The All-Star Mets Blog

2004-05-17T11:48:00.000-04:00

Well as finals are now officially over, I can worry about baseball now. So here goes.

The Mets went 4-3 on a very tough road trip. If it werent for James Baldwin who knows how good they may have done. Speaking of Baldwin, he was DFA'ed to make room for Matt Ginter. Ginter made his debut yesterday and pitched well. Right now, he has earned the 5th starters spot.

Yesterdays game was a crazy one. Clemens is simply dominating. It's hard to believe a 40 year old pitcher can be so good. Fortunately for the Mets, Mike Piazza still has some magic in that bat. His 2 run hoer in the ninth tied things up, and Jason Phillips HR in the 13th secured a Mets win. Just an awesome game.

How bout Eric Valent? This guy is impressing me more and more everyday. Same thing with Looper.

2004-05-12T11:49:00.000-04:00

-I admit I missed last nights game so I cant really comment on it. All I know is Leiter pitched awful and the Mets now will have to face Randy Johnson today. Good Luck.

-In tragic news, James Baldwin will make another start. This just represents the Mets stupidity in a nutshell. I know all of you are smart enough to figure out why, so I wont waste my time writing about it.

-Now we move on to Grant Roberts. Apparently, Mr. Roberts was injured all along. Why he would hide an injury like that stumps me. Hopefully they can DL him and keep him.

-Cliff Floyd began his minor league rehab yesterday. He went 2-4 with St Lucie.

2004-05-11T10:11:00.000-04:00

-Only one word can describe last nights game...hideous. James Baldwin made his Mets debut, and quite frankly may have pitched one of the worst ball games I've ever seen. Take a look at Baldwins final line:

2IP, 7H, 6 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB

Now that line is awful, but that wasn't even the worst of it. The worst part about watching Baldwin was the outs he actually got. Almost all of his outs were 400+ shots to center field. It really was unbeleivable.

I have to admit I thought Baldwin would pitch ok. Well I was dead wrong. The Mets cannot afford to give this guy another start. Not only is he dreadful, but they are sending the wrong message to the fans by briging up old man after old man. Lets see Heilman now. At least he has some speck of talent.

-I was also furious at Howe last night. The Mets were trailing 12-7 in the top of the 5th. They had the bases loaded and Ricky Botallico up. Instead of pinch hitting there, Howe lets Botallico ground out, killing any chance of coming back.

Now I know the Mets had a short bench, and an over worked pen, but if you have a chance to do some damage, you do it. Im sure David Weathers could live pitching another game. Regardless of waht you feel about that, you have to admit, Howe is an awful manager. When will the Mets realize this though?

-In good news though, Wiggy had 5 hits, and the Mets had 17. It will be a while before we see either of those two again.

-Cliff Floyd is close to a minor league rehab assignment.

-This sunday is Clemens vs. Piazza. You're lying if you say you arent excited.

2004-05-10T17:54:00.000-04:00

-Wow, we have a new format here. Lets see how this goes. I like it though

-Anyway, the Mets won yesterday 6-5, thanks to Kaz Matsui's 11th inning double. This was the first game all season that Matsui didn't start.

After Kaz's double he was mobbed by the entire Mets team. Knowing the Mets luck I'm surprised he wasnt injured.

It's good to see Kaz get a big hit, but anyone who thinks this is going to get him going is crazy. I need to see Kaz string together a few games where he is on base and not trying to do a Mike Cameron impersonation.

-Besides Matsui, the star of the game was Jae Seo. He pich ran for Piazza in the eighth, and did a half slide/half flop to just sneak into home on Ty Wiggingtons single. It was pretty funny to watch, but I prefer not to see my pitchers diving into home. I guess Art Howe does though.

-Also, my man Braden Looper goes 2 scoreless innings, extending his scoreless streak to 16 1/3 innings. In other words, the man hasn't given up a damn run all season. I love this guy.

-Anyone else ready to give Rick Peterson the MVP award? Check the Mets top 3 starters ERA's:
Leiter-1.53
Glavine-2.40
Trachsel-3.48

Now compare those to the Big 3 in oakland:
Hudson-3.27
Mulder-3.91
Zito-6.17

I was skeptical of this guy, and I know it is only May 10th,but I have to think sonething is up. Now lets see how he can deal with James Baldwin.

-What's my take on Baldwin? I got a funny feeling he wil pitch alright for us. I am not a fan of Heilman at all (although Ginter intrigues me). So give Baldwin a few starts, lets hope we get lucky. He cant be any worse than Yates was.

2004-05-09T13:14:00.000-04:00

Whew, its been a few days since Ive posted, that's what finals to will do to you. Im pretty much done so I will get back to the normal posting scheudle.

The past 3 games have been crazy. Going back to thursday, when Piazza hit the walk off hr I was so pumped up. I actually started to believe in this team. Then they go out and throw out 2 stinkers against the Brewers. Yesterday was real frustrating too as they lost 4 homers to the wind.

Some random thingss that happend while I was gone:

Ty Wiggington is back, Jeff Duncan gets sent down.

Tyler Yates has proven that he is not a major league pitcher. I think it is James Baldwin time.

Kaz Matsui continues to struggle and looks more and more like a bust everyday.

Ricky gutierrez absolutely blows. A complete waste of space.

Braden Looper is the man.

I'll be back with more thoughts later.

As I'm typing this Eric Valent just hit a lead off hr. I am starting to like this guy.

On Edit They just said on the Mets broadcast that Yates is down, Baldwin is up.

2004-05-06T14:27:00.000-04:00

That's 3 in a row now

Mets 8 Giants 2

W-Weathers (2-1)
L-Rodriguez (1-2)
HR-Piazza (5), Cameron (6), Spencer (2)

It's funny how 3 games can change my outlook on a team, but I am getting a good vibe from this team. They are actually playing some exciting ball. Not only did the Mets win, but Mike Piazza finally passed Carlton Fisk on the all time catchers list, and Kaz Matsui finally showed off that defense we've been waiting for.

The game was deadlocked at 2 going into the eighth. The Mets then batted around and thanks to a huge HR by Shane spencer, went ahead for good.

The only negative about last night was that Jae Seo had to leave early because of a cracked fingernail. He should be ok though. Hell, even Ricky Botallico pitched well, why can't a Met fan be optimistic today?

Lets get the brooms out tonight.

News and Notes

Ty Wiggington will be activated from the DL on Friday. I hate this line though.

The Mets have no immediate intention of releasing Ricky Gutierrez

D'oh!!!

And there is a great article on Jose Reyes in the NY Times. Everyone should read it.

2004-05-05T13:39:00.000-04:00

Mets Beat Bonds-less Giants
Mets 6 Giants 2

W-Trachsel (3-3)
L-Tomko (1-2)
HR-Cameron (5)

With Barry Bonds out with a sinus infection, the Giants couldnt even beat the Binghamton Mets I don't think. They have one of the worst lineups in baseball. The Mets took full advantage and got 8 well pitched innings by Steve Trachsel.

