N.Y. Mets ~ No Malcontents Allowed

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:  You Haven't Earned The Right To Glare At Anybody!


Hey!  Just shut up and pitch!  That goes for Pedro Beato, and now more vehemently, for Tim Byrdak.


The Mets can't have two pitchers now pointing fingers at Josh Thole.  How about having command of your pitches first.  I know Coach Terry took care of this in a stern way after Wednesday afternoon's game.  But had I been catching and Tim Byrdak stared me down like that, he would have suddenly become unavailable for the next day.


When you've done something credible as a relief pitcher, then you might have a leg to stand on and then maybe you can stare in at the Mets' catcher.  But as a team mate, that crap doesn't fly; not on a team I was in charge of.  WHO ARE YOU?  And what have you done?  A washed up pitcher who never had an ERA below 3.00 and who never could average less than four walks per nine innings is going to glare at Josh Thole?  No!  If I was running things, he'd have been cut right there because we're losing with him, so we can lose without him as far as I'm concerned.


No malcontents allowed!




MIKE.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ Bombers' Bullpen Slams Door on Game Two

From the desks of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET  and  BLAME CARLOS MAY

Roosevelt Avenue Showdown

SUBWAY SERIES ~ FLUSHING

I  -  NYM 6; NYY 4

II  -  NYY 4; NYM 3

III  -  Sunday Evening

NEW YORK METS:  Bomber Subs Dump On Chris Young's Effort.  Mets Strand Too Many Runners as Yankees' Bullpen Slams Door on Game Two.

Mike Pelfrey's replacement pitched scoreless baseball through five innings.  The Mets staked Chris Young to a two run lead.  Kirk Nieuwenhuis homered in the third inning off Ivan Nova, and Josh Thole's fielder's choice brought home Scott Hairston in the fourth.


In the sixth, Chris Young faced Alex Rodriguez with one out and Curtis Granderson on first.  Young induced a pop-up to short.  Granderson went on to steal second base.  Then Robinson Cano followed with an inning ending pop-up, this time to David Wright at third.  The Yankees remained scoreless.


In the home sixth, Daniel Murphy led off by lacing a double to left-center.  Scott Hairston did a great job laying off some nasty breaking balls, but struck out on an Ivan Nova fastball right down the middle.  Omar Quintanilla moved Murphy to third on a topper to Derek Jeter at short.  The Yankees then intentionally walked Josh Thole so as to face the pitcher, Chris Young, with two outs.  Coach Terry let his starter bat.  And the Mets' starter rewarded his manager by promptly serving Ivan Nova's first pitch; a fastball; very cleanly to right field, scoring Murphy from third.


With Chris Young helping his own cause, the Mets picked up their much needed insurance run and chased Ivan Nova from the game.  In came Clay Rapada from the Yankees' bullpen to face Kirk Nieuwenhuis.  Rapada got Nieuwenhuis swinging to end the Mets' threat, and hold the Mets to a 3-0 lead.


Out came Chris Young for the seventh inning.  He issued his third walk of the evening to Mark Teixiera leading off.  Nick Swisher then served a liner to right which Lucas Duda misplayed, but was backed up by Nieuwenhuis to keep runners at first and third.  With no move to the bullpen, Raul Ibanez then stepped up and hooked Chris Young's first pitch just inside the right field foul pole for a three run home run, and a tie game.


With Chris Young's night finished, Jon Rauch entered the game to face Russell Martin.  Rauch caught Martin looking.  Pinch hitting for Clay Rapada, Eric Chavez then drove a high fastball just inside the left field foul pole this time, for a go ahead home run.


Cody Eppley came in from the Yankees' pen to face the Mets in the home seventh.  Jodany Valdespin led off with a floater to left, where Raul Ibanez couldn't make a catch.  The ball got away some, and Valdespin made it safely to second.  David Wright moved Valdespin to third on a grounder to Cano.
Joe Girardi then opted to bring Boone Logan into the game to face Lucas Duda.  Lucas swung at a breaking ball, looked at a breaking ball, then swung at another breaking ball, before making his way back to the dugout.  Daniel Murphy followed, and struck out on three pitches as well.


Still leading 4-3 in the eighth, the Yankees turned the ball over to David Robertson.  After striking out Hairston, he walked Omar Quintanilla, and Josh Thole.  With one out, Justin Turner stepped in and looked at strike three on the inside corner.  With two on, Kirk Nieuwenhuis took his turn with two outs.  After Robertson blew a couple of fastballs by him, the teams headed into the ninth.


Jeremy Hefner pitched a scoreless frame, setting up the Mets' last licks against Rafael Soriano in the home ninth.  Jodany Valdespin swung through a strike three fastball for out number one.  David Wright finally punched through with a single; his first hit of the game.  Lucas Duda then stepped in with one out and struck out on a series of nasty breaking balls.  Daniel Murphy came up and lofted a long, hopeful fly to the right field corner.  But it wasn't enough.  Nick Swisher made the catch, and whooped it up in the corner with a Yankee fan.  Game over.  Thuuugh Yankees win.


Ponderous!  There is nothing to be happy about when you lose to Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez.  The largest crowd in Citi Field's brief history watched the Mets knock Ivan Nova out of the box, then let one get away.  And what a shame Chris Young's effort went down the toilet.  He was cruising along until the 7-train got derailed with four runs in the seventh.  Overall, the Mets left eleven men on base, and batted 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position. So it's not like the Mets weren't without chances. They had plenty.


On the other side, what a job the Yankees' bullpen turned in.  In 3.1 innings, five relivers combined to allow two hits, no runs, they walked two, and struck out eight Mets.  It was quite a formidible display.


The Mets suffered their first loss in their last five games.  The Yankees snapped their three game losing streak.  Sunday night will be the Roosevelt Avenue showdown everyone has been waiting for; C.C. Sabathia versus R.A. Dickey in the rubber game.





Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ Nats Outlast The Amazins

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:  Washington Takes Game One.

Nationals Barely Out-Last the Amazin's Tenacity.

N.L. East

1) - Nationals  -  *

2) - Marlins  -  1

3) - METS  -  1.5

4) - Braves  -  2

5) - Phillies  -  5

Tuesday was the opening game of a battle for first place against the Washington Nationals.  As such, I have a thing about winning first games.  They send messages; whether big or small; they send messages none the less.  Although, this game said a little more than I think we Mets fans cared for.

I didn't like what I saw from Josh Thole Tuesday night.  This was his first negative showing since returning from a concussion.  In the bottom of the twelfth, as in the tenth inning, Josh Thole failed to block a pitch in the dirt, which put the winning run on third, with one out.  It looked like the Mets were going to escape the inning, but Bryce Harper singled home the game winning run in the home twelfth.

Josh Thole was failing to drop to his knees and squaring his body to the pitch.  As a result, pitches in the dirt ate him up.  And visually speaking, the effort looked poor.  He's my dude, but I have to call it like I see it.  Within the inning, he corrected himself though; but too late.  The damage was done.  The Mets also suffered mightily at shortstop.  Omar Quintanilla (1), and Jordany Valdespin (2), committed a series of untimely E-6's as well.

Between Chris Young's return to the mound with five innings of work, and Bryce Harper's game winning single, the Mets held three different leads which, A) - the bullpen shouldn't receive too much blame for blowing on three separate occasions, because B) - the Mets got handcuffed on a series of infield dinks, thus forcing the defense into several unfortunate donuts.  Sometimes that's baseball.

Tim Byrdak and Bobby Parnell were victims of odd play that ensued between the eighth and twelfth innings despite pitching fairly well.  Frank Francisco, at worst was hittable.  In light of the recent DFA's Sandy Alderson initiated within the bullpen, and now having Jon Rauch's and Ramon Ramirez' injury status to consider, it is just plain unfortunate Buffalo call-up, young Elvin Ramirez was pressed into pitching a second inning of work.  By then Coach Terry was on his fifth reliever of the evening.  And the fact Elvin was even in that position (12th inning) demonstrates how dire the Mets' bullpen situation really is.

So, against their leading competition Tuesday evening, instead of seizing the day, the Mets faults were exposed.  With Thole behind the plate, and a consortium of infielders misplaying several chances at shortstop, the Mets showed their weakness up the middle.  There is no sense in continually harping on Daniel Murphy's defense.  And while Andres Torres is quite capable in center, it is clear the Mets are still defensively inefficient in the key positions up the middle.  And then, yes, the bullpen also continues to be a season long liability.

