Tim Byrdak as noted, were also signed to free agent contracts back in December. In one other free agent transaction, Alderson signed Dario Alvarez who will likely be assigned to low A-ball.
Who is the Closer?
If you're asking Frankie and Terry Collins, we already know the answer. But Sandy has made his opinion well known. The GM's acquisition of Brandon Lyon speaks very loudly. Both pitchers throw from the right side. So there can only be one - not a tandem. This looks like a situation where the Mets will just pitch the hot hand, and be satisfied with depth. Bobby Parnell is still good for the occasional spot save.
Frank Francisco is reportedly healthy now. Ideally that should enhance his performance over last season. If he can regain the form he displayed in Texas, the Mets would benefit handsomely. His ability to strike out batters is still in tact. He demonstrated that last season. But he has to get his walks under control. Last season, his hits allowed per nine innings also sky rocketed. That needs to change as well if he is to claim and hold the closers role.
Perhaps Brandon Lyon is the more adaptable of the two. He served as both closer and set-up man on his previous teams. Make no mistake however. He was signed to pose a direct challenge to Frank Francisco and the closers role. Serving in set-up roles in both Houston and Toronto in 2012, he appeared in 67 games and pitched 61 innings. He posted a combined 4-2 record, one save, with a 3.10 ERA. Brandon allowed 57 hits, walked 20, good for a 1.246 WHiP, and struck out 63 batters. He averaged 8.3 hits per nine innings, 3.0 walks, and 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings. He saved 14 games in 2005, and notched 26 saves in 2008, both for Arizona. In 2010, he posted 20 saves for Houston.
Bobby Parnell is coming off arguably his best season as a pro. As a small reward, Parnell and the Mets avoided salary arbitration and reached agreement on a one year $1.7 million dollar deal. Bobby is the Mets incumbent top set-up option. The difference between being good and great for Bobby Parnell is that darn thing he calls a curve ball. Let's call it for what it is - when he uses it late in the count, breaking ball is ineffectual and easy to lay off. His curve is too horizontal - it's a slurve. His curve is not the more classic twelve to six type curve ball; or even one to seven; or even two to eight. Batters wait for the fast ball - foul off about four or so, then hurt him. In other words, his lack of a better curve ball allows hitters to linger in the box. Therein lies the knock on Bobby Parnell. He still lacks an out-pitch.
Looking Left:
By default, Josh Edgin and Robert Carson will head north with the club. They are lefties. Nuf ced. But seriously, Josh Edgin looks like a real keeper. He capped off a handsome three year minor league career with last season's call up to Flushing. His walks allowed spiked in Buffalo last year. But on the big club, he actually brought his rate down by a full walk allowed per nine innings pitched. In 25.2 innings for the Mets, he only allowed 19 hits and struck out 30 batters.
We won't hold Robert Carson's call-up against him. After a few minor league seasons not really flourishing as a starting pitcher, the Mets converted Carson into a reliever last year. In a split season between Binghamton and Buffalo, Carson posted a 3.86 ERA, and recorded 10 saves. He also posted a combined 1.597 WHiP last season. And after six minor league seasons, his career 1.521 WHiP is still unrepresentative of major league standard.
The third key left handed pitcher in the bullpen equation might again be Pedro Feliciano. What he has left remains to be seen. What we do know is that he is coming off a lot of rest at the Yankees expense. Between 2008 and 2010, the Mets ran this guy into the ground. He led the majors with 266 appearances over that three year span, with a high of 92 games in 2010. Heading into 2011, Pedro Feliciano declined the Mets offer of salary arbitration, and signed a two year $8 million dollar pact with the Bombers. He got injured before the 2011 season began, and wound up never throwing a pitch for the Yankees. He subsequently underwent rotator cuff surgery. He'll be thirty-seven years old in August.
Also lurking around camp seeking employment are right handers Tim Byrdak and Aaron Laffey.
Looking Right:
RIGHT - Frank Francisco; Brandon Lyon; Bobby Parnell; Jeurys Familia; Jenrry Mejia.
Scott Atchison is thirty-six years old but coming off his best MLB season with the Red Sox. In 42 appearances, he posted a 1.58 ERA in 51.1 innings. He limited hitters to 42 hits and walked 9 for a stellar 0.994 WHiP, and struck out 36 batters. Where is the red flag? He is a fourteen year career minor leaguer, who missed all of the 2006, 2008, and 2009 regular seasons.
There's a reason LaTroy Hawkins has pitched for eight different teams since leaving the Minnesota Twins.......
The Mets brought Jeremy Hefner over from the Padres system. He is still "only" twenty-six years old with no MLB experience to speak of. But he has the potential to make LaTroy Hawkins look good by comparison.
Remember Elvin Ramirez? In 21.1 innings last season for the Mets, he walked 20, and struck out 22 batters. After five unremarkable years in the Mets low minors, last season was somewhat of a break-out season for the twenty-five year old. While at Buffalo, he posted a 2.36 ERA in 33 games, and 42 innings pitched. He struck out 41 batters.
Looking Forward:
So who do you trust? I think Francisco will be better than people think. Or at least better than last season. Brandon Lyon is a fine addition - a very good decision. And together, the Mets have two viable options to close games. Depth is good either way you shake it. Of course, I am still an unabashed Bobby Parnell fan. And as noted above, Josh Edgin looks like a quality pitcher. Without delving into the potential future roles of Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia, the list of pitchers I trust stops there.
The rest have some proving to do.
Mike.BTB
Spring Training - Pitchers And Catchers - 2013
Part II - THE BULLPEN
NEW YORK METS - Please Pardon The Appearance. Bullpen Still Under Reconstruction.
The Mets aren't looking for government handouts to help pay off their debts. But their bullpen desperately needs relief assistance in the worst way. Truth is, there are no readily available answers for their dilemma. While the Mets aren't the only team to suffer this calamity, it just goes to show the value of a good, reliable closer. This also goes to show how great the Mariano Rivera's in life really are. Sorry for the cross town reference.
Sandy Alderson tried renovating the bullpen last season..., remember? Frank Francisco remains his largest free agent signing to date. And I do mean large. The Mets were not happy Frank-Frank showed up in camp last season out of shape. His two injuries and subsequent surgery only exasperated an already terrible season. He made forty eight appearances and only recorded twenty three saves. That's a low save-to-game rate by any measure. His 5.53 ERA was equally disheartening. But he's back! And he says He Is The Closer! His manager Terry Collins (who's contract status beyond this season is still unresolved), agrees with Frankie. However, Sandy Alderson, in so many words, expressed a lack of confidence in his 2012 acquisition.
Based primarily because Sandy Alderson signed Francisco to a two year $12 million dollar deal, he gets to survive the purge. Relieved of their duties over the course of 2012 are - D.J. Carrasco, Miguel Batista, Ramon Ramirez, Jon Rauch, and Manny Acosta. Tim Byrdak was originally set free by the Mets, but was re-signed to a free agent contract in December.
So if you're Sandy Alderson, how do you rebuild another bullpen? Well, you put on your mining hat, and start prospecting the baseball landscape for pitchers....again. The Mets took not one, but two looks at ex-Giants closer, Brian Wilson. Several teams seemed interested in at least monitoring a private work-out held by Wilson. But so far he has failed to impress anyone, especially for the guaranteed money he is reportedly seeking. There were also rumors swirling the Mets could be considering failed ex-Detroit closer, Jose Valverde. Those two examples are another way of saying - Yes Mets fans, the bullpen will be a source of agitation..., again.
LAST YEAR'S RETURNING PITCHERS: Frank Rodriguez - Bobby Parnell - Robert Carson - Elvin Ramirez - Josh Edgin - Jeremy Hefner - and I'll include Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia. All eight are on the active roster.
TRANSACTIONS: Signed back in November to a free agent contract, Greg Burke is now on the 40-man active roster. Additionally, Brandon Lyon signed a free agent contract with the Mets earlier this month. He is on the 40-man active roster as well.
In addition to Burke and Lyon, Sandy Alderson signed six other pitchers over the winter to free agent contracts. Scott Atchison, Pedro Feliciano, LaTroy Hawkins, and Carlos Torres are all non-roster invitees this winter/spring. Aaron Laffey, and Tim Byrdak as noted, were also signed to free agent contracts back in December. In one other free agent transaction, Alderson signed Dario Alvarez who will likely be assigned to low A-ball.
Who is the Closer?
If you're asking Frankie and Terry Collins, we already know the answer. But Sandy has made his opinion well known. The GM's acquisition of Brandon Lyon speaks very loudly. Both pitchers throw from the right side. So there can only be one - not a tandem. This looks like a situation where the Mets will just pitch the hot hand, and be satisfied with depth. Bobby Parnell is still good for the occasional spot save.
Frank Francisco is reportedly healthy now. Ideally that should enhance his performance over last season. If he can regain the form he displayed in Texas, the Mets would benefit handsomely. His ability to strike out batters is still in tact. He demonstrated that last season. But he has to get his walks under control. Last season, his hits allowed per nine innings also sky rocketed. That needs to change as well if he is to claim and hold the closers role.
Perhaps Brandon Lyon is the more adaptable of the two. He served as both closer and set-up man on his previous teams. Make no mistake however. He was signed to pose a direct challenge to Frank Francisco and the closers role. Serving in set-up roles in both Houston and Toronto in 2012, he appeared in 67 games and pitched 61 innings. He posted a combined 4-2 record, one save, with a 3.10 ERA. Brandon allowed 57 hits, walked 20, good for a 1.246 WHiP, and struck out 63 batters. He averaged 8.3 hits per nine innings, 3.0 walks, and 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings. He saved 14 games in 2005, and notched 26 saves in 2008, both for Arizona. In 2010, he posted 20 saves for Houston.