Offensively, all 3 of the whipping boys contributed. Mike Cameron had a homer, Jason Phillips had 2 hits and Kaz Matsui had three.

Only other thing to report on is that both Cliff Floyd and Ty Wiggington played in a extended spring training game yesterday.

Floyd went 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Wigginton went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Duquette said Wigginton, who is eligible to come off the DL tomorrow will be assigned to Class A St. Lucie to play today

2004-05-04T17:56:00.000-04:00

Mets Designate Roberts for Assignment

According to WFAN's Ed Coleman, the Mets have designated Grant Roberts for assignment and have called up Ricky Botallico.

Since Roberts has no options left, he must clear waivers before being sent down. I think someone will scoop him up because he is young and cheap.

I don't know what to say on Botallico other than the fact that he makes an old bullpen even older. Once again the Mets get younger and more athletic.

I just have a bad feeling that if a team claims Roberts, he will come back and bite us in the ass big time. Hopefully he will slip through and replace Baldwin in the Norfolk rotation though.

Oh yea, and no Barry Bonds tonight. We have to win.

2004-05-03T15:38:00.000-04:00

Off Day Notes

Ty Wiggington is expected to return from the DL on thursday, which means someone will have to get sent down or released. Looking at the candidates, the decison is not that easy.

I think Danny Garcia has earned his spot here. Jeff Duncan is a possibiltiy and so is Ricky Gutierrez, although he'd likely be released. The Mets can also send down a pitcher, like the little used Grant Roberts or Dan Wheeler. Problem with Roberts is he is out of options, so that is unlikely.

In a perfect world, Gutierrez gets his walking papers. But this is the Mets we're talking about here. My money is on Wheeler getting sent down.

Now the other question is whether Wiggy will see his playing time reduced because of Todd Zeile's play. Lets look at what Zeile has done so far. In 59 ab's Zeile is hitting 322, has a 414 OBP. I know he wont keep up this pace, but if Wiggy struggles, I wont complain a bit if Zeile is in there.

Speaking of third baseman, I am sad to see what looks like the downfall of Edgardo Alfonzo, my favorite player. Alfonzo is just 30 years old and is coming off a dissapointing 2003 campaign. so far this year he is hitting just .221, with no homers and a sub .600 ops. Add to the fact that he is making 6.5 millon dollars this year. It all adds up to an extreme dissapointment. The Giants have let it be known that he is availiable. Despite his struggles, I hope all Mets fans let him know just how much he was appreciated here. He really was a great Met and deserves a great welcome tomorrow.

2004-05-02T20:26:00.000-04:00

Mets win one in Petco

Mets 6 Padres 2
W-Glavine (4-1)
L-Valdez (3-1)
HR- D. Garcia (1)

Was only able to catch bits and pieces of this game, but one thing is for sure, Danny Garcia ia awesome. He hits a hr and has 2 walks. He is already more productive than Ricky Gutierrez has been the whole year.

Also, Karim Garcia and Shane Spencer have been incredible so far. I wonder if the Mets would consider giving Floyd or Garcia some time at first to keep all of them in the lineup. Just a thought.

Gotta give some props to Stanton too. I am the first to bash him but he has been great since that Pittsburgh game.

Next up. Barry Bonds on tuesday.

2004-05-02T09:59:00.000-04:00

Mets Lose Again

Padres 3 Mets 1
W-Peavy (2-1)
L-Franco (0-2)
S-Hoffman (7)

The only positive thing about last night was that Danny Garcia proved he can play some ball. He had 2 hits last night and drove in the Mets only run. It seems that Howe is going to stick with him too, at least for a while. If he continues to play decent, at worst the Mets know they have a quality fill in at second, and someone who could do McEwings role 10 times better than McEwing. It's too bad Super Joe signed a 2 year deal though.

As far as the rest of the game goes, it's the same old story. Leiter struggled with his location the whole game. He had to be lifted after 5 innings and 113 pitches. Franco then relieved him and served up a 2 run bomb to Brian Giles. That would be more than enough for the Pads.

My biggest worry right now is Matsui. He is down to .242, is not walking as much now, and his fielding is not as advertised. I'm starting to think the Mets could have saved themselves a lot of money and got similar production by using a Reyes/Garcia infield. Of course none of that matters because Reyes doesnt play.

Another interesting aspect from last nights game was that it was played under protest. Akinori Otsuka , padres reliever throws in a way which many people believe is a balk (I am one of them). After one pitch last night, Howe came out and argued and protested the game. It was good to see Art show some life, but my question is, if this was such a big deal, why didn't they protest the night before, when Otsuka closed out the game. Oh well, typical Mets.

Reyes Update

Jose Reyes was feeling much better today, but will not resume any baseball activities until he is 100 percent. The Mets are considering sending him to a specialitst, bt the man they want (Macky Shilstone) is busy training Roy Jones Jr. Shilstone did have some advice for Reyes though.

Hopefully now that Reyes isnt doing anything, this will heal properly. I think they are doing the smart thing for once.

Fred Wilpon

Mike Vacarro of the NY Post has an article about Fred Wilpon, basically urging him to sell the team.

The article is decent. He makes some good points, like how Mets fans can look forward to a summer of rooting against the Yankees, instead of rooting for their own team.

I dont want to get into this now, but I will. I dont mind Wilpon at all, I just think he needs to stop being so hands on. Him and Jeff run the show, nobody else. Granted it is his money, but if he wants a succesful organization, he needs to make decisions from people with baseball knowledge. I dont think that has happened in a while.

Do you think Duqutte wanted Matsui here? I doubt it. No GM would move their brightest young star from their position. That was a marketing move by Wilpon. He thought that Matsui would sell more seats than Vlad. Glavine was also a Wilpon move. Im sure even Steve Phillips had his doubts.

The Benitez trade may have been the most dissapointing trade the Mets made. They could have had Adrian Gonzalez, but instead got Jason Anderson because Wilpon didn't want to eat the contract.

And then there is the move to bring in Howe. That just speaks for itself.

So I'm not saying Wilpon should sell the team. Just let the "baseball people" make the decisions. And dont be afraid to change managers either, but I doubt that happens.

2004-05-01T08:51:00.000-04:00

Mets Lose to Padres

Padres 7 Mets 6

W-Lawrence (3-2)
L-Yates (1-3)
S-Otsuka (1)

You know what. I said to myself, I'm going to try to be optimistic from now on. Maybe we can go on a little streak and play some good ball. I was pumped to see some early offense, but once Yates handed the lead back, that optimism went bye bye.

I'm glad to see Danny Garcia play well. Now keep him there. Besides that though this was another terrible loss. I was watching the 9th inning thinking that with the heart of the order up, they mght actually be able to do something. I should have known better. Mike Camerons at-bat in the 9th was just a joke. Can he please make contact for once in his life? He had 3 more strikeouts last night adding to his already astronomical total. Putting defense aside, this guy contributes nothing. For some odd reason people actually thought he might hit because he is leaving Safeco. I really shouldnt be picking on Cameron but his strikeouts are getting to me.

