N.Y. Mets ~ Johan Santana Still Has Much to Prove

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:   Don't Throw Caution to the Wind Just Yet.  Johan STILL Has to Convince Us He Is Okay.


On the same night the Mets went down to Georgia and won their seventh game of the season out of ten played so far, Dillon Gee became the Mets' first starting pitcher to conquer the seventh inning.  He successfully negotiated a seven inning win unlike any Met pitcher has so far this season.  And no, I'm not trying to overstate that.  But it's nice to discuss all the same.


If we were placing bets one which starter would have been first to finish the 7th inning on the winning side, my well thought out answer would have been R.A. Dickey.  My hunch would have been Jon Niese.  And Jon Niese came close.  But no cigar.  Instead, it was the Mets' number five starter.  Go figure.  But after the season he had last year, none of us are surprised; just really really pleased!  I left Johan Santana out of the running as he is supposedly still trying to build himself back to old form. And Mike Pelfrey? Well, he's still trying to prove himself all over again.


Dillon Gee's start Monday night concluded the rotation's second go around.  And for Met Fans, so far, so great.  Every start has been damn near stellar.  And finally cracking the seventh inning as a rotation will help the bullpen out substantially; as opposed to them having to account for three to four innings per game.


The third time around the Mets' rotation begins tonight with Johan's start in Atlanta.  For Johan, the next two or three starts will give us much insight into exactly how well Johan Santana is progressing.  On the cautious side, there is fatigue to be leery about, considering this is the first time he is asking his shoulder to endure repeated, and scheduled stress.  We must also be watchful for any signs of unusual soreness; any reoccurring discomfort; and hints, or even twinges of pain.  Don't forget our concern in Spring Training when we questioned whether Johan was being rushed to start Opening Day.  That concern was warranted.  And after two starts, I wouldn't throw caution to the wind just yet.


He still hasn't reached Johan-like velocity.  For now, Santana still has short term goals to reach.  And I have a hunch Johan will be challenging himself tonight.  He has only made to the fifth inning in each of his two starts. That has to do with pitch-count also.  But obviously, the aim will be for him to join-up with the rest of the rotation in reaching the sixth inning.  So I'm merely saying we are not out of the woods yet.  There's always the not-so-remote possibility he can over-extend himself.


But things are going well.  And on the brighter side, he has been rather good in his first two starts.  Hasn't he?  In ten innings, he walked five but struck out thirteen.  That's promising.  But he also has surrendered seven hits.  And when combined with his walks, his WHIP remains "un-Johan" like.  So like everyone, I am very much looking forward, to his third start of the season tonight.


Like I said, he kicks off the rotation's third time around.  And we'll see if as a group, they can keep stringing together nifty starts, like they have done in every game so far.


Let's Go Mets!





Mike.BTB

N.Y..Mets ~ Bullpen Kicks Mets into Fourth Gear

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:  The Bullpen is the Decisive Factor in Amazin's Fourth Straight Win.  When is it OK to Start Bringing Up Over Usage?  Only the Starting Rotation Can Answer That.


Yeah.., this one was loosely on the Amazin side.  And I mean that in a number of ways too.  Why not start with Daniel Murphy's game winning RBI?  That's always a fun way to win.  Then there was Kirk Nieuwenhuis's first Major League home run.  That's always fun to watch as well.  David Wright continued his hot start giving fans reason to rejoice.  Our new lead-off hitter got on base twice.  My guy - Josh Thole, was 1 for 2 with two walks.  And I can't even begin to tell you how good we look in our "old" uniforms again.  And yes, we have now won our first four games of the season.


All that feel-good will overshadow a night when the meat of the order; Ike Davis; Jason Bay; and Lucas Duda; combined to go hitless in eleven times at-bat.  Batting average wise, Lucas Duda is high man hovering right at the Mendoza Line.  While Ike Davis and Jason Bay fall woefully below the infamous .200 line of futility.  But we are expecting better days ahead for at least two of those three players.  I can't say the same for Jason Bay however.  The man's career is in free-fall.


But getting back to what are currently the better aspects of the Mets' overall game - Hands down, these first four games of the season have been won by the combined efforts of the starting pitching and the bullpen.


Mike Pelfrey started and departed this game having left behind more good than negative things to talk about; albeit he left to a no decision.  But what he did was offer up the Mets' fourth consecutive quality start to bein the season.  Eight strikeout in 5.2 innings pitched speaks to the kind of stuff  Pelfrey was sporting Monday night.  But for as many Washington batters who swung and missed or looked at strike three, just as many also pounded out ten hits against the Mets' righty.


What will I take away from Pelfrey's start?  One walk allowed.  Being hittable is not only manageable, it is correctable to boot.  However, being wild is a problem.  We already know Pelfrey can certainly throw a hard "miss" pitch.  His problem has always been that he doesn't have an out-pitch.  Monday offered a little evidence Pelfrey is developing one.  But just chalk up Monday night's effort as a good quality start.


Next to climb the hill will be Dillon Gee.  A strong start by Gee would serve to fend off unsettling thoughts regarding a sophomore jinx.  But a good showing would make a resounding statement on behalf of the entire staff.  The possibilities for a second time through the rotation can then run wild through our imaginations for a day.


Last season's year long calamity, so far, has been the team's ultimate gauntlet.  The Bullpen kept the Mets afloat this time, and outlasted the Nationals in a tie game that Daniel Murphy would finally later win.  Instead of the Hold and Save situations they've been called into thus far, this time they were asked to string Washington along.  And they did, with another 3.1 innings pitched.  They are yet to surrender a run in four games.  But they already account for 13.1 innings pitched out of a total of thirty six innings played.


The only Mets starting pitcher we can say with any kind of certainty who is capable of going deep into games on a relatively consistent basis is R.A. Dickey.  Second on that list would be Jon Niese.  But  Jon has yet to prove he can consistently punch through the seventh inning.  Then, I would bring Johan back into this conversation.  Because of his rehabilitated shoulder, health-wise, he is still an unknown.  But the hope is he will get incrementally better.  But for right now, he's still a starting pitcher who needs bullpen assistance.  We'll let Pelfrey's outing speak for itself.  And Tuesday we finally get to see what Dillon Gee brings to the mound.  But if he too hits the proverbial wall by the end of the sixth inning, that just means more nightly work for the bullpen.


The Bullpen can't stay scoreless for the entire season.  They will eventually start yielding runs.  Just saying.  But for now, I'm like you - enjoying this.






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 ~ Hot Stove; Hands Off Niese

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET





NEW YORK METS RANT: The Latest Hot Stove Rumor Has Me All Burned-Up.



Who was it that said you can never have enough pitching?

OF COURSE THE yankees ARE INTERESTED!!  Jon Niese is a good pitcher and possesses the best curve ball on the staff.  Oh.., and he's a lefty!!!  Any lefty with a heart beat is worthy of a try-out.  And we have one who actually pitches well.  Ponderous!

I get it.  Conservatively speaking, if all goes well the Mets have positioned themselves to have a handful of pitchers that will take over the starting rotation within two years.  But c'mon!  Sandy Alderson is entertaining offers for Jon Niese?  And here I thought he was more a part of our future than someone getting rigged-up as trade bait.  If anyone, I'd have guessed Mike Pelfry would have been a traded during the Winter Meetings.  And quite frankly, I'd obviously trade R.A. Dickey before Jon Niese.


If that sounds way too simplistic to you, then I'll ask who or what exactly does Sandy think he can get for Niese?  Will it be a lasting piece to the puzzle or merely spare parts with questionable futures in Flushing?  Role players?  At this point, that's what Dickey and Pelf are for.  What are the odds that whoever we get back for Niese would just get flipped again a short time later?  I think they're pretty high.  So to me, this boils down to a quantity-over-quality deal unless Sandy Alderson can just blatantly rip some team off in a big return package.  Of course, depending on who we'd get back for Niese could always adjust my attitude.  But today, I can't say I'm pleased with that trade-off.  In any trade scenario, the team getting Jon Niese will without a doubt be getting the best player in the deal.  In our position, this isn't a trade I'd make.  Not Jon.  I never included him on my list of players worthy of The Great Purge.