Bobby Parnell is coming off arguably his best season as a pro. As a small reward, Parnell and the Mets avoided salary arbitration and reached agreement on a one year $1.7 million dollar deal. Bobby is the Mets incumbent top set-up option. The difference between being good and great for Bobby Parnell is that darn thing he calls a curve ball. Let's call it for what it is - when he uses it late in the count, breaking ball is ineffectual and easy to lay off. His curve is too horizontal - it's a slurve. His curve is not the more classic twelve to six type curve ball; or even one to seven; or even two to eight. Batters wait for the fast ball - foul off about four or so, then hurt him. In other words, his lack of a better curve ball allows hitters to linger in the box. Therein lies the knock on Bobby Parnell. He still lacks an out-pitch.
Looking Left:
By default, Josh Edgin and Robert Carson will head north with the club. They are lefties. Nuf ced. But seriously, Josh Edgin looks like a real keeper. He capped off a handsome three year minor league career with last season's call up to Flushing. His walks allowed spiked in Buffalo last year. But on the big club, he actually brought his rate down by a full walk allowed per nine innings pitched. In 25.2 innings for the Mets, he only allowed 19 hits and struck out 30 batters.
We won't hold Robert Carson's call-up against him. After a few minor league seasons not really flourishing as a starting pitcher, the Mets converted Carson into a reliever last year. In a split season between Binghamton and Buffalo, Carson posted a 3.86 ERA, and recorded 10 saves. He also posted a combined 1.597 WHiP last season. And after six minor league seasons, his career 1.521 WHiP is still unrepresentative of major league standard.
The third key left handed pitcher in the bullpen equation might again be Pedro Feliciano. What he has left remains to be seen. What we do know is that he is coming off a lot of rest at the Yankees expense. Between 2008 and 2010, the Mets ran this guy into the ground. He led the majors with 266 appearances over that three year span, with a high of 92 games in 2010. Heading into 2011, Pedro Feliciano declined the Mets offer of salary arbitration, and signed a two year $8 million dollar pact with the Bombers. He got injured before the 2011 season began, and wound up never throwing a pitch for the Yankees. He subsequently underwent rotator cuff surgery. He'll be thirty-seven years old in August.
Also lurking around camp seeking employment are right handers Tim Byrdak and Aaron Laffey.
Looking Right:
RIGHT - Frank Francisco; Brandon Lyon; Bobby Parnell; Jeurys Familia; Jenrry Mejia.
Scott Atchison is thirty-six years old but coming off his best MLB season with the Red Sox. In 42 appearances, he posted a 1.58 ERA in 51.1 innings. He limited hitters to 42 hits and walked 9 for a stellar 0.994 WHiP, and struck out 36 batters. Where is the red flag? He is a fourteen year career minor leaguer, who missed all of the 2006, 2008, and 2009 regular seasons.
There's a reason LaTroy Hawkins has pitched for eight different teams since leaving the Minnesota Twins.......
The Mets brought Jeremy Hefner over from the Padres system. He is still "only" twenty-six years old with no MLB experience to speak of. But he has the potential to make LaTroy Hawkins look good by comparison.
Remember Elvin Ramirez? In 21.1 innings last season for the Mets, he walked 20, and struck out 22 batters. After five unremarkable years in the Mets low minors, last season was somewhat of a break-out season for the twenty-five year old. While at Buffalo, he posted a 2.36 ERA in 33 games, and 42 innings pitched. He struck out 41 batters.
Looking Forward:
So who do you trust? I think Francisco will be better than people think. Or at least better than last season. Brandon Lyon is a fine addition - a very good decision. And together, the Mets have two viable options to close games. Depth is good either way you shake it. Of course, I am still an unabashed Bobby Parnell fan. And as noted above, Josh Edgin looks like a quality pitcher. Without delving into the potential future roles of Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia, the list of pitchers I trust stops there.
The rest have some proving to do.
Mike.BTB
Thursday, August 23, 2012
New York Mets: Frank Francisco's Outburst Is Better Than Apathy
From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
NEW YORK METS: Amazin's Reach Lowest Level Since 2009 Regular Season. After Falling To Ten Games Below .500 Wednesday Evening, I Want To Break Something Too.
That poor medical supply chest never saw it coming. Or whatever contraption Frank Francisco got hold of, and decided to go MMA on, is now broken, and its' contents dispersed like a Big Bang reenactment. And why wouldn't the Mets' Closer be upset? He's been terrible. If you have any self-worth as a baseball fireman, you go around breaking things after consistently swinging doors wide open like a barn during a tornado instead of slamming them shut. At least Francisco is upset. It sure beats apathy.
On Wednesday night, Francisco offered one inning of work, threw thirteen pitches, surrendered three hits, and allowed two earned runs. For the season, he owns a bloated 1.81 WHiP. And in just 33.2 inning pitched, he has offered up more hits (47) than Motown Records. His ERA is also now at 6.42 and rising like a hot air balloon.
Since the All-Star break, the Mets have won eleven games, and dropped a whopping twenty-six. The Mets won their first four games of the season, and rode that throughout the first half. To start the second half, the Mets promptly lost their first five games. They temporarily stopped the slide with one win, then proceeded to lose their next six games again. Not coincidentally, that roughly remains the difference in their season record, during this second half free-fall. And it also ties into the Mets now dropping to a season high, ten games below the .500 mark. The Mets have not been this far below the even mark since the 2009 regular season.
Come to think of it, I think I want something to break something too.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK METS: Amazin's Reach Lowest Level Since 2009 Regular Season. After Falling To Ten Games Below .500 Wednesday Evening, I Want To Break Something Too.
That poor medical supply chest never saw it coming. Or whatever contraption Frank Francisco got hold of, and decided to go MMA on, is now broken, and its' contents dispersed like a Big Bang reenactment. And why wouldn't the Mets' Closer be upset? He's been terrible. If you have any self-worth as a baseball fireman, you go around breaking things after consistently swinging doors wide open like a barn during a tornado instead of slamming them shut. At least Francisco is upset. It sure beats apathy.
On Wednesday night, Francisco offered one inning of work, threw thirteen pitches, surrendered three hits, and allowed two earned runs. For the season, he owns a bloated 1.81 WHiP. And in just 33.2 inning pitched, he has offered up more hits (47) than Motown Records. His ERA is also now at 6.42 and rising like a hot air balloon.
Since the All-Star break, the Mets have won eleven games, and dropped a whopping twenty-six. The Mets won their first four games of the season, and rode that throughout the first half. To start the second half, the Mets promptly lost their first five games. They temporarily stopped the slide with one win, then proceeded to lose their next six games again. Not coincidentally, that roughly remains the difference in their season record, during this second half free-fall. And it also ties into the Mets now dropping to a season high, ten games below the .500 mark. The Mets have not been this far below the even mark since the 2009 regular season.
Come to think of it, I think I want something to break something too.
Mike.BTB
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
N.Y. Mets: The Day, The Bullpen..., Died
From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
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NEW YORK METS: Shoot it Now, and Send This Bullpen to the Glue Factory.
The list of the ineffective; incapable; inexcusable; incompetent; and yes, the injured, is long and still growing. It hurts me to even compile the list for you. Find a name in the Mets' bullpen, and it applies. What applies? Everything but the good stuff.
Collectively, the whole lot of them have been through too much; too much abuse from opposing batters, from fans, and the media; and maybe unfairly for too long as well. You can only whip a horse so many times. When they can't give you any more, they just can't give anymore. Sometimes, the glue factory calls.
Now..., we can say what we will about them. But when does it become overkill? We do know this however. Sandy Alderson deserves a bushel of blame and bares a huge portion of responsibility regarding Terry Collins' available choices out of the pen. For this gang of relievers stopped pulling their weight long ago. Everyone knew it in May.
We may now add Tim Byrdak to the list. The aging, sub-par, reliefbutcher pitcher, who suddenly forgot how to comport himself in the twilight of his career, and who likes to give his catchers dirty looks, is now done for the season, and may even be done for his career.
Here is your list of ponderous bullpen issues:
* On April 5th, Pedro Beato and D.J. Carrasco were placed on the fifteen-day disabled list.
* On May 8th, Pedro Beato was moved to the sixty-day list. On May 16th, D.J. Carrasco was designated for assignment. On May 20th, Miguel Batista was placed on the fifteen-day disabled list. On May 29th, Manny Acosta was designated for assignment.
* On June 5th, Ramon Ramirez was placed on the fifteen-day disabled list. On June 24th, Frank Francisco joined him.
* On July 22nd, Miguel Batista was designated for assignment, and on July 27th, he was released...,
* ....Which inevitably brings us into August, and Tim Byrdak.
Omitted from this list, were the young and innocent who spent the season trafficking back and forth from Buffalo.
Mike.BTB
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NEW YORK METS: Shoot it Now, and Send This Bullpen to the Glue Factory.
The list of the ineffective; incapable; inexcusable; incompetent; and yes, the injured, is long and still growing. It hurts me to even compile the list for you. Find a name in the Mets' bullpen, and it applies. What applies? Everything but the good stuff.
Collectively, the whole lot of them have been through too much; too much abuse from opposing batters, from fans, and the media; and maybe unfairly for too long as well. You can only whip a horse so many times. When they can't give you any more, they just can't give anymore. Sometimes, the glue factory calls.
Now..., we can say what we will about them. But when does it become overkill? We do know this however. Sandy Alderson deserves a bushel of blame and bares a huge portion of responsibility regarding Terry Collins' available choices out of the pen. For this gang of relievers stopped pulling their weight long ago. Everyone knew it in May.
We may now add Tim Byrdak to the list. The aging, sub-par, relief
Here is your list of ponderous bullpen issues:
* On April 5th, Pedro Beato and D.J. Carrasco were placed on the fifteen-day disabled list.