On the positive side of this game, Terry Collins managed this contest terribly well..., again.  His Boys continue to be resilient, and play with a never say die attitude.  AND, they hit with power again.  On Tuesday, the Mets tapped into their comeback abilities multiple times and held three different leads, as mentioned.

The secret is now out.  When Clark Kent isn't fumblin' around the coffee maker at the office, he's busy moonlighting as a home run hitter for the New York Mets.  When the call for Truth, Justice, and the Metropolitan Way sounded again Tuesday night, Scott Hairston stepped up and hit his eighth home run of the season in the top of the twelfth inning, to give the Mets a (then) 6-5 lead over the Nationals.

Before you knew it, Terry's Kids looked like they were going to do it again.  Well, not so fast.  This took extra innings, and they did lose.  Regardless, sometimes we don't even know how the Mets do it.  But we all know by now, Terry Collins doesn't allow his Kids to ease up for a second, even when things aren't exactly going according to plan.  Even in defeat, it is clear, the team, and their skipper, are engaged together with a tremendous amount of mutual respect.  And that's half your battle.  With yet another eye-opener, Terry's Kids are easily reviving an old Flushing mantra which has everyone calling this year's Mets, AMAZIN', once again.  And for a change, it's a pure, unpolluted, expression of the fans, and not contrived or forced by the Media.

And maybe Chris Young has shown he can be this season's answer to the Mets fifth spot in the rotation.  He allowed two earned runs and six hits in five innings.  He walked one and struck out two. If that's what we get in his first game back, then I guess there's hope for the fifth spot after all.  At least, let's agree to call the situation, promising.

Now, I don't believe in moral victories.  But I will gauge how much of a fight a team puts up in defeat.  Sometimes a team's ability to be competitive, and Baseball's Law of Averages, just clash with each other.  Like this game.

Being Amazin' again is cool.  But "Ya Gotta Believe" - that comes way later.



Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ It's High Time To Upgrade Your Opinion of Josh Thole

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:  Behind Almost Every Great Pitching Performance, Lies a Good Receiver.  Even Though He Still Has a Ways to Go, Never the Less, It's Time To Up The Love On Josh Thole.


Something has been lost on the two most recent pitching exploits of New York Mets hurlers.  And that would be the return of Josh Thole.  It's time this man started receiving a bit more love from the fans, and the Media for that matter.  However, that's not to say he isn't generally liked already.  But many still take a tepid attitude when assessing him as a catcher.


Am I about to divert too much credit toward Josh Thole for Johan Santana's no-hitter, or R.A. Dickey's complete game win Saturday?  No.  But I will say, behind every no-hitter, there is a good receiver.  And what we do know about The Battery, is that the pitcher-catcher relationship is a symbiotic one.


Considering Friday's game was his first since suffering a concussion in early May, I'm thinking how difficult is it for a young catcher to go from receiving high octane, and change-ups all game on one night, from one of the titans of 21st century baseball, then go to catching butterflies the following afternoon against an uber-cerebral thirty-seven year old, alternative pitch specialist?  And mind you, he caught both games flawlessly.

I'm not getting into catcher ratings or anything like that.  To me, delving too deeply into statistical analysis is more akin to being a ancient Mayan heart specialist/slash/star reader.  Statistical analysis is not needed to recognize the vast improvement in his catching skills from last year to this season.  Let's not forget he was promoted, and I think we all agree, a season, or even a season and a half too early.  Perhaps this season should have been his major league debut.  But like a growing number of young Metsters, he too was pressed into service early.


Since his initial call-up, I have pledged my support for Josh Thole in this blog almost religiously.  So if you feel I am speaking to you through blind love, meh..., so be it.  I will also admit to you then, that I am partial to catchers.  Therefore, Jerry Grote, John Stearns, Todd Hundley, Mike Fitzgerald, and then Gary Carter, all exist as favorite backstops of mine.  The omission of Mike Piazza was not an accident by the way.  He is a horse of another stable; but an under-rated catcher for toughness behind the plate.


I did say before Opening Day, Josh Thole and Ruben Tejada, were at least going to be .290 hitters this season.  After going 0 for 4 in his return game Friday, Josh Thole was 2 for 4 in Saturday's game, with a run scored.  He is currently batting .281 this season, but of course this is only after eighty-nine at-bats this season.


So if that doesn't work for you, maybe this does.  Since his first call-up in 2009, through yesterday's game, he has played in 232 games, and has amassed 684 at-bats during his brief major league career.  Currently at ninety-one, he is yet to strikeout over 100 times as he approaches 700 at-bats.  As a matter of fact, as a September call-up in 2009, he went 2 for 5 in his first MLB game.


I love his attitude, his exuberance, his humbleness and humility.  But over all, I enjoy his self-awareness, which makes him work exceeding hard to prove he's a major league catcher.  I have no doubt he understands his craft through listening to him in the post-games.  The physical portion of his game is coming along more quickly now that last season.  He will turn twenty-six years old in the Fall, and there's more maturity starting to shine through his smile.  I think that was demonstrated through his composure during Johan's no-hitter.


With health, I AM expecting a fine summer from the Mets' receiver, and many more seasons to come.  All he wants to do is improve every day and with a tremendous enthusiasm to get it done.  There are no stats to qualify that.


If you really, really, need something to judge him by, I officially declare him Jersey Worthy.  But then again, I thought that long ago.  So just take that and run with it.



Let's Go Mets



*wiki pic

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ Farmer Sandy Inherited Good Dirt

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:  Outside of Jason Bay, Welcome to Omar Minaya's All Home Grown Amazin Mets.

There's Worms in Our Dirt!

The seeds of this organization planted by Farmer Alderson are still way below the dirt.  Now if you  got worms, you got good dirt.  And of you got good dirt, your seeds should grow just fine.  There should be few worries there Met Fans.  We just need to be patient, because our dirt has some good worms.

It wasn't too long ago, this club's minor league system came to a grinding halt sometime between the 2001 and 2005 seasons.  David Wright; who came to the Mets via the supplementary pick for losing Mike Hampton; Scott Kazmir; and Jose Reyes; were for all intent and purpose the last credible minor league prospects to come through our system before the dust bowl hit and blew dirt into all our gears.  A minor league system reorganized and built-up by Joe McDonald back in 1966 grew into a machine that continued to pump out prospects for thirty-five years until the Steve Phillips/Jim Duquette era brought that run to an abrupt end.

By 2006; 2007; 2008; this organization was starting to feel the effects of their prolonged dry seasons.  Of course, the Wilpons, and their adherence to the unwritten Slotting System didn't help.  And in my opinion, AA-Binghampton had additionally become a town where baseball dreams went to die.  Omar Minaya wound up taking the brunt of the heat for the drought of prospects.  Why?  Because he was the one currently in office at the time.  But make no mistake, he inherited the problem his contemporaries left behind.

Let's fast-forward through the extraneous details and histrionics of the Tony Bernazard era, because what happened prior to him, or, all the development that wasn't taking place prior to Bernazard and Minaya was the real problem.  For the B's had been well into their second decade without a playoff appearance to that point.  Ken Oberkfell was a part of all that.  And it's precisely why Sandy Alderson purged him from the circle of trust.

Let's get to the point of all this - While Omar was drafting players down below, he was spending Wilpon Dollars up above.  But those contracts; Reyes; Wright; Delgado; Beltran; K-Rod; Castillo; Perez; Maine: etc.; and all the other periphery players he signed were all designed to expire roughly in the same short window of time, precisely as all these present Mets are making their way on to the big club.

Of course Omar was operating with a different Met economy back then.  But 2010 and 2011 would have been the years when Omar would have picked and chose who to keep (Wright and Reyes) while this new crop of youngsters became his new core.

Many things that occurred outside the realm of putting a representative team on the field led to Omar's ultimate downfall.  But with regard to how Omar was going to be transitioning during these years  anyway, means his plan is still alive and well.  And I'll say this too - Low and behold, we like many of these players!

Omar Minaya didn't have the luxury that Sandy Alderson had when he assumed office.  Sandy Alderson came to a team with all these players ready to step-in like they were designed to.  In 2005, Omar Minaya had nothing to call up from the system because the machine was rusted and rendered inoperative.

