Frenchy day-to-day

Jeff Francoeur was hit in the elbow, after stealing a base and then scoring he was removed from the game. Frenchy was immediately taken for X-Rays which came back negative and he's listed as day-to-day. In post game interviews he said he would try everything to play, hopefully he can because I think he has quickly become a big part of this team...

Xrays negative on Francoeur. Day to day with left elbow contusion. Really good news. source Kevin Burkhardt Twitter

Will Dickey's master piece get him a call-up...

Talk about perfect timing, with the parent club having the night off and the AAA team being televised on the parent clubs network, R.A. Dickey didn't just have a good outing, he had a record breaking outing.

After giving up a lead off hit to start the game he retired 27 batters in a row, for a one hit complete game shut out. It was his second complete game of the young season which leads the league and he's posted a 2.33 ERA.

I'm not making him out to be more then he is, I understand that Dickey is dominating minor leaguers but I believe when someone is performer that much above the level they are at then they will at least be able to hold their own at the next level.

The thing is when that knuckleball isn't fluttering it's like batting practice, but when it is it can make the best hitter look silly and he can throw almost everyday.

With Maine and Perez pitching back to back in the rotation and Niese still only averaging 5+ innings per start the Mets could really use two longmen. Takahashi has proven to be the lefty longman, could Dickey be the right handed longman. You know Dickey will get beat up sometimes but you also know with Dickey around Fernando Nieve's arm won't fall off from over use.

It's a waste to have Mejia in the pen, he isn't being used enough and if he's a projected starter then he's wasting precious time. Send him down and put Dickey in the pen...

In possibly the most dominating performance in Coca-Cola Field history, Bisons right-hander R.A. Dickey retired a record 27 consecutive batters in a masterpiece. Dickey gave up a single to the first batter he faced and then put the clamps down for a shade under two hours. Needing only 90 pitches, he mowed down the best hitting club in the International League in a complete game. source ESPN NY

What a Homestand...

Just over a week ago when the Mets limped home in last place with a record of 4-8, who would have thought they would be where they are now. They lost the first four series of the season and one of the four wins took 20 innings and an outfielder pitching.

So coming into this week, I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who would have believed, the team would be better then 500 on this home stand. Especially against the Braves, Cubs and Dodgers.

Does this mean that all my concerns are gone, absolutely not; I'm still worried about how much they're over using certain relievers, that Ollie and Maine will over tax the pen and whether the right players are on the bench.

But this was an epic home stand and I chose to enjoy the positives, especially with a day off instead of worrying about the flaws. No matter what happens the rest of the season no one can take back that they went 9-1 which included seven in a row and a sweep of a double header.

I can't rem. the last time it felt like everything was breaking right for the team, from solid starting pitching, clutch hits, good defensive plays, excellent managerial decision, strong relief work and even a little bit of luck. For the last three seasons it felt like what ever could go wrong would go wrong and every close call, play or hit went against the Mets.

It's exciting to be a Mets fan, the season has hope again and it seems like lady luck is on our side. While some are tempering their enthusiasm because they didn't feel the opponents were strong, I prefer to enjoy the success while it lasts.

FIRST PLACE, SEVEN GAMES STRAIGHT, 9-1 HOME STAND.... YAY

Lets go to Philly and see what fate sends our way... LETS GO METS.....

Buffalo catching tandem

Many this winter were willing to accept Josh Thole and Omir Santos as the catching tandem.

Mets fans love their prospects and wanted Thole regardless of whether he was ready or not and were willing to accept his small offensive sample pool as projected production. Now I'm not saying Thole won't be a good catcher, all I'm saying is I believe he needs seasoning but I hardly believe based on 17 games he's going to hit anywhere near .321.

As for Santos most simply compared 2009 BA and disregarded the FA candidates which meant that they also disregarded the impact of defensive skills of the position. All indications were that everyone involved ( Pitchers and Management) weren't happy with Omir's game calling. I also added that I'd be surprised if he could duplicate his 2009 offensive numbers after being a career minor leaguer.

I'm very much in the minority on this one, but I still would have given Bengie Molina two years. He's the perfect mix of offense and defense, so far Molina is hitting .309 without an error while throwing out 21% base stealers ( 3-13).

But once they passed on Molina I was very happy with the tandem they chose and I believe we're reaping the rewards of placing a premium on defense ( I'm including pitcher handling in defense) at this particular position, despite their BAs being barley over .200. In 6 games Blanco has a ridiculous 100% caught stealing mark while already becoming Pelfrey's (who has the best numbers of the staff ) personal catcher. I think Barajas' (.992 FP/0% CS 0-4) reward is in the pen's outstanding record and the rotations run over the home stand.

I decided to check in on the two would be catchers down in Buffalo and it looks like they're both struggling to some extent.

Thole is certainly getting his behind the plate experience, he's even catching knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Thole is the regular appearing in 12 games with a .988 Fld Pct and a 11% CS ( 1-9), so far he's only hitting .149 in 55 plate appearances.

Some teams would be tempted to bury the prospect catcher to start the season, they could have looked at Santos in two ways; he's an extra part, make him look good as a trading chip or you have two veteran catchers keep him fresh in case of an injury. It doesn't appear either is the case with Omir, who is absolutely buried in Buffalo, he's appeared in five games with 20 at bats in which he's hitting .150. Behind the plate in his limited chances he's 50% CS ( 2-4) and hasn't made an error 1.000% FP.

Castillo really should get more credit

I made my stance on Castillo here but to wrap it up quickly, I understand that many Mets fans displace their frustration onto him because of his bloated contract which was coupled with a bad year in 2008 and has now continued because his range has diminished. I blame Omar for that foolish contract not Louie but I will say that I don't think it's fair to Louie, the team or the fans to openly shop him two years in a row and then make him return.

This season is convincing me that Castillo should get a break, I'm not starting a Louie bandwagon or saying that he is suddenly something he's not, but what I'm saying is he's not as bad as his rap. There's nothing new about him having a balky knee but he's been pushing himself in the field and on the base path, often coming up noticeably limping but still staying in games.

I think Louie might be leading the pack in leadership by example; many of us a few years ago were clamouring for gritty players, well we might be surprised or not like where it's coming from but so far he's the one playing hurt and showing a lot of determination...

The much-maligned second baseman struck out in the first inning, but rebounded with singles in the third and fifth. He stole second each time he reached base, but was left out in the rain by his teammates who failed to bring him home both times. source NY Post

Our little hand licker is growing up...

A year ago the adjectives that fans used to described Mike Pelfrey weren't very kind, things like head case, bust and under performer were some of the more civil terms.

I must admit that after being a big Pelfrey supporter even I had grown pessimistic, not due to the box scores but more to do with his emotional state.

There's no questioning that Pelfrey has talent, there never has been, the question has been in the execution of those talents.

Look, I'm one that blames the Mets for most of Pelfrey's struggles but when he started balking runs and that bizarre ritual of licking his entire arm like a cat just out of a rain storm even I became skeptical.

The Mets rushed Pelfrey and then put way too much responsibility on him, for any young pitcher especially in NY. Within a year of being draft Pelfrey was already in the majors, now Wichita State U. might be a competitive college program but it can hardly be compared to the majors in NY.