* On May 8th, Pedro Beato was moved to the sixty-day list. On May 16th, D.J. Carrasco was designated for assignment. On May 20th, Miguel Batista was placed on the fifteen-day disabled list. On May 29th, Manny Acosta was designated for assignment.
* On June 5th, Ramon Ramirez was placed on the fifteen-day disabled list. On June 24th, Frank Francisco joined him.
* On July 22nd, Miguel Batista was designated for assignment, and on July 27th, he was released...,
* ....Which inevitably brings us into August, and Tim Byrdak.
Omitted from this list, were the young and innocent who spent the season trafficking back and forth from Buffalo.
Mike.BTB
Sunday, July 15, 2012
N.Y. Mets ~ Lack of Power is a Small Problem for Terry's Kids
From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
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NEW YORK METS: Amazins' Bats Sending Sandy Alderson a Message - We Don't Need Any Help. Get Pitching!
Despite two consecutive losses to the Braves, the Mets' bats are making a strong case for Sandy Alderson to address other areas of the team, rather than looking for another bat to enhance the Mets' line-up, and possibly upgrade their lack of power.
For the sake of this post, let's still call this the half-way point and project the numbers forward. After eighty-eight games played this season, and with Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy beginning to peculate, the Mets can potentially have four batters breaking the ninety RBI mark, and can possibly have three players break one-hundred RBI this season. That may be generous of me to say. But the chances none-the-less exist.
Daniel Murphy appeared to be coming out his malaise prior to the break. The hope is he can pick up where he left off. But in the first two games back, he is batting one for ten. As the trade deadline approaches, his production will warrant monitoring. But there's still an awful lot of upside to his bat. With only three home runs to his credit, he remarkably has driven in forty-three runs on the strength of twenty-three doubles, and a current .289 batting average; which is up from a low of .271 not too long ago. If his batting average climbs back up to his standard, his RBI should accumulate commensurately.
Lucas Duda's biggest problem is he doesn't have a right-handed bat protecting him in the line-up. Otherwise, he's quite adept at stroking the ball the other way against lefties, and pulling the righties. He is struggling with a .246 batting average because pitchers have no reason to give him anything to hit. Lucas has still clubbed twelve home runs this season, with forty-four RBI so far. We shouldn't get too down on Lucas. A bat behind him would help his game immeasurably. If Jason Bay comes back and at least represents himself, Lucas will benefit. And lest we forget he's a first baseman playing right field. So defensively, I cut him a little more slack.
The power switch on Ike Davis has been flicked on. After struggling horribly below the Mario Mendoza line, and faced with potentially being sent down to Buffalo during the Spring months, Ike Davis has finally tapped into his home run swing, and is having a robust summer. He is now the second Mets player to reach fifty RBI this season, and currently leads the team in home runs with thirteen. His .207 average at the moment, is fast becoming a phantom stat. Ike is on the rise.
And then there is the Mets MVP candidate; David Wright. He batted above the .400 mark for a substantial portion of the early season. He currently sits at .347 because he went 0 for 5 Saturday. Otherwise, he entered the game against the Braves with a .353 average. He is actually fourth on the team with eleven home runs. But he is number one on the Mets with fifty-nine RBI, which also ties him for fifth in the National League.
If this all doesn't seem earth shattering to you, then consider this. For all the talk of the Mets' lack of power, they still produce runs at a surprising clip. As a matter of fact, the Mets top four run producers drive in more runs than the top four RBI men of all their division rivals.
In Washington, the top four RBI men are Adam LaRoche (53); Ian Desmond (52); Ryan Zimmerman (42); and Bryce Harper with 25 RBI. That's a total of 172 RBI.
In Atlanta, the top four RBI men are Freddie Freeman (51); Brian McCann (46); Dan Uggla (46); and Jason Heyward with 43 RBI. That's a total of 186 RBI.
In Miami, the top four RBI men are Giancarlo Stanton (50); Hanley Ramirez (44); Logan Morrison (36); and Omar Infante with 30 RBI.
The book is out on Philadelphia because of lengthy injuries to Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard.
Here are the Mets' numbers:
Daniel Murphy - 86 games; 23 doubles; 3 home runs; 43 rbi.
David Wright - 84 games; 28 doubles; 11 home runs; 59 rbi.
Ike Davis - 83 games; 15 doubles; 13 home runs; 50 rbi.
Lucas Duda - 85 games; 9 doubles; 12 home runs; 44 rbi.
The Mets top four RBI men have driven in 196 runs this season, for tops in the division. Like Atlanta, they have four players above forty. But the Mets are the only team with two players above fifty RBI.
Of the blocs of four players mentioned, the Marlins have totalled seventy-four doubles; Washington seventy-seven doubles; and Atlanta sixty doubles. The Mets big four come in at sixty-seven doubles. However, the Mets rank number three overall in the National League. While the Mets still lack significant power, and only rank twelfth in the senior circuit, they are #1 in walks; #4 in total hits; #3 in OBP; and sport the National League's #7 team batting average.
These are things to consider as the trade deadline draws closer. Perhaps when prioritizing the Mets' needs, a right-handed hitter should, or could, be lower on the list. The Mets bats seem very capable of holding their own, all be it in their own special way. But a right-handed bat, like I said, would benefit Lucas Duda most.
With a lack of power/slugging seemingly, and somewhat dispelled, I'd make acquiring pitching the Mets priority moving forward. If Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey, and Jon Niese, can combine to form a formidable trio over the next two weeks, then for sure, the Mets top priority should be to address the bullpen as the trade deadline approaches. For now though, the club waits on Frank Francisco, and Jenrry Mejia for reinforcement.
Mike.BTB
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NEW YORK METS: Amazins' Bats Sending Sandy Alderson a Message - We Don't Need Any Help. Get Pitching!
Despite two consecutive losses to the Braves, the Mets' bats are making a strong case for Sandy Alderson to address other areas of the team, rather than looking for another bat to enhance the Mets' line-up, and possibly upgrade their lack of power.
For the sake of this post, let's still call this the half-way point and project the numbers forward. After eighty-eight games played this season, and with Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy beginning to peculate, the Mets can potentially have four batters breaking the ninety RBI mark, and can possibly have three players break one-hundred RBI this season. That may be generous of me to say. But the chances none-the-less exist.
Daniel Murphy appeared to be coming out his malaise prior to the break. The hope is he can pick up where he left off. But in the first two games back, he is batting one for ten. As the trade deadline approaches, his production will warrant monitoring. But there's still an awful lot of upside to his bat. With only three home runs to his credit, he remarkably has driven in forty-three runs on the strength of twenty-three doubles, and a current .289 batting average; which is up from a low of .271 not too long ago. If his batting average climbs back up to his standard, his RBI should accumulate commensurately.
Lucas Duda's biggest problem is he doesn't have a right-handed bat protecting him in the line-up. Otherwise, he's quite adept at stroking the ball the other way against lefties, and pulling the righties. He is struggling with a .246 batting average because pitchers have no reason to give him anything to hit. Lucas has still clubbed twelve home runs this season, with forty-four RBI so far. We shouldn't get too down on Lucas. A bat behind him would help his game immeasurably. If Jason Bay comes back and at least represents himself, Lucas will benefit. And lest we forget he's a first baseman playing right field. So defensively, I cut him a little more slack.
The power switch on Ike Davis has been flicked on. After struggling horribly below the Mario Mendoza line, and faced with potentially being sent down to Buffalo during the Spring months, Ike Davis has finally tapped into his home run swing, and is having a robust summer. He is now the second Mets player to reach fifty RBI this season, and currently leads the team in home runs with thirteen. His .207 average at the moment, is fast becoming a phantom stat. Ike is on the rise.
And then there is the Mets MVP candidate; David Wright. He batted above the .400 mark for a substantial portion of the early season. He currently sits at .347 because he went 0 for 5 Saturday. Otherwise, he entered the game against the Braves with a .353 average. He is actually fourth on the team with eleven home runs. But he is number one on the Mets with fifty-nine RBI, which also ties him for fifth in the National League.
If this all doesn't seem earth shattering to you, then consider this. For all the talk of the Mets' lack of power, they still produce runs at a surprising clip. As a matter of fact, the Mets top four run producers drive in more runs than the top four RBI men of all their division rivals.
In Washington, the top four RBI men are Adam LaRoche (53); Ian Desmond (52); Ryan Zimmerman (42); and Bryce Harper with 25 RBI. That's a total of 172 RBI.
In Atlanta, the top four RBI men are Freddie Freeman (51); Brian McCann (46); Dan Uggla (46); and Jason Heyward with 43 RBI. That's a total of 186 RBI.
In Miami, the top four RBI men are Giancarlo Stanton (50); Hanley Ramirez (44); Logan Morrison (36); and Omar Infante with 30 RBI.
The book is out on Philadelphia because of lengthy injuries to Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard.
Here are the Mets' numbers:
Daniel Murphy - 86 games; 23 doubles; 3 home runs; 43 rbi.
David Wright - 84 games; 28 doubles; 11 home runs; 59 rbi.
Ike Davis - 83 games; 15 doubles; 13 home runs; 50 rbi.
Lucas Duda - 85 games; 9 doubles; 12 home runs; 44 rbi.
The Mets top four RBI men have driven in 196 runs this season, for tops in the division. Like Atlanta, they have four players above forty. But the Mets are the only team with two players above fifty RBI.
Of the blocs of four players mentioned, the Marlins have totalled seventy-four doubles; Washington seventy-seven doubles; and Atlanta sixty doubles. The Mets big four come in at sixty-seven doubles. However, the Mets rank number three overall in the National League. While the Mets still lack significant power, and only rank twelfth in the senior circuit, they are #1 in walks; #4 in total hits; #3 in OBP; and sport the National League's #7 team batting average.