The reason for my anger is because of this news.

Results of an MRI exam Friday in Port St. Lucie revealed that Reyes' strained right hamstring "had not healed," according to team spokesman Jay Horwitz.

Reyes, who injured himself March 14, pulled himself out of Thursday's game for Class A St. Lucie, and the Mets have suspended all baseball-related activity for Reyes for the immediate future. If Reyes is back to square one, as it appears he is after Thursday's setback, the prognosis could be another three to six weeks before he is ready to rejoin the Mets. And that could be a best-case scenario.

Completely ridicilous. I'm not sure who to be mad at here, but someone has got to be held responsible.

You know what, I'm not a doctor, but I dont really care. A blind monkey could see that this injury is getting out of hand and that something needs to be done. For the Mets to continually push him when his hamstring wasn't healed, is pure stupididy and ineptitude.

Besides that, I am just dissapointed. I love watching the kid play. Now I just hope he heals fully, and we can put this in the past.

2004-04-30T10:16:00.000-04:00

Thoughts on Last nights Game

Mets 6 Dodgers 1

W-Seo (1-3)
L-Weaver (1-3)
HR-Garcia (4) Cameron (4)

Putting all the negative news aside, last night the Mets played a very good game. Jae Seo took a big step in regaining my confidence, and hopefully the 5th spot. Seo went 6 1/3 giving up 6 hits and one run.

The second thing I picked up from last nights game is that Danny Garcia should be the starting second baseman from now until Reyes gets back. He played good defense, had a big hit, and hit another ball hard but right to the left fielder. Somehow I know that this will never happen. I'm sure Ricky Gutierrez will be in there tonight.

I am also starting to like Karim Garcia a lot. I love the way he plays. I didn't realize how good of a fielder he was too. He had 2 hits last night, including his 4th hr of the year.

I mean you knew it was a good night for the Mets when both Stanton and Weathers pitched great. Hell, Stanton even contributed with the bat.

At least for one night, the Mets looked like a good ball club. Lets see if they can continue this in San Diego.

Injury news

I don't really have anything new to add on Reyes' injury. Send him to a specialist...blah blah. I'm sure the Mets will find someway to screw this up.

As for Floyd and Wiggy, Floyd will not join the team in San Diego while Wiggington will be activated Thursday.

And while we're at it. Would anyone else rather see Zeile at third when Wiggy comes back? Better patience and pitch selection go a long way in my book

2004-04-29T23:28:00.000-04:00

Reyes Suffers Another Setback

Just as things were looking good in Jose Reyes' rehab, we get this news.

Jose Reyes suffered yet another setback Thursday night in his attempt to return from the strained right hamstring that has already kept him on the shelf for nearly two months.

Reyes, who went 0-for-2, was playing for St. Lucie in a Florida State League game against Vero Beach when he removed himself after a fourth-inning groundout to shortstop. He felt some pain in his leg and decided to shut it down, ending any chance he had of rejoining the team this weekend in San Diego. In fact, the setback could also jeopardize any potential return during next week's homestand.

General manager Jim Duquette called the setback minor but also admitted that the strain Reyes originally suffered was more of a Grade 2 strain -- a more serious injury -- than the Grade 1 strain it was initially described as. Reyes, who played well in his first rehab game Wednesday night, has been out for 46 days.

This sucks. No other way to put it. I don't like the fact that the Mets seemed to mislead everyone about the seriousness of the injury. They are going to receive a huge public relations hit now that this happened. Mike and the Maddog have been killing the Mets over how they handled this, and this will only add fuel to the fire. Now I usually dont pay attention to what thay say, but I think the Mets do.

I think it is time shut him down for a while. I really dont know what else to do. I'll have more on this topic and tonights game tomorrow.

2004-04-29T11:29:00.000-04:00

Mets Can't Catch a Break

Dodgers 3 Mets 2

W-Perez (2-1)
L-Trachsel (2-3)
S-Gagne (6)
HR-Matsui (2)

I'm not going to lie. Last nights loss stung. This was a game where the Mets outplayed the Dodgers, but just couldn't catch a break. Milton Bradley robbed Mike Cameron of a homerun in the 6th inning. In the seventh inning the Mets had Jeff Duncan on second with no one out, and failed to drive him. Finally in the eighth. Shane spencer was on second, Eric Gagne was brought into pitch to the slumping Jason Phillips. This matchup had disaster written all over it. To my surprise Phillips hits a shot right up the middle, but with typical Mets luck it hits Gagne and rolls toward first. Gagne had no problem throwing out the fleet of foot Phillips. They even got something going in the 9th, but Cameron popped up to end the game.

Injury News

Peter Abraham of the journal news reports:

Just as the game was starting, second baseman Jose Reyes was finishing his first rehabilitation game with the Class A St. Lucie Mets.

Reyes, who is returning from a strained right hamstring, was 1 for 5 with a double and a run scored. He played all nine innings in a victory against the Vero Beach Dodgers.

Reyes is expected to play again tonight. Barring a setback, he could join the Mets in San Diego tomorrow or Saturday. The same could be true of Cliff Floyd, who is taking regular batting practice in Port St. Lucie.

I am one who truly believes that Reyes makes this team tick. They were lifeless without him last year, and were lifeless so far this year. I can't wait to see him back and watch him and Matsui start to do what I've been waiting for so long.

Also in injury news:

Veteran Scott Erickson reinjured his left hamstring while pitching in a Class A game in Vero Beach, Fla. Erickson took himself out of the game after his 19th pitch, which came in the second inning.

I have to admit I am shocked at this news. Scott Erickson? Injured again? I would have never thunk it.

David Wright

Baseball America has an article on Mets super prospect David Wright. It's hard not to get excited about Wright. No doubt in my mind that he will be our starting third baseman next year and for many years to come.

Just look at this line: 380/494/662/1.156 . That is his avg, obp, slg and ops. Just plain nasty.

2004-04-28T10:54:00.000-04:00

Mets Win, Piazza Ties HR Record

Mets 9 Dodgers 5

W-Glavine (3-1)
L-Nomo (3-2)
HR-Spencer (1), Zeile (1), Piazza (4)

Do to the fact that this game started at 10:00, I didn't make much of it. Its good to see Piazza finally tie this dumb record, but more importantly, the Mets got a much needed win.

Glavine struggled, giving up 10 hits in 6 innings. Normally that would result in a loss, but the Mets somehow found there bats tonight. Even Jason Phillips had a hit.

Hopefully they can string together a few wins, because help is on the way. Cliff Floyd is expected to join the Mets in San Diego, and Jose Reyes may join them on Tuesday, barring any set backs. Reyes played in an extended spring training game on Monday and had 3 hits and 3 steals. He was held out of the St. Lucie game last night because of wet field conditions.

2004-04-26T21:27:00.000-04:00

Mets get shutout again...oh wait, it's an off day

Whew, i've been swamped with school lately, but I must continue the updating.

We start with this news on Al Leiter.