Unless I missed something, or just didn't pay enough attention last season, Jon Niese has a poor attitude regarding his conditioning habits?  That's what they seem to be spinning.  I know he struggled beyond the sixth inning last season...but c'mon!  If the Mets were thinking about trying to bulk-up the lank lefty, in all likelihood, that could be a mistake.  Make him long-toss to strengthen his arm and core or something... 


Come up with a better plan because this is all so ponderous to me.  In the name of the N.L. East, where the hell are the Mets going that Sandy Alderson thinks he needs to trade Niese to shore-up other positions?  He's right in that we have positions that need attention.  But a poor work ethic is certainly news to me.  I know Dan Warthen treated him like a dooosh, but here I thought that was just tough love.  And if that's what Niese needs...then give him some.  Just don't give up on him.


(btw...the incorrect spelling dooosh and the lower case "yankees" are by design.  Don't you know me by now?)


But this is precisely why I named this blog; Head-Butting Mr. Met.  You might as well consider this disagreement number two I've had with Sandy Alderson.  The first was not trading Jose Reyes last season, although that scenario was compromised a bit.  So what the hell...this is my first full fledged disagreement with our General Manager.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ State of METropolis Report; Part II

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

METropolis; YEAR 9 A.D. (After Doubleday)

NEW YORK METS:  At The Roosevelt Avenue Crossroads.

PART ONE ~ I. Ownership; II. Front Office;  III. Manager;  IV. Coaches.

V.  STARTING PITCHING:

The future seems bright.  But forget the sunglasses.  Should we be looking through binoculars to see it?  The Mets now have three minor league pitching prospects that routinely get mentioned with positive reviews.  If you want to include Henrry Mejia while he rehabs from surgery, then make it four pitchers.   But Zach Wheeler, Matt Harvey and Jeuyrs Famiglia are the three pitching prospects on the tips of Mets Fans' tongues these days.  And if you throw in Chris Schwinden along with some others, the Mets actually have a sudden quantity of quality hopefulls in hand which is a far cry over the previous decade-plus when crickets dominated board meetings whenever Met pitching prospects became topic one. 

 

But how far away are they?  Harvey, Famiglia and Wheeler all got a very limited taste of AA-Binghampton last season.  Chris Schwinden was promoted up to AAA-Buffalo mid-season.  And of course, Jenrry Mejia pitched for the Mets some in 2010 and was having a fine year in Buffalo before needing Tommy John surgery.  Former Brooklyn Cyclone, Dylan Owen, since promoted to Buffalo, is one more pitcher I'm still quite hopeful about but hasn't progressed as quickly as I thought.

 

Dillon Gee was asked to grow up a little early.  Needs of the big club necessitated his early call up from Buffalo.  He responded better than anyone could have expected; even anchoring the staff for a time and achieving double digit wins.  He has a variety of pitches that Dan Warthen is still teaching him how to trust.  That caused a late season communication breakdown between Gee and Warthen. And I sided with Warthen at the time as Gee needs to work on better game management.  He's young and still needs tutelage.  But he's a confidant, poised, and composed pitcher on the mound.  The former Brooklyn Cyclone is definitely a keeper.

Jonathan Niese also has a fan in me.  His problems are the big inning and endurance.  Both of which I think are correctable.  He's not over-powering, but his curveball is good enough to make his fastball very effective.  He and Dillon Gee are very fine and solid pieces to build a starting rotation with.  They are not aces, or number two pitchers yet.  But guys like these give a rotation (...potentially) amazing depth against all the other three, four, and five starters in the league.  As Jon Niese's frame fills out a little more and he gets a little more mass on his bones, he'll be that much better for it.  Like Gee, he's a definite keeper.  I'm just a sucker for a good curve ball.

 

Mike Pelfrey; Man-Child; Hand-Licker; Head Case; Enigma.  -  He has a sound arm.  There's no question about that.  He's proven healthy over the years and gobbles up innings.  It's all the anxiety that comes with those innings that concerns Met Fans.  With nothing apparently wrong with him, his once pounding sinker, rising fastball, change of pace curve ball, and change-up, all shared the same two characteristics last season.  Either they were out of the strike zone, or were getting smashed somewhere in fair territory.  His problem is he has no reliable out-pitch.  Batters routinely foul off pitches in bunches against Pelfrey, and he usually winds up paying a price for that.  He makes good pitches.  But batters seem to always get just enough of them to stay alive till something better comes their way or draw a walk.

The time is rapidly approaching when Mike Pelfrey and the Mets will have to talk money. - Or not.  Sandy Alderson just might very well deem him expendable.  Pelfrey did little to distinguish himself as a top rate pitcher this past season.  Speaking as a fan, I'm in for one more year where hopefully Mike Pelfrey can finally live up to some of his potential.  I do not believe having a 2011 "ace" tag branded on him played any part in his inconsistencies from 2010 to last season.  The truth is, so far in his career he has just simply under-achieved.  He's still a very likable Met however.  It's a strange dynamic because he's no doubt at the point of having to producing now or never - at least for the Mets.

Johan Santana remains the largest X-Factor this side of Simon Cowell's ego.  What pitcher will the Mets be getting if and when he returns to the mound next season?  Will he still flash an old familiar form?  Or will he need to reinvent himself in order to remain a successful pitcher?  What ever the difference is between his fastball and change-up will determine everything.  And his surgically repaired arm is at the heart of it all.  If we're not talking about a seven or eight mile-per-hour difference in those two pitches, a lot of Johan's offerings will become souvenirs.  The Mets have an awful lot of money invested in what is clearly their biggest question mark going into next season; even more troublesome than the Jose Reyes dilemma.

R.A. Dickey - the official 2011 Hard-Luck Pitcher of the Year.  Oh, what the back of his baseball card could have looked like with just a little support these last two seasons?  This past campaign, the line-up was particularly stingy with him.  What I like most about Dickey is his accountability and ability to convey his message clearly and effectively.  He demonstrates how much one can actually say if one exercises tact.  Dickey gets that.  He says quasi-controversial things but with tact.  And that makes all the difference.

 

As good and reliable a pitcher he turned out to be for the Mets, I'd trade him in a New York Minute for a nice respectable return.  Although the club won't say it, the Mets are rebuilding.  So if Dickey is attractive enough to a contending team which has another prospect to spare, I'd welcome that.  Of course it's nothing personal, but R.A. Dickey is not part of our future and I'd like to maximize any kind of return while he still clearly has reasonable value.

Chris Capuano was a nice come-back story for him personally I guess.  He bombed a few times, but pitched well to very well last season when healthy and finished strong.  Overall, he was consistent and stabilized the back end of the rotation.  At the right price, I wouldn't mind keeping him around.  But if some one calls inquiring about a trade involving Capuano..., hell yeah I'm listening.

Adding payroll to significantly bolster the pitching is highly unlikely.  And any talk about picking up recently released Roy Oswalt is not only futile, but unwise.  I think we all understand that by now.  So with no big free-agent import on the horizon, and a trade of any magnitude equally unlikely, it looks like the Mets will keep employing the old method of trying to strike lightning in a bottle as they did with Dickey; - and unlike they did with Kelvim Escobar.

Shortly after the World Series, the Hot Stove will get lit and the GM Meetings will take place.  It's hard to say if, how, or when, Sandy Alderson will be able to make improvements to the starting rotation for next season.  And while nothing can be said with any certainty until Johan Santana starts winning MLB games again, his is one of the contracts Sandy Alderson loathes, and if given an opportunity I'm sure he would love to rid the organization of such.




VI.  BULLPEN:


This is clearly the weakest link in the Mets' chain.  The necessary trading of Francisco Rodriguez left a void at Closer, which an open competition between Bobby Parnell and Pedro Beato failed to settle before 2011 was through.



Pedro Beato has a live arm and is a keeper.  But I am still not convinced Bobby Parnell can not win the Closer's job.  There's been too many instances within this organization alone when being a little too impatient with high-powered arms haunted the organization.  The obvious name is Nolan Ryan.  But Jeff Reardon; Mike Scott; Randy Meyers; and Heath Bell also come to mind.  He, like Pelfrey, needs to perfect an out pitch.  And Parnell needs to learn his craft just a little better also.  He's still too much of a thrower and it shows up in his walks allowed.  Dan Warthen has been working with him for two seasons now.  He, like many players promoted recently, has been pressed into on-the-job-training.  So I still have a lot of hope for Parnell.  Perhaps the experience of last season provided lessons towards perfecting his craft.  He's been nagged by injuries but seemed to shake them off towards season's end.  I just beg patience from the organization with Bobby Parnell.