After posting a 5.48 ERA in 2006 as a call-up due to injuries, they made him a candidate for the rotation in 2007 with only 96 minor league innings under his belt, only 8 innings in AAA. In 2007 Pelfrey went through that 0-7 stretch and his overall ERA was 5.57.

His break out year seemed to come in 2008 when he posted 13 wins with a 3.72 ERA, so what did the Mets do they made a 25 y/o with under 200 minor league innings and one decent year their #2 starter.

As the injuries mount, so did the pressure and the kid couldn't handle it, he completely regressed posting a 5.03 ERA with only ten wins and he was the only starter to post a full season ( 31 starts).

I'll be honest I thought the Mets broke him, coming back from the rush job in 2007 was a near miracle but to be labeled the #2 starter on a team with World Series aspirations that was completely dismantled by injuries and to be completely humiliated as the hand licker, I thought was too much.

So Pelfrey had four starts in a row, if you include his last spring training start, in which he was impressive, that's nothing new he's had these type of runs in the past. But what has been impressive has been his demeanor on the mound. Not only did Pelf ask to close out the 20 inning marathon but then pitched a solid game after that and last night he had nothing but still found away to pitch five scoreless innings.

A year ago if the club dragged him to the mound in a relief appearance he would be off for a month and if that second start began the way last night did, he would have had saliva all the way to his elbow while 10runs crossed the plate.

An adjective that would have never accompanied Pelfrey in the past has been a perfect fit to start the season "tenacious"....

And the run held up because the Braves went hitless in five at-bats with runners in scoring position against the wild, but tenacious Mike Pelfrey. source NY Post

Barajas and Blanco paying dividends

Over the winter there was a great debate over whether the team should bring in a veteran catcher of stick with the incumbents. I was one that thought that Thole needed more seasoning and with Santos behind the plate many regressed. But there were many who felt any improvement would be marginal and we'd miss Santos .270 BA with two auto out catchers. The Mets targeted defensive catchers and so far they have been rewarded for their strategy.

This current winning streak can be attributed to the pitching staff, for most of it the offense has still been struggling.

“Myself and Henry, we’ve been around the block,” Barajas said. “We know hitters. We know setting up pitches. We just know how to get the most out of these guys. When you’ve got two guys who pride themselves on their defense, their pitch-calling, their throwing, I think pitchers are going to have more success than they’ve had in the past.” source ESPN NY

A look at Maine's spot - Taki2, Stoner, Dickey or Gee

John Maine says he will make his next start, but even if he can, how long will Maine be able to maintain his spot. Barring a dramatic rebound I just can't see him staying in the rotation, even when he doesn't get rocked he only lasts 4-5 innings which kills the bullpen.

Yes, it's a little a premature to be discussing his spot but it's always better to be prepared then it is surprised. After all, I was told I was jumping the gun when I was looking at relievers to replace Iggy.

Takahashi did a fine job filling in for Maine last night but the concern is in putting four lefties in the rotation. Besides even with Maine out of the rotation, there's still Ollie which means the pen needs a long reliever.

So there's a chance the Mets will be looking for a righty to plug into the rotation. In spring training Fernando Nieve would have been the first choice, but I think jerry has become to reliant on him in the pen.

There are two righties on the 40 man roster, Bobby Parnell is working strictly as a reliever in AAA and Tobi Stoner has never impressed me enough to be a starter he looks more like a marginal middle reliever, in AAA he has a 4.35 ERA in two starts.

We still have knuckleballer R.A. Dickey who is pitching solidly down in Buffalo (3.32 ERA). Dickey would give the team a different look and could pitch constantly. If Takahashi went into the rotation I could see Dickey coming up to be the longman but I hope they don't pick him for the rotation.

But the most obvious choice seems to be Dillon Gee, he is 3-0 in three starts with a 1.00 ERA while SO 16 and only walking 1. Last year Gee broke into the prospect list with a #12 on Sickels and a #9 on Macks Mets but was such down during the season due to Labrum issues ( shoulder).

The 24 y/o right hander in four seasons has a lifetime minor league ERA of 2.90 with a record of 17-10 while striking out 228 and walking only 55. Gee really has an unimpressive arsenal and it's surprising he has made it this far but somehow he keeps progressing through the levels. Either he's eventually going to fall on his face or he's going to be one of those guys who nobody understands why he's successful.

His upside is still severely limited by his lack of a quality fastball or a dominant secondary pitch, but he has already defied the curve a bit by making it as far as he has. Delivering from a fairly high arm angle, one of Gee's strengths is an arsenal that has some depth, despite its lack of dominance. He throws three different pitches, a fastball that generally sits 89-91 mph with some movement, a solid changeup, and usable slider. Though none of the three pitches grades as an above-average major league pitch, he commands them all well, and can throw all three for strikes in any count. The changeup in particular had helped him manage left handed batters before he reached Triple-A. source Amazin Ave

As far as Maine the team could DL him or I do believe he has an option left ( one used in Baltimore and one his first year with the Mets). But if he isn't hurt and doesn't have options the team could approach him to take a voluntary assignment like the Phils did with Meyers a few years ago when he was struggling with his delivery.

In regards to the roster, they are at 40 men and players on the 15 day DL can't be replaced. They will either have to cut someone to add Dickey/Gee or place someone on the 60 day DL ( Beltran/ Escobar).

Dessens to the DL...

I was surprised when the Mets chose Manny Acosta over Elmer Dessens, the crafty veteran keeps dominating AAA for the second season in a row and when he has been given a chance in the majors he has done a decent job. Dessens with his 1.29 ERA, 3-0 record and two saves wasn't recalled because he was on his way to the DL.

The Buffalo Bisons today announced that RHP ELMER DESSENS has been placed on the team's disabled list with a left hamstring strain. source MiLB

Maine leaves early..

John Maine left tonight's start early with what was being called cramps and soreness in his non-pitching arm. I'm very concerned that Maine has had just one too many injuries, the one outing he looked decent he only made it four innings. I'm not sure if he can make the transition to the pen but I think it might be his only chance to stay with the team unless their going to allow him to burn out the pen every fifth day.

John Maine was removed from his fourth start in the fourth inning on Friday night after experiencing muscle spasms and pain in his left (non-pitching) elbow. source MLB.com

Mets need to do a better job developing the fanbase

I'm not sure whats more amazing the human mind or the amount of information available on the Internet. I remembered that the Mets were playing the Cards in a day game, they lost in extra innings with the Cards having a big inning, there wasn't many people in the stadium, I was about 10 y/o and Lee Mazzilli was playing first base.

Thanks to Baseball reference with that limited memory I was able to locate the game. Sunday, Sept. 23, 1979 at 3:o1pm the 6th place Mets (56 win season) hosted the 3rd place Cards in front of 27,033.

The Mets carried a 4-3 lead into the seventh when the Cards tied the game, the game would remain tied until the Cards scored 3 in the 10th. In the the game the Mets recorded three errors and the relievers walked seven in four innings.

Why am I talking about a game in 1979; because it was the first game I ever attended and based on that experience as a ten year old, I became a Mets fan. I don't rem. the errors, who scored what runs, what relievers looked bad or even who was on the field other then Mazz.

As I said the place was empty, the paid crowd is recorded as 27,033 but like any game I'd be surprised if there was anywhere near that many people in the stadium. The family member that took me to the game, could only afford nose bleed seats ( probably two for one, at that, as they ran those specials often back then) but the ushers seeing a young kid directed us down to field level right at the Mets dugout.