Omar resuscitated it.  Although he never got the chance to see his prospects graduate.  Omar didn't have an up and coming crop of prospects to get him through a more financially sound process.  All he had to work with was a barren farm system and Mr. Wilpon's (at least then...) willingness to spend and try and fix it.  By the time of the Jason Bay signing however, all was lost for Omar's vision and the Wilpon's financial wherewithal to boot.  But we also shouldn't forget the front office also became a public relations nightmare as well.  So this isn't exactly an apology for Omar Minaya.

What Sandy Alderson, Paul DePodesta, and J.P. Riccardi are doing is completely rebuilding everything.  Team Alderson had the luxury of using Mr. Wilpon's near financial collapse to quietly give reasons for their controlled demolition.  While Omar had a mandate to make the Mets relevant again and pronto.

Two General Managers - Two totally different dynamics at work - At current, only one plan rules the field.

The Curious Case of the Foreseeable Mets' Line-Up:

ss - TEJADA  -  Omar Minaya's
2b - MURPHY  -  Omar Minaya's
3b - WRIGHT - Pre Minaya
1b - DAVIS  -  Omar Minaya's
lf - BAY  -  Omar's Signing
rf - DUDA  -  Omar Minaya's
c - THOLE  -  Omar Minaya's
cf - NIEUWENHUIS  -  Omar Minaya's

Thursday's Starter  -  SANTANA  -  Omar's Signing
Saturday's Starter  -  DICKEY  -  Omar's Signing
Sunday's Scheduled Starter  -  NIESE  -  Omar's Minaya's 
4th Starter  -  PELFREY  -  Omar Minaya's
5th Starter  -  GEE  -  Omar Minaya's





Let's Go Mets!




Mike.BTB

N.Y, Mets ~ Healthy Players Means More Slugging

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Previous; Pitching ~ The ARMED FARCES of Flushing?

NEW YORK METS:  Swingin' for the (New) Fences.

Scoring runs wasn't necessarily the problem for this team last season.  As concerns go, Offense probably ranks fourth behind the Wilpons; the Bullpen; and the Starting Rotation.  And I'm pretty close to calling the Defense a greater concern than the Offense too.


While the Amazins lacked overall power last season, they still managed to scrap and claw their way on to the scoreboard.  They showed some spunk and displayed a lot of come back ability.  However, while last year's offensive effort was admirable, alas, it was not very formidable.  Having to piece together most of their runs meant their opponents were in almost every game.


That said, the Bullpen also asked too much of the Offense late in games.  The foot bone is connected to the ankle bone and so on..., so the real truth most likely lies some where between the plate and the pen.  But we saw for ourselves, the inability to hold a lead combined with the lack of power/slugging, short circuited the Mets' season.


After a 5-13 start to the 2011 season, the Mets battled to play .500 baseball the rest of the way.  That is not an indication of a lost cause.  The Mets are engaged in a rebuilding process as much as Sandy Alderson chooses not to call it that.  Even then, as presently constituted, the Mets are far from being lost.  With regards to last season, I've long believed, you can't win pennants in April, but you sure can lose them in April.  Would an improvement over 5-13 have helped the Mets last season?  It's a tough call.  The team that started in April was not the same team that finished in September.  But, ..maybe.  Perception wise however, a .500 season would have been more rewarding because it was realistically within reach.


Looking ahead to 2012, Met Fans are hoping the return of a healthy Ike Davis changes the team's  power potential.  And the whole organization is hoping that moving in the fences at Citi Field helps David Wright and Jason Bay with their power output as well.  Throw in Lucas Duda, and these four men, very simply, are expected to hit home runs.  Somewhere between 100-110 home runs would be nice.  I think that's a very fair bar to set.


We know Daniel Murphy is a legit .300 hitter.  And I believe there are .290 batting averages within the bats of Josh Thole and Ruben Tejada.  The only player that is a virtual unknown to us, is our replacement center fielder; Andres Torres.  Much is being made of a season he had two years ago.  Otherwise, this team is very familiar to us.




Catcher; JOSH THOLE

I know Met Fans are divided over our starting catcher.  I fall on the side of favor.  More than that, I am an unabashed supporter of his.  Thole was pressed into service a bit prematurely like many of his current team mates.  He would no doubt have been better off playing in Buffalo last season.  Instead, he played 114 games in the Bigs.  Now I hope this doesn't sound OLD of me - but when I was a kid, if a rookie catcher hit .268, that was considered a success.  His bat will progress ahead of his defensive abilities.  But I feel Josh Thole will just work and will himself into being a better catcher.  I know it sounds sappy and unscientific; call it a man-crush if you like; but I have no great want to replace Thole as the starting catcher.  Like I said above, I believe there's a .290 hitter in him.




First Base; IKE DAVIS

Is he the Freak Who Saves Flushing?  The injury he sustained in the collision with David Wright, AND contracting Valley Fever (?), can only be describes as - Freakish indeed.  If he doesn't stay healthy this season, that means he's walking around with some really bad Karma.  I'm just saying be prepared for a next potential calamity to out-stupefy the last two incidents; that's all.


When we last left Ike Davis the first baseman, he was among the N.L. RBI leaders and dropping absolute bombs onto the center field bridge at Citi Field.  Then the Mets turned him into Ike Davis the Medical Mishap.  All that is behind us now...; we hope.


We know this much about Ike Davis - He is self made.  His production has come with and without protection in the line-up.  At just 25 years old, Ike has given every reason to believe he is a legit clean-up hitter.  Those long arms of his means he can reach for any pitch on either side of the plate, and jack it out of any park.  And before he went down last season, he was hitting .300 as well.

No one knows what happened to Jason Bay.  And theories about David Wright needing more sluggers around him in order to be successful again, are increasingly moving beyond just speculation, and might starting to bare some truth.  We'll see about that.  Point is, perhaps Ike's return to the line-up will also serve to upgrade Wright's and Bay's performance at the plate as well.

David Wright may be the face of this Franchise.  But by season's end, this will become Ike Davis' team; if not sooner.




Second Base; DANIEL MURPHY

He's not an easy guy to talk about.  Once you finish discussing his hitting, his professionalism, and his great attitude, everything else sounds like criticism of a very good guy.  It's unfortunate.  He is really a man with no position.  Left Field; Right Field; Third Base; First Base; and Second Base; - He's tried them all.  On top of that, a misplay at second base landed him on the disabled list yet again.  But like Ike Davis, he's back; or so we hope.

As is with the case of Josh Thole, there is a divide among Met Fans regarding Murphy's usefulness to the team.  He is really a man with no position.  I have never agreed with the Mets' frequent, and highly unsuccessful experimentation with position changing.  The list of players is long, highlighted by giving Jose Reyes a whirl at second base in favor of Kaz Matsui playing short.   Daniel Murphy is just the latest lab rat.


The reason Daniel Murphy is such a conundrum is because he can flat out hit a baseball.  Along with Ike Davis, they can become a fearsome number three and number four hitting duo.  And I guess that says it - I like Daniel Murphy hitting third in this line-up.

However, adventures at second base lie ahead.




Shortstop; RUBEN TEJADA


Let the Post-Jose Reyes-Era begin!  If we can just put our former shortstop out of our minds, we'd feel very good about going into the season with a young kid like Ruben Tejada; that's if you don't already.  He will not steal bases like Jose did.  And doesn't possess the occasional power Jose had.  And he isn't as flamboyant as the Mets' former shortstop was.  As a matter of fact, he didn't just appear over matched, he WAS over matched during his call-up in the 2010 season.  He batted a Mendoza-like .213 in 78 games.

Last season he started changing opinions in the Ruben Tejada conversation.  While still only twenty-one years old, he played in 96 games and finished the season with a .284 batting average.  That's a .071 point increase over his prior season.  In 2011, he proved more patient at the plate than we could have hoped for.  He will take walks and seems as if he will keep his strike out totals under control.

I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do over a full season.




Third Base;  DAVID WRIGHT

To lock-up David Wright long term, or not sign him long term - That is the question.  Whether it is nobler for the Mets to retain him in the hopes they can recapture the David Wright of old - the David Wright of Shea Stadium - or by passing on the third baseman, end their time together with the David Wright who never quite seemed the same again after getting beaned in the head, and the David Wright who lost the mental battle against The Great Wall.  And then will the exit come via a trade, or will they let him walk away the way they did with Jose Reyes?

For now, he is a Met.  And for the most part, he's been one of the greatest Met players in the club's history.  But he is in dire need of a throwback season similar to the '06, '07, and '08 seasons.  We all thought 2010 was the season David Wright got back on track.  It wound up that 2010 was sandwiched between the two worst campaigns of his career.  So, David's new reality is that he now has a lot to prove all over again.