In the absence of a proven closer, those are the Mets two main options heading into the winter.  Whether we go into the Spring similarly remains to be seen.  The Mets' bullpen, like most bullpens around Baseball, is a yearly construction project.  Who's to say in October what the unit will look like next season?



Along with Parnell and Beato, - D.J. Carrasco; Manny Acosta; Tim Byrdak; Taylor Buchholz; and Izzy blew a lot of games together.  But I won't be hammering them about it.  The bullpen is obviously a department in need of a renovation.    Aside from Izzy who retired, some relievers may or may not be back.  Buchholz ended his season on the long-term DL.  Ryota Igarashi has already been let go.  But Josh Stinson should figure more into the mix next season.  And Chris Schwinden will most likely end up coming out of next year's pen as well.  Then?  Who knows.

NEXT - The Positional Players.






Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ Brain Busters

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET




NEW YORK METS:  In the immortal words of Aretha Franklin -  "...you better, THINK!  ...'bout what you tryin' to do to me!  You better, THINK!"



His curve ball follows the curvature of the Earth.   His sinker rises like a weather balloon.   His fastball suffers more drag than Sky-Lab did falling down to Earth.   And the guys’ mind is in orbit.  This space cadet is in dire need of a lobotomy or learning how to sequence his pitches better.   But then again, he’d still need an effective out-pitch; which is his downfall.


Otherwise, he makes his case a tough call because we still like the guy and want to give him that one last chance.  But I assure you, sending Mike Pelfrey to the bullpen is not a remedy for his woes.  I don't know if time is on our (the Club's) side when it comes to options.  I may be off on the logistics, but I wish we could shuffle him off to Buffalo and keep him there until September 5th; ...that's right.....  The last game of Buffalo's regular season.


This man needs to have his psyche impacted and shaken up.  He's thinking way too much and I believe his brain is fried for having been thrust into the Ace's role and not coming through.  More and more, he's exhibiting poor mental make-up.  Additionally, there's a lot of work to be done with regard to an out-pitch; not to mention his whole unimpressive repertoire.


In the Mets' present situation, giving someone a mental make-over and diagnosing a pitcher's failed craftsmanship should not be done from the bullpen, nor on the Major League level.  Impact his brain a little and send him down for three starts where he'll have nothing to think about but throwing a damn ball.  Heck; we should have done this a week ago.  And we just might learn a little more about his make-up after putting him through a demeaning process like that and be better prepared to deal with his situation in the off-season.  Because after all, he is a Scott Boras client. 


Can we do that?




Jose; Jose; Jose;....Why Hurry Jose?

Funny; ...ever since Jose Reyes returned to the dugout to do sprints at Citi Field, the "Spotlight is on You" has returned.  There's a lot to be said about that, among which is his value to the club. 


So why rush back?  And for what?  There is nothing he can do between now and the end of the regular season that will change any one's perception of him; good or bad; on the part of the Mets; us fans; or any other team interested in the soon to be free agent.


At this point in his career, I believe he IS what he IS.  Jose Reyes is one of the most dynamic players in baseball; whether it be on the base paths; in the field; with a bat in his hands; or through his overall exuberance and it's effect on a club.


He is also proven to be injury prone; namely those legs.  And more and more, his lower appendages seem to be; if only slightly; permanently damaged....but hopefully manageable at the same time.  In an effort to keep his legs healthy, he might have to become a player who now plays 147 to 150 games a season by design.


When I play GM, I would have traded him.  That's a different post.  But I'm like you; a Fan.  And he's a Met today.  So why rush him back?  For what?  If we do in fact reach a deal with him this off-season, we still have to rethink the way we utilize him.  What we decide to do this very day, may still work in our benefit down the road.  And if I'm Jose Reyes, ...I get he may know no other way than to play as soon as possible, but it's in his best interest to take it slow also.  And if the Met Doctors are having a routinely bad day, they can potentially ruin him for life.


There is no evidence a divorce between the Mets and Jose Reyes is written in stone.  But to even the staunchest Reyes supporter, I know this latest setback has touched the pragmatist in you.


Ask yourself; -  from this moment forward, will you ever think about Jose Reyes, and not think about his hamstrings ever again?  The rethinking of Jose Reyes has already begun. 


Here's my proposal; $83 million over five years; no more.  Like I said, there is nothing he can do to change my perception of him now.  He is one of the most dynamic players in Baseball with mounting hamstring injuries.  And if his time in New York has proven one thing if we are to move forward with him, is that he will need ample, scheduled days off; ....in his prime years.  But I also say it's a risk.  I'd rather let DePodesta and Ricciardi utilize the compensatory pick(s) and continue their stock-piling  coming off this year's draft.


However, because it's more about what the Club does, than what I want, having Jose Reyes in a Met uniform could never rub me the wrong way.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ The Spotlight Is Dimming

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET





NEW YORK METS:  With Reyes Not Available to Shine the Spotlight, Met Issues Lurk In The Shadows.


Mike Pelfrey took a line drive off the elbow, but probably suffered more from a bruised ego and shattered confidence on the heals of misconstrued comments he made about his team outlook about the "upcoming" 2011 season, mixed in with his overall underachievement and single digit win total.  But hopefully, just as long as the Met Doctors don't get involved, he should be OK (or so we all hope).  However, there was a noticeable knot and swelling on the bone. 


But it's his pitching this whole season that has been a real pain in the posterior for all concerned, although, to his credit he left the game leading 5-2 in the fifth inning after a flaky start in the first.  On arguing with Coach Terry about coming out of the game, he admitted his  .....brain wasn't working correctly.  And about his sensationalized comments, ...he knows he should have taken a different tact to better convey his meaning - he said he takes full blame for that.


The fact David Wright has to defend anybody to the Media bugs me.  It also means Terry Collins either needs to scold the Media and get them to back off again.  Because ever since June 1st, when he told them en mass not to look at him like he was some kind of idiot, the fact is the Media has been tame as a puppy instead of playing the part of Big Bad Wolves.

Or...,

All that's really needed is for everyone to shut-up or speak only of the here and now.  If you're not talking about the last game or the next game, your head is in the wrong place.  That goes for everyone.  What David Wright should have told the Media was to "just drop it."


Truth be told, Mike Pelfrey didn't say anything that bad.  But timing is everything when you make jokes or in Mike's case, mis-speak.  We know Mike Pelfrey likes to kid and suffers from loose lips sometimes.  This time it came back to bite him.  It happens.


But that's all just a side-note. Let's not lose focus of the real matter at hand. The fact should remain Saturday's game was the Mets' fourth consecutive loss which drops them to a 58-61 record.

Ever since Jose Reyes went down again, no Met has been flashing the "Spotlight is on You" sign to his team mates anymore.   So it goes, one can sense the lights going out on the Mets rightful claim to respectability on the field this season.   Is there a correlation?  Or, is it just me?  But, falling three games below .500 again brings all that into question.  


And speaking of Reyes, I thought that was supposed to be just a tweak?  And Ike Davis...there is still no definitive determination on his foot.  And Johan...why push him so hard?  To me, those remain very ponderous medical questions and lingering issues.






Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ Proceed With Caution

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET





NEW YORK METS:    A word to the wise for Mets players down the stretch; Don't Test Terry!

What we have here, is a failure to communicate.  It's something Coach Terry has excelled at so far as manager of the New York Mets.


Dillon Gee; Terry Collins; and Dan Warthen (just because) apparently are not pitching off the same mound.  Coach Terry was perturbed about Dillon Gee's failure to throw his curve ball last night.  He was as perturbed as he was earlier in the season when he accused his club of being too passive in the batters box and watching too many fastballs go by.  And according to this morning's tabloids, Gee offered no particular reason why he didn't use his curve ball more.  He only hinted that he believes his deuce is only a 0-0 count pitch at this point in his arsenal.  But nonetheless, Coach Terry had a big problem with an over abundance of fastballs, particularly in the first inning.