Here I was a ten year, not knowing that I was in the best seats I would ever have, in watching a game 10 ft from the field, when I belonged in seats so high I would have had a better view on TV. Each time Mazz came off the field he would come over to the group of kids, the ushers had collected, throw us balls and say a few words. I ended up with one of those Mazz balls and instantly became a fan of the team, despite my family member cursing all the way home as they blew the game ( yes he left when the game was tied, saying something like that's it they'll find away to lose).

I have plenty of die hard Yankee fans in my family and at the time when my baseball fandom was being molded they were a winning World Championship team. I became a Mets fan based on my experience at the stadium.

Ok, so I've explained why I'm talking about a game in 1979 but I'm sure your wondering what's the reason for the walk down memory lane. It's because of my experience last night when I attended the game.

Last night it was raining, the team has a losing record and weren't playing a team that travels well, so it's expected it to be a small crowd ( several concessions were closed without staff) but the crowd was even smaller then I expect. In fact Matt at Metsblog reported that it was the smallest crowd ever at Citi Field.

I have seats up in the 500 level but decided to stay down stairs because of the rain and small crowd. By the time Acosta allowed runs in his second inning of work, I've seen AA crowds bigger ( I'd guess under 5,000). They couldn't have filled the infield, field seats with who was left, but the ushers were not allowing anyone into the field seats without a ticket. This wasn't a grumpy Mr. Rules usher, this was every usher with supervisors walking around ensuring they were enforcing the tickets. Look, I understand not allowing me and my friends down (although that would be cool since there were so few of us staying), but I saw them turning away kids which struck a cord with me due to my own experience.

Around the 7-8th inning with nobody in the stadium, I watched a kid I'd guess was 13-15 y/o, ask an usher if he could go down to watch the rest of the game and the usher said sorry not without a ticket, with a supervisor within earshot. The Dad turned to the kid and said come on, lets go, they're gonna lose and I don't want to stand around anymore.

I hope someone from the club reads this and realizes the importance of those types of experiences and realizes they're going about things on too much of a corporate management style. Just think about how much money this team has earned from me, based on the ushers finding the kids on a slow day and allowing them down near the dugout. When many are saying we're on the brink of irrelevance in NY the organization has to foster and develop the fanbase not ostracize it and/or allow it to deteriorate even more...

Jake heads to Buffalo

I know my stance on Mike Jacobs may seem confusing at times but let me try to clarify my position.

This spring I was not satisfied with the platoon of Murphy/Tatis ( I'm not getting into that in this post I've stated my case several times), I felt the position need someone with experience and the line-up needed a power hitting lefty.

While I disagreed I understood and appreciated the concept of the Mets getting Ike Davis more experience in the minors. With Davis in the minors I felt it should have been Carter's spot, he has over 500 minor league games at first and is a power lefty in the line-up. At that time I felt the selection of Jacobs over Carter was a mistake.

Once Jacobs was on the team, it was disclosed that Jake was battling mechanical issues which made the decision to keep him in the majors even more curious.

Now here's where my thinking changed, once he's on the team and there's a chance of losing him, before I would have placed him on waivers he would have to be the least valuable player on the team. At the time of his designation I felt that even with his struggles he was a more valuable asset off the bench then Tatis or Catalanotto.

All of which is a moot point since Adam Rubin of ESPN NY is reporting that Jake has cleared waivers and accepted assignment to Buffalo.

Acosta called up & debuts

Went to the game last night, straight from work, didn't get home til 2am and then went to work at 6am. After a power nap, watching the game and catching up the blog.

As I expected Iggy was placed on the disabled list and one of my candidates to replace him was called up in Manny Acosta.

I've got to say Acosta looked very good in person in his first inning of work. Hard throwing with some nasty movement. Several of us in the stands questioned why he was let in for two innings, as he's always been a one inning guy. Just as scripted Acosta got beat up in his second inning of work.

This goes back to the rotation, when there's a pitcher or two in the rotation who are consistently coming out early it forces the pen to be over used and ask relievers to work outside their norms.

Igarashi injury - who's available...

Ryota Igarashi was removed with two outs in the 8th inning due to a hamstring injury, Iggy hurt his leg attempting to field a tricky bunt. He was able to stay in for two more batters but then had to be removed and the intial diagnosis is a strained hamstring.

He'll have an MRI tomorrow, but I'd guess even if it's clean he'll land on the disabled list. First of all, the Mets were snake bitten last year with injuries and seem to be airing on the side of caution in all cases. Secondly Iggy is a power pitcher and his legs are as important as his arm is. This is all speculation since they could say Iggy's fine tom., but in case he isn't, here's a look at what we have to fill-in for him.

Tobi Stoner was sent down to make room for Ike Davis, normally Stoner wouldn't be available until 10 days after the transaction but he can return at any point to replace someone due to injury. I have to be honest here; I just don't see it with Stoner he reminds me of Jon Adkins, an average middle reliever for a few years before becoming a AAAA pitcher.

Here's my out of the box idea Jon Maine looked better in his last outing but he's still a five inning pitcher which kills the bullpen. I've been saying this since '07', but this might be the season it happens, Maine should be a reliever. Send Maine to the pen and promote Dillion Gee to the rotation, Gee has not allowed a run in two starts while striking out 12 and walking one in Buffalo.

There are two other pen candidates with major league experience, Manny Acosta and Elmer Dessens. Acosta has always struggled with control issues but has the potential to be a late inning power arm, in five relief appearances he has an ERA of 2.16 with one walk and nine strikeouts. At 39 y/o and throwing nothing but junk Dessens keeps plugging along, in five appearances he's 3-0 with two saves and an ERA of 1.29 ( SO 6/ BB 3).

Stoner and Acosta are already on the 40 man while Dessens or Gee would have to be added. They currently have 40 players on the roster but could easily make room for a player without losing anyone by moving Escobar or Beltran to the 60 day DL. Neither player appears close to returning and with the time back dated to ten days before the season started , I think its a fair estimation that they wont be ready by the third week in May. While a player on the 15 day DL is not replaceable, a player on the 60 day is...

Murphy update...

First I feel I must clarify myself anytime I discuss Murphy, there are those whole have labeled me a Murphy hater. It's true I've been vocal in my opposition to Murphy starting at any position on the major league level. I have been angry over the situation but my anger has never been directed at Murph, I was mad at the organization for trying to sell him to us two years in a row.

I think Murphy could be a great asset as a Miguel Cairo type of player, late inning quality at bat while filling in at multiple positions. I bet the less Murphy is used the better he would look at the plate, going back to those long grinding type of appearances.

The NY Post is reporting that Murphy isn't close to returning and Adam Ruben has comments from Murphy in which he's already conceded 1B to Davis...

"It leaves me in the same spot as when I show up every day -- trying to find a way to help the team win," Murphy said. "If that happens to be maybe spelling Ike if he's playing well, or maybe a pinch-hit role, they're going to hopefully put me in a position to help the team win. source ESPN NY

Evans named player of the week but why is he still in AA

To his credit Nick Evans is the last prospect from the former Mets regime, Evans was drafted in the fifth round of the 2004 draft (134 pick). Selected straight out of high school as a 3B hitting .247.