Leiter knows something's wrong, but has refused to undergo an MRI. In explaining why he's chosen to pitch through the pain, the left-hander said, "At this point in my career, what's the point of finding out I need surgery, since I'm not going to do that, anyway?"

Wow, that is just what we need. Imagine he has to shut it down this year? We'd really be screwed then.

And the daily news reports on the injuries to Reyes and Floyd.

Cliff Floyd (strained right quadriceps) is still expected to rejoin the team at some point during the series that opens in Los Angeles tomorrow, though the Mets have stopped making projections on Jose Reyes (right hamstring strain) to avoid having delays from inexact estimates later described as setbacks.

Thank god Floyd will be back soon. We need him desperately. As for Reyes, I don't even want to comment. It will just lead me into some angry rant.

2004-04-25T18:58:00.000-04:00

Mets manage just 2 hits off Clement

Cubs 4 Mets 1

W-Clement (3-1)
L-Leiter (1-1)
S-Borowski (4)
HR-Garcia (3)

Matt Clement took a no-hitter into the seventh, and the Mets managed just 2 hits in the game. They were swept by the cubs and are 2-8 in there last 10 games.

Whats wrong with this team? It's quite simple. They stink. There offense is pitiful, and it doesnt look like it will break out any time soon. Another reason they stink is because of the manager. I think even the most casual Met fan is sick of Art Howe right now.

Once again, I dont feel like repeating myself. This is the same thing every game. They are a bad team, and it sucks because it is April 25th and i've already lost hope for the season.

Next up is LA on tuesday. With anyluck they'll win one game.

2004-04-25T10:22:00.000-04:00

Minor League Report

For Games played 4/24.

Norfolk:

Tides starter James Baldwin allowed just one unearned run over six and a third innings of work for the victory as Norfolk snapped a five-game losing streak with a 4 - 1 win against the Charlotte Knights. Gerald Williams led the Tides offense going 3 for 4 with a homerun, triple, single, two RBI and two runs scored. Jose Parra pitched a scoreless 9th for his second save of the year. With the win, Norfolk improved to 6 - 8 on the season.

Binghamton:

Kole Strayhorn (2-1) took the loss allowing all three runs on five hits in the ninth. It was his third blown save of the season.

Altoona scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning, erasing a Mets lead for a 5-4 win Saturday afternoon at NYSEG Stadium. The loss ended a seven-game home winning streak for the B-Mets

With Altoona trailing 3-2 and down to its final strike, pinch-hitter Ray Navarrette singled down the leftfield line scoring Brandon Chaves, who had singled.

Chris Duffy broke the tie with an RBI double and scored on a Jeff Keppinger single for a 5-3 lead.

St Lucie:

St Lucie lost 4-3 yesterday. Click for the box score.

Cap City:

A 2-0 win for Cap City. Click for the box score.

Click here to view prospect stats.

Injury News

From the Ny Post:

Ty Wigginton (ulcer) was released from the hospital yesterday and was sent home to rest. Scott Erickson (strained left hamstring) made it through three simulated innings on Friday without a problem, while Cliff Floyd (strained right quad) batted against Erickson and was set to hit off Scott Strickland (recovering from Tommy John surgery) yesterday.

Reyes is still not running at 100 percent and has not been placed on a minor-league rehab schedule. The timetable for his return remains uncertain, with the current road trip now a longshot

2004-04-24T18:34:00.000-04:00

Wood Shuts down Mets

Cubs 3 Mets 0

W-Wood (3-1)
L-Yates (1-2)
S-Hawkins (1)

Today was another awful offensive performance for the Mets. They managed 0 runs and only 4 hits off Kerry Wood and co. Mike Cameron struck out 2 more times and Joe McEwing struck out 3 times. Kaz Matsui had 2 of the Mets 4 hits.

Tyler Yates went 5 innings giving up 3 runs. Hopefully his next start will be against the Expos.

I really cant even comment on this game. It is the same game over and over. I can only take solace that the Red Sox won again.

Mets record:7-11.

2004-04-24T09:21:00.000-04:00

Mets score one run..once again

Cubs 3 Mets 1
W-Maddux (1-2)
L-Seo (0-3)
S-Borowski (3)
HR-Cameron (3)

The Mets were there usual selves yesterday afternoon. They were facing a struggling Greg Maddux, and had a chance to knock him out. They had bases loaded and nobody out in the 4th, with the heart of the order coming up. Instead of stinging a double, or even hitting a sac fly, Piazza grounded back to Maddux for an easy double play. Cameron was up next and (what else is new?) struck out.

Once again the offense was horrific. Perhaps to cure these offensive woes, the Mets would signed washed up veteran outfielder Gerald Williams to a minor league contract. I have nothing else to say about that other than the fact that Redman should be in AAA and not Gerald Williams. Gotta love the Mets.

Seo pitched pretty decently, allowing 2 hr's. After the first I thought it would be another long game for Seo, but he hung in there and if he had a normal team behind, may have gotten the win.

The Mets strikeout way too much McEwing has no right being on a major league team. Damn, I smell sweep.

Minor League Report

For games played 4/23.

Norfolk:

Tides starter Randy Keisler allowed only two earned runs over five innings but suffered the loss as the Durham Bulls scored three unearned runs en route to a 6 - 1 victory against Norfolk. Rob Bell picked up the win for Durham who swept the three game series against the Tides. With the loss, the Tides have now lost five in a row and dropped to 5 - 8 on the season.

Binghamton:

CF Angel Pagan reached on an error and scored on a two-out passed ball in the 10th inning as the B-Mets beat Altoona 4-3 Friday night before 3,776 fans at NYSEG Stadium.

Pagan, who had moved from second base to third on a wild pitch by Jeff Miller, scored when a 2-2 pitch to Prentice Redman skipped past Altoona catcher Chris Snusz to end the game.

Kole Strayhorn won the game for the Mets after pitching a scoreless 10th. Strayhorn (2-0) now leads the Eastern League in wins and saves (four).

St Lucie:

The Mets defeated the Jupiter Hammerheads for the second straight night 5-2 at Tradition Field.
Starter Robert Paulk threw five strong innings, scattering just five hits, allowing no earned runs en route to his first victory of the year. Orlando Roman relieved Paulk to earn his first save of the year.

Offensively the Mets had just seven hits, led by third baseman Aarom Baldiris's 3-for-4 night. Bobby Malek, Brett Harper, Joe Jiannetti and Corey Ragsdale all had hits. Jiannetti and Turay each had two RBI.

Cap City:

Only box score availible.

Visit here for all the prospects stats.

2004-04-23T11:24:00.000-04:00

News and Notes

The Mets placed Ty Wiggington on the 15 day DL and called up Danny Garcia.

Injury Status

This Reyes injury is really perplexing. Read this from the Daily news

Howe said injured second baseman Jose Reyes had "a good day" yesterday in his Florida-based rehabilitation. Reyes told reporters he's "working toward" playing for the St. Lucie Mets "maybe in three days." But he also said his hamstring is "about 70% " healthy and that he's "running, but not running like I'm supposed to."