Good enough.  That's not the problem here.  The problem lies when your manager is expecting one thing and your battery goes ahead and does another.  Stuff like that is either premeditated or lacking any awareness at all...if you follow.  And quite honestly, I'm surprised Josh Thole was complicit as the back-stop.  That's precisely the kind of thing that can trigger the uglier side of Terry Collins.  If you don't think he's straining to comport/restrain himself (versus the old Terry Collins), because of some of the things he sees, think again.  Everyday there is a monster waiting to be unleashed with the right stimulation.  We haven't gotten there yet.  Coach Terry has taken a very cerebral approach to himself, and containing the monster through a daily process.


Coach Terry will be damned if he's going to let this team end the season flat-footed.  That's what we can expect from him.  But is this team still going to play with the same hunger and grit after Labor Day?  We'll see about that.


But I know this much, having a kid like Dillon Gee offer no answers for his manager when questioned about his curve ball, then waking up to see a big story in the tabloids this morning about how the manager's appointed pack leader; Mike Pelfrey; never thought the Mets would amount to anything this season may be just enough to purge the pump before Coach Terry starts spewing out sternly worded corrections for any player who seemingly might be wandering astray from his pack.


I have this feeling Terry will manage the last six weeks of the season like a crazed dog and as if they were the most important six weeks of his life.  Help the player who doesn't fall in line with his credo down the stretch.  Worse yet, let one of these young kids dog it to first base or show lack of interest.


Organizational priorities shift for a team in a position like the Mets over the last six weeks of a season.  I hope these players recognize that.  Sandy Alderson really hasn't put his thumb prints on the organization yet but he will no doubt start leaving an impression shortly.  And it's probably within the player's hands to ensure he doesn't come down with a heavy hand this off-season.


So my advise for some is to fall in line if you had any inclination of loosing your bearing or get squashed.




Mike.BTB

N.Y.METS ~ A Lone Star Dud

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET




NEW YORK METS:  Avoiding .500 Like The Plague.

Mike Pelfrey Continues To Beffudle The Club and Fans With Another Below Average Start.


The elusive .500 thresh-hold; their portal to competitiveness and player retention; remains lurking in the shadows just beyond the sight and reach of the New York Mets.  Grainy images of Big Foot are clearer than the Mets' focus on a balanced record is right now.  They just can't seem to be able to capture the mythical level of mediocrity.


Mike Pelfrey didn't help.  The enigmatic hand-licker went pffft! again yesterday against the Texas Rangers.  He stuck out like a Lone Star Dud over his six innings of work.  Eight hits; four earned runs; two walks and three strikeouts were enough to drop his record to 4-6 this season. 


Manny Acosta's relief work was horrendous but the damage had already been done.  The Mets only mustered one run on eight hits against Texas in losing 8-1 to last year's American League Champs.


I said this just before yesterday' game and Mike Pelfrey's start:

Part of the problem I have with him is his former pitching coach; Rick "Simon Bar Sinister" Peterson, and a philosophy of throwing everything off the fastball action. Fastballs; sliders; and sinkers all look the same with regard to arm action. The problem is it's too easy for batters to guess right; and for batter to guess wrong, and still get it right. If Mike Pelfrey's sinker isn't pounding downward in the strike zone, batters foul off pitches at will against Pelfrey and sit on a juicy pitch over the plate.

There is no true deception in this style repertoire. It's more of a guessing game. But like I said, it's easier to guess right, and one can even be effective when guessing wrong because the speed of the pitch is relatively the same.

The package-o-fastballs; sliders; and sinkers are designed to swing and miss; hence, the swingable strike. I believe it to be a flawed philosophy. I am a big proponent of the curveball. Fastball; change-up; curveball; and location; that's me. Sliders are great but only when they slide and they work off the fastball. And there in lies one of Pelfrey's biggest problems; he isn't over-powering anyone with his fastball.

I hope I'm reading this all wrong and Big Pelf shuts-out the Texas Rangers; and shuts me, up.

 

 

 

Well, a day later,  you can be the judge.  I think I said enough on the subject.

 

 

 

 

 

Mike.BTB

N.Y. METS ~ Not Now KRod! Not Now.

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET



NEW YORK METS:  The Truth Shall Set ME Free.


HEY!

Just shut up and pitch!   ...Like you've been doing very well for us this year.  This team and the fans have too much going on right now to have to deal with the trivial.


I personally don't need anyone currently wearing a Met uniform speculating about playing for the Yankees; trade deadline or no deadline!  You say stuff like - I don't know what the future holds - Today I am a Met and I'll pitch for them whenever they call on me to do so - I'm only interested in helping this team win......


Say stuff like that! - Like Jose Reyes is.  You don't have to be Shakespeare with the English language.  Just avoid the topic and take the high road.  Don't be goaded by the Media into lighting your own funeral pyre.



Will The Mets Finally Find .500 Again In Texas?

Only MIKE PELFREY can answer that tonight.  Texas can flat out hit.  So, being as K-Rod got me all worked up, let me tell you what I really feel about Mike Pelfrey.


Part of  the problem I have with him is his former pitching coach; Rick "Simon Bar Sinister" Peterson, and a philosophy of throwing everything off the fastball action.  Fastballs; sliders; and sinkers all look the same with regard to arm action.  The problem is it's too easy for batters to guess right; and for batter to guess wrong, and still get it right.  If Mike Pelfrey's sinker isn't pounding downward in the strike zone, batters foul off pitches at will against Pelfrey and sit on a juicy pitch over the plate.


There is no true deception in this style repertoire.  It's more of a guessing game.  But like I said, it's easier to guess right, and one can even be effective when guessing wrong because the speed of the pitch is relatively the same. 


The package-o-fastballs; sliders; sinkers are designed to swing and miss; hence, the swingable strike.  I believe it to be a flawed philosophy.  I am a big proponent of the curveball.  Fastball; change-up; curveball; and location; that's me.  Sliders are great but only when they slide and they work off the fastball.  And there in lies one of Pelfrey's biggest problems; he isn't over-powering anyone with his fastball.


I hope I'm reading this all wrong and Big Pelf shuts-out the Texas Rangers; and shuts me, up.


We'll know after the game.


Let's Go Mets......everybody!





Mike.BTB

N.Y. METS ~ 2011 Season Ticking Like A Time-Bomb

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET



NEW YORK METS:  The General Manager Has Punched In.  Now Everyone Is On The Clock.

Meanwhile....  Back at Mets R Us; Day Manager; Lil' Jeff (Wilpon) said Sandy Alderson is free to sign players as he sees fit without any restrictions.


Right.


Now, we can take that either one of two ways.  The choices are take his words at face value, or, think to yourself - We heard that line before.  Jeff Wilpon has been spinning that line on us for three years now.  I can knit a sweater from the string of Jeff Wilpon re-assurances that the team was in a position to spend money.


How's this...., because I really don't care to get into The Saul B. Katz Dilemma in depth today.  The way I see it, the Mets have $7.5 million spare dollars to spend on an acquisition should they find themselves in realistic contention for the Wild Card in about five weeks from now.  In the absence of contention, there is a very distinct possibility the Age of Wilponianism may finally come to an end after nine years.  Sandy Alderson came in to replace the 30 year string of in-house Front Office executives.  And as a GM, he is now OFFICIALLY on the clock, and I hardly think he agreed to come here only to pick-up where Omar Minaya left off.


How did I arrive at that $7.5 million dollar number?  Sandy Alderson scoffed at the notion the Mets would substantially increase payroll this coming deadline.  To paraphrase, he flatly said adding $15 million dollars was basically out of the question.  I factored in Son of Pon's obligatory pitch to supply Sandy with ample Jeffery Dollars and then decided to cut Sandy's $15 million dollar number in half.  I don't think they'd even add ten million.  No, not the Wilpons; I mean Sandy.


The GM basically said the next five and six weeks will decide most matters and that signing Jose Reyes was largely unrelated to the Mets being in contention come July.  With Jose, it's more a matter of the Mets' ability to ante up than it hinging on the Mets' position in the standings.


And so New York Mets, you're officially on the clock now.  Or should I say we're all sitting on a ticking time-bomb.  Either way, your General Manager has spoken.  And it's all in the uniformed members of this club's hands between now and the dead-line to change minds and keep that bomb from going off.