The Mets will tell you they moved in, and lowered the walls at Citi Field to make the park more neutral.  But we all feel it's because David Wright was powerless against the Flushing Fortification in left.  But even to right-center; once a wheelhouse of his at Shea; in Citi Field, many of the same David Wright flies the other way went to die in a fielder's glove.

Additionally, the 2011 season was the most angered we have ever seen our third baseman, not to mention so openly frustrated on the field.

Should David Wright stay healthy throughout the season, but only post numbers similar to 2009 and last year, he will have created more questions for himself, than he has provided answers for.  His time as a Met has indeed reached a crucible.  We all know how a player goes about erasing all shadows of doubt - Produce, and help your team win.




Left Field; JASON BAY

The Mets' 2010 free agent splash turned out to be nothing more than a drip.  I know that's harsh.  But then again, Jason Bay has been brutal.  In kinder terms, he is a shell of the player he was in Pittsburgh, and Boston.  And dare I say, he's been as mystifyingly bad as Roberto Alomar once turned out to be.  In both cases, each player has suddenly, and inexplicably lost their ability to play anywhere near their own personal standards.  And if it weren't for the money invested in Jason Bay's contract, he'd even warrant getting cut.

To his credit, even he has been at a loss for words, but has never shied away from the media.  He's stood accountable for his play the whole time.  And of course, he suffered a major concussion, and never used it as an excuse.

But Baseball is all about the numbers.  In two seasons in New York, he played in 218 games; is batting a collective .252; is yet to reach 20 home runs (18); and in almost 800 at-bats, only has 104 RBI.  That's not what the Mets had in mind when they purchased the outfielder to be a middle of the line-up player.

And sadly, the reports out of Florida do not bode well for the left fielder.  His March was largely unimpressive, and the Media is stoking the "Should he be platooned" fires.  Frankly, it wouldn't be such a bad idea if only the Mets had any reasonable quality on the bench.  But they do not.

A kid like Kirk Nieuwenhuis might not be too far away however.  He just might be ready to make the jump to the Bigs later this season.

The hopes are Jason Bay and David Wright, can both feed off having Ike Davis back in the line-up.  Then Wright and Bay can in turn feed off each other.  That's the perfect world scenario.  For the 2012 season, we just need more - more than we've been getting,  More than nothing, is something.




Center Field; ANDRES TORRES

He is a stop gap player, and finds himself in a Met uniform directly because of front office matters that trickled down and affected the club's ability to field a product more representative of New York City type financial resources.  He is a by the book Money Ball signing, and the only new face in the line-up.  He also has already been hampered with a strained calf.

Frankly, I have nothing too pressing to say about him.  Can he roam center field effectively?  Yes.  Better than Angel Pagan?  Yes.  Are we judging him based too much on a good 2010 season with little else to speak of?  Yes to that too.

Do I want him batting lead-off for the Mets?  No.  In the Mets current state, I'd sooner scour the farm to see if anyone is eager and ballsy enough to want to step forward and take a crack in the Bigs.  But even I know center field is key to being strong defensively up the middle.  I know he's a stop gap player; Torres knows it; and Alderson knows it.  But if Torres can play like his did in 2010..., then perchance to dream.

I guess I'll just have to deal with this for now.




Right Field; LUCAS DUDA

Duuuuuda!  He might move around like Frankenstein out in right field, but he's proving he can hit major leaguer pitching with consistent power.  He too, like Ruben Tejada, looked inept when called up in the 2010 season.  But like Thole, and Dillon Gee, and Tejada, Lucas Duda was pressed into early 2011 service as well.

In 100 games and 301 at-bats, the Big Dude batted a very respectable .292; hit 21 doubles; 10 home runs; had 50 rbi; and to me, walked an impressive 33 times.  That's a good number for raw power kid like Duda.  And he, like Ike Davis, can hit bombs out of any park.  But it's good to see that he isn't showing himself to be too one dimensional at the plate.

The big question would now be, is there a Sophomore Jinx in his future?  Or, can we safely project his 2012 numbers over 550 at-bats?  If he fairs well, he's going to become an even bigger crowd favorite.

*     *     *     *     *

This line-up lacks a quality lead-off batter.  And they lack overall speed.  If anything, they will be plodding base to base; first to third; and from second to home.  On the bright side, as a result, many close plays at the plate will seemingly make for more dramatic Mets' baseball..., no?


Kidding aside, I have no idea how these guys will stand up against the rest of the division.  I do find them all very likable.  But as I pointed out in my Pitching Summary, the Bullpen will largely dictate which direction this team takes.

Last season, the Mets' Offense, kept them alive in many games.  With any reliable slugging, many losses could have easily been turned into wins.  Just ask R. A. Dickey about that.  Returning this season however, will be a few key bats that can very well make a difference; at least more so than last season.  And with that, there's hope for better slugging ahead.



Let's Go Mets!




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ The High Road is a Dead End

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:  It's Amazin that...

DAVID WRIGHT IS NOT KEITH HERNANDEZ!

DOH!

Isn't it funny how the game itself, and a win, can make everything go away, even if for only three hours at a time?  Because let's face it, the best thing to happen to the Mets so far this year was Johan Santana's two innings and twenty-nine pitches, as Tuesday marked his first time back on a mound and facing live batters again since September of the 2010 season.



Instead of embracing more celebratory matters like the 50th Anniversary season of the Metropolitans, far too many things have gone sadly, badly, wrongly and awry for the Mets already.



We recently lost our first member of the 1986 championship Mets.  Sadly, Gary Carter has departed us.  And the Club will fittingly wear a patch on their uniform sleeve in honor of a great All-Time Met.  I'm sure his former team mates in the booth will have many memories they will share with us over the course of this upcoming season.  And it will be with heavy hearts that we'll spend a summer remembering Kid.



But at the same time, it's nice to have several of those '86 players still involved with the club.  Ron Darling, Keith Hernandez, and his multi-colored scorecards are back for another season.  Wally Backman will be in Buffalo and Tim Teufel has been promoted to the big club's third base box after paying his dues in Brooklyn; Savannah; and Binghampton.  For another Met hero of 1986 however, things could be going better for Lenny Dykstra.  Nails is going to jail for a myriad of offenses; real degenerate offenses may I add.  What happened to him?  Even though his actions and resulting consequences are far away from, and unrelated to the Mets today, the news of his fall still adds to the sense of gloom around the Mets; if only because the news about Lenny is untimely.



So while it is indeed a new Spring, that darned black cloud is still hanging over the Club.  The Wilpons' money woes continue to dominate every aspect of the Club.  Slashing the payroll by $50 million dollars has left the Empire City's National League's fan base customary champagne tastes with nothing more than beer money to quench their thirsts for quality baseball.  And IF, the jury sides against the Wilpons later this month, Citi Field will be B.Y.O.B.



This Spring has also taught us that the Mets' continuing Medical Malaise is never far behind.  The malaise is more about us, the fans, being punch-drunk with ongoing medical misfortunes and misdiagnoses.  And upon hearing about Wright and Davis, although relatively healthy and their status way over-blown by the Media, the news was still met by most with a roll of the eyes.  By the way, did Ike Davis look good to you running to first base Tuesday?  Is that overkill?



Okay, let's see what happens when we try to take the high road for a second.  Tuesday was a glimpse into the future, and a blast from the past.  We saw a little bit of Brandon Nimmo.  It was nice to see former Brooklyn Cyclone Darryl Ceciliani on the field.  And we had some Quality Familia Time.  That grand slam Familia gave up was strictly a Terry Collins Spring Training creation.  So no concerns there.  But best of all, we saw the return of Johan Santana to live game action.  It was only two innings and 29 pitches.  But it was a start.  And it was a good start.  I don't want him ready by Opening Day.  I just want him well.



....Well enough to trade that is.  As you see, my "high road" is a dead-end.  Do you think the Mets; Wilpon; Alderson; really want Johan Santana on the books?  There's precedent to trade him you know; many even.  Remember all that money the Colorado Rockies swallowed to get out of Mike Hampton's contract?  Or all that money the then soon to be bankrupt Texas Rangers committed to Alex Rodriguez' departure.  Trading Johan Santana and eating a portion, even a substantial portion of his contract, will still save the Mets (make that Fred Wilpon) many millions of dollars.  And the fact is, that's what the owner is all about right now.  If you take Fred Wilpon and Sandy Alderson on their word and/or at face value, they have both clearly stated they want nothing to do with onerous six and seven year contracts.  So that means Johan Santana, and that means David Wright as well.  I'd throw Jason Bay in there, but no one wants him.