70 % healthy????? He better be lying about that. I know it is impossible to put a percent on an injury, but the fact that he even said that scares me.

And another interesting note from the Bergen Record.

Privately, several team officials reportedly are not happy with Reyes. They feel that he is unwilling to test himself and are questioning his commitment to his rehabilitation. Their thinking is that he has been out for five weeks with an injury that usually takes two to three weeks to heal.

I hate to say it, but I agree with that.

The news is better on Floyd, who may join the team on Tuesday or shortly after.

2004-04-22T23:40:00.000-04:00

Minor League Report

For Games Played 4/22

Norfolk:

Tides starter Jeremy Griffiths allowed seven earned runs over five innings of work as the Durham Bulls defeated Norfolk 10 - 2. Dicky Gonzalez tossed six scoreless innings for the victory. With the loss, the Tides have now lost four games in a row and dropped their record to 5 - 7 on the season.

Binghamton: No Game

St Lucie:

The St. Lucie Mets ended thier two game losing streak by defeating the Jupiter Hammerheads 5-3.
Mets starter Miguel Pinango pitched six and two-thirds innings of solid baseball, scattering five hits and allowing just one earned run.

Aarom Baldiris continued to swing a hot bat, pacing the Mets at the plate with a 3-for-4 night. Jonathan Slack, Forrest Lawson, Brett Harper, Alhaji Turay and Zack Clements all got hits for the Mets. It was Harper's double in the bottom of the eighth that scored two runs and put the game out of reach.

Cap City:

No summary yet...but there is a link to the box score.

Click here for updated prospect stats.

2004-04-22T16:42:00.000-04:00

Mets Split with Expos

Mets 3 Expos 2

W-Trachsel (2-2)
L-Bentz (0-1)
S-Looper (4)

Well the Mets were able to salvage a split againt the lowly Expos. Trachsel pitched great again, and the Mets got a first hand look at why they need Piazza's bat in the lineup everyday. Piazza got the start at first today, and if this were any other year he would have sat. Instead he plays shaky defense at first but went 2-3 with a walk and an RBI.

The ninth inning was a scare too. Looper needed to get 5 out thanks to two terrible errors by Gutierrez and Spencer. What counts is he got the job done though.

Next is a 3 game series in Chicago. Greg Maddux vs Jae Seo tomorrow. The Mets better bring their bats.

The Daily Reyes Update

Everyday there is something new on this injury. One day it's bad, the next good. Today is good news though.

"He's working very hard to get back as quick as he can," said Mets minor league coordinator Guy Conti, who is overseeing Reyes' rehab in Port St. Lucie. "He's doing everything that's asked of him and maybe more. There are some days that he feels tightness but I was encouraged today and Jose was upbeat, too. He did some things with instinctive quickness and that was encouraging.

2004-04-22T13:37:00.000-04:00

Wiggy Hospitalized..to Be Placed on DL

Ty Wiggington was hospitalized after feeling dizzy and fainting at his house. He will most likely be placed on the D.L.

Well hopefully he is alright and can get back soon. Now the question is who will get the call up? Wright? Doubt it. Im guessing Danny Garcia. Play him at second and Gutierrez and Zeile at third.

Minor League Report

For fames played 4/21

Norfolk:

Durham's starting pitcher Dewon Brazelton pitched seven scoreless innings allowing just three hits as the Bulls shutout the Tides 4 - 0. Aaron Heilman suffered the loss for the Tides allowing all four Durham runs. With the loss, the Tides lost their third in a row and dropped to 5 - 6 on the season.

Binghamton:

the Mets held on for a 5-2 win Wednesday night at New Britain. The Mets built a 3-0 lead as Prentice Redman doubled and scored on a passed ball in the second inning and David Wright hit a two-run home run in the third.

Musser (1-0) worked six innings allowing five hits and no walks. He struck out five. Jake Joseph worked the seventh and eighth in scoreless fashion for the Mets and Kole Strayhorn overcame a leadoff walk in the ninth for his fourth save.

St Lucie:

For the second straight night the Jupiter Hammerheads defeated the St. Lucie Mets by the score of 3-2.
The Mets were winning going into the top of the ninth, but the Hammerheads pushed across two runs to go ahead.

Scott Kazmir started for St. Lucie, throwing five innings, allowing six hits while striking out four. Bryan Edwards and Joey Colethrew the final four innings. Cole was credited with the loss, his first of the year.

The Mets collected seven hits for the night by seven different Mets. Justin Huber had a double and Jonathan Slack, Aarom Baldiris, Brett Harper, Alhaji Turay, Bobby Malek and Edgar Rodriquez all had singles. Turay and Rodriquez were credited with the Mets RBI.

Cap City:

Wednesday night, the Bombers got pushed to extra innings on the road for the third time this year, and for the third time they came out with a win. Capital City slipped past Kannapolis 9-8 in ten innings. Andrew Wilson notched the game-winning RBI with his single in the tenth to drive Shawn Bowman home. Wilson also homered in the game, giving the Bombers at least one home run in 12 out of 13 games. Although Capital City held a 5-0 lead by the middle of the third, the Intimidators paraded around the bases to score six runs and seize the the lead in the bottom of that frame. The see-saw continued with a trio of Bombers runs in the fifth and a pair of Kannapolis scores in the seventh. That left the score knotted at eight, where it would stay until Wilson's RBI single gave the visitors the decisive advantage.

Click here for updated prospect stats.

2004-04-21T22:09:00.000-04:00

Mets Anemic offense continues

Expos 2 Mets 1

W-Hernandez (1-2)
L-Glavine (2-1)
S-Biddle (4)

Being a Mets fan sure is frustrating isn't it? Tonight the Mets got another great outing from Tom Glavine, but they once again could only score one run.

Even more frustrating is that the Mets had 2 runners thrown out at the plate. I am not one to judge the third base coach or anything, but some of the blame has got to fall on Galante. Especially when Piazza was thrown out. It was painfully obvious he was a dead duck.

Mike Cameron had a key error leading to an unearned run. (Yes you read that right).

I cant help but feel bad for Glavine. He really has pitched superb all year and he should be 4-0. It's not his fault he has a minor league team hitting behind him.

That leads me to the offense. They are really pathetic. They are letting average to slightly above average pitchers shut them down night after night. Mike Cameron is now leading the league in strikouts , Kaz Matsui has hit a bit of a wall, and Jason Phillips is now hitting .159. Throw in Joe Mcewing and you got yourselves a bad, bad lineup. The only guys I have confidence in right now are Spencer and Garcia. Both of those guys are impressing me with the bats and the glove.

These losses just piss me off so much. And the best is listening to Art Howe after the game. If you listen to him, you'd think they scored 10 runs. "We swung the bats better today." or what about "We really made them work hard."

If Reyes and Floyd dont get back soon....this is gonna get ugly.

2004-04-21T09:34:00.000-04:00

What else is New? Mets waste another good start

Expos 2 Mets 1

W-Day (1-1)
L-Weathers (1-1)
S-Biddle (3)

The Mets once again managed to waste a great pitching performance. Al Leiter pitched 7 strong innings, allowing only a single run. The problem is the Mets bats were asleep and they managed only 4 hits.