Dillon Gee will try and get the Mets headed back in the direction of .500 again.  His mound-mate Jon Niese, had a rough go of it last time out.  But now we ask Dillon to truly be a stopper tonight and straighten the ship after the Angels came to CITI and took two of three games.  Dillon Gee is 7-0 this season, and now for really the first time, we desperately need a win from of our new Ace.  It's an unfortunate position for Gee to be in; considering the absence of Johan Santana and the underachieving Mike Pelfrey.  But as of yesterday, the GM declared from the golf course, the team could either land in the rough in a few weeks, or land on the green.  He said it's up to them.  That means tonight it's up to Gee and whatever offense we can scrape together for him.


If this team ever needed to pull together; for need of pure self-preservation; they need to have their kumbaya moment really, really soon.  A .500 record is two games away; the Wild Card is a little farther than that.  But somehow, the trade-deadline is closer than we think.  Today is Day One for a great many things regarding METropolis. 


So, in a sense, after an off-day, the Mets will re-launch their season today in the hopes of staving off a shut-down next month.



Let's Go Mets!






Mike.BTB

N.Y. METS ~ Amazin Yo-Yo's and Super Novas

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET



NEW YORK METS:  Mike Pelfrey Reels in The Mets' Yo-Yo.  We're Back To Within A Game Of .500..., Again.


Carlos Beltran:  A Phantom Star Going Super Nova Just Before His Time As A Met Flickers Out.



It was One; Two; and Three runs that scored in the Ol' Ballgame.  A run in the third; two in the fourth; and three runs in the fifth inning were more than enough to cover Mike Pelfrey's clipping of Anaheim's wings.


The hand-licking enigma pitched a complete game with only one home run marring his line for the day.  Good Pelf allowed the Angels a mere five hits; no walks and stuck out five in a 123 pitch nine inning effort.  But because of inconsistency, he only improved his season record to 4-5. These last nine innings dropped his ponderous ERA to 4.70, and well, we're forced to take that at face value. 


Mike Pelfrey's fourth win at least sets up the chance the Mets can win the rubber game of this series with the Angels and regain a grip on .500 baseball again today.  The Mets' young, emerging, curve ball specialist; Jon Niese; will attend to that matter today.


Carlos Beltran powered the Mets yesterday.  If he hasn't done so already, I'm sure he has many a GM's attention now.  Carlos Beltran now has 10 home runs on the season to go along with 43 RBI, and it's way before the All-Star break!  And not to mention, the oft-cranky kneed and misunderstood former All-Star has been a horse this season playing with nary a day-off to his credit.


There will be none of the "he's playing for a contract" rhetoric here.  Carlos Beltran is merely doing what he can do when healthy.  With regret, it is our particular situation as fans and an organization, that makes Carlos Beltran a phantom star for the Mets these days.  We can not get compensation picks if we let him walk away as a free agent.  That clause was given to him by Omar Minaya.  And so the better he plays, the sooner Sandy Alderson may strike a deal for the re-emerging and genuine star.


The compartmentalizing of the 2011 season for me continues in what I can only describe as a very odd year.  As we speak, the Wilpons are breaking out in a rash over the K-Rod Clause should that kick-in based on appearances.  Yet he is having an All-Star Game worthy season while helping keep the Mets in relative contention.


Jose Reyes is making a legitimate early argument for National League MVP.  As he enters his prime age, he's also entering into his own as a player (if you'll allow me to butcher that phrase).  He's in the midst of a career year.  And for someone who's taking life one day at a time and enjoying the moment while leading the; once again crippled; Mets, he went and secured the services of Agent Impossible; Scott Boras; to worry about his future for him. 


Forget the K-Rod Rash; this situation has the Wilpons breaking out in hives!  Additionally, Met Fans officially find themselves on one of two clearly defined sides of the fence.  The foxholes have been dug.  On one side of the Jose Reyes Front is the TRADE HIM contingent.  On the other side, the KEEP REYES CAMP is at the ready.  Unfortunately for both sides of the argument, finances might ultimately make this decision for us.


Compartmentalization?  What then?


CORRECTION: Apparently Jose Reyes will not switch agents.

TODAY

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

vs.

NEW YORK METS

(SP - Jon Niese)

Roosevelt Avenue Grounds,  Flushing

QUEENS

Mike.BTB

N.Y. METS ~ Dillon Gee; Mets' Best Chance At .500 - Tonight

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET



New York Mets:  The Amazins Can Finally Reach The Long Elusive .500 Mark Tonight With Dillon Gee On The Mound And Give ALL Met Fans Something They Can Finally Agree On.

With a win over Atlanta Tuesday night, Jon Niese managed to push his personal won/loss record over .500, while earning his sixth win (6-5) of the season.  It also extended a string of brilliantly pitched games by the Mets' starting staff during the month of June.

Jon Niese pitched 6.1 innings; allowing 2 earned runs on five hits.  His best stat of the night? - No walks.  The kid threw 95 pitches and 63 of them went for strikes.  He had 4 strikeouts on the night and lowered his season ERA to 3.46 (and dropping).

The Mets have remained tantalizingly close to the .500 mark but haven't been able to seize it yet.  The number one reason why this team is even in a position to achieve such a stepping stone has been the starting pitching.  With a little more consistent offensive productivity, the Mets could very well be making an assault for the Wild Card.  But lets not digress.


This is something I said back on Memorial Day:

Dillon Gee gets the start today against Pittsburgh; a young team on the uptick and playing at a comparable winning percentage as the Mets.   Since Dillon Gee's first call up last season, he's done nothing but provide quality starts for the New York Mets.   He's 4-0 (3.83 era) since his call-up this season and 6-2 overall.

But what's important to me is that we begin to see, Jon Niese, Gee, and Mike Pelfrey start to double, and triple-up on victories.   If they are to be mainstays in a young Mets' rotation of the future (Sandy Alderson transactions aside) they need to start operating as a staff and not surrendering to their own little Private Idaho's.   Yea; that was a little cheap shot at Pelfrey.

But it's Dillon Gee who's stepped in several times and stopped losing streaks.   Jon Niese has pitched some hard luck games.   But Dillon Gee has pitched consistently.   I joked and tabbed him a Stopper once before.   Let's leave it at that.   The Mets won yesterday so he's not stopping anything today.   But what I do want this evening is a well pitched game by Dillon Gee to double up on Jon Niese's Sunday outing.

Consistent outings by these three pitchers will determine whether the official start of Summer ushers in Hot Times In The Citi, or, a fan base falling victim to heat and team exhaustion.

If they double-up and triple-up on good, quality starts, everything will be cool.

Well, the results since then have been phenomenal and everything is cool relatively speaking.  Mike Pelfery has had his good moments, and then some not so good moments.  The same can be said of Chris Capuano who's coming off a rather brilliant outing his last time on the hill. 


R.A. Dickey is losing some really tough games he's deserved to win.  He is now closer to being last year's pitcher than being the pitcher from this past April.


But what has transpired over the last month, is Dillon Gee and Jon Niese have developed into a fine one-two punch for the Mets.  They've been doubling-up each other's starts while the rest of the staff has been plugging in competitive outings. They have kept the Mets in virtually every game.  With injuries decimating the offense in yet another season, the starting pitching, and bullpen for that matter, are the reasons why this team hovers near success (key word there is near; this team is not a success story however much we are enjoying the moment).


The offense has proven resilient and resourceful.  They have a knack for scoring late in games.  And those are endearing qualities, but they just aren't robust enough.  They have their days, but consistent slugging has been lacking from this offense for some time now.  It's unfortunate.  But it's our reality.  And as a result, we continue to chase .500 like a carrot on a stick.


But I don't view that as bad news.  Mike Pelfrey strikes me as a bigger concern than the offense does.  We at least have an explanation for our offensive woes; outside of Jose Reyes that is.


I had this to say on June 2nd, regarding Mike Pelfrey, the Mets' staff, and the offense, that are all still relevant today:

I'm Not Breaking Out The Party Hats And Noise Makers After Today's Win.

.....Because Mike Pelfrey couldn't handle The PIRATES!

That's why I'm only playing marbles with Jon Niese and Dillon Gee for now.   I've been talking about our young pitchers learning how to be a staff instead of just being pitchers. I've been speaking about doubling-up and tripling-up on effective starts.   And when I mean our young staff, I speak directly to Niese, Gee and Mike Pelfrey.