In David Wright's situation, what are we going to do - sign him; trade him; or just let him walk away like we did with Jose Reyes?  Sandy Alderson and the Mets never made Jose Reyes a qualitative offer.  And when you consider the $20 million dollar shares recently sold by the club to raise operating capital, and a judge's recent decision to at least make the possibility real that $83 million dollars could be debited from the company coffers, Wilpon's original intent to raise cash has not only been offset a tad, but has been considerably compromised already.  At least that's my opinion.  But to suggest the Mets will commit long term to David Wright, perhaps in the manner in which the Nationals committed to Ryan Zimmerman; or maybe even at a higher rate, doesn't fit into the budget, nor the grand scheme of things, now does it?



I (love) loved David Wright at hello; back to when he was a new call-up at the tail end of the 2004 season.  I am as big a fan of his as you, or anyone else. We are equals in that respect.  But I am a life long Met fan first and foremost.  And the sensible part of me says explore the smartest deal and trade David Wright.  Ditto goes for Johan Santana.  Albeit, Johan's situation is considerably more difficult because of his contract.  This is what I believe is in the best interest of the team.  Again, that's just my opinion.



The Mets have tip-toed around the word rebuilding at all costs; no Wil-PUN intended.  And no, I do not think they have gone far enough towards that effort.  Sure there are many new young faces that have come to populate the Mets clubhouse.  And I like it.  But the players purged from the roster last season were let go without garnering a return.  Regardless, like other moves they made, ridding the team of Ollie and Castillo were necessary at any cost.  But part of any smart rebuilding plan is to trade assets for what you hope is a good package of future hopefuls.  If some; not all; pan out, success will come in both quality and quantity.



The Mets most definitely dropped the ball with Reyes.  And more cynically, they dabbled the proverbial carrot on a stick to entice fans to go out to the ballpark and root-on Jose Reyes while he chased a batting title.  Met fans won't be duped again.  And I didn't appreciate it last season - not at these prices.  But hear me Mr. Wilpon, I will pay to see these young players grow up, as will many of us fans.  Just stop playing us for fools with money hoping we'll bail you out at the gate.



That said, I'd like very much for the Mets to continue and finish this rebuilding, and continue purging remnants of the prior era.  When the time comes to start moving on as an organization, I believe in making clean breaks.  The time has come (for me specifically, the time is LONG over-due) to turn this team over to the new blood.  They must learn to play together and form their own nucleus.  They shouldn't be made to follow David Wright, or Johan Santana.  So as far as I'm concerned, the Mets still have moves to make.



David Wright is not Keith Hernandez.  There!  I said it.  And this rebuilding does not coincide with the continuing rebuilding efforts of 1983, when we traded for the Cardinal first baseman in order to lead a bunch of vastly more talented kids.  Keith Hernandez won an MVP and a championship prior to coming to New York.  David Wright overly celebrated a N.L. East title in 2006.  My point?  Many are thinking the now seasoned veteran, David Wright, can be the Hernandez of this era if the Mets can just resign him.  I would rather take my chances on a quality return for his value, while he still has some before free-agency.



Otherwise, Lucas Duda, Ike Davis, Ruben Tejada, Josh Thole, Daniel Murphy; and Jon Niese, Dillon Gee, Mike Pelfrey, and Bobby Parnell are all welcome faces to me.  They are all very familiar to us at this point.  And now with another season of experience under their belts, I do have reasonable expectations for them moving forward.  I am indeed expecting progression on their parts.



I will also spend another season patiently awaiting the arrival of some more of Omar Minaya's draft picks he made before leaving.  I am looking forward to a day guys like Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Jonathan Malo, Reese Havens, Dylan Owen, Henrry Mejia, Wilmer Flores, Darryl Ceciliani, Cory Vaughn, and some others make it to Flushing.  By then, Sandy Alderson, Paul DiPodesta, and J.P. Ricciardi should have a steady stream of minor league prospects flowing through the system.  Already, there's much anticipation for guys like Brandon Nimmo, Zach Wheeler, and Jeurys Familia.  There are other promising kids not mentioned as well.  So, I am happy about the direction we are taking.  But like I said, I feel we should do more to affect a complete turn-over.  I'm OK with what the Mets will be putting on the field this season in terms of the young players.  And I'm even more optimistic about the future.



It's just a damn shame, so much more hangs over this organization's head than just who will be on the field.  There's real problems, imagined problems, and perceptual problems that still dominate this team's outlook.  If I can keep my attention on the field, I'd be OK with that.  But the Wilpons make that virtually impossible right now.  This house is still not in order.  And the Wilpons need to be reminded of our discontent on a daily basis.



It's a good thing Hope Springs Eternal.  Right?



Let's Go Mets!






Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ State of METRopolis; Part III

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:  State of METropolis - PART III.

State of METropolis; PART II - Pitching Staff
State of METropolis; PART I - Ownership, Front Office; Management


VII.  THE POSITIONAL PLAYERS:

Nothing too scientific here.  This is just the way I see the field right now.


Catcher - Mike Piazza took his last at-bat for the Mets in 2005.  Over the next five years, there was  exactly one season that speaks well for the position.  That season came in 2006 and was authored by Paul LoDuca who hit over .300 batting second in the order.  Outside of that, the back-stop position has been...backed-up. 


After several years of bar league backstops, I was more than happy to welcome virtually the only catching prospect we had; Josh Thole; to the club, albeit prematurely.  He rose through the system based on the strength of his hitting.  He clearly needed more time in the minors or at least one more full season at Buffalo prior to his promotion to Flushing.  We all get that.  But with his arrival also started my man-crush. 


I realize I may be part of the minority of Thole supporters.  However, I am am wholly committed to giving him the starting job behind the dish next season.  On-the-job training is a tough way to learn your craft.  And defensively, to his detractors I cede the fact he needs work on his technique.  But I believe in him.  He's shown himself to be a very pushy receiver with his pitchers.  I like that.  And when allowed, he's called very nice games along the way (especially when Coach Collins lets him catch Dillon Gee). 



Otherwise, what can I tell you?  I like him...  I believe more than anything, last season Coach Collins didn't exactly utilize him they way I would have liked.  And it's hard for any young player to establish a feel for the game when asked to be a second option.  That's a way of me saying - no platooning.  At least in my eyes, the catcher has exhibited quite a few instances of being a clutch hitter and finished the season on a strong, positive note.  Thole is still a young guy.  But my guess is Sandy Alderson might be looking to upgrade the position if something presents itself.  I would kindly ask for patience however for our young back-stop and a steady dose of playing time.


There is no catching prospect currently in the system to speak of.  So if Sandy's plan is to just swap Thole out with a middle of the road, low salary, yet more experienced catcher, I'd sooner stick with Thole, unless he is retained as a back up or sent to Buffalo with a possible future as Met catcher still in tact.  I do not want him traded.  This is all part of his developmental process.  If Thole doesn't exhibit significant enough progress in 2012, then I'd consider a decision to make a move a bit more reasonable.




First Base - I once though how nice it could have had Carlos Delgado been able to get his 500th home run as a Met.  He came close.  His bad hip said no however.  After the solid years he had in Flushing, if he had hit that milestone home run here, how high in regard would we have elevated Delgado in Met history?  I wonder.  I'd imagine the range would be from not at all, to fairly important.


Fast forward and Ike Davis is a story about an injury which still has everyone puzzled.  Even when the injury occurred, no one who was at the park to witness it, nor watching on TV could have ever  imagined that seemingly minor collision between him and David Wright would turn out so disastrously.  If his recovery goes well over the winter and he's ready for Spring Training and available on Opening Day, I'd assume the job is still his.  And if he picks up where he left off, the Mets will be in great shape at first base.


Showing power as part of a strong finish to the season, Lucas Duda played himself into the official back-up plan should Ike Davis be slow to return.  He's by far a better first baseman than he is a right fielder.  But that doesn't mean he won't wind up back out there. 



This is another position where there is no clear cut minor league prospect ready to step in.  Additionally, there's two very prominent first basement on the free agent market this season; Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder.  Will or can the Mets be players for either player's services?  Uh...,No.  Next position.