Each evaluator is slightly different but I couldn't find Evans on a prospect list until 2007 when Jon Sickels ranked him #10.

After 21 games in the rookie league at 3B ( 2004) he was moved to 1B and has logged 406 of 502 minor leagues at the position. After the emergence of Dan Murphy and draft of Ike Davis, the only chance Evans had was to adapt to the corner outfield. In 2009 he spilt the season between AA/AAA and LF/1B.

Overall he has a .270 BA in the minors but has struggled with a .211 BA in AAA. Nick never had a chance to make the major league club but what I found curious was they decided to put him in AA a league he has already mastered.

His first exposure to the majors was 2008 when he played in 50 games where he hit .257, the next season he appeared in 30 games but only hit .231.

The kids a 24 y/o right hander who can play four positions ( 1B,3B,LF,RF) and showed some power in the majors. Still no matter what Evans does it doesn't seem like he's ever going to get a fair chance in this organization. Evans in AA playing 1B is hitting .372 and was named minor league player of the week...

Binghamton Mets first baseman Nick Evans has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week ending April 18th. The 24-year old is off to an outstanding start for the B-Mets this season, batting .372 (16-for-43) with four doubles, three home runs, 11 runs scored, 10 RBI, five walks and a .674 slugging percentage over 10 games. source MiLB.com

The next cut should be GMJ...

Look what exactly does Gary Matthews Jr. bring to the team, think of the five skills. Speed, power, OBP, batting for average, arm strength and I'll throw in outfield range as well. For those who support him we fall back to the classic, he's a baseball player that you want him in your dugout.

There are 18 players on the team that should be able to lay down a bunt when called upon to do so, 13 position players and the five starters. I'll even give the the starters a break but a positional player has absolutely no excuse, pitcher are trying to get the out, they want you to bunt. GMJ failed to successfully bunt into an 0-2 count and then struck out swinging on the next pitch, it was the Mets first true scoring opportunity with a tie score. He's batting .200, has no arm strength and takes odd routes on balls.

With Beltan returning to the Doctor and his return hard to determine, I would replace GMJ with an outfielder who can handle center field. Jason Pridie was suppose to be the Twins fourth outfielder until they had a roster crunch and we claimed him off waivers. Pridie was described to me as a young Endy Chavez, great speed and range, decent arm with a suspect bat but gets lucky sometimes. Here's a post on Pridie when he was initially claimed.

Ike storms flushing...

I know I'm behind the times on this but I worked all day and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to celebrate the coming of Ike Davis. I not sure if the name Ike has been used so many times in one day since the fifties, Oh no I may have made Mr. Turner mad.

I don't see him as the savor of this season, but I'm excited about his promotion and I don't really see the harm in bringing him up. There are many voicing concerns that it starts his arbitration clock, puts too much pressure on him and he needs more seasoning.

I appreciate all of those concerns but really in this season I just don't see the negative impact of bringing him up, it's kinda like Wright and Reyes in those 03-04 seasons.

If Davis catches fire and somehow contributes to a miraculous comeback then we'll be happy to give him a big payday a year earlier. But I think excitement over seeing Davis called up is being misconstrued as reliance upon him, I really don't think most fans are putting their hopes for this season on the back of this rookie. At worst Davis will cut his teeth in the majors and if he's the real deal then he'll be a force next season.

From a financial point of view the Mets need a buzz around this team and Davis regardless of the standing just might be the answer to that aspect of this team. Why do I care about the Mets income, you don't sell seats you don't sign players in the off-season.

As I wrote this post Davis went 2-3 with an RBI single against a lefty with a tough curve ball.

Stoner up - Jacobs DFA could mean Ike soon...

It was reported earlier today that after the 20 inning affair the Mets would call-up Tobi Stoner to be a right handed reliever out of the pen. Stoner has be a starter in AAA so he can give the team innings if needed, in two starts he's 0-1 with a 4.32 ERA. Last season he appeared in four games as a reliever, as a Sept. call-up and pitched to an ERA of 4.00. I'll be honest I just don't see it, Stoner looks like a mediocre AAAA pitcher, a younger Figgy.

Many assumed Raul Valdes who pitched two nights in a row and has options to be the one who got sent down. I think the collective bargaining agreement might have factored into the decision, if Valdes had been sent down he could not be recalled for ten days.

In a slight surprise move the Mets designated Mike Jacobs for assignment. In one day Jacobs went from the opening day starter to out of work, I would have kept Jacobs and designated either Matthews or Catalanotto. Off the bench Jake could be an intimidating pinch hitter to a mediocre reliever.

With Jacobs gone the Mets now have Catalanotto, Tatis and Cora to play first. There is no way they're going to stick with the current 1B situation, most pundits are speculating that Ike Davis will be called up this home stand.

Iggy's no surprise to some...

The emergence of Ryota Igarashi as the set-up man is no surprise to some, but for many including myself it is a pleasant surprise. As Michael Barron of Metsblog noted Iggy didn't look like much this spring, I even suggested that he go down until he worked out the issues he was having.

Iggy has said the American mound was harder, the ball is different and all the Japanese fields have the straight line of dirt from the mound to the plate, now that seems like a silly issue but I rem. several pitchers commenting in Detroit that it became a very big reference point for them.

The Mets also asked Iggy to dump his curve ball for a slider, which he struggled with most of the spring.

But there were some who always believed when the lights went on he would be there, here's a few quotes from a couple articles during spring training when he looked bad, that believed when the season started he would be ready...

"His eyes," one learned Mets observer said. "It sounds silly. But if you're around and you see it, you know what it means. It's the sign he likes to compete."
"He knows he's going to get you," Warthen said. "He's done it before, and he's confident he's going to do it again -- when it counts. ... Now all we've got to do is see him pitch." source MLB.com

"Do you think he can pitch late in the game?" Collins asked.
"No question," Brown said. source Daily News

Ok, enough already, Jerry needs to go...

I'm sorry, I hate to wish for anybody to lose their job but hopefully he has invested the salary he's received in a life time of baseball, besides I'm sure he'll find another job in the sport.

I just can't take it anymore, major league managers aren't suppose to have this much influence over a game but Jerry's decisions are so poor and unusual that they nightly have an impact on the game.

Why was Ollie pulled tonight, when he was, why was Nieve who has pitched almost every night brought in, despite showing signs of fatigue and when he failed which was predictable why would Valdes be his options. I know, I know; Feliciano wasn't available but Valdes was your best option! Didn't Igarashi just impress you enough to be called the set-up man, hello. Your going to burn certain arms out and then other guys who we don't know how they would preform will confirm your suspicions but was that really just rust, using a pen this way we'll never know.

Two nights ago you replaced Jacobs with Tatis on the base path, why is one really faster then the other, but then didn't have a right handed bat. Pagan is barely playing so GMJ can hit .190 and you have two spots your never using in Catalanotto and Cora (since Reyes returned). You've buried certain players who of course will look bad, when they are finally used, while playing players who aren't preforming. Since he took over nobody is ever accountable for mental errors or poor fundamentals, is there any question why the Mets make the most unique outs like Castillo running to an occupied base because their not worried about the ramifications.