R.A. Dickey, in spite of the Mets' implosion the other day, provided a stellar start within a sequence of good starts by the Mets and is starting to show more consistency himself.   If he pitched the way he did with a bad heel, then break his foot and he might throw the Mets' first ever no-hitter.   But he's not part of our young staff; not of the future anyway. But right now, yes, we'll take him, obviously; hands down.

Even in the Mets current situation, there's still a case to be made for stringing together quality starts and playing sound defense.   Timely hitting is third in the equation.   The Ol' Amazins proved that out once before.   But today, Mike Pelfrey is becoming problematic in that age old Met formula.   We have absolutely zero indication which direction his mind; pitching; season; and career will go at this point.   As if by choice, he remains an enigma.  Where are we with Mike Pelfrey?

He above all pitchers on the Mets was supposed to be taking a huge step forward this season.   There's foolish expectations; slim expectations; and then there are logical expectations.   Pelfrey fell into the latter and he's failing like a broken umbrella in a monsoon.

The Mets surged back to beat the Pirates this afternoon in dramatic fashion.   Whoo-Hoo! But Mike Pelfrey suffered another personal mind-blowing and debilitating loss.

Big Pelf did have a good start that he deserved to win last time out.  It didn't work out though.  But yes, as the Mets are proving, stringing together quality starts and playing sound defense will keep you competitive.  Timely hitting is third in the equation.


Frankie Rodriguez and Jose Reyes combined to make a winner of Jonathan Niese Tuesday night in Atlanta to put the pitcher over the .500 level.  Tonight against the Braves, Dillon Gee and his remarkable 7-0 record take the mound.  So tonight just might be the night the New York Mets finally get their hands around the neck of .500 and can squeeze it for all it's worth.


There's still a chance these players can convince Sandy Alderson this team is worth salvaging.  You have to speak fairly regarding the situation the Met fans are in.  METropolis is a house divided between the those who detest the idea of trading Wright and Reyes, and those waiting around for the final demolition of the House Of Minaya.


I myself, do not think Sandy Alderson came on board to piggy-back nor promulgate the Omar Minaya Treatise on Met Baseball.  We all know this is still Omar's team on the field and coming through the farm system. 


Which ever side of the fence you're on, everything going on in METropolis lends itself to a completely bizarre season for Met fans who clamoured for change in our Front Office and Management, and got it.  Then we found out our Ownership's situation was more dire than anyone initially realized causing to bring into question the Mets' ability to retain some our most favorite players.  Our most reliable player over the years; David Wright; has been lost to a bad back for a still undetermined time.  The snake bite of this season starts there..., in what has been a series of snake-bitten years for the Mets and their fans.


This year, we've been chasing that confounded .500 mark like a junk-yard dog chasing down a stray cat through a fence.  But it has been a fun journey through 2011 when you ask most Met fans.  So like I said, how bizarre.


Dillon Gee will try and pitch well enough so as to provide the Mets' offense with a good chance to outscore the Braves in Atlanta tonight.  Should our newest Met hero come through and the offense obliges, then this dog will finally have a day ALL Met fans can celebrate before the uncertainty of the future grips us all again.


Let's Go Mets!!!

TONIGHT

NEW YORK METS

(SP- DILLON GEE)

vs.

Atlanta Braves

(SP - Tim Hudson)

From somewhere below the Mason/Dixon Line

Mike.BTB

N.Y. METS ~ Give Terry Collins Today's Game Ball

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET


NEW YORK METS:  Can I Get a Buffet Table Please?

I wouldn't exactly use the word glib when describing Terry Collins' handling of the Media.  But if you're practiced in the art of Mad Libs, oh what fun it is super-imposing; replacing; transposing; tramping; and imagining the words we think Terry Collins really wants to use when trying to explain bizarre re-occurrences of Met Baseball such as the likes of Tuesday and Wednesday night's losses to the Pirates.


There's been more plain speak oozing out of Coach Collins than we've received from a Met manager since 2002.   In a much more broader sense, I'm tired of all managers who, when dealing with a microphone in their face, take the scenic route in telling us nothing.   Only the really good Tricknologists make themselves worth listening to.  Terry Francona is a guy like that just to name one.


Other managers have rolled their eyes towards the sky when bombarded with redundant questions after a loss and have even cost themselves jobs by not cooperating with Media interrogations when delving into the reasons for ineffectiveness and futility.  Other times, in managerial attempts to  rationalize every detail for a pack-mentality Media, they just become more ensnared by the unforgiving web of Q and A's.


The Mets?


After a couple of weeks, no one was listening to irrelevant Art Howe anymore.  He was as exciting as a yawn.  Willie Randolph kept feeding us a steady diet of "My Guys" this and "My Guys" that.  He was stone faced with the Media and it cost him.  They tripped him up so badly, Willie practically called his boss, Fred Wilpon, a racist on his own network.  Bad move Willie.  That's the real reason why the Mets whacked him in the middle of the California night.  But that's just me and my opinion.


Jerry Manuel had 'em all laughing.  He got out of sticky situations with jokes.  It paid off too - depending how you look at things.  But if you're like me, the Media took it too easy on the Mets during Jerry Manuel's days in the dugout and couldn't see the tidal wave of problems headed the Mets' way......because their eyes were too teary and they were all too busy getting rubber legged with laughter after every orgasmic witty line the Jerry Lama uttered.  So it's not until 2011 that so many of them woke-up and realized the Mets had problems.


Anyway, I like the way Terry Collins cut the Media off at the pass last night.  He just said "I'm running out of things to do!" and gave 'em the old "What do you want me to tell you?".


It's like telling someone to go....


Again, if you're like me and are just waiting around for the Sandy Alderson Trade Deadline Fire Works Extravaganza, then Terry Collins can be an maniacal as he wants to be.  I say, ...Good for him!  He's saying things that need to be said and more importantly, need to be heard!  Managers usually pay a price for speaking their minds in this manner.  But g'head Terry, I'm on your side now.  Because I wasn't always.  You're not a "Stinking Fool" Terry.  The questions the Media ask over and over again make managers look like fools if they can't negotiate them well enough.  Handle them the way you did Wednesday night, and the next writer will reconsider a stupid question.  At least it worked for a night right?  Loose lips might cost you your job down the line, but isn't being a manager transient in nature anyway?


Yea Terry!  Rip em a new one.


I think we can all see why Terry's players mutinied on him out in Anaheim.  He gets hot.  But I don't think we've really seen that Hot Terry; not by a long stretch...yet.  However, after last night's game, I thought his reaction was appropriate.  Or maybe he just got me on the right day.  But I think not, because I've liked him more and more as the season has progressed; even as the Met roster is regressing due to injury and impotence in yet another season.


I don't care much for things like, "this was the biggest comeback in 11 years"....STUFF.  It's just another needed regular season win.  Too bad the Mets couldn't get graded on a curve right?  Then you could throw out games like the last two as if they were their two worst grades in grammar school (because they play like Little Leaguers sometimes).  But we can't; and the Mets can't, and so finally a manager calls players out the way they needed to be.


Terry Collins is too old to play for them.  So he did the next best thing on The Day After;  He stole one.


Just make sure someone gives Terry today's game ball for taking it upon himself to seize a moment and a game, but not until after his players finally responded to their scolding and got him close enough to win for them; because what he spoke last night was truth.  They struggle to do it themselves.





I'm Not Breaking Out The Party Hats And Noise Makers After Today's Win.

.....Because Mike Pelfrey couldn't handle The PIRATES! 


That's why I'm only playing marbles with Jon Niese and Dillon Gee for now.  I've been talking about our young pitchers learning how to be a staff instead of just being pitchers.  I've been speaking about doubling-up and tripling-up on effective starts.  And when I mean our young staff, I speak directly to Niese, Gee and Mike Pelfrey.


R.A. Dickey, in spite of the Mets' implosion the other day, provided a stellar start within a sequence of good starts by the Mets and is starting to show more consistency himself.  If he pitched the way he did with a bad heel, break his foot and he might throw the Mets' first ever no-hitter.  But he's not part of our young staff; not of the future anyway.  But right now, yes, we'll take him, obviously; hands down.