These are things to consider as the trade deadline draws closer. Perhaps when prioritizing the Mets' needs, a right-handed hitter should, or could, be lower on the list. The Mets bats seem very capable of holding their own, all be it in their own special way. But a right-handed bat, like I said, would benefit Lucas Duda most.
With a lack of power/slugging seemingly, and somewhat dispelled, I'd make acquiring pitching the Mets priority moving forward. If Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey, and Jon Niese, can combine to form a formidable trio over the next two weeks, then for sure, the Mets top priority should be to address the bullpen as the trade deadline approaches. For now though, the club waits on Frank Francisco, and Jenrry Mejia for reinforcement.
Mike.BTB
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
N.Y. Mets ~ Amazins Pass a Major Test
From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
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Dillon Gee took his place in the Mets' arms race tonight. The sophomore righty contributed yet another splendidly pitched game by the Mets in the month of June. He only gave up three hits on the night in 7.1 innings pitched. He evened his season record to 5-5, and also lowered his ERA from 4.43, to a 4.27 mark.
Gee started out allowing just one hit through seven complete innings. He only walked one, while striking out eight Orioles, and had only thrown eighty-two pitches to that point. So the thought was he still had gas left in the tank. He was working on the Mets' third consecutive shutout.
In the eighth inning, Dillon Gee set his new career high for strikeouts with number nine, but not before surrendering a two run home run to Wilsonn Betemit to make it a 4-2 game. Then after issuing his second walk of the evening, Coach Terry went to the mound and removed his starter. Dillon Gee walked off the field to a rousing ovation.
Then in came Bobby Parnell with a runner on first and one out. He made it interesting by allowing the next batter to hit safely. But Bobby got the Mets out of the inning without incurring further damage, and kept Dillon Gee's effort on the winning side.
Coach Terry went with his closer, Frank Francisco, in the ninth, who promptly loaded the bases with two outs. Francisco proceeded to walk in a run, making it a 4-3 game. Then up came Brian Roberts for the Orioles. A ground ball to Jordany Valdespin at second base ended this game that almost started to go south on the Mets. But with the 4-3 final, the Amazins completed their sweep of the Baltimore Orioles.
It was a roller coaster finish, but the Mets have arrived at their off day having gone 10-9 over a stretch of nineteen games against teams with better than .500 records. They got swept by the Yankees in the Bronx, then swept the Rays in Tampa. They returned to Flushing and got swept by the Reds, and now, they sweep the Orioles. For the moment, that's Mets' Baseball. And we'll take it.
Enjoy your day off guys. After recovering to improve your record to 38-32, you've all earned a well deserved day off. All that's left is to read, and listen tomorrow, to what all the Mets' media naysayers will have to say regarding the club now. So come hungry boys. There's plenty of crow for every one of you to eat.
Mike.BTB
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NEW YORK METS: Starting Pitchers Continue to Dominate June. End Tough Nineteen Game Stretch on Amazin' Note.
Dillon Gee took his place in the Mets' arms race tonight. The sophomore righty contributed yet another splendidly pitched game by the Mets in the month of June. He only gave up three hits on the night in 7.1 innings pitched. He evened his season record to 5-5, and also lowered his ERA from 4.43, to a 4.27 mark.
Gee started out allowing just one hit through seven complete innings. He only walked one, while striking out eight Orioles, and had only thrown eighty-two pitches to that point. So the thought was he still had gas left in the tank. He was working on the Mets' third consecutive shutout.
In the eighth inning, Dillon Gee set his new career high for strikeouts with number nine, but not before surrendering a two run home run to Wilsonn Betemit to make it a 4-2 game. Then after issuing his second walk of the evening, Coach Terry went to the mound and removed his starter. Dillon Gee walked off the field to a rousing ovation.
Then in came Bobby Parnell with a runner on first and one out. He made it interesting by allowing the next batter to hit safely. But Bobby got the Mets out of the inning without incurring further damage, and kept Dillon Gee's effort on the winning side.
Coach Terry went with his closer, Frank Francisco, in the ninth, who promptly loaded the bases with two outs. Francisco proceeded to walk in a run, making it a 4-3 game. Then up came Brian Roberts for the Orioles. A ground ball to Jordany Valdespin at second base ended this game that almost started to go south on the Mets. But with the 4-3 final, the Amazins completed their sweep of the Baltimore Orioles.
It was a roller coaster finish, but the Mets have arrived at their off day having gone 10-9 over a stretch of nineteen games against teams with better than .500 records. They got swept by the Yankees in the Bronx, then swept the Rays in Tampa. They returned to Flushing and got swept by the Reds, and now, they sweep the Orioles. For the moment, that's Mets' Baseball. And we'll take it.
Enjoy your day off guys. After recovering to improve your record to 38-32, you've all earned a well deserved day off. All that's left is to read, and listen tomorrow, to what all the Mets' media naysayers will have to say regarding the club now. So come hungry boys. There's plenty of crow for every one of you to eat.
Mike.BTB
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
N.Y. Mets ~ Amazins Have Much Hinging on June
From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
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Popular Opinion has it the Mets will not be able to sustain this level of play through the summer. If the Mets keep getting injured at this rate, the Opinionated might be right. If the Mets stumble, and fall during this next 19-game stretch; including Monday's loss to Philadelphia, the Opinionated might again, be right. Nineteen games from now lands the Mets in a series with Baltimore, then it's right back against the Yankees again in the Citi Field portion of the Subway Series.
In other words, it's time to sink or swim boys. Moving forward, they will be defined by June. Not April or May. Because that's what happens when you're only (for now) five games over the .500 level. And that's what happens when the Braves hit a horrific stretch and suffer eight consecutive losses heading into Tuesday's games. And that's what happens when Philly gets ravaged by Met-Like high end injuries. Make what ever you will of the Marlins. But now that Memorial Day has passed, no one will remember all the Feel-Good the Mets gave us for the first two months of Spring.
Right off the bat, Monday night, I feel the Mets failed to seize the moment. They had Cole Hamels on the ropes, and damn near out-lasted him, hitting two, two-run home runs off the Philly hurler. Jon Niese did little however, to help his own cause with five walks in five innings pitched. Even then, the bullpen, namely Manny Acosta, couldn't keep the Phils where they were.
This season, the 31-year old Manny Acosta, was in a word, terrible. In twenty-two innings pitched, he possessed a still escalating 11.28 ERA. He gave up thirty-five hits and walked another fifteen. And in those twenty-two innings, he gave up six dreadful home runs. Like D.J. Carrasco before him, Manny Acosta was designated for assignment by Sandy Alderson Tuesday. Chris Schwinden was recalled to fill the roster spot.
With offensive statistics starting to paint a very grim picture for the upcoming Mets' Summer, every lead is precious as you can imagine. Especially since the Mets are still somehow defeating the odds. So, Sandy Alderson decided he can't have Acosta polluting his bullpen a single game longer. And say this for the Mets' General Manager - there is no such thing as paralysis through analysis with him. He's fair, but when it comes time to cut the cord on someone, Sandy does not hesitate. He wields his scythe swiftly.
Luis Castillo, Oliver Perez, and the Purge, were different matters. I'm taking about the move he made last season at second base, when it was clear Brad Emaus wasn't the answer there. He promptly DFA'd him, and we moved on nicely at second base since then. If only we can have some of that fortune rub off on the bullpen. Because this makes two arms Sandy has jettisoned now, due to lack of performance. At least Frank Francisco is looking like he might have some staying power.
Back to matters of injury, add Justin Turner to the list of wounded. No one is about to say shortstop is now haunted, but talk about having some horrible luck at the position this season. Tonight, they sported shortstop number four, or even five. I lost count. The Mets might finally catch a break however, once Ruben Tejada returns. But even he is having a tough time getting back on the field.
All these factors exist to test the Mets' resilience, and maybe even their temerity. After all, there is something to youthful exuberance. It's what the Mets have been relying on. How much longer will it last? If Scott Hairston is answering that question, he'll say all season long! He had a pinch hit home run for the Mets Tuesday night - his sixth of the season. He now leads the Mets. David Wright, Lucas Duda, and Ike Davis, are all behind him. There's an obvious problem there.
As with the problems Sandy Alderson is having plugging the fifth spot in the rotation, he will not easily pluck someone from the farm system for instant power either. That sort of tact may work with the bullpen for now. But unless Sandy can find that fifth starter other than by utilizing some of the burgeoning talent the Mets have percolating in the minors, the only other solution to the Mets problem in the back end of the rotation, and with their dearth of hitting power, are simply, player production.
Tuesday night, the latest fifth starter made his third start as a Met. For a night, Jeremy Hefner made Sandy Alderson look like a smart man. Not only did the kid hit his first MLB home run to help his own cause, he left on the winning side of a 6-3 game. Jeremy allowed three earned runs on six hits. He walked none and struck out four.
Then.., about that bullpen - Bobby Parnell pitched a scoreless seventh. In the eighth, John Rauch allowed a lead-off single to Jimmy Rollins. A couple of batters later, the rains came and interrupted the game. But for the purposes of this post however, I do not need a final score.
It's enough to say - if the Mets regular power hitters can just show up, like Jeremy Hefner did in Game Two versus the Phils Tuesday, they'll succeed in making many June games, important ones.
Read my articles on the New York Mets at Rising Apple.com
Mike.BTB
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NEW YORK METS: Sandy Alderson Wastes No Time; Continues To Address Bullpen Issues. Manny Acosta Gets Designated for Assignment After Game One of Most Competitive Stretch in Amazin's Schedule So Far.
Mets Must Generate Power To Stay Cool This Summer.