Second Base - Justin Turner is a spunky kid.  He made the memory of Luis Castillo disappear from our minds quickly.  Is he the answer at second base?  Probably not.  Looking back, this position hasn't been manned by a good quality player since Edgardo Alfonso.  And not since Jose Valentin hit 17 home runs from this position in 2006 have we had anything to scream about.  Kaz Matsui made us scream but for different reasons.



Speaking of Kaz Mastui, he reminds me of the foolish attempt by the Mets to switch Jose Reyes to second base to accommodate Matsui upon his signing.  And that's why I'm still against Daniel Murphy being a viable candidate at second base.  I don't like putting players out of position.  But Murphy never really had a position to begin with.  The best place for him is probably the American League.  The Mets have a history of playing guys out of position, that I do not believe I ever found myself in agreement with even once.



It seems as if Met fans have been waiting for Reese Havens to rise through the system forever now.  He's been slowed by injuries which no doubt set him back a bit.  Josh Satin is also part of the conversation now.  So at least organizationally, the Mets are showing a little depth at second base.  What that means for 2011 is still indeterminable.  Of course, if Jose Reyes is retained, this job should belong to Ruben Tejada.



Trades, Free Agents?  Next position.



Shortstop - Jose Reyes with the Miami Marlins?  !Aye caramba!  Does it matter?  It doesn't look like Jose Reyes is coming back whether he winds up in South Beach or Siberia.  If his price stays low due to a lack of serious bidders, then there's the chance he stays a Met.  But Sandy Alderson assured METopolis the club won't be dictating the pace of negotiations, nor establishing a market-maker's offer.  With next year's payroll becoming more fixed and rigid by the day, it seems unlikely the Mets can afford to retain him and still maintain a projected $100 million dollar payroll with only a handful of players earning the lion's share.


Where do they potentially go from here?  Ruben Tejada?  He got a little better with every game he played.  But like many of the early season mayday call-ups, he/they were forced into the big show prematurely.  That said, he like Duda, finished strong as the season wound down.  Tejada is versatile enough to play second base also.  But this is his natural position and one that just might be his on Opening Day.



Prospects?  Wilmer Flores remains the top future prospect at shortstop but may not be ready till 2013.  Buffalo's Jordany Valdespin would be next in line for the often needed emergency call-up.



Tades; Free Agents?  Next position please...



Third Base - He of the butterfly-net sized third baseman's glove and humbled by the Great Wall of Flushing - What a tangled web he's caught in.  If Reyes goes, David Wright is next.  They'll be no use in keeping him around even though the Mets will never call this a rebuilding period.  But the time is coming soon when David Wright will be in the same position Jose Reyes found himself in entering this last season; his contract year.  Are the Mets committed to David Wright long term?  Most teams would have come to that determination already.  Should the Mets commit to David Wright long term?  Those are two different questions that take a back seat to the fact the Mets can't commit to David Wright long term.  And this time, I hope the Mets learned a lesson, unless they prefer the potential compensation as in the case if Reyes signs elsewhere.  But if I had my way, David Wright gets traded no later than next year's dead-line.  If we can trade him over the Winter...better.



I believe the return on trading David Wright will help the Mets move forward more effectively than by retaining David Wright in light of the organization's tribulations.  The team has other more pressing needs and the truth is third base is an easily replaceable position.  Let's face it, Sandy Alderson is taking this team in a grass-roots direction so why waist David Wright's time in an uncompetitive situation.  If you thought the 2011 season was a downer, 2012 will be down right depressing.



It's natural for things to get worse before they get better.  That's part of the RE-building process.  There's much to gain by selling high.  While Carlos Beltran represented a bit of a different dynamic for the Mets, you still have to consider the potential return by making an early move.  The Mets got back a nice San Francisco treat for Beltran.  It's something to consider.



I would also remind Met fans, David Wright was drafted by the Mets with their compensation for Mike Hampton.  Like Reyes, David Wright's situation is unfortunate.  I'm with you on that.  But in this organization's present situation, and condition, it's in our best interest to maximize on David Wright's current return value.



On the farm?  There's nothing much to speak of in the way of third basemen that can help anytime soon.



Left Field - This, along with catcher, second base, and right field, has been The Land of the Lost; replete with stop-motion action dinosaurs; Sleestaks; and a bunch of Will and Holly players.  The position was last best served by the hobbled Cliff Floyd.  When healthy, he was cool.  Before him you'd have to recall Benny Agbayani and Bernard Gilkey before that.  After Floyd broke down, the position has been in an Ice Age.  Omar Minaya, didn't just acquire a recovered caveman like Moises Alou.  Omar made the huge mistake of relying heavily on him.  Only a great catch by Endy Chavez made us forget how woeful the position really was.  What we got out of left field since then has been strictly bar league stuff, right up until the day we acquired Jason Bay as a free agent...in a strictly knee-jerk signing by the organization.  And well, we all know how that has gone..., like a fart in a space suit I'd say.  There's been no escaping the stink of the deal.



As far as trades or free agents?  Next position...



Center Field - Angel Pagan was recently tendered by the club.  OK.  He's another player I have an attachment for because of his days playing for Brooklyn.  And by his standards, he's been somewhat healthy these last two seasons.  The question is which player is he?  Is he Pagan of 2010, or is he the regressed player of 2011?  Either way, the truth is he's a fourth outfielder.  He's a tremendous bench player.  But as far as being the starting center fielder?  Well, he's leaving something to be desired.  He filled his need with the Mets admirably and always conducted himself humbly and with class.  He even took it upon himself to make sure the Media and the Latin speaking players communicated correctly together, this way nothing got lost in translation.  That's all fine and well, and my sentiments for him aside, center field is officially a need of the New York Mets.



Jonathan Malo and Darrell Ceciliani are still down below.  How far away are they?  Maybe a year and two respectively.



Trades?  The rumors displease me so much, I'm not even getting into potential deals.  As far as free agents?  Next position...



Right Field - ...Or should we call this Adventure Land?  The position never recovered from the ugly collision between Mike Cameron and Carlos Beltran.  Xavier Nady, whom I really grew to like in his short time here was hastily traded for relief pitching.  Then Omar kicked the tires on a clearly finished Shawn Green.  Ever since Ryan Church suffered a concussion and turned out to not be the solution in right field, the position has remained a no-man's land.

*   *   *   *

 

Regarding all outfield positions, whatever the Mets already have in their system is clearly Plan B at this point.  Lucas Duda seemed more comfortable and showed more smoothness at first base than he did in right field, where he looked like Frankenstein wrecking the lab upon misjudging balls hit in the gap.  But that's where he may very well wind up next season.  His bat put him into a position where his pop is now needed in the line-up.  But we know his position hinges on the recovery of Ike Davis.



One time Brooklyn Cyclone, Kirk Nieuwenhuis is close.  He just may be ready to make the step up to the Bigs next season,  He started the season in Binghampton before a promotion to Buffalo.  Keep in mind however, many Buffalo players were promoted from Double-A in part because the big club needed to back-fill so many injuries.



As mentioned above, Darrell Ceciliani has potential to skyrocket through the system as a center fielder.  He was the 2010 NYPL batting champ.  Jonathan Malo is another former Brooklyn player whom I thought we'd hear from sooner but is still held in high enough regard.



Maybe in a few years we may one day see what the fuss over 2011 Draftee Brandon Nimmo is all about.  But the outfielder creating perhaps the largest buzz within the system right now might be Corey Vaughn.





PART IV is in the works to bring our Mets situation a little more up to date.






Mike.BTB

N.Y.Mets ~ The Flushing Power Company

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET




NEW YORK METS:   The Roosevelt Avenue Sluggers Pound Out Four Home Runs Against The Tomahawk Chaps.

Tie Series At One Game Apiece; Rubber Game Sunday.


That was a nifty little comeback wasn't it?  The game turned into a semi-rain soaked blow-out in the end, but what the hey...  The win ties this series with the Braves at one game apiece.

You watch a game like Saturday's unfold, and you start asking yourself, what ails this team when they play Washington and Miami (or in Dan Uggla's case, former Marlin players)?  If you're R.A. Dickey, you have to be asking yourself when am I going to get treated to a game like this?  And for the Fans, this is just the other side; the prettier side; of a Jekyll and Hyde battle against games like last Wednesday in Florida.

And the Mets have been just that; a Jekyll and Hyde team.  They are good half of the time.  The other half of the time they're down right scary.  The feel-good from a game like Saturday's is transient in nature, because ultimately, it got us nowhere.  We returned to the spot we were in Friday at the start of this series, which is most likely, too far behind the Braves in the Wild Card race.  A dramatic up-tick in the Mets winning percentage, and a severe drop-off by the Braves are both needed if the Mets are to play "meaningful games in September".