Jacobs hits 4th or 5th while your hottest hitter is buried towards the bottom in Frenchy. While you push your reluctant lead-off hitter into an uncomfortable situation and have players on the team voicing opposition to the move. I could set this line-up better and there are probably fans who disagree with my line-up and I'd like theirs better then whats being put out or suggested; Reyes, Pagan, Wright, Francoeur, Bay, Jaobs, Barajas, Castillo, Pitcher...

Jerry almost seems to be doing this on purpose, almost pulling a George Kastanza working for the Yanks move. I'm waiting to see him suggest wool uniforms, take naps under his desk and ask for Danny Tartabull as a pinch hitter.

Look in my opinion Omar made a mess of things with this rotation and some of his positional selection but Jerry's decisions are making them worse then they would be. I'm tired of being patient, I'm tired of hearing it's early and all the other lame excuses, I want results. In my last post, which was before the game I asked for professional accountability, well I believe that starts with Jerry, if i did as bad as he's doing at my job I'd be looking for a new one...

Demand excellence...

Forget baseball, business in general, many times the difference between a successful venture and a failure is the mentality with which they approach their goal. If you have the tools (equipment), competence and ability, then many times it comes down to the supervision and approach taken. If you take on a project like you want to conquer the world you have a better chance of success then an equally skilled person who is willing to settle for good enough.

Aside from 2009 most of us fans have felt the Mets were better then the results, we've called it everything from fire, grit, determination and any other intangible descriptor you can think of.

But take a fast food chain for example; within a chain the equipment is equal, the locations are well researched and there is nominal difference between the long term employees from store to store. So why is that, you walk in one store and would be afraid to drink a soda while the other you would let your kids play in the playground while you had a snack.

The difference is generally a lack of supervision and accountability which results in acceptance of sub-standard performance. From the Wilpon's down to the 25th man on the roster I have a hard time thinking of one example in which someone has been held accountable for a poor performance or bad decisions, in fact there seems to be an underlying theme of accepting mediocrity.

Look I agree with Omar, that I would take one win against St. Louis but I certainly don't expect the GM to say that out loud. What message does that send to the team, how about; I believe in this team, that I built ( positive re-enforce along with assertion of authority) and I expect them to win every game ( setting a high standard of excellence), this is business 101...

Saying that you'd "take it" to win one before the series even starts is setting the bar way too low and is a telling sign of this organizations mentality. One last thing about the mentality of this organization, it's become way too easy to blame everything on injuries; everybody has injuries, no excuses just preform. According to that bolden statement what are we doing until Murphy and Beltran return treading water ( again standards).

"It was good to get the win. It just changes the momentum,'' Minaya said after the Mets had shut out the Rockies behind Mike Pelfrey's strong start. "St. Louis is always tough. If we can win two out of three, that will be outstanding. If we win one, I'll take it. We've got Jose [Reyes] back, and once we get [Daniel] Murphy and [Carlos] Beltran back, we can compete with everyone else.'' source SI.com

It's time to get positionally young...

I truly believe the Mets are making a mistake on multiple levels with their roster moves. It appears that the decisions the Mets made out of camp were win now decisions, I know at least one of you is saying; what do you mean win now this team is awful. I would agree that the decisions are mistakes but the logic behind them is a win now mentality.

The Mets went with proven know commodities that have major league track records; GMJ has proven he can play center field in the majors, Frank Cattalanotto was a premier pinch hitter/utility man, Fernando Tatis was a great comeback story that could play 7 positions, Mike Jacobs hit 38 HRs and Louis Castillo was once a great second baseman.

The problem is that four of the five are on the wrong side of thirty, they are showing diminished skills and appear to be breaking down in front of our eyes. While I don't think any of them are the lazy type, because of their lack of range and speed they give the team a lethargic appearance.

GMJ takes the oddest routes to balls that I've seen since Lastings Milledge, his arm is weak and he continues to prove that his year in Texas was a fluke (.176 BA). Cat hasn't played the field yet and hasn't had a hit, whether he has anything left or not, he's a waste of a roster spot the way Jerry is using him, but Cat struggle to keep a job last year. Fernando Tatis is at the Moises Alou stage of his career without the bat, every time he takes the field he gets banged up and looks slower by the minute, but Tatis isn't even hitting (.222 BA). Finally, Castillo just doesn't have the range to play the field anymore and while he's a good at bat, I'd rather go young.

Since Jacobs is only 29 y/o I keep him for a month or two to see if that 2008 power stroke can come back, but he's a one horse show and needs to prove he can hit off the bench.

So I'm cutting four players ( Tatis, Cat, GMJ and Castillo) who do I plan to replace them with Ruben Tejada at 2B (SS), FMart to platoon with Pagan, Carter to become the utility player ( LF,RF, 1B) and Ike Davis at 1B, while Cora covers (SS and 3B). Carter and Davis are hitting over .340, Martinez is holding his on at .260 and while Tejada is struggling at the plate he'd be here for his glove.

As I said before I believe this is the right decision on multiple levels. To begin spring training when these players were in camp there was a youthful excitement to the team which resulted in a winning record, as they slowly moved to the minor league camp the team started playing as it is now. The players I'm proposing to cut aren't helping this team win now so it's no sacrifice to lose them anyway. Either the youngsters will energize the team as they did this spring and help the team win or they will cut their teeth in the majors during a transition year, making the off-season evaluation process that much easier for the present/next GM. Finally what else is going to bring people to the stadium and energize the fan base, without ticket sales what kind off-season is the present/new GM going to have.

Pelf gives us something to smile about for a day...

Mike Pelfrey gave us something positive to hold onto in a season that already looks dim in it's first week Pelfrey gave us a glimmer of hope. The Mets just don't have the rotation to compete and it was a complete miscalculation on the franchises part, to not improve this rotation behind Johan since he was acquired. But Pelf gave us hope, that he's maturing as a pitcher and maybe he is part of the future. Today, was his best but going back to the last start of spring he has put together three solid starts...

Pelfrey coasted through seven innings, not allowing a runner to reach third base. His only glitch came in the fifth when he balked – a reminder of last year when he did it three times in one game. But this isolated incident didn’t faze him. source NJ.com

Everts makes it through waivers back in Bingo

Clint Everts has made it through waivers and has accepted assignment to Binghamton. Everts was signed the same day as the rule five draft in Dec. when the Mets surprising selected and then traded a relief pitcher to the Dodgers who made their team. It was reported that up to 12 teams were interested in Everts and my speculation was that maybe the Dodgers were the front runners with the trade making them drop out. Here is a post I completed at the time of the signing, Everts got a major league deal but still had waivers.

RHP Clint Everts cleared waivers and will return to Double-A Binghamton. source Adam Rubin ESPN

Bowman claimed by Jays..

It was reported that the Mets were trying to trade Shawn Bowman before they had to place him on waivers, but who's going to pay for what they can get for free. Eventually Bowman was placed on waivers and claimed by the Blue Jays. For the Team Canada and native Canadian it seems to be a perfect place to land especially since with the Jays he might get a chance since they are in an acknowledged rebuilding process.

Bowman was once considered such a great defensive 3B that many speculated that he could supplant David Wright at the position, moving him to 1B which would also reduce the throwing errors. A debilitating back injury derailed his career and he went from a top prospect to a great comeback story.

I'm not making more of this then it is, in the grander scheme of baseball Bowman isn't a big org. loss but I do feel that Omar could have made better roster decisions and kept him.