The game was tied going into the eighth, when David Weathers served up a line drive homerun to Jose Vidro. Instead of coming back and "battling" in the 8th and 9th, the Mets folded like a chair, swinging at first pitches and making easy outs.

There is no other word to describe this offense but inept. They just are not good. There are a lot of things to discuss, which I will do a little later right after the Minor league report.

Mets Record-6-8

Minor League Report

For games played on 4/20.

Norfolk: No game

Binghamton:

The Mets allowed four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, wasting a 5-2 lead for a 6-5 loss at New Britain Tuesday afternoon. For the third straight day, the Mets blew a lead of at least three runs and lost the game.

Jeremy Hill (1-2) allowed four runs on four hits and two walks in the final inning, suffering his second loss of the road trip. After a walk, strikeout and wild pitch started the inning, Hill struck out two.

The Mets, who left 12 men on base, took a 3-1 lead on David Wright's seventh-inning home run. After allowing a run in the bottom of the eighth, they added two runs in the ninth on singles by Josh Pressley and Javier Cardona.

Jose Diaz allowed just one unearned run in four hitless innings for the Mets. He has not allowed a hit in 9 1/3 innings of work.

David Wright went 2-4 with a 2B and a HR and HBP!!!

St Lucie:

A summary of the game isn't posted, so I only have the boxscore. The game went 16 innings and they lost 3-2.

Cap City:

Capital City's three-game winning streak ended Tuesday night in Kannapolis, as the Intimidators downed the Bombers 6-5.

The offensive excitement came in the later innings, with the real drama saved for the ninth. Kannapolis broke a 1-1 tie with a trio of runs in the seventh and the Bombers answered with one score in the eighth: 4-2 Intimidators going into the final inning. Capital City rallied for three runs in the frame, with Shawn Bowman driving in the go-ahead run. Not to be outdone, the home team came right back at the Bombers. Catcher Charlie Lisk played the hero for the Intimidators with his two-run homer to end the game with a 6-5 victory.

Click here for updated prospect stats.

News and Notes

According to Newsday, the news is not good on Jose Reyes.

but the Mets, who have lost four of five, haven't been much better lately as they wait for the forever-rehabbing Jose Reyes and the frequently injured Cliff Floyd. Yesterday's report on Reyes indicated he was not yet running at 100 percent, suggesting his return may not be as soon as next week in Los Angeles.

This is getting a little absurd isn't it? No way he should be out this long. I know the Mets need to be cautious, but they cant have it so that every time he tweaks a muscle he is out 6 weeks. I frankly don't expect anything from Reyes this year. If you do you only have false hope. This kid has a problem with his legs, and unfortunately for the Mets this problem isn't going away.

Now I'm not a doctor, nor do I know anything about medicine. This is just my opinion. I'll say it again, Reyes isn't going to play this year. He went from a maybe for opening day, to maybe for the home opener, to maybe for the west coast trip, now he isn't even ready for that. The slightest setback for him is going to cause him to miss at least 3 more weeks. A more major one, who knows?

Now I'll move on to Jason Phillips. Phillips was benched again last night, for the hot hitting Todd Zeile. He is hitting just .171 on the season. The Post has some interesting quotes from Jason:

For the third time in four games, slumping Jason Phillips didn't start for the Mets last night. And he sounded a little upset about it. "It took 11 games for me to lose the job," Phillips said.

Phillips said Art Howe told him not to read into his recent benching, but that appears easier said than done. Asked if he's surprised he's not in the lineup, Phillips replied, "I wasn't surprised in the least. I saw it happening as soon as he signed in January."

Phillips was clearly irritated at not playing but at the same time insisted, "I have nothing to stand on. I'm hitting a buck-something. Until I start hitting, there's no argument."

Now I like Jason Phillips, he seems like a good guy, but I cant stand it when players complain about playing time. Phillips has been lousy, Zeile has been good. Bottom line.

I don't think the Mets can afford to keep running Phillips and Wiggy out there if they continue hitting like this. While both were impressive last year, there is a very good chance that they just may not be all that good. Phillips had a surprisingly good year last year, and was a solid player in the minors, but there is a reason why he never cracked the majors until he was 26.

I guess the point is, I want Zeile playing. He is a smart hitter, who takes pitches. He isn't great, but so far he has done an admirable job. I'd prefer him at third, so Wiggy can get the hell out of the lineup. His defense isn't any good either, but neither is Wiggy's.

So I guess Phillips has a little gripe, but to me he has not proven anything. Todd Zeile didnt get where he is by hitting .170, so phillips needs to step up and prove why he should play. If not, then you deserve to be on the bench.

And to round off the news:

Cliff Floyd (quad) took live BP off Scott Strickland. Scott Erickson (hamstring) threw in a simulated game on the side.

2004-04-20T12:05:00.000-04:00

Yates Gets First Win

Mets 4 Expos 1

W-Yates (1-1)
L-Ohka (0-3)
S-Looper (3)
HR-Wiggington(2) Garcia (2)

If only Tyler Yates could pitch against the Expos every time. Yates had his second solid outing of the year, and his first major league victory last night. Yates went 5 and 2/3 innings and pitched out of a few jams.

The Mets offense was powered by Ty Wiggington and Karim Garcia, who each homored.

I am also becoming more impressed by Braden Looper every time I see him. He did get into a bases loaded jam in the ninth, but unlike our closer last year, got out of it and preserved the win.

This is a series the Mets can really do some damage in. The Expos are a dreadful team. Al Leiter pitches for the Mets tonight.

Reyes News

Yesterday, Jose Reyes played 4 innings in a simulated game. He had 4 plate apperances, going 0-3 with a walk. Today he is expected to play 5 innings.

Minor League Report

For games played 4/19

Norfolk:

Louisville starting pitcher Matt Belisle pitched a complete-game, six-hit shutout as the Bats defeated the Tides 6 - 0. With the win, Louisville earned a split of the four-game series and dropped the Tides record to 5 - 5 on the year.

Binghamton:

Jason Kubel knocked in three runs, including the game tying run, and scored the game winning run on a Kevin West single to lead the New Britain Rock Cats over the Binghamton Mets 7-6 in a come-from- behind win Monday.

Lambin was 1-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored. Prentice Redman had a big night for the Mets by going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a double, and a triple.

Redman is having a great year so far. He needs to be in AAA.

St Lucie:

The St. Lucie Mets didn't score much but they made the most of the runs they did get, defeating the Jupiter Hammerheads 3-2 at Roger Dean Stadium.

Justing Huber go things going in the fifth innings with a single to right, then scored on a double to left field by Alhaji Turay. Robert McIntyre follwed with a two-out single up the middle that scored Turay. McIntyre stole second base, then scored on a double to the left-center gap by Corey Ragsdale.

Starter Brian Bannister won a duel with Jupiter's Yorman Bazardo. Bannister allowed just two hits and a walk in six innings, striking out nine to improve to 2-1. Joey Cole worked the ninth for his fourth save of the season.