....Perchance to dream.  Win one; Lose one.  Win four; Lose four.  ...Aye, there's the rub.


Did Jon Niese pitch a good game?  Um..., I don't think so.  Atlanta tagged him up for ten hits and five runs over five innings pitched.  But thanks to Justin Turner (two home runs) tapping into his inner Dave Kingman, Jon Niese won his 11th game of the season against 8 losses.


Indeed, while Justin Turner; Jason Bay; and Josh Thole all scoffed at the notion Citi Field is anti-batter, the walls of Citi Field mocked and laughed at David Wright yet again.  In the first inning, an apparent Ruthian blast to left center dropped in and bounced high off the wall for a double leaving the Face of the Franchise with a look of bewilderment on it.


Last night; as I have championed many times this season; I said I wanted Josh Thole to be left alone as the starting/full-time catcher now that this supposed race against (the trade deadline) and the Braves is over.  Tonight, he only went 3 for 4 with a home run; an RBI; and two runs scored.  Can we let the kid play every day please?  I'd appreciate it.  Thanks a lot.


There will be a rubber game on Sunday which is quite appropriate considering the Mets are still bouncing around the .500 mark.  They needed a win just to get to the break even point....again.  Catching up to the Braves is such a non-issue at this point.  Learning about the players who fit into next year's plan....is.


In that regard, Bobby Parnell tossed an inning and threw 12 strikes in 17 total pitches thrown.  He walked one batter; struck out one; and surrendered no hits in the eighth inning.


And finally, Murphy's Law remains in full effect over at first base.  Tonight, Daniel committed his latest fielding atrocity in what is becoming a crime scene over at first base.  And now that it's all but guaranteed Ike Davis is done for the year, what ever can go wrong over there most certainly will.  So prepare yourselves so as to not be so hard on him when things go awry for him in the future.


You can't be disappointed with what you don't expect.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. METS ~ CITI No Help Against Tomahawk Chaps

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET




NEW YORK METS:  Amazin Hopes of Contention Just Got Scalped.


...And then the Braves' lead was nine.


On their return trip home, nothing the Mets brought to Citi Field Friday night was anywhere near capable of reeling-in the Braves a little bit closer in the standings.  The Mets now stand one game away from a double digit deficit in the Wild Card standings.


The Mets are now 22-29 at home and one game under .500 for the season....again.  All they managed were four hits on the night and only three off Tim Hudson over his seven innings pitched.  One run was all the Braves would allow the Mets.  And that directly leads to the matter of another R.A. Dickey quality, but yet again wasted start.  Instead of posting a 5-10 record this season, he should be 10-5 with a little more help.


Be that as it may, finishing this series against the Braves 2-1, or 1-2, doesn't cut it either way.  The Mets needed a sweep in order to be thought of as a credible contender.  Alas, they are not.


Stranger things have happened in baseball; I cede any reader that.  But excuse me if I start changing my tune these days.  I'm officially interested in seeing other things from this Met team that may conflict with trying to win the pennant.  I beg your pardon.


I'll start with Josh Thole.  I want to see him catching every day; - Period!  I want Bobby Parnell put into every closing situation realistically possible.  And I do not want to see Johan Santana pitch for the Mets this season.


Then I need the following question answered;  How the hell is Ike Davis' foot/bone condition absolutely the same after all this time; and how do the Met Doctors explain this one? 


I'm waiting!


Do you think David Wright has nightmares about the dimensions of Citi Field?  It's almost enough to drive a guy crazy.  Or, just out of New York?





Mike.BTB

N.Y. METS ~ First Half Situational Report

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET


NEW YORK METS:  State Of METropolis at the Break.

Heading into the All*Star break, the Mets are a game above average.  It's better than one game below to be sure, but it's not where they need to be.  Over the next twenty days and nights, the Mets need to get in a position by where to leap-frog Atlanta in the standings for a Wild Card spot.  That means they need to be no more than 2.5 or 3 games behind the Wild Card leader; be it Atlanta; Arizona; or whomever, by the time July draws to a close.  Or, most people's thinking is that Sandy Alderson will blow the roster up.  They are 7.5 games behind the Braves.  So let's just say they need to gain five games on Atlanta before the month is through to prevent that from happening.


Over the first half of the season, pitching has kept the Mets in the position they find themselves in today.  And that should be taken at face value.  The Mets are a third place team in the N.L. East because of their pitching; not for a lack of.  But no, they won't be over-taking the Phillies any time soon.  However they've achieved a .500+ record without Johan Santana as their Ace.


Dillon Gee; the Buffalo call-up, has stepped in to surprise and mesmerize the opposition and is as responsible as any player on this roster for the Mets' modest success.  He and Jon Niese have been given doses of tough love by Pitching Coach Dan Warthen, and they have responded.  R.A. Dickey remains his own man and like all Met starters, could have stood to benefit from more offense in many games this season.  He continues to serve as a steadying force in the Mets' young rotation.  Additionally, I think any team would have taken what Chris Capuano has offered so far, running away.  As a fourth or fifth guy, any team would be glad to have him. 


And that leaves Mike Pelfrey.  Let's just say with a reasonable progression in his abilities and skill from last season to this one; or even something along the line of last year's Pelfrey; with even the slightest expectations being met..... the Amazin's could in fact be a few games or three behind Atlanta as we speak.  But even in spite of an inconsistent Mike Pelfrey, the starting pitching has been everything it's needed to be while carrying this club.  To Pelfrey's credit, he did pitch a good game against the Giants Sunday, but was victimized by an impotent offense yet again.


As far as this team being buyers or sellers at the deadline; - If the Mets turn out to be buyers, will they be looking to secure another starting pitcher?  They say you can never have enough pitching.  But the Mets biggest problem has been a lack of overall power and low offensive production.  So where the Mets, like any team, can always use another arm, they'll probably look to add some slugging to the
line-up first.


Should the Mets turn out to be sellers, I can definitely see R.A. Dickey being in demand.  I think he's done enough to dispel any notions last season was a fluke.  And at his age, he's not exactly pinned to the Mets' future like a diaper on the rest of the Met Kids.  But the knuckleball is a forgiving pitch on aging rotator cuffs and so R.A. Dickey can dependably help any and all teams right now.  Chris Capuano is another pitcher that a contender might have interest in.  Just think in terms of movable parts in the event Sandy Alderson does blow this this up.


Dillon Gee; Jon Niese; and yes, even Mike Pelfrey are all most likely part of Sandy Alderson's future plans for Flushing.  However, keep in mind, we've all seen pitchers like Mike Pelfrey test the patience of General Managers before, and lose in a test of wills.


The bullpen, as we've learned from Sandy Alderson, is an entirely different story.  Whether the Mets are in contention or not, Sandy already announced he's having a bullpen garage sale and that everyone is welcome to take a look around.  Just keep your eyes away from Bobby Parnell is all I ask.


If Francisco Rodriguez is a mosquito, that makes his 2012 contract option, Malaria.  There isn't enough OFF in the Western Hemisphere the Wilpons can spray at KRod to make him go away and not suck the blood out of their books.  The Wilpons have already broken out in hives as Coach Collins gets him steadily closer to the magic number that makes his 2012 option kick in.  So it's easy to conclude the Mets want to get rid of Francisco at all costs, and regardless of their place in the standings.  This expensive contract option is fair to dump back into the lap of Omar Minaya; which leads us right back to the reason why Sandy Alderson is here in the first place.


But to what extent can Sandy Alderson realistically transform this club..., this month, assuming we become sellers at the deadline?


In their present conditions, Johan Santana and David Wright aren't going anywhere.  At one time, trading Jose Reyes seemed almost certain.  Then that turned into unlikely.  And now that he's injured yet again with a recurring bum leg, the prospects of trading him at current are remote.  Jason Bay and that contract aren't going anywhere; at least not yet.


So of the Mets big ticket items, that leaves Carlos Beltran as the lone, realistic big fish a team might want to hook from out of the Mets talent pool.  If the Mets drop out of contention, the scuttlebutt is Beltran lands in San Francisco.  Where ever he winds up, getting something for him is better than getting nothing.  The Mets can not offer him arbitration; therefore will get no compensatory draft picks in return should he sign elsewhere as a free agent.  Knowing the Mets are motivated sellers, the return on Beltran might be minimal.  Once again, thank Omar for that contract stipulation which brings us back to why Sandy Alderson is here in the first place. ...Right.  Either way, Beltran comes off the books after this season which is what the Wilpons really want anyway.  If Sandy Alderson trades Carlos Beltran sooner than later, then we'll know for sure the fire sale is on and that all bets on contending are off.