And now, to address your top Mets concern of the day...the team announced that infielder Shawn Bowman was claimed off waivers by Toronto today. Bowman, 25, was a 12th round pick by the Mets in 2002. Bowman was designated for assignment at the end of spring training. source Daily news

This starting rotation is a complete failure on Omar's part

Failure, Starting pitching wins championships and since Johan Santana was acquired and signed, despite Omar making starting pitching his main priority he has failed to up-grade the staff. Johan Santana has never had the luxury of anyone even close to a #2 pitcher.

Entering this off-season which the entire organization labeled a critical year, pitching was a priority and for the third straight year it ended up Johan and four question marks. I really don't care if he's covering for someone else, he puts his name on it, it's his plan so he now owns it, in my book.

Every off-season the plan is to improve the rotation and by the end of the off-season were getting the same rhetoric that Maine and Ollie were 15 game winners and that Pelfrey was a #1 pick with a high ceiling and that no one else made any sense or was better. What doesn't make sense is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results. It's not too early to let Omar go, because this isn't about seven games this about a failure that started in 2007 and hasn't been rectified for three straight seasons.. .

Content with his offense, pitching is at the forefront of Minaya's early winter dealings -- his "first priority." He came to the GM Meetings, talking about a desire to round out the rotation behind ace Johan Santana, John Maine and Mike Pelfrey and fortify the bullpen. With Billy Wagner out for the season, importing a closer is a clear and present need, as the Mets prepare to move into their shiny new ballpark, Citi Field. source MLB.com 10/2008

"We feel good about adding Tim Redding," Minaya added. "We're in a position, if we add one of the guys out there, we'd feel very good going into the year. When that time is, we'll find out." source NY Times 1/2009

Minaya said, “When you look at other teams pitching staffs, some teams have some great guys, no question, but most teams are going to question marks, we’re going to have question marks coming off of last year. I think it’s fair to say we’d like to reduce the ifs, but if you looked at the free-agent market, a lot of those free agents are ifs… there are always a lot of question marks with pitching.” source Metsblog

“Everybody wants us to improve our club. The question is: when do we improve our club? It has to make sense when you make a move. I feel like, in past years, we have always found a way to improve our club, and I feel comfortable we will continue to work hard and, when it’s all said and done, when we get to Opening Day, our team is going to be better than they way they ended last year… We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan, we know who we’ve targeted, and we feel comfortable if we get our guys we’re gonna have a very good team on the field and we’re going to be a team that will compete for our division and compete for the pennant.” source metsblog

Has the offense been that bad...

The other day I completed a post about just how bad I thought the beginning of the season was, let me start by saying as I said at the beginning of that post that I was venting. I'm not what I would call a doom or gloom fan; I will watch as many games as possible, I'm looking forward to going to every game I have tickets for and will root for them to win every game.

But I'm a realist not a cheerleader for the team, when I see something wrong or disagree with something they're doing I'm going to call them on it. I'm not going to sit back and wait for the rug to be pulled out from under me, by comforting myself with the statement that it's early. It's early worked in '07,08,09' and spring training, now it's not cutting it for me. Look I hope they prove me wrong or there's enough ground swell from us fans that they're forced to make changes.

Now I addressed several areas of concern that I saw in the first week of the season but the one area that seemed to be a point of contention was the offense. Now as I said I was venting and speaking from a feel , but the numbers are confirming what I was seeing...

The Mets have stumbled in situational hitting. They are 10-for-53 (.189) with runners in scoring position. They are hitting .233 as a team with a .319 on-base percentage and a .369 slugging percentage and have outscored opponents, 27-22. source Daily news

Did Omar really say "We'll Battle"

I'm reminded of the common saying; as much as things change they remain the same.

Art Howe took the brunt of most Mets fans ire during the 2004 season, to be fair to Howe the organization was a mess and he had really no chance at success. But as the face fans saw everyday as the leader of an inept team, any and all hostility was directed at Howe. And what did he say everyday as the losses mounted up "We battled", it's a saying most Mets fans never want to hear again and when they do say it, it's a reference to the dark times...

It became his signature line, the source of citywide parody, routinely mimicked by callers on talk radio stations, who parroted, ''We battled, we battled and we battled.'' That tired phrase, as much a cliché as George Steinbrenner's favorite sayings, might now serve as Howe's managerial epitaph. source NY Times Sept 2004

With a fan base that has mandated a fast start, the last thing the Mets needed was to open the season with a losing record, at home against what was thought to be easy division rivals. In justifying the rough start Omar almost echoed Howe's words. It was close enough to raise the hairs on the back of my neck, is it me or does it seem like Jerry and Omar are trying to get fired...

"The home stand, we had an opportunity to be 4-2," Minaya added. "I think we showed some fight, that we'll battle and come from behind. We need to get more clutch hits. I thought the pen did a good job and the starters held their own. source Daily News

Buffalo & Binghamton updates...

First in Buffalo Bobby Livingston looked decent until the fifth inning when he hit a brick wall, giving up five runs without finishing the inning. The former lefthanded Reds starter in all gave up 8 runs but only 3 were earned on five hits and four walks, while striking out four in 4.1 innings. Kiko Calero took over but couldn't work his way out of the jam without giving up his own earned run. Calero would settle down to pitch two scoreless innings; 2.2 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks and 3 strike outs. Manny Acosta appeared in his second ninth inning relief appearance, it looks like he's being groomed as a late inning reliever, tonight he struck out two without a walk or hit.

The offense was stymied by the Syracuse pitching staff, Chris Cartersat out and the only offense came from a solo home run by Ike Davis.

In Binghamton Eddie Kunz made his first start and while the team won I wouldn't call it a successful outing. In five innings he allowed three earned runs ( 4 runs) on two hits ( two home runs) and four walks, while striking out three. The B-Mets offense won the game which was lead by Nick Evans who hit two homeruns in the game for a total of three RBIs.

Jerry puts the target squarely on his back...

Was it loyalty to his players or too much honesty, whatever the reason Jerry Manuel has squarely put himself in the hot seat. After a lack luster home stand to start the season against teams considered by most fans as inferior, the Mets were out pitched, out hit and out hustled. With a team that admitted they had a short rope and needed to get off to a fast start, it's admirable for Jerry to take full responsibility but it certainly won't make his job any easier...

To make matters worse, manager Jerry Manuel said his team "appeared unprepared" yesterday. "I have to take full responsibility for that," Manuel said. "We have to put a bigger emphasis on it."source NY Post

Interesting read on Mike Jacobs...

I don't have that big a problem with Mike Jacobs being on this team, my issue is more with why Chris Carter isn't on the team. Between Jacobs, Tatis and Cattalanotto someone should have been sacrificed to make room for Carter.

Anthony DiComo of mets.com has a great artcile on Jacobs today. After barely making the team and then being given a starting spot when Murphy went down, Jake admits to pressing. He also states that the booing serves as motivation and that he hopes his first homerun will get him on track.

Interestingly Francoeur admitted that this team needs to score more runs...

"For me it takes a little pressure off, just getting your first one out of the way," Jacobs said of his 100th career homer, referencing teammate Jeff Francoeur's hot start to the season. "Everybody wants to start out like Frenchy. But that doesn't always happen." source MLB.com

It could be worse... Really ?