Popular Opinion has it the Mets will not be able to sustain this level of play through the summer. If the Mets keep getting injured at this rate, the Opinionated might be right. If the Mets stumble, and fall during this next 19-game stretch; including Monday's loss to Philadelphia, the Opinionated might again, be right. Nineteen games from now lands the Mets in a series with Baltimore, then it's right back against the Yankees again in the Citi Field portion of the Subway Series.
In other words, it's time to sink or swim boys. Moving forward, they will be defined by June. Not April or May. Because that's what happens when you're only (for now) five games over the .500 level. And that's what happens when the Braves hit a horrific stretch and suffer eight consecutive losses heading into Tuesday's games. And that's what happens when Philly gets ravaged by Met-Like high end injuries. Make what ever you will of the Marlins. But now that Memorial Day has passed, no one will remember all the Feel-Good the Mets gave us for the first two months of Spring.
Right off the bat, Monday night, I feel the Mets failed to seize the moment. They had Cole Hamels on the ropes, and damn near out-lasted him, hitting two, two-run home runs off the Philly hurler. Jon Niese did little however, to help his own cause with five walks in five innings pitched. Even then, the bullpen, namely Manny Acosta, couldn't keep the Phils where they were.
This season, the 31-year old Manny Acosta, was in a word, terrible. In twenty-two innings pitched, he possessed a still escalating 11.28 ERA. He gave up thirty-five hits and walked another fifteen. And in those twenty-two innings, he gave up six dreadful home runs. Like D.J. Carrasco before him, Manny Acosta was designated for assignment by Sandy Alderson Tuesday. Chris Schwinden was recalled to fill the roster spot.
With offensive statistics starting to paint a very grim picture for the upcoming Mets' Summer, every lead is precious as you can imagine. Especially since the Mets are still somehow defeating the odds. So, Sandy Alderson decided he can't have Acosta polluting his bullpen a single game longer. And say this for the Mets' General Manager - there is no such thing as paralysis through analysis with him. He's fair, but when it comes time to cut the cord on someone, Sandy does not hesitate. He wields his scythe swiftly.
Luis Castillo, Oliver Perez, and the Purge, were different matters. I'm taking about the move he made last season at second base, when it was clear Brad Emaus wasn't the answer there. He promptly DFA'd him, and we moved on nicely at second base since then. If only we can have some of that fortune rub off on the bullpen. Because this makes two arms Sandy has jettisoned now, due to lack of performance. At least Frank Francisco is looking like he might have some staying power.
Back to matters of injury, add Justin Turner to the list of wounded. No one is about to say shortstop is now haunted, but talk about having some horrible luck at the position this season. Tonight, they sported shortstop number four, or even five. I lost count. The Mets might finally catch a break however, once Ruben Tejada returns. But even he is having a tough time getting back on the field.
All these factors exist to test the Mets' resilience, and maybe even their temerity. After all, there is something to youthful exuberance. It's what the Mets have been relying on. How much longer will it last? If Scott Hairston is answering that question, he'll say all season long! He had a pinch hit home run for the Mets Tuesday night - his sixth of the season. He now leads the Mets. David Wright, Lucas Duda, and Ike Davis, are all behind him. There's an obvious problem there.
As with the problems Sandy Alderson is having plugging the fifth spot in the rotation, he will not easily pluck someone from the farm system for instant power either. That sort of tact may work with the bullpen for now. But unless Sandy can find that fifth starter other than by utilizing some of the burgeoning talent the Mets have percolating in the minors, the only other solution to the Mets problem in the back end of the rotation, and with their dearth of hitting power, are simply, player production.
Tuesday night, the latest fifth starter made his third start as a Met. For a night, Jeremy Hefner made Sandy Alderson look like a smart man. Not only did the kid hit his first MLB home run to help his own cause, he left on the winning side of a 6-3 game. Jeremy allowed three earned runs on six hits. He walked none and struck out four.
Then.., about that bullpen - Bobby Parnell pitched a scoreless seventh. In the eighth, John Rauch allowed a lead-off single to Jimmy Rollins. A couple of batters later, the rains came and interrupted the game. But for the purposes of this post however, I do not need a final score.
It's enough to say - if the Mets regular power hitters can just show up, like Jeremy Hefner did in Game Two versus the Phils Tuesday, they'll succeed in making many June games, important ones.
Read my articles on the New York Mets at Rising Apple.com
Mike.BTB
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
N.Y. Mets ~ Late Scoring Makes Dickey a Six Game Winner
From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
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After seven full innings pitched in Pittsburgh, R.A. Dickey achieved his career high for strikeouts in a game with eleven. R.A. surrendered but five hits, one earned run, and walked none.
In the top of the eighth, Coach Terry was faced with leaving Dickey in the game, as he only had thrown eighty-nine pitches to that point, or pinch hitting for him, because the Mets were tied with the Pirates at one, with the pitcher due to lead off. Buc's starter, James McDonald, was equal to the task with seven innings of one run baseball as well. He allowed four Met hits, walked two, and struck out eight.
The scoring re-cap is easy. Mike Nickeas singled home Daniel Murphy back in the second. And Pittsburgh scored on a sac-fly in the sixth.
Coach Terry sent up Andres Torres to pinch hit, who promptly struck out. So much for strategy. Mike Baxter then lined a double to straight away center field. Kirk Nieuwenhuis did well to work out a walk which brought up David Wright. But the (now) .403 Kid struck out too. So up stepped Lucas Duda looking for a clutch two out hit. And you know..., he came through. He pulled righty Juan Cruz' offering past first base for an RBI single. Baxter scored from second on the hit. James McDonald's line was now complete and would be marked by a no-decision.
The Bucs brought in another righty, Chris Resop, to face lefty Daniel Murphy with two outs and Nieuwenhuis on third. An E-5 put Murphy on first, and allowed Nieuwenhuis to score for a 3-1 Mets lead. Ike Davis, who was 0 for 4 on the night, with two strikeouts, ended the threat.
Then, in came the Mets' bullpen. After suffering the loss in Monday's game, Jon Rauch was first. A one out double by Jose Tabata to right was followed up with a fine play by Nickeas, 2-3 for the out. Tabata moved to third on the play and scored when Daniel Murphy couldn't make an over the shoulder catch on a flair to short right. The game was now 3-2 Mets, with the tying run on first. Out went Rauch. In came Tim Byrdak to face Pedro Alvarez. Andrew McCutchen stole second to put the tying run at second. Then on a 1-2 pitch, Tim Byrdak struck out his man and preserved the Mets lead. The book on R.A. Dickey wasn't closed yet.
Frank Francisco began to muster in the bullpen while the Mets took their at-bat in the top of the ninth. Once they failed to tack on any insurance runs, the big righty entered the game in search of his eleventh save, or his fourth loss, or his third blown save. We never know these days.
A grounder to Murphy, and a strikeout, left Pittsburgh down to their last at-bat. Rod Barajas popped up that opportunity a mile high and Kirk Nieuwenhuis squeezed it for the last out. And so Frank Francisco's eleventh save indeed, came without incident. R.A. Dickey is now a six game winner versus just one loss.
Scott Hairston is still the only Met to hit a home run on this road trip. Pittsburgh barely has more than New York. After tomorrow's rubber game, the Mets will host the San Diego Padres - the only team with less home runs than the Roosevelt Avenue Scrappers.
In lieu of power, the Mets have five, two-out RBI, against Pittsburgh so far. And unlike their paltry .179 batting with RiSP against Toronto, the Mets are now 4 for 13 (.308) with RiSP this series.
Even with no power to speak of, everything the Metrs aren't getting accomplished against a string a good starting pitchers this month, they've done well to take out on relief pitchers. The Mets continue to outlast many quality starts, and score late against team's bullpens. James McDonald's was just the latest good start and Pittsburgh's bullpen was just the latest to implode against the Mets.
Such style of Baseball is tough on starting pitcher's baseball card. But unlike last season, when a preponderance of R.A. Dickey's quality starts were relegated to no-decisions, or toe-tagged with a blown loss, this season, the Mets are doing a better job getting R.A. wins.
His continues to be a remarkable story. Signed out of the ether by Omar Minaya to a minor league contract over the winter of 2009-10, he's become the Mets' most reliable, and consistent starting pitcher. While improving his staff leading record to 6-1, he also lowered his ERA to a 3.45 in nine starts. He leads the Mets rotation with 57.1 innings pitched, by far offering the Mets bullpen the most respite.
I think it's time we starting talking about R.A. Dickey in the same sentence with All-Star Game.
The Mets came back to split two games and will play the rubber match against the Pirates tomorrow in an early afternoon matinee, before returning home. After dropping two of three to Toronto, they can end this road trip (2-3), and bring their overall road record (11-12) this season to .500 with a win Wednesday.
Mike.BTB
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NEW YORK METS:
It's Time To Start Talking About R.A. Dickey the All*Star.
After seven full innings pitched in Pittsburgh, R.A. Dickey achieved his career high for strikeouts in a game with eleven. R.A. surrendered but five hits, one earned run, and walked none.
In the top of the eighth, Coach Terry was faced with leaving Dickey in the game, as he only had thrown eighty-nine pitches to that point, or pinch hitting for him, because the Mets were tied with the Pirates at one, with the pitcher due to lead off. Buc's starter, James McDonald, was equal to the task with seven innings of one run baseball as well. He allowed four Met hits, walked two, and struck out eight.
The scoring re-cap is easy. Mike Nickeas singled home Daniel Murphy back in the second. And Pittsburgh scored on a sac-fly in the sixth.