Cap City: No game

As always, click here for your updated prospect stats.

2004-04-19T16:05:00.000-04:00

Injury News

Shortstop Jose Reyes will not be back by Friday for the Cubs series, but is hopeful to return sometime during the west coast trip. Reyes was scheudled to play in a simulated game today.

If someone had a gun to my head, and asked me how many games Reyes will play this year, my answer would be simple...0. I truly am worried about Reyes. I could just see him playing in a minor league game, aggravating it again and this turns into a recurring problem.

I am hopeful, but I need to see him get through this year healthy.

As for Floyd, he hit off a tee yesterday, and there is still no timetable for his return.

2004-04-18T22:34:00.000-04:00

Minor League Report

For games played 4/18.

Norfolk:

Tides starter James Baldwin allowed four runs over six innings as the Louisville Bats defeated Norfolk 7 - 3. Steve Lomasney, Jacob Cruz and Brandon Larson each homered for Louisville. Craig Brazell led the Tides offense going 2 for 5 at the plate with an RBI. With the loss, the Tides dropped to 5 - 4 on the season.

Binghamton:

Mets CF Prentice Redman was 4-for-5 with two home runs and five runs batted in, but the Mets lost 11-9 Sunday afternoon at Portland, settling for a series split with the Sea Dogs.

Redman hit a three-run homer in the second inning giving the Mets a 7-4 lead that would not last.

Shawn Sedlacek (0-1) took the loss in his first start with the B-Mets. He was roughed for eight runs on nine hits while failing to record an out in the third inning.

Redman hit a solo home run in the seventh inning and SS Chris Basak added his own in the eighth.

St Lucie: No Game

Cap City:

The Capital City Bombers closed out an impressive home stand Sunday afternoon, defeating the Rome Braves 5-2. The victory gave the Bombers three wins in a row and six wins out of seven from the week of home games.

Rome drew first blood with a solo home run from outfielder Josh Burrus in the third inning, but Capital City offered a swift response. In the bottom of the third, first baseman Ian Bladergroen doubled off the center field wall to drive Jesus Linares and Derran Watts (who had both singled) home to take the lead.

After the Braves tied the game in the fifth, the Bombers offense got back to work in the sixth inning. A single from Jamar Hill and a double from Blake Whealy put two men in scoring position for catcher Jimmy Anderson, who nailed a double to left to bring both runners home. Hill added a solo homer in the eighth inning as insurance, putting the final score at 5-2. His round-tripper gave the Bombers at least one home run in ten out of eleven games this season!

Updated prospect stats can be found here.

2004-04-18T16:42:00.000-04:00
Mets Get Swept by Pirates

Pirates 8 Mets 1

W-Benson (2-0)
L-Seo (0-2)

Another bad game all around for the Mets. Seo was knocked around for 10 hits and 7 runs, which doesn't help his cause at all. Maybe the Mets were right for sending him down.

The offense was non existent again. Kaz Matsui and Todd Zeile had good games, but that was it. Piazza, Cameron, and Phillips all took o-fers. I was very impressed with some of Zeile's at bats. He was patient and worked the count, unlike the hacker that is known as Ty Wiggington. Zeile has no range at all, but he does have a little left at the plate.

Is 12 games too early to get worried about players? Jason Phillips for example is hitting .179. I hope they are just in one big funk, and are ready to break out of it soon.

The Mets have some work to do now. A bad Montreal team comes in next, and anything less than 3 out of 4 would be dissapointing. But then again we are talking about the Mets here.

Mets Record:5-7

2004-04-18T09:00:00.000-04:00
Botallico's Back

The Ny Post reports that the Mets have signed Ricky Botallico to a minor league contract and will be insurance should Dan Wheeler or Grant Roberts falter.

Not a bad move here. He pitched well in the spring and if Roberts keeps going the way he is, I think Botallico will be up soon.

2004-04-18T02:45:00.000-04:00
Minor League Report

For games played 4/17

Norfolk:

Tides first baseman Craig Brazell hit a pair of solo homeruns and Raul Gonzalez launched a first inning, two-run blast as Norfolk defeated Louisville 9 - 7. Tides starter Randy Keisler allowed only one run over six innings of work with eight strikeouts for the win. Pat Strange picked up the save for the Tides who held off a late rally by Louisville. With the win, the Tides have now won four games in a row and improved to 5 - 3 on the year.

Binghamton:

Three Mets relievers combined for 5 2/3 hitless innings pitched and Prentice Redman broke a 4-4 tie with his first home run of the season as the Mets won 6-5 at Portland Saturday afternoon. The Mets are off to their best start in franchise history.

Blake McGinley (2-0) relieved Wayne Ough in the fourth inning and worked 3 2/3 innings without allowing a hit. Lance Caraccioli followed with a perfect eighth and Kole Strayhorn struck out the side in the ninth for his third save.

The Mets trailed 3-0 after three inning and 4-1 after four, but took the lead in the seventh inning. David Wright’s second double of the game plated Dave Detienne, who had been hit by a pitch to lead the inning, for a 4-4 tie in the seventh. Redman then smoked a line drive homer to center for the decisive score.

St Lucie:

Tonight the Mets got back to their winning ways defeating the Daytona Cubs 3-1 and in doing so, won three of four games from the Cubbies.
Starter Orlando Roman was in complete control throwing five innings of practically unhittable baseball. He allowed just one hit, while walking two and striking out five. Robert Paulk threw the three innings of relief allowing just three hits and an earned run. Joey Cole shut them down in the ninth to record his third save of the year.

The Mets continued to light up Cubs pitching, pounding out eight more hits. For the four game series the Mets collected 45 hits. Bobby Malek and Joe Jiannetti each went 2-for-4. In the fourth inning, Jiannetti connected for his first home run of the year. Aarom Baldiris, Brett Harper, Justing Huber and Edgar Rodriquez rounded out the hits.

Cap City:

Bombers made it two in a row over the Braves, passing them for the Southern Division lead in the process. Capital City got its offense rolling in the later innings to pull away from Rome for a 7-2 victory in front of an enthusiastic crowd filled with little league teams.

Cap-City broke a scoreless tie in the third inning. Shortstop Wilson Batista led off the frame with a double, promptly stole third base, and then came home on Tyler Davidson’s RBI single. That slim advantage would not last long, as Rome matched it with a run in the fourth. Braves second baseman Mike Hanson reached on an error to begin the inning and a double from right fielder Matt Esquivel brought him all the way home. The unearned run was the only one surrendered by Capital City starter Yusmeiro Petit in his six innings of work.

Updated prospect stats can be found here.

2004-04-17T16:29:00.000-04:00
Reality Starting to Set In

Pirates 2 Mets 1

W-Meadows (1-0)
L-Trachsel (1-2)
S-Mesa (6)

I think for all Mets fans, a cold hard reality is beginning to set in. Without Reyes and Floyd, this team is going to struggle for runs. A very good pitching performance by Steve Trachsel was wasted today, as the Mets managed just 4 hits. The top 5 hitters in the order, accounted for none of those hits. After hot starts, Mike Piazza, Kaz Matsui and Mike Cameron have cooled down a bit, Piazza much more so than Matsui and Cameron.