As I said in my last post, I don't boo but I do voice my frustration by venting on this blog. For those still highly optimistic who don't believe there are serious issues because it's early, then this isn't the post for you. Roll your eyes, shake your head and close the post...

I've heard multiple times today that things could be worse, my response is; really? Then either my standards are way too high or their standards are way too low.

Based on the on the teams own mantra that they needed to get off to a fast start and the fact that they were playing the Marlins/Nats at home to start the season, I thought a 4-2 record was reasonable, 3-3 respectable and at worst win both Johan's games.

But to be 2-4 after the first week, in the way they did it, against who they did it against, is pretty troubling. Are there positive sure; they won two games, Francoeur has picked up where he left off, Pelfrey looked good, Johan looked good in his first start and most of the pen looks solid ( K-Rod, Nieve, Feliciano). But there is still more to be concerned about then there is to be satisfied with.

Ownership that decided to stick with Omar and Jerry has to be worried about that decision now that the ballpark is nearly empty on a daily basis. Omar wants to say he has control of player decisions well then he has to be blamed for this rotation. I got told all spring that spring training numbers mean nothing, well every starter is pitching exactly how they pitched in spring training. Once again players looked to be poorly prepared, out of position and lacking fundamentals which falls on Jerry. But the team looks slow and unmotivated which falls back on Omar who picked these players.

Remember the mantra of throwing strikes, as a staff they have walked 25 batters in 48 innings only Mejia, Green ( 1 inning) and Valdes ( 1 inning) are the only pitchers who haven't walked someone. Seven of the 13 pitchers on the staff have walked multiple hitters; Johan (5), Pelfrey(4) and Ollie(4) lead the group. Not one starter has made it past the sixth inning and in three of the starts the starter hasn't made it out of the sixth. Three of the six starts have been quality starts, two they won and Niese's game they lost. Every starter except Pelfrey (3.00) has an ERA of 4.50 or higher.

The bullpen has a dilemma that will eventually effect them, because there were several works in progress picked for the team and the pen is needed early every night, the reliable relievers are already getting over used. Nieve has already been in four games while Feliciano, Iggy, Mejia and Takahashi have all been in three games.

Offensively they are getting nothing from the bench or the veteran role players they brought in, I would cut GMJ, Jacobs, Castillo and Cattalanotto to bring up FMart, Tejada, Cater and Ike at this point. But it seems like nobody can get a clutch hit and once again balls are finding gloves. Every time someone is in scoring position it seems like whoever the batter is, they are pressing, suddenly their approach is to swing at everything. Aside from Barajas and Francoeur for a game there are only two other HRs on the entire team ( Wright and Jacobs each have one) while the visiting teams still don't seem to have power issues at Citi. They are leaving a small army on the base path nightly.

You can't blame this on injuries, there only down one player (Beltran) and games have been winnable multiple times this week in which the heart of the order failed to produce.

I understand the boo birds...

During today's game I exchanged numerous tweets with other Mets fans, some aghast at the booing while others were booing themselves.

I myself don't boo, have I been in the stands and screamed something out of complete frustration, absolutely but that's a natural reaction to a play. I chose not to boo at players but that doesn't mean I think any different of any fan who does boo.

As far as I'm concerned they're paying good money to be in those seats, so as long as their following the rules they can root or express themselves anyway they chose. Now that I'm accompanied to most games by my 10 y/o son I would rather explain to him why someone is booing then a profanity laden tirade.

It's funny I keep hearing certain fans who really have an issue with the booing say that their giving the entire fan base a bad name. That's a bunch of hooey, I've had the opportunity to visit many major league parks and when a team goes bad, fans boo. Whether it was Florida, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Baltimore or San Francisco I've seen fans boo their players. The picture for this posts is of Boston.

I know the gold standard for fans is St. Louis, I'm sure there were people booing between '88-95' when they had one 2nd place and the rest were 3rd place or worse. But if St. Louis fans are that gentlemen like that they can accept 10 years of mediocre baseball without becoming overly frustrated, I'll stick with the NY pressure cooker. In fact what I found to be worse then booing is indifference, the first few years the Marlins existed, those that did show up were more concerned with their sun tan then the play on the field.

Fans have two ways to voice their frustration they can either be vocal or they can stop supporting the team. To be honest I would rather them show up and boo, at least when this group gets fired they'll have revenue to rebuild. Sure an empty stadium sends a message but if the Wilpon's are so removed that they don't realize how frustrated the fan base is then I'm not sure what will get through to them.

I understand why fans seem over the top frustrated after only six games into the season, this has less to do with those first six games then it does the last three years. You can't just tweak a roster by filling one hole per year and completely disappoint your fans for three years straight, without them losing patience. I even heard someone say today that the collapse years are ancient history that should have no effect on how fans treat this team now, that goes against anything I know about human nature.

If you have an argument with a complete stranger, for the most part you become less agitated and are less invested in the argument, then you are with someone you have a history with. A significant other can push your buttons with one word, look or gesture that would be meaningless from a stranger, it's got less to do with the present action and more to do with the history between the two parties. Someone who actually pays to go to a game and then boo when a player does bad, is someone who is emotionally invested in the team and I believe for them, they are expressing their frustration over the last three years more then the first six games.

Everts DFA to make room for Valdes..

In this year's rule five draft the Mets selected Carlos Monasterios, then they inexplicably traded the hand throwing right hander to the Dodgers for absolutely nothing. Monasterios has made the Dodgers bullpen and while it will take a lot for him to stay with the team the entire season, the longer he's there the better his chances of staying. If the Dodgers try to send him back mid-season the other team may not have the roster room to accept him and maybe willing to accept a buyout.

At the time, many including myself believed that maybe the trade was in advance of another trade. Since the Mets had been interested in several Dodgers relievers, but no trade ever came. Since it was reported that multiple teams were interested in Everts, maybe the Dodgers had the edge and Monasterios got them to back off.

The same day as the draft the Mets signed Clint Everts, the hard throwing reliever was considered similar to Monasterios. So it was perceived that the Mets made out on the day by acquiring a potential hard throwing reliever with options.

Everts barely got a look this spring and now has been place on waivers ( source Metsblog) to make room for Valdes who is being brought up to take Green's spot. The Mets roster moves continue to confuse me...

1B update- Tatis, Jacobs, Murphy, Ike, Carter...

When will the Mets make a move, at this point it almost seems like there own arrogance is getting in the way. Look Murphy wasn't the answer before his knee buckled and after it did the answer should have been even easier, but somehow they came up Jacobs/Tatis platoon.

Now a week into the season it seems so obvious that any fool could figure it out, except the Mets, that is.

Ok, so here's an update;

Mike Jacobs is now battling mechanical issues and has one hit in 11 AB ( .091BA), Frank Cattalanotto hasn't had a hit nor has he played he's 0-5 in PH chances and the winner is Fernando Tatis his 3 hits and 3 RBIs gives him a .273 BA, he instills no confidence in me and looks about 50 moving around the field. Murphy is running straight lines which means he's weeks away from returning.

Ike Davis gets demoted and in the same amount of AB as the above cast of characters is hitting .400 with a HR, two doubles and four walks. I understand that you don't want to rush the kid, well then why wasn't Chris Carter kept on the roster. What has Carter done in Buffalo, he's batting .273 with a triple and a game winning home run...