Coach Terry sent up Andres Torres to pinch hit, who promptly struck out. So much for strategy. Mike Baxter then lined a double to straight away center field. Kirk Nieuwenhuis did well to work out a walk which brought up David Wright. But the (now) .403 Kid struck out too. So up stepped Lucas Duda looking for a clutch two out hit. And you know..., he came through. He pulled righty Juan Cruz' offering past first base for an RBI single. Baxter scored from second on the hit. James McDonald's line was now complete and would be marked by a no-decision.
The Bucs brought in another righty, Chris Resop, to face lefty Daniel Murphy with two outs and Nieuwenhuis on third. An E-5 put Murphy on first, and allowed Nieuwenhuis to score for a 3-1 Mets lead. Ike Davis, who was 0 for 4 on the night, with two strikeouts, ended the threat.
Then, in came the Mets' bullpen. After suffering the loss in Monday's game, Jon Rauch was first. A one out double by Jose Tabata to right was followed up with a fine play by Nickeas, 2-3 for the out. Tabata moved to third on the play and scored when Daniel Murphy couldn't make an over the shoulder catch on a flair to short right. The game was now 3-2 Mets, with the tying run on first. Out went Rauch. In came Tim Byrdak to face Pedro Alvarez. Andrew McCutchen stole second to put the tying run at second. Then on a 1-2 pitch, Tim Byrdak struck out his man and preserved the Mets lead. The book on R.A. Dickey wasn't closed yet.
Frank Francisco began to muster in the bullpen while the Mets took their at-bat in the top of the ninth. Once they failed to tack on any insurance runs, the big righty entered the game in search of his eleventh save, or his fourth loss, or his third blown save. We never know these days.
A grounder to Murphy, and a strikeout, left Pittsburgh down to their last at-bat. Rod Barajas popped up that opportunity a mile high and Kirk Nieuwenhuis squeezed it for the last out. And so Frank Francisco's eleventh save indeed, came without incident. R.A. Dickey is now a six game winner versus just one loss.
Scott Hairston is still the only Met to hit a home run on this road trip. Pittsburgh barely has more than New York. After tomorrow's rubber game, the Mets will host the San Diego Padres - the only team with less home runs than the Roosevelt Avenue Scrappers.
In lieu of power, the Mets have five, two-out RBI, against Pittsburgh so far. And unlike their paltry .179 batting with RiSP against Toronto, the Mets are now 4 for 13 (.308) with RiSP this series.
Even with no power to speak of, everything the Metrs aren't getting accomplished against a string a good starting pitchers this month, they've done well to take out on relief pitchers. The Mets continue to outlast many quality starts, and score late against team's bullpens. James McDonald's was just the latest good start and Pittsburgh's bullpen was just the latest to implode against the Mets.
Such style of Baseball is tough on starting pitcher's baseball card. But unlike last season, when a preponderance of R.A. Dickey's quality starts were relegated to no-decisions, or toe-tagged with a blown loss, this season, the Mets are doing a better job getting R.A. wins.
His continues to be a remarkable story. Signed out of the ether by Omar Minaya to a minor league contract over the winter of 2009-10, he's become the Mets' most reliable, and consistent starting pitcher. While improving his staff leading record to 6-1, he also lowered his ERA to a 3.45 in nine starts. He leads the Mets rotation with 57.1 innings pitched, by far offering the Mets bullpen the most respite.
I think it's time we starting talking about R.A. Dickey in the same sentence with All-Star Game.
The Mets came back to split two games and will play the rubber match against the Pirates tomorrow in an early afternoon matinee, before returning home. After dropping two of three to Toronto, they can end this road trip (2-3), and bring their overall road record (11-12) this season to .500 with a win Wednesday.
Mike.BTB
Sunday, April 08, 2012
N.Y. Mets ~ Twice As Nice
From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
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NEW YORK METS: So Far, Bullpen Helping Amazins Avoid Last Season's 5-13 Start.
Timing is everything I guess. Had I posted after Opening Day's victory, I would have most surely said Johan Santana's five inning start was the story of the game considering he was making his first appearance since September 2010. Then the bullpen's work would have been a close second.
Well, after two games in the books and a pair of victories under our belts, by far, the top story has to be the work of the bullpen. After pitching seven of the first eighteen innings of the 2012 season, five relievers have combined to give up a mere four hits; issue one walk; allow no runs; and have struck-out seven batters. Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco have pitched in both games. Rauch earned a second Hold, and Francisco now has two Saves.
The work of Johan Santana should not go under-spoken however. His was a very promising start to say the least. Five innings is hardly the stuff Cy Young could relate to. But in Mets Town right now, surrendering two hits; issuing two walks; while allowing no runs and striking out five was more than enough. The hope now is he that he recovers well between starts and continues to build up his stamina without any setbacks.
Both Johan Santana and the rebuilt bullpen combined to shut out the Atlanta Braves 1-0 last Thursday in front of the largest crowd to attend a game at Citi Field so far. Dare I say, there's hope for Mr. Wilpon yet. Did I squeeze that in there? The game-winning RBI went to David Wright. Both Josh Thole and Daniel Murphy had multiple hit games.
In Saturday's game, the Mets' offense looked like it wanted to reconcile with R.A. Dickey after hanging him out to dry on so many no-decisions last season. In season Game Two, the Mets' Lumber Co. showed up early; midway through; and late in the game to provide enough offense for R.A. Dickey's first win of the season. David Wright got things started early with a first inning home run. Then Lucas Duda gave the Mets a 2-0 lead with a blast in the home fourth. In the seventh, Lucas Duda provided an important insurance run by homering for a second time and gave the Mets a 4-2 lead. As with Game One, the bullpen took care of the rest to secure a 4-2 final.
HELLO, KIRK NIEUWENHUIS: ONE PLAYER'S INJURY IS ANOTHER PLAYER'S OPPORTUNITY. Mets' Center Fielder Andres Torres Placed on DL.
During Game One, CF-Andres Torres pulled up lame while chasing down an Atlanta Braves triple. He strained his calf once again. Outfield farm hand, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, was called up from Buffalo to fill Torres' spot on the roster and promptly had two hits in four at-bats Saturday afternoon. But before getting carried away, he was hit-less in two at-bats with runners in scoring position.
But as far as I'm concerned, his call-up is a pleasing development and a case of - Ask and Ye Shall Receive. I do not wish injury on anyone. But, quite frankly, I think Andres Torres is a waste of our time, and would much rather give the job to Nieuwenhuis outright. It's just where I am with this team. Guys like Torres only delay opportunities. I call them human Pause Buttons. And after all, we're supposed to be rebuilding right? Not with Andres Torres we're not.
Hello Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and welcome to the team. You have my patience and full support. Go win the day.
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NEW YORK METS: So Far, Bullpen Helping Amazins Avoid Last Season's 5-13 Start.
R.A. Dickey Finally Gets Run Support and Lights-Out Bullpen Work
How About That?
Former Brooklyn Cyclone Favorite Kirk Nieuwenhuis
Makes His Mets' and MLB Debut.
Timing is everything I guess. Had I posted after Opening Day's victory, I would have most surely said Johan Santana's five inning start was the story of the game considering he was making his first appearance since September 2010. Then the bullpen's work would have been a close second.
Well, after two games in the books and a pair of victories under our belts, by far, the top story has to be the work of the bullpen. After pitching seven of the first eighteen innings of the 2012 season, five relievers have combined to give up a mere four hits; issue one walk; allow no runs; and have struck-out seven batters. Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco have pitched in both games. Rauch earned a second Hold, and Francisco now has two Saves.
The work of Johan Santana should not go under-spoken however. His was a very promising start to say the least. Five innings is hardly the stuff Cy Young could relate to. But in Mets Town right now, surrendering two hits; issuing two walks; while allowing no runs and striking out five was more than enough. The hope now is he that he recovers well between starts and continues to build up his stamina without any setbacks.
Both Johan Santana and the rebuilt bullpen combined to shut out the Atlanta Braves 1-0 last Thursday in front of the largest crowd to attend a game at Citi Field so far. Dare I say, there's hope for Mr. Wilpon yet. Did I squeeze that in there? The game-winning RBI went to David Wright. Both Josh Thole and Daniel Murphy had multiple hit games.
In Saturday's game, the Mets' offense looked like it wanted to reconcile with R.A. Dickey after hanging him out to dry on so many no-decisions last season. In season Game Two, the Mets' Lumber Co. showed up early; midway through; and late in the game to provide enough offense for R.A. Dickey's first win of the season. David Wright got things started early with a first inning home run. Then Lucas Duda gave the Mets a 2-0 lead with a blast in the home fourth. In the seventh, Lucas Duda provided an important insurance run by homering for a second time and gave the Mets a 4-2 lead. As with Game One, the bullpen took care of the rest to secure a 4-2 final.
HELLO, KIRK NIEUWENHUIS: ONE PLAYER'S INJURY IS ANOTHER PLAYER'S OPPORTUNITY. Mets' Center Fielder Andres Torres Placed on DL.
During Game One, CF-Andres Torres pulled up lame while chasing down an Atlanta Braves triple. He strained his calf once again. Outfield farm hand, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, was called up from Buffalo to fill Torres' spot on the roster and promptly had two hits in four at-bats Saturday afternoon. But before getting carried away, he was hit-less in two at-bats with runners in scoring position.
But as far as I'm concerned, his call-up is a pleasing development and a case of - Ask and Ye Shall Receive. I do not wish injury on anyone. But, quite frankly, I think Andres Torres is a waste of our time, and would much rather give the job to Nieuwenhuis outright. It's just where I am with this team. Guys like Torres only delay opportunities. I call them human Pause Buttons. And after all, we're supposed to be rebuilding right? Not with Andres Torres we're not.
Hello Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and welcome to the team. You have my patience and full support. Go win the day.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON BASEBALL
GAME THREE of THREE
Mets lead series 2-0
Atlanta Braves
vs.