The Mets had a chance to tie the game in the eighth, but pinch hitter Eric Valent was quicky disposed of. I had a problem with this. I dont see the point in pinch hitting Valent when Jason Phillips was sitting on the bench. To not get him in at bat in a one run game is pretty stupid. I guess it's just the product of having a bad manager.

Losing 2 out of 3 to the Pirates is never a good thing, to get swept is worse. We need a good outing from Jae Seo to get the record back to 500 tomorrow. If that happens and we can split against Montreal, I will feel good with Reyes hopefully coming back against Chicago and perhaps Floyd soon after.

Mets Record 5-6.

2004-04-17T10:05:00.000-04:00
Some more Sane thought on last nights Ballgame

Last night I was pissed, real pissed. After sleeping off the anger I now can think clearly on the game. I got a few comments from 2 readers and they both brought up good points.

Point #1-According to the newspapers and FAN Glavine did have shoulder stiffness.

Now I could get into conspiracy theory here but I wont. I'll give Glavine the benefit of the doubt and assume he did have some stiffness. Now Glavine is a big boy, and I'm sure he could've gone out there again, but if you want to play it safe I can understand. So I will give Howe and Peterson a pass on that one.

Point #2-The real problem last night was the bullpen.

A very good point. Belieive it or not, I am one of the few who believed that this team is good enough to win the division. Last night may have changed that opinion. I still like Orber, so I'll give him a pass, and Weathers is usually ok....but Stanton. Stanton really wasnt hit hard last night, but in baseball that really doesnt matter if you give up runs. Stanton has not been good snce we signed him and he cannot be looked upon as a late inning option in a close game. I'd rather see Franco in there.

So in conclusion, my opinion on Howe is not going to change. He is an awful, awful manager. Deep down I believe that Glavine is covering for Art, but i'll never know that. So for now, Art lives another day.

News and Notes

Stadium News:

After more than two years in limbo, there is hope once again for a new stadium for the Mets. Principal owner Fred Wilpon said yesterday the club has meetings scheduled with government officials and developers to resume the early planning stages that were cut short after Sept. 11, 2001.

"It's been dormant for a while," Wilpon said before last night's 7-6 loss to the Pirates. "But it's picked up a little since Opening Day and there will be some more meetings in the next couple of weeks."

Quotes:

"If there's any finger-pointing, point it right here at me," Peterson said after the game. "The buck stops here. I'm the pitching coach and I'll take responsibility."

He told Peterson after the seventh, "I've probably got one more inning in me." But Peterson advised Glavine not to push it. The game-time temperature was 62 degrees, but it was cooler by the eighth inning, and Peterson also took into account that it was only Glavine's third start and his arm strength isn't what it will be in a couple of weeks.

2004-04-17T00:17:00.000-04:00
Minor League Report

For Games played 4/16

Norfolk:

Final Score: Norfolk 10, Louisville 9 (10)

Rodney Nye doubled home Danny Garcia followed by a Wilson Delgado RBI single, as the Norfolk Tides put up two in the top of the tenth to outlast the Louisville Bats 10-9.

Victor Diaz went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBI for the Tides. Mike Jacobs and Craig Brazell also homered and knocked in two in the win. Brazell's homer was his fourth, tying him for the league lead.

Jose Parra (1-0) got the win for Norfolk, allowing a run on two hits in one inning. P.J. Bevis notched his first save, allowing one run and two walks in an inning of work.

Bighamton:

Final Score: Binghamton 6, Portland 3

The Mets picked up their runs in the seventh on an RBI triple by Wayne Lydon, followed by an RBI double by Ron Acuna. Acuna would then score on an error by Sea Dogs catcher Edgar Martinez.

Tim Lavigne (1-1) picked up the win, throwing 3 innings of scoreless, hitless ball. Lavigne struck out two. Kole Strayhorn picked up his second save of the season, pitching a perfect ninth.

Binghamton improved to 7-2 on the season.

St Lucie:

The Daytona Cubs came from behind with three runs in each of the last three innings to defeat the St. Lucie Mets 8-7 and end the Mets six game winning streak.

Scott Kazmir made his second start of the year lasting just four innings and surrendering five earned runs.

Cap City:

Capital City narrowed the gap between first and second place back to a half-game by knocking off Rome 10-5 Friday night. The Braves committed three errors and the Bombers took advantage to even the series at one game apiece.

The Bombers answered with Shawn Bowman’s two-run homer in the bottom of that frame to tie the ballgame, but Cap-City was far from done. Another pair of runs in the sixth gave the Bombers their first lead at 4-2. The seventh and eighth innings saw the home team parade a half dozen unearned runs across the plate with reliever Brad Nelson on the mound for Rome. First baseman Ian Bladergroen drove in three of those runs with his giant home run (tying him with Bowman for the team lead at 3 HR each).

Updated prospect stat can be found here.

2004-04-16T22:13:00.000-04:00
I'd Hate to Be Art Howe Right Now

Pirates 7 Mets 6

W-Wells (2-1)
L-Moreno (0-1)
S-Mesa (4)
HR-Valent (2)

This game has got to be divided into 2 parts. The first part was a superb pitching performance by Tom Glavine. 7 innings of one hit, shutout ball. Mike Cameron played great defense behind him. Even Ricky Gutierrez had the Mets only 2 RBI's. After 7 innings, Glavine had 78 pitches. The Mets had a chance to add an insurance run in the bottom of the inning, and Art Howe pinch hit Todd Zeile for him. Zeile struckout, and going into the eighth it was 2-0.

The eighth was a disaster. Moreno,Stanton and Weathers could not get the job done and the Pirates scored 7 runs in the inning. The Mets made a valient comeback effort, thanks to another Eric Valent HR, but still fell one run short.

Now lets get to this joke of a manager we have. I have never seen worse managging in my life. How in gods name do you take out a hall of fame pitcher who is pitching a ONE HIT SHUTOUT and has only thrown 78 PITCHES!!!

I don't want to hear any exsuses. I dont want to hear Glavine was injured, because he wasnt. I dont want to hear about pitch counts, because 78 pitches is not a lot.

What we have is a joke of a manager. Another bonehead Howe move is pinchrunning Jeff Duncan for Jason Phillips in the middle of an at bat. I love how Howe loves to take out the best hitters in the lineup.

I am now convinced the Mets will never go anywhere with this guy managing the team. I want him out. Let Franco manage. Let Baylor manage. Let Mike Cubbage manage!!! Anybody but Art Howe. I have seen enough.

All in all, this was an AWFUL loss from the Mets. 6-4 looks a lot better than 5-5. They had a nice chance to put together a little streak without their best players out there. Now, it feels like 2003 all over again.

I am in a shitty mood right now. Any other Mets fan out there who wants to vent feel free