But even in the Mets current situation, there's still a case to be made for stringing together quality starts and playing sound defense.  Timely hitting is third in the equation.  The Ol' Amazins proved that out once before.  But today, Mike Pelfrey is becoming problematic in that age old Met formula.  We have absolutely zero indication which direction his mind; pitching; season; and career will go at this point.  As if by choice, he remains an enigma.  Where are we with Mike Pelfrey?

He above all pitchers on the Mets was supposed to be taking a huge step forward this season.  There's foolish expectations; slim expectations; and then there are logical expectations.  Pelfrey fell into the latter and he's failing like a broken umbrella in a monsoon.


The Mets surged back to beat the Pirates this afternoon in dramatic fashion.  Whoo-Hoo!  But Mike Pelfrey suffered another personal mind-blowing and debilitating loss.


Ponderous.





Mike.BTB

N.Y. METS ~ Back to Back Stellar Starts Beat Nationals

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET


NEW YORK METS: Bullpen Indeed!

Dillon Gee just showed everyone why he should have never been in the bullpen when he was called up from Buffalo.  The kid is a starting pitcher; period.  There's a job description that comes along with that which states - START GAMES. 

If you recall, I wanted him no where near our bullpen.  For that I would have preferred he stay with the Bisons.  Truth be told, I wish he was still back in Buffalo.

But here is; the former 2007 Brooklyn Cyclone crowd favorite.  And since being called up after the first time Chris Young missed a start due to discomfort, Dillon Gee has done nothing but sparkle just about every time he's climbed atop a Major League mound.  This afternoon's victory over the Nationals make him 3-0 on the season and 5-2 for his brief MLB career.

TODAY'S LINE vs. Washington Nationals:
7.2 innings pitched.
107 pitches/69 strikes
2 hits.  No hits allowed over first 5.2 innings.
0 runs allowed.
3 walks allowed.
3 strikeouts.

Today's victory should be kept in perspective.  After all, it came against Washington with whom we are wrestling with to stay out of last place.  But being what it is, the kid pitched a hell of a game.  And it doubled up an equally impressive start by Jon Niese last night in rain-soaked Citi Field.

JOHN NIESE Line a/o May 18th vs. Nationals:
7.0 innings.
112 pitches/72 strikes.
6 hits.
0 runs allowed.
1 walk
7 strikeouts.

Hey!  Who can find an issue with that?  And Mike Pelfrey has been stringing together some solid starts of late also.  So, let's chalk one up for some home grown pitchers, won't we?



This Is How ADDITION By SUBTRACTION Works;  Pay Attention:
I'm not about to predict anything about Justin Turner, but this kid justifies every reason why second-base needed to be freed from Luis Castillo's clutches.  It showed how malignant 2b had become and how a stagnated situation can cripple a team.  You can argue that we had to get through Brad Emaus to get to Turner.  But the point is 2b became available for someone to step in and make good on a chance.  Yes, the Mets have problems.  But second base is so much less of a problem today that it has been in four years.  Not because how well Turner has stepped in, but because the opportunity for someone to step in, in the absence of Luis Castillo, was made available by his release.

The Mets are 7-3 with Justin in the line-up.  He's batting .333 since being called up from Buffalo and his .393 OBP is stellar.  The kid also has 13 RBI in ten games!


And there you go; One Happy Post.

We aren't playing all that badly lately.  We've taken some series' against teams we should have beaten, but you play who's on the schedule.  We now sit 21-22 for the season.  The New York Yankees are next.  It's time for the Subway Series again.    ....(next post).


Let's Go Mets!




Mike.BTB

N.Y. METS ~ Lose and Win; Night and Day; Jekyll and Hyde

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR.MET

NEW YORK METS:  Jekyll and Hyde Team Follows Last Night's Whiff With A Win This Afternoon.

Terry Collins was flat out exasperated after last night's white-washing at the hands of Tim Lincecum and the defending Champion Giants.  Coach kept on grumbling something over and over again into the microphones about getting two-out hits.  Yea well, welcome to Flushing Terry.

Coach called the team out in a sense by saying these guys were Major Leaguers (too), and that they have to fight and come through sometimes as such.   He said, "Stop guessing at pitches and ...Step Up!"   To that I say, Good for Him!  Those have been the strongest words spoken by a Met manager since Bobby Valentine.   But just like the Mets' sixteen strikeouts last night, I'm afraid that line will also be just another swing and a miss if David Wright has anything to do with it.   It's a shame too, because one, it's not Terry's fault the team is in last place, and two, because Chris Capuano pitched a decent game.

The manager resorted to pressing the Panic Button once in April already.  Last night's loss made the Mets 12-17 and after a few more losses, Coach Collins will probably have to resort to pressing the Panic Button again at some point.  But how many times will that work? 

Or, will he have to at all?

This afternoon, the Jekyll and Hyde team (more Hyde) from Flushing showed it's other side again.  They do that from time to time just to tease and confuse the fan base.  That's bothersome for a guy like me who is just sitting around twiddling my thumbs waiting for the demolition to commence.

Carlos Beltran uncorked a home run over the Flushing Bay Retaining Wall in left; Jose Reyes tripled and had 2 RBI while no doubt sending the Giants out of town salivating for his services; Mike Pelfrey controlled an offensively challenged San Francisco squad over 7.2 innings; and Frankie Rodriguez was his typical self walking two and striking out two in earning his 7th save.  That's a text book day in METropolis.

Last night they were lethargic with a bat in their hands.  Today the Mets were 2 for 6 with runners in scoring position bringing Terry Collins' blood pressure down if only slightly.  They only left four men on base today. Reyes; Hu; Beltran; and Bay accounted for 7 strikeouts this afternoon which is a far cry from the 16 times they whiffed last night (and none by Wright).

They avoided getting swept by the Giants today and so after thirty games of the 2011 season, the New York Mets are now 13-17, .433 pct.
 
I'm one of those who subscribes to the "You Are What Your Record Says You Are" school of thought.  But if they stick with today's text book lesson plan, perhaps April showers can lead to May flowers for the Mets....instead of just making mud at Citi Field.

That concludes the optimistic portion of this post.  Thank you for reading.


The Seven Year Itch Making Met Fans Scratch Their Heads.

It happens to relationships and marriages; between men and their cars; and for us Met Fans - between a team and it's players.  I think we are all in agreement when I say Carlos Beltran is playing his last weeks in Flushing.  That's already been well established.  The divorce papers are all but signed.  With Jose Reyes however, we see the writing on the wall, but so many of us are still reluctant to entertain the idea of trading him away.

Like it or not, the rumors about who wants Reyes have already begun on the heals of the mini-audition he staged for the San Francisco Giants during this last series.  The Giants have admitted there have been internal discussions about Jose.  Now the latest scuttlebutt to surface is the Red Sox being interested. 

Intriguing...isn't it?  My guess is the interest in Reyes will only grow from here on out.  Let these teams get into a bidding frenzy.  Two alleged teams in the mix, early in this unfortunate process, bodes well for the Mets if they are to maximize a deal for our shortstop.  The old adage - "The Early Bird Gets The Worm"  may very well apply here.  And it might get us the best package for our beloved, home-grown star.

With Beltran however, all has been quiet.  But the better he plays, the better deal the Mets can get for him.  He's been quite the productive player and getting better by the game.  And although the Mets have little leverage in this trade scenario, Beltran can still play himself into a reasonable offer for the Mets to consider.





Mike.BTB

N.Y. METS ~ The FISHing In Miami Was Amazin'

From the desk of:  Head-Butting Mr. Met



NEW YORK METS:  Opening Jeers Turned Into Series Winning Cheers.


I'm glad that we were able to win the series from the Marlins and douse the raging inferno of ridicule the Mets endured after game one.  The newspapers were especially unfair.  Some fans were downright hysterical.  But you have to admit, Opening Night was weird wasn't it?  I mean, if Jason Bay starting the season on the DL was already spicing-up this year to taste like some of the more recent seasons, then what we watched transpire in game one of 2011 was more like and entire entree and a salad.

Mike Pelfrey reminded us he has a hard time putting batters away.  Then the grand slam...well, you felt it.  You new that great big thought bubble appeared over your head just like it did me.  David Wright flashed mid-season form with two strikeouts.  I know no one really caught on to this one, but Angel Pagan over-ran second base and almost got nailed.  The first person that flashed in my mind was Jerry Manuel.  I have little explanation for that.  Then there was that every so minor matter of Ike letting a grounder eat him up by backing up on the ball.  That's a lesson we learn in Little League.  Vharge the ball and get it before the bounce.