Mike Hessman and Chris Carter hit mammoth homers. Buffalo has won two of the first three games in their series against the Yankees, with all three games decided by one run. Carter's blast was the game-winner. The former Red Sox farmhand wasted little time in the 11th, driving the first pitch from reliever Jonathon Albaladejo to deep right field. source ESPN NY

Green to the DL and Valdes recalled...

So now you have to wonder whether Sean Green's struggles this spring were all do to his new delivery or was he trying to conceal an injury. Regardless of the reasons, especially with options, Sean Green shouldn't have made the team. That doesn't mean I don't think he has value as a reliever but I don't think he was the teams best option out of spring training. Green is now on the disabled list with a rib injury and will be replaced on the roster by the last cut of ST Raul Valdez. The lefty was rec. by Obie after a solid season of winter ball with Obie as the mgr., and he did a nice job this spring...

Left-hander Raul Valdes, a Cuban defector who impressed manager Jerry Manuel during spring training, is believed to be headed to Citi Field for the series finale against the Washington Nationals, sources told ESPNNewYork. The corresponding move is expected to be placing right-hander Sean Green on the disabled list. According to a team source, Green has been dealing with a small tear in the rib-cage area. source ESPN NY

Castillo ready - up to Jerry

After two days off to rest a sore calf Louis Castillo says he's ready to return. The question becomes whether Jerry decides to use him or not, while looking out matched by the postion at SS, Cora has looked Jose Valentin-ish at 2B a crafty veteran who knows where to position himself...

“I think he’s fine,” Manuel said. “But there’s a possibility I might give him another extra day just so he can have the day off.” Said Castillo: “I’ll come tomorrow ready to play. If he has me in the lineup, I’ll play.” source ESPN NY

Pictures from my first game of the year...

This is the view from my seats, as I've said before I have a 15 seat ticket plan and am very satisfied with the price, view and location. This picture was about 10 min. before the game, as you can see the Mets stretching on the 1b line, I was amazed how empty the place was for a beautiful night and the third game of the season.







Game three of the season, Mets down by two, 9th inning two outs Tatis at the plate. Matthews on deck as a PH and Jacobs in the hole as a PH, both chomping for a chance.











This was the left field stands in the third inning the place was empty.

Third inning view of the Pepsi porch.

Later in the game we moved down to the lower level concourse and watched from different spots at that level from the 7th inning on...

Just one picture from the Mets Hall of Fame, since It's from my teens the 1986 team is my favorite but that 2000 group was still a heck of a group.

New configuration of the pens.

Mr. Met was creepy, didn't seem to bother the big guy...

Nothing says tacky like the old apple but it's a welcome site coming off the train...

Interesting minor league roster moves..

Now that the minor league season has also started the rosters have finalized and there were a few interesting decisions.

In AAA with Ike Davis at 1B, Carter is now a right fielder with FMart as the left fielder and Jason Pridie the center fielder ( 4th OF Jesus Feliciano). Jaun Valdes stayed with the org. and has already pitched his first scoreless relief appearance. There are two other lefty relievers with the Bisons who have major league experience but didn't come to major league camp, Adam Pettyjohn (Reds) and Michael O'Connor (Nats). Everybody else came through major league camp and were expected in Buffalo.

In AA a few players who I expected in AAA are returning to a level it was believed they already accomplished. Some are there due to roster issues while others need to re-address things. I already reported yesterday that Eddie Kunz will be starting in Binghampton. Clint Everts will be joining Kunz on the B-Mets staff. While I feel this is exactly where we need him, I also feel bad for him, Shawn Riggans went from a back-up major league catcher to Crash Davis for our prospects in AA. 2B Jonathan Malo who impressed Jerry Manuel in last years camp so much that they had him sitting in a NYC hotel room waiting for a roster spot at one point last season, is also there. But the biggest surprise is, we-never-get-sick-of-picking-on-you Nick Evans, this kid has to be secretly begging for a trade...

Reyes back, Tejada down...

As Jerry Manuel quipped unless he gets in an accident, which is quite funny thinking of Glavine in '04' and Sanchez in '06', hey you have to laugh to keep from crying, Jose Reyes will be back in the line-up on Saturday. If the Mets needed an injection of energy their going to get it on Saturday...

“It’s going to be a real exciting day for me; I can’t wait, I’ve been working so hard,” Reyes said. “Nobody wants to get hurt. It was kind of hard for me. I’m the guy who loves to be on the field and around my teammates.” source NY Times

After getting his first major league hit, Ruben Tejada has been sent down to make room for the returning Reyes.

Shortstop Ruben Tejada was optioned to the minors Friday night less than an hour after getting his first major-league hit in the eighth inning. He was sent out to make room for SS Jose Reyes, returning from the DL for Saturday’s game. source Amazin Stories

No set backs but Beltran not running Saturday...

Initial reports were that Carlos Beltran would run tomorrow for the first time since his knee surgery. Metsblog posted a link to a Will Carroll piece reporting that Beltran could run this weekend. Adam Rubin is reporting that Beltran will not run Saturday but that he is making progress. Rubin further reports that he could start running any day...

While Carlos Beltran (knee) is making progress, a team official said he won’t begin running in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Saturday -- the date Beltran had targeted as a potential starting point for that activity. Still, as a source told ESPNNewYork on Thursday, Beltran is expected to begin running any day. source ESPN NY

Thoughts on Jacobs...

Here's the thing, if Mike Jacobs is in the line-up he needs to hit clean-up but that doesn't make him the ideal clean-up hitter. Jacobs is the only lefty who can be placed between your two big righties but he also needs the protection those two give him. To put him lower in the order with Frenchy and Barajas could result in a lot of nine pitch, three K innings. Still Jake possesses enough power that despite his four K's in six at bats, pitchers are pitching very careful around him.

For those who wanted gritty fiery type players, Jake does bring that. When the Mets tied the Marlins in the second game of the year after coming back from five runs down, he was the first player to the steps to greet the runner. Last night, I attended my first game of the year, in the ninth I made my way down to the Mets dugout side. Jacobs was in the hole as a pinch hitter, he never made it to the plate but it was hard to keep him in the dugout, with Matthews on-deck Jacobs looked like he was going to come out and take GMJ's place he was so anxious to contribute.

So I'm sure to some readers it sounds like I'm a fan of Jacobs, who wants him hitting clean-up as the starting 1B, I'd have no problem with that as long as he isn't hitting .176. It's now being reported that Jake has mechanical issues at the plate that he needs to work out. Why would you anoint a guy to a roster spot who's on a minor league deal to a major league spot if he has mechanical issues.

Here's what should have happened, Omar tells Jake he's not letting him out of his contract. Go down to AAA and work things out, once your mashing the ball we'll reconsider your situation. If Carter looks awful in the majors, we'll use his option and call you up, if he looks good we'll let you go to catch on with another team.

By the way, I know Tatis saved Wright on a few throws, which I think Jake could have done as well but in person Tatis looks very slow, offensively and defensively....

"(Jacobs) has mechanical things he needs to work on," Manuel said. "He has to make some adjustments."Although he expressed confidence Jacobs will make those adjustments and indicated he'd be back in the lineup Friday against righthander Garrett Mock and the Washington Nationals, Manuel added cryptically that, like everything else with this work-in-progress Mets team, it was subject to change. source Daily News