NEW YORK METS
Starting Pitcher - Jonathan Niese
From,
CITI FIELD
Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing
Mike.BTB
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
N.Y. Mets ~ The ARMED FARCES of Flushing?
From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
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NEW YORK METS: Spare Me the Part About Intangibles Johan Santana Brings to the Table. There's Only One Thing We Need from Him - and that's WINS.
Johan Santana, who last faced MLB batters back on September 2, 2010, has been named the Mets' 2012 Opening Day starter. If in fact his shoulder is healthy again, it is only logical the Mets' returning ace take his rightful place on the mound for the season opener.
But exactly which Johan Santana the Mets are getting back remains to be seen. In a recent post, I already posed the question - What's the rush? Moving on, any real confidence in his shoulder being sound will not be gained on April 7th. In order to rest more assured Johan is really back in the clear, we must wait for start number five, and six, and seven, and judge him more critically then.
Whether his effort this Thursday turns out well or badly, I think it would be a mistake to project anything he does, forward. For if you strip away the pageantry of Opening Day, Thursday is merely Johan Santana's first start on the comeback trail - Nothing more. Of course with every start he makes, we all hope he gets incrementally better. But I will not be grading this particular start nor be issuing any kind of report card.
While he returns to the mound for yet another Mets' Opening Day, Johan Santana is clearly not returning to the same team he last pitched for before going down towards the end of the 2010 season. Many of those team mates have been purged; traded; or were just allowed to leave. And the staff heading into the upcoming season is not the staff Johan left behind that was partly rounded out with the likes of John Maine; Oliver Perez; Pat Misch; and Hisanori Takahashi either.
Since September 2010, guys like Dickey and Niese continued to march on minus Johan with a certain level of success. And with Gee, the three have cut their own path together. Suffice to say, last season caused all three (and Pelfrey too..) to learn a lesson or two the hard way. But you know what they say ~ What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. And so I will ask ~ What does Johan bring to these Mets? After all, the Mets played all of last season without him, which incidentally, was the season in which the club initiated their greatest upheaval effort since perhaps the end of the Steve Phillips era.
The best and most obvious way Johan Santana can help the Mets this season is by staying healthy; stopping losing streaks; and in general, winning a majority of his games. That's pretty much it. And I do mean that in a limited sense. Win Win Win. For I do not necessarily think this starting staff needs a mentor who gets paid at Johan's rate. On a number of occasions, R.A. Dickey has already admonished and schooled his team mates and fellow pitchers in matters of comportment; accountability; and professionalism. In that respect, the pitching staff is covered. So I do not think they either need to be led by the hand, nor, pushed from behind by Johan Santana. Point is, the Mets do not need two babysitters. They need wins.
Outside of potential wins, is it knowledge that Johan brings with him? Can Johan help R.A. Dickey with his mechanics, or approach, or anything? Dickey is a Knuckler. They did pitch together during the 2010 season. But there's little Johan can offer there. Besides, Dickey is a self motivator anyway.
Jon Niese pitched along side Johan in 2010 also. But he and Dillon Gee have been influenced more; or should I say forcefully pushed along; by Dan Warthen through a combination of tough love and rough handling. I must say, I like it, and to a certain extent, it has worked. So even outside of real, actual wins, ...if real, actual pitching Knowledge is all Johan has left to offer this team, then, as you see, imparting knowledge in the Mets present situation only gets Johan so far. All that's left for him to give back this team is wins.
Mike Pelfrey? He had his best season the year Johan eventually went down. However, today, he is still largely an enigma, if not a hot mess. Pelfrey also pitched along side Santana for more than three full seasons. If there was any knowledge to be had, none of it was absorbed, or seems to have rubbed off on Pelfrey. We are still struggling along with him, and it can't be blamed on Johan's absence.
This is Johan's new reality. He was brought back to the present by the time machine we call injury-slash-rehab. There is no one to blame when an injury takes you out of one world, and deposits you into another. But this is precisely what I feel has happened to Johan. Who wouldn't want a healthy Johan Santana pitching for them? But in the blink of a Johan Santana eye, the Mets undertook a new direction, and with no recent memory of Johan pitching available (for this fan) to recall, it's as if he no longer fits in, and has to find his way around the room again.
Save me the part about all the intangibles Johan Santana brings to the staff. There is only one thing the team needs from him at this point ~ W's.
OK Met Fans, where do we go from here until all of the minor leaguers are grown up? Henrry Mejia; Jeurys Familia; Zach Wheeler; Matt Harvey; and some others are still part of Future Talk. They do however, in one respect or another, start the clock ticking down on Johan Santana's time in a Met uniform. And that has nothing to do with my ideas. That's what the organization is doing.
Any further discussion about the Mets starting staff will ultimately point to the bullpen; and to be fair, the pitchers all could have benefited from more offensive support as well. That said....,
Last season, the Armed Farces of the Mets' bullpen offered no quarter; - against their own starting pitchers that is. And no start came more under siege than those made by R.A. Dickey. He could have easily won fifteen games last season, but was victimized by eleven no-decisions, and wound up taking a loss after more than just a few bullpen meltdowns.
As a knuckler, in 208 innings pitched, he only walked 58 batters last season. He gives up less hits than innings pitched, and averages less than a home run allowed per nine innings pitched. And all that is alright by me. With a run here and there, and a save or two along the way, the discussion regarding R.A. Dickey would be sounding very different. His knuckle ball is a known and controlled pitched because he pumps it up there with some velocity. As knuckle ballers go, even he's a bit unconventional. As a pitcher, he's totally unconventional. And that's why he's been very reliable and quite effective these last two seasons. R.A. Dickey is precisely the reason why GM's take chances signing virtual unknowns to minor league deals. Once in a while, you sign a keeper like Dickey.
Jonathan Niese and the Mets appear ready to sign a multi-year contract. And I say it is good. He's a lefty with a good curve ball. What's not to like about that? The curve ball is rapidly becoming a forgotten pitch. Niese throws one well, and has a good enough fastball to make it a very effective pitch for him. This Kid's problem is stamina. Depending on his early game efficiency, he's hitting the wall sometime in the sixth and seventh inning. But he's starting to learn what it takes to break through. And where the bullpen has victimized Niese as well, Jon was usually the one surrendering his own leads. But just like Dickey, Jon Niese could have definitely benefited from a little more offensive support. Can he improve this season and become a fifteen game winner? He won eleven games last season. So I say, absolutely. If anyone can really benefit from having Johan Santana around, it will be Jon Niese.
Dillon Gee? He seems to pitch better when Dan Warthen is yelling at him. And I don't know if that's a bad thing. The way he pitched upon his call up from Buffalo, and winning games in quantity the way he did, wasn't exactly Fernandomania, but it did have us thinking at least for a few games. No matter how you slice it, thirteen wins is not a shabby way to break into the Bigs. If he can duplicate it, that would be great. We'd like his walks to come down and his strikeout to increase a bit, but he seems to understand the art of deception. And he better be smart, because he flirts with a lethal combination of walking too many batters and surrendering the long ball. There were also times like Jon Niese suffered, where Dillon too hit the proverbial wall. Otherwise, Dillon Gee was an anticipated, and now very welcome addition to the staff. If he is facing the number four and five starters of the league, I have every reason to believe he'll keep us competitive in those games.
It seems ironic, that without Johan Santana last season, the starting pitchers of this team were the club's strength. Injuries, lack of slugging production, and an abysmal bullpen, all played major roles in a ruinous season before the starting pitching ever did.
The offense is banking on productive returns from Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy; not to mention a return to form for David Wright and Jason Bay. If healthy, scoring runs late in games may prove less problematic this season, than last. And perhaps the Mets will win a few more games as a result. Optimistically speaking, all five starters in this season's rotation have the ability to achieve double-digit wins. And there's a case to be made each one of them can very well top thirteen apeice. That's sixty five wins right there.
Now imagine, of all things, the Mets enjoy a little luck this year, and that moving the fences in benefits us more than it does the competition, and we get to play with a lead more often that we did last year. Do that, and agree to now round up and give the Mets seventy wins.
Last season, after starting the season with a 5-13 record, they went 72-72 the rest of the way. So how do we improve upon that mark or wind up falling away from it? On the positive side, for generations of Baseballl fans, the answer has always been pitching and defense. Specific to the Mets, it's the Bullpen and Defense that can either make or break the Mets' season.
The Defense playing behind the pitching could prove troubling. And moving the fences in at Citi Field can just as easily make it easier for opponents to launch balls over the new wall as well. That's one thing to consider.
But all fingers point to the Armed Farces of the Mets Bullpen. They were unforgiving last season and ruthlessly cruel to leads; starting pitchers; wins; managers; TV and radio announcers, and us fans in attendance, or following at home. They didn't play favorites when chosing who's quality start to destroy either. What mattered was that they destroyed it completely. They were equal opportunists in that respect.
What money Sandy Alderson spent this off-season, went to rebuild the bullpen. Doctors just opened up the faucet on the knee of Sandy's largest investment and designated closer; Frank Francisco. Now the Met Closer is off to get an MRI. And so the Mets' Armed Farces might be looking for a new recruit soon.
For me, that's where Bobby Parnell comes in. Why bother with anyone else? I said it once; I'll say it again here. I am an unabashed supporter of Bobby Parnell. And it just so happens he had the best spring of any reliver in the bullpen. I believe this kid's best days are ahead of him, and are coming sooner than later. It is still my real hope, Bobby Parnell will emerge as this team's closer. He failed when given the chance last season. But that matters not to me. I say just give him the job now and let the season begin.
The Bullpen will decide once again, how much the Mets will deviate off a 72-72 record. And if they can figure out a way to correct a 5-13 start this time, September could actually turn into a Wild time in Flushing. And with that said, I'll end with three simple words:
Don't Blow It.
Mike.BTB
b.jpg)
NEW YORK METS: Spare Me the Part About Intangibles Johan Santana Brings to the Table. There's Only One Thing We Need from Him - and that's WINS.
Johan Santana, who last faced MLB batters back on September 2, 2010, has been named the Mets' 2012 Opening Day starter. If in fact his shoulder is healthy again, it is only logical the Mets' returning ace take his rightful place on the mound for the season opener.
But exactly which Johan Santana the Mets are getting back remains to be seen. In a recent post, I already posed the question - What's the rush? Moving on, any real confidence in his shoulder being sound will not be gained on April 7th. In order to rest more assured Johan is really back in the clear, we must wait for start number five, and six, and seven, and judge him more critically then.
Whether his effort this Thursday turns out well or badly, I think it would be a mistake to project anything he does, forward. For if you strip away the pageantry of Opening Day, Thursday is merely Johan Santana's first start on the comeback trail - Nothing more. Of course with every start he makes, we all hope he gets incrementally better. But I will not be grading this particular start nor be issuing any kind of report card.
While he returns to the mound for yet another Mets' Opening Day, Johan Santana is clearly not returning to the same team he last pitched for before going down towards the end of the 2010 season. Many of those team mates have been purged; traded; or were just allowed to leave. And the staff heading into the upcoming season is not the staff Johan left behind that was partly rounded out with the likes of John Maine; Oliver Perez; Pat Misch; and Hisanori Takahashi either.
Since September 2010, guys like Dickey and Niese continued to march on minus Johan with a certain level of success. And with Gee, the three have cut their own path together. Suffice to say, last season caused all three (and Pelfrey too..) to learn a lesson or two the hard way. But you know what they say ~ What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. And so I will ask ~ What does Johan bring to these Mets? After all, the Mets played all of last season without him, which incidentally, was the season in which the club initiated their greatest upheaval effort since perhaps the end of the Steve Phillips era.
The best and most obvious way Johan Santana can help the Mets this season is by staying healthy; stopping losing streaks; and in general, winning a majority of his games. That's pretty much it. And I do mean that in a limited sense. Win Win Win. For I do not necessarily think this starting staff needs a mentor who gets paid at Johan's rate. On a number of occasions, R.A. Dickey has already admonished and schooled his team mates and fellow pitchers in matters of comportment; accountability; and professionalism. In that respect, the pitching staff is covered. So I do not think they either need to be led by the hand, nor, pushed from behind by Johan Santana. Point is, the Mets do not need two babysitters. They need wins.
Outside of potential wins, is it knowledge that Johan brings with him? Can Johan help R.A. Dickey with his mechanics, or approach, or anything? Dickey is a Knuckler. They did pitch together during the 2010 season. But there's little Johan can offer there. Besides, Dickey is a self motivator anyway.
Jon Niese pitched along side Johan in 2010 also. But he and Dillon Gee have been influenced more; or should I say forcefully pushed along; by Dan Warthen through a combination of tough love and rough handling. I must say, I like it, and to a certain extent, it has worked. So even outside of real, actual wins, ...if real, actual pitching Knowledge is all Johan has left to offer this team, then, as you see, imparting knowledge in the Mets present situation only gets Johan so far. All that's left for him to give back this team is wins.
Mike Pelfrey? He had his best season the year Johan eventually went down. However, today, he is still largely an enigma, if not a hot mess. Pelfrey also pitched along side Santana for more than three full seasons. If there was any knowledge to be had, none of it was absorbed, or seems to have rubbed off on Pelfrey. We are still struggling along with him, and it can't be blamed on Johan's absence.
This is Johan's new reality. He was brought back to the present by the time machine we call injury-slash-rehab. There is no one to blame when an injury takes you out of one world, and deposits you into another. But this is precisely what I feel has happened to Johan. Who wouldn't want a healthy Johan Santana pitching for them? But in the blink of a Johan Santana eye, the Mets undertook a new direction, and with no recent memory of Johan pitching available (for this fan) to recall, it's as if he no longer fits in, and has to find his way around the room again.
Save me the part about all the intangibles Johan Santana brings to the staff. There is only one thing the team needs from him at this point ~ W's.
* * * * *
OK Met Fans, where do we go from here until all of the minor leaguers are grown up? Henrry Mejia; Jeurys Familia; Zach Wheeler; Matt Harvey; and some others are still part of Future Talk. They do however, in one respect or another, start the clock ticking down on Johan Santana's time in a Met uniform. And that has nothing to do with my ideas. That's what the organization is doing.
Any further discussion about the Mets starting staff will ultimately point to the bullpen; and to be fair, the pitchers all could have benefited from more offensive support as well. That said....,
Last season, the Armed Farces of the Mets' bullpen offered no quarter; - against their own starting pitchers that is. And no start came more under siege than those made by R.A. Dickey. He could have easily won fifteen games last season, but was victimized by eleven no-decisions, and wound up taking a loss after more than just a few bullpen meltdowns.
As a knuckler, in 208 innings pitched, he only walked 58 batters last season. He gives up less hits than innings pitched, and averages less than a home run allowed per nine innings pitched. And all that is alright by me. With a run here and there, and a save or two along the way, the discussion regarding R.A. Dickey would be sounding very different. His knuckle ball is a known and controlled pitched because he pumps it up there with some velocity. As knuckle ballers go, even he's a bit unconventional. As a pitcher, he's totally unconventional. And that's why he's been very reliable and quite effective these last two seasons. R.A. Dickey is precisely the reason why GM's take chances signing virtual unknowns to minor league deals. Once in a while, you sign a keeper like Dickey.
Jonathan Niese and the Mets appear ready to sign a multi-year contract. And I say it is good. He's a lefty with a good curve ball. What's not to like about that? The curve ball is rapidly becoming a forgotten pitch. Niese throws one well, and has a good enough fastball to make it a very effective pitch for him. This Kid's problem is stamina. Depending on his early game efficiency, he's hitting the wall sometime in the sixth and seventh inning. But he's starting to learn what it takes to break through. And where the bullpen has victimized Niese as well, Jon was usually the one surrendering his own leads. But just like Dickey, Jon Niese could have definitely benefited from a little more offensive support. Can he improve this season and become a fifteen game winner? He won eleven games last season. So I say, absolutely. If anyone can really benefit from having Johan Santana around, it will be Jon Niese.
Dillon Gee? He seems to pitch better when Dan Warthen is yelling at him. And I don't know if that's a bad thing. The way he pitched upon his call up from Buffalo, and winning games in quantity the way he did, wasn't exactly Fernandomania, but it did have us thinking at least for a few games. No matter how you slice it, thirteen wins is not a shabby way to break into the Bigs. If he can duplicate it, that would be great. We'd like his walks to come down and his strikeout to increase a bit, but he seems to understand the art of deception. And he better be smart, because he flirts with a lethal combination of walking too many batters and surrendering the long ball. There were also times like Jon Niese suffered, where Dillon too hit the proverbial wall. Otherwise, Dillon Gee was an anticipated, and now very welcome addition to the staff. If he is facing the number four and five starters of the league, I have every reason to believe he'll keep us competitive in those games.
It seems ironic, that without Johan Santana last season, the starting pitchers of this team were the club's strength. Injuries, lack of slugging production, and an abysmal bullpen, all played major roles in a ruinous season before the starting pitching ever did.
The offense is banking on productive returns from Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy; not to mention a return to form for David Wright and Jason Bay. If healthy, scoring runs late in games may prove less problematic this season, than last. And perhaps the Mets will win a few more games as a result. Optimistically speaking, all five starters in this season's rotation have the ability to achieve double-digit wins. And there's a case to be made each one of them can very well top thirteen apeice. That's sixty five wins right there.
Now imagine, of all things, the Mets enjoy a little luck this year, and that moving the fences in benefits us more than it does the competition, and we get to play with a lead more often that we did last year. Do that, and agree to now round up and give the Mets seventy wins.
Last season, after starting the season with a 5-13 record, they went 72-72 the rest of the way. So how do we improve upon that mark or wind up falling away from it? On the positive side, for generations of Baseballl fans, the answer has always been pitching and defense. Specific to the Mets, it's the Bullpen and Defense that can either make or break the Mets' season.
The Defense playing behind the pitching could prove troubling. And moving the fences in at Citi Field can just as easily make it easier for opponents to launch balls over the new wall as well. That's one thing to consider.
But all fingers point to the Armed Farces of the Mets Bullpen. They were unforgiving last season and ruthlessly cruel to leads; starting pitchers; wins; managers; TV and radio announcers, and us fans in attendance, or following at home. They didn't play favorites when chosing who's quality start to destroy either. What mattered was that they destroyed it completely. They were equal opportunists in that respect.
What money Sandy Alderson spent this off-season, went to rebuild the bullpen. Doctors just opened up the faucet on the knee of Sandy's largest investment and designated closer; Frank Francisco. Now the Met Closer is off to get an MRI. And so the Mets' Armed Farces might be looking for a new recruit soon.
For me, that's where Bobby Parnell comes in. Why bother with anyone else? I said it once; I'll say it again here. I am an unabashed supporter of Bobby Parnell. And it just so happens he had the best spring of any reliver in the bullpen. I believe this kid's best days are ahead of him, and are coming sooner than later. It is still my real hope, Bobby Parnell will emerge as this team's closer. He failed when given the chance last season. But that matters not to me. I say just give him the job now and let the season begin.
The Bullpen will decide once again, how much the Mets will deviate off a 72-72 record. And if they can figure out a way to correct a 5-13 start this time, September could actually turn into a Wild time in Flushing. And with that said, I'll end with three simple words:
Don't Blow It.
Mike.BTB
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