But all of what I just just pointed out is just unfortunate minutia and bad coincidence for the Mets.  I don't think any of us were foolish enough to start judging this team after only the first 27 outs of the season.  We all have our opinions about how this season will play out.  But I think after Day One, most were just having fun at the Mets' expense and letting some anxiety channel through and find it's way to ground.

Well, that's what I was thinking.  It's best to judge a first series than a first game.  Even then it too early.  But we have to talk about something...don't we?

But then odd and strangely familiar things started happening again.

On OPENING NIGHT: TAKE TWO ~ Poor guy;  But Brad Emues kinda got exposed as did the Mets continuing struggles to rectify second base until a number of minor leaguers are ready to step in.  I'm not picking on Brad by any stretch.  We're just talking here.  He took a little too long on the Marlin's lead-off hitter allowing him to beat-out a ground ball ahead of Emues' throw.  Then he and Jose Reyes miscommunicated on an infield pop-up behind second base and let the ball fall between them.  Again, I had flashes, of you know who, and you know when.  I did.  What can I say?  And as I was breaking out in a sweat thinking about such things, I watched Carlos Beltran chase down a fly ball into foul territory and drop a basket-catch attempt at the ball.

After a Frankie Rodriguez blown save I was thinking like...Wow, this is like the Twilight Zone or something.

But that's why the joke is on...Everybody!  C'mon, we all did it.  We were almost salivating at the thought of reveling in doom and gloom again as if we're the new Red Sox fan or new Cub's fan acting as new keepers of the curse.

Well, guys like Niese, R.A. Dickey, Bobby Parnell, David Wright, Ike Davis and big man on campus Willie Harris had other plans.  OK, and I'll be fair.  I'll include Terry Collins in that list.

At the end of the day, there is only one true and tried way of getting the most critical fans to shut up and sing a different tune.  The simple formula for getting naysayers off your back is by playing hard and having guts.  To win people over you have to win your games.

The Mets won their Opening Series of the season.  Perception is everything isn't it?  They went from Opening Day recurring nightmare, to series winning Boys of Spring.  Considering they didn't win a series on the road last year till June/July(?), that's a hell of an achievement already for the Blue and Orange.

I hope they enjoyed their day off today.  It was well deserved because we feel good about the last two days.

NEXT SERIES

NEW YORK METS (2-1)

vs.

Philadelphia Phillies (3-0)

Somewhere in South Philly in a place that isn't named Shibe Park

Mike.BTB

N.Y. METS ~ The 49th Season Of Metropolitan Baseball Starts Now

OPENING DAY

GOOD LUCK THIS SEASON TO ALL!

and now...

From the Desk of:  Head-Butting Mr. Met

Welcome to Mets' Year 9 A.D.

(AFTER DOUBLEDAY)

This is
"The Saul B. Katz Dilemma"

We LIVE in the THE AGE of WILPONIANISM

GAME ONE of the 2011 SEASON

NEW YORK METS

vs.

Florida Marlins

From Some Where in South Florida

Dear Fellow Met Fans,

I just don't know.  The end.  Thank you for your time.

NEW YORK METS:  The S.S. Wilpon has sailed into the perfect storm and threatens to sink our team.  So what am I so happy about?  And what still makes me grumpy?

I was much more angrier heading into last season than I am headed into this one.  Last season we were still desperate for changes.  This year we start under a new regime with some of the changes having been made.  That's a positive right?  We all know there will be more changes to come; with some more drastic than we realize.  See Jose Reyes. 

But there is more for me to be optimistic about this season than last.  Yet the cloud hovering over our team grows darker by the day.

The truth is this season will be our most trying season ever.  Even after our matriarch and original owner; Mrs. Joan Payson passed away, we knew the plan was for the eventual sale of the Mets in it's entirety.  Today we face a radically dis-similar situation with an owner desperately trying to hold on to his team while faced with mounting debt, dwindling assets, plummeting profits and a disconnected fan base.  The present owner's thinking is by bringing in a minority partner, their major financial crisis can be more handily managed through the coming rough times ahead.  The plan seems a little impotent to me.  It makes a Mets' fan almost feel as if we are taking a back seat to Fred Wilpon's grandchildren whom he would love to leave this organization behind to.  Woe is us.

In the mean time, what about us?  Mr. Wilpon..., if you're not considering that question at this very moment, your attendance figures over the first three months will give you an unsolicited indication (I guess) as to how we feel about our favorite team's ever-dimming outlook.  And it won't be because of the players.  They are the ones who just may save your company books from reflecting big fat negative zeroes and a lot of red ink.  No; instead I'm talking about...You.  Your best laid intentions may still go up in smoke if we have little faith in you.  You have a lot of winning-over to do, or, hand this team over to someone who can operate the organization in a New York State Of Mind and not from the New York State Social Services office.

But that's not all.  I don't enjoy kicking a guy when he's down, and seldom do.  But did EVERYTHING Omar Minaya touch turn into coal?  It's as if he is eternally cursed for the Bartolo Colon acquisition when he was GM of the Montreal Expos; you know - the deal that single handed rebuilt the Cleveland Indians with one trade.

Omar's last big acquisition as GM of the Mets was Jason Bay.  Omar's last hurrah will be starting the season on the DL with..whatever.  Me?  As you can see I'm viewing Bay's injury with apathy.

Omar's other lingering legacies; Carlos Beltran? - I'm just done.  I liked him; defended him; - But I'm done with him.  I just want to move on already and hand these jobs over to our younger guys like Lucas Duda and company..  Ditto with the other guy, K-Rod.  Done.  Johan Santana?  Did someone place a curse on Omar?  It's all so bizarre. 

Francisco Rodriguez brings up a fascinating dilemma in itself because of his appearances clause in his contract.  If he makes 55(?) appearances, a $17 million dollar option kicks in?  Well, with the Mets as tight as a tourniquet right now money wise, it's unlikely the Mets will let him achieve that appearance plateau.  Then, that will probably trigger a grievance by the Player's Union.  It should be fun.  Don't miss out on all the minutia.

Back to Lucas Duda, that's when I start to get a lot happier about this team.  I'm happy because we have a collection of "our guys" on the team.  For a change, they are here in bunches.  How refreshing.  And they're a bunch I'm already very attached to.  I don't think it's backlash displacement anger for the other guys.  I genuinely like this crop (and this is where Omar will never get a full serving of credit for drafting many of these kids we're about to rely on).

Josh Thole?  He's my Dude!  I have far more confidence in him than the majority of the Media seems to have in him.  Ike Davis and the Original Brooklyn Cyclone - Angel Pagan return as most favorite players.  I have always been behind Pagan since 2001 when he played for Brooklyn.

Want to know why I'm so with Dillon Gee (AAA), Jonathan Niese and Big Pelf?  Because they weren't hyped to kingdom-come like Generation-K was.  I like what I see out of those three; more-so when Gee and Niese are concerned.  I'm content, and am more than willing to hand those three the ball every fifth day.  And I've been a big Bobby Parnell fan also.  Jenrry Mejia may yet deliver the goods for us one day, as well as Nieve.  But Sandy Alderson made some acquisitions for the pitching staff with high potential reward factors attached.  Yea, they are coming off injuries and they scream of moves Omar made.  But I'm rolling with it.  Chris Capuano and Chris Young will be getting a fair shake from me.

You might call me one of those rare Met fans with patience.  But my head is without a doubt, in the new.  Above all, I'm just happy to see the new faces; finally.  I'm happy to give these guys a full year together.  We know what's in store for us Met fans.  Don't we?  Of course we do.  I'm in total break-away mode folks and I know it's going to take another year to continue purging and reconfiguring this team.

That's why I'm going to have fun watching these new Metsies grow-up.  I've been wanting it.  And now I'm starting to see it.  My complaints have been with what remains of the old.  And I realize the gutting work is still in progress.  Over the years I have screamed loudest for the Wilpons to go off campus and hire a GM unfamiliar to them.  They have done that.

So, I must say, according to my own words and wants, I go into 2011 a happier Met fan than last year, oddly, as the organization's foundation and pillars are crumbling before our eyes.

If it's not one thing, it's always another.

Let's Go Mets!

Mike.BTB