But if the Mets are in real contention, real soon, it's simple; Beltran stays.  Then, the Mets will need all the offense they can muster.  In that event, it means they'd be buyers.  Where do the Mets need an immediate upgrade?  Answer; - Left Field.  Obviously, a player or players will have to be moved out. And what the Mets need in return is a power bat.  Who would they target?  What would it cost? They're the same questions we'd ask if the Mets wanted to solidify their pitching first.


Should guys like Justin Turner; Daniel Murphy; Angel Pagan; Lucas Duda; etc., be worried about getting packaged into a deal to improve the club?  My answer is why?


If names like Reyes; Wright; Bay; Beltran; Santana; and Francisco Rodriguez aren't involved, then what are we really talking about here?  Let's face it; we all knew about a possible scenario where if, Wright; Reyes; and Santana were all healthy, there would be a distinct possibility the fire sale would indeed be on.  Reyes and Wright were and still are the two quickest and most effective ways to recoup high level talent in a trade.  That fact has Met Fans divided.  And of all things; injuries; this team's demise; may be the very factor that keeps them all together; as many of them have become un-movable just in time to thwart any plans Sandy Alderson might have had of blowing this up.


Amazin'ly the Omar Minaya Doctrine lives on.  Outside of eliminating Oliver Perez; Luis Castillo; tinkering with second base and finally settling on Justin Turner; and signing Capuano; this is Omar's team and still runs according to his timeline.


The contracts of Reyes; Beltran; and Wright were all designed to come due roughly in order over a two year period.  Concurrently, the acquisition of Delgado; and the revolving players at catcher, second base, and left field were all preventative measures, synchronized to last until the emergence of Omar Minaya's prospects from his first two years of amateur drafting hit the parent club.

Niese; Pelfrey; Gee; Parnell; Thole; Duda; Murphy; Tejada; Ike; Henrry Mejia; Nieve; Fernando Martinez; etc., were all part of the first wave of draftees and international/Dominican free agents to reach the big club.  Others like Dylan Owen; Reese Havens; Kirk Nieuwenhuis; Jon Malo; and a few more from Omar's early drafts are still making their way up.  There are more names worth mentioning which is good news.  They may or may not pan out.  But the point is, evidence of the Minaya Plan abounds.  His problem was the Boss' son; bad luck; crippling injuries; a reliance on Glavine, Perez, and Maine; and a plan that came together too late; if at all.  The signings of Bay and KRod were wholly reactionary moves that had their genesis in a Front Office state of panic.

However, now missing is the chaos which permeated this Front Office and the constant flipping, juggling and side shows performed by our three resident clowns; Omar Minaya; John Ricco; and Lil Jeff.  Today there is one voice and one direction (though still yet to be unveiled, but in the planning none-the-less); or so we hope.  And something very important in the Land of Perceptions, there is no cornering of the GM, nor the manager, into compromising situations by the Media.  Back on June 1st, Terry Collins told them all what he thought of that tactic and advised them he wasn't the right guy for that.  They haven't crossed him since.  And Sandy Alderson?  I don't think they'd be stupid enough to try.


Jose Reyes might be topic one in Flushing these days.  But the uncertainty surrounding Jose Reyes' status as a Met has never been made an issue where-by it led to questioning Sandy Alderson's acumen.  There is no inclination, even by the fan base, to start calling Sandy Alderson a fool, similar to when things of that nature came so easily to us in recent years under the old regime.


As a man practiced in the art of team building, I personally don't think Sandy Alderson is here to pick up where Omar Minaya left off.  However, another round of debilitating injuries makes it seem so.  To be fair, keep in mind this is Omar's team that is battling to stay above .500 and make a run at a Wild Card.  Sandy Alderson just has to decide what to do with it.  Unforeseen factors may have derailed Sandy's plans somewhat also; just like it seemed everything worked against Omar.  But this time, it seems like half the Mets fan base is happy about it if it means keeping their favorite player.


We don't know what July 31st and Sandy Alderson have in store.  But we do know this has been an enjoyable first half to the season.


To be continued....


Let's Go Mets!






Mike.BTB

N.Y. METS ~ Charge!!

From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET


NEW YORK METS:  C'Mon Boys!  Take That Hill!


Getting back to .500 was more like climbing a mountain.  But there's no time to enjoy the view.  And good teams never do.  So, if Terry's Kids intend on being contenders instead of pretenders, well then, they need to start winning little two and three game packages and putting some separation between them and that symbolic line of demarcation.  If they fail to ignite any momentum in the very near future, they will surely fall back to the base of their mountain.


They have to start in Detroit.  Everything starts somewhere.  Many wonderful things were made in Detroit.  Tonight, the Mets need to make sure they start building on something before it gets too late.


R.A. Dickey will try and get us going.  He follows two wins by Niese and Gee.  Dickey has been consistent; consistently snake bitten that is.  I do think he will allow the Mets to hang around tonight against the Tigers.  But as been our problem; especially when Dickey pitches; will we score even just a few runs, to amply support his effort....for a change?


Detroit's Rick Porcello has been getting shelled lately.  So maybe the Mets can add a little more to his recent woes.  If they don't, it will be a game closer to, woe is us.



LET'S GO METS!!

TONIGHT

Game One

NEW YORK METS
vs.

Detroit Tigers

From the Motor City

POST-GAME:  10:09pm ~ Mets Final:
NEW YORK METS - 14
Detroit Tigers - 3


N.Y. METS ~ Planting A Flag In Third Place!


The mountain top is no longer out of reach.  Take a look around; yell for joy; plant a flag in the ground; and let it be known; TERRY'S KIDS WERE HERE!


The rock they've been pushing up Mt. Competitiveness didn't come rolling back at them this time.  They put their heads down; pushed; stopped; let go; and fourteen runs later; the rock stood in place.  Hah!  They didn't trip; stumble; fall; and have that rock run them over again like so many time before. 


Instead, the Mets tore up Tiger Stadium like rock stars in their own version of Detroit Rock City.


There was a game earlier this season when R.A. Dickey held the opposition to one run over eight innings and the Mets' offense came up short.  Another time, two runs after eight innings weren't good enough for him to get a win.  This time, an R.A. Dickey margin call (another good start) came knocking and the offense paid up big time with fourteen runs worth.  Jason Bay; Carlos Beltran; Josh Thole; and all Mets contributed handsomely to the pool and sent a resounding message across the bow of the National League; ~ Paid In Full.


Am I getting carried away with myself after just one game that got us over .500 for the first time since early April?  Me?  Mister Stick With the Plan?  Carried away with myself....? - No; I'm having fun being a Met Fan like you.  The Plan?  I still believe in it.  I'm a pragmatist.  Compartmentalization; remember?  So..., shall we?


This is after all June 28th; meaning the season is almost three months old; or just about half-way through.  Tonight's win lifted the Mets record to 40-39 after seventy-nine games played; three short of halftime. 


There is something to be said for playing at mid-season form.  And maybe; just maybe; these guys are coming into their own as presently constituted.  Think of the line-up as a living system and think - the shock to the system suffered when David Wright and Ike Davis has now worn off.  The body is adjusted and adapting.  As a result, the Mets are operating as a fully functioning system more so now that at any other point this season.  The hope this is the beginning of the Mets heating up as we truly begin the summer.


A game above .500 is like operating in the black, but only if you keep seizing the moment.  The Mets need games; and wins; and they started things out on the right foot when they have so little margin for error.  The Mets' starting rotation was operating on deficit pitching at times.  But Tuesday night, the bats settled all debts.  They hit two grand slams Tuesday when they hadn't hit any for years.  Jason Bay connected first, and Carlos Beltran slammed a second grand slam for the Flushing Fighters.  Josh Thole accounted for a third Met home run in the game.


So, how does third place sound to you right about now?  It's legit.  The pitching has been there all season.  And now that the bats have been together on a consistent basis, they're yielding results.  On a night when R.A. Dickey needed four runs for a win, the offense gave him fourteen.  That's bad math; but good baseball.  And bad math or not, the team with supposedly more problems than a math book is coming on strong.



Mike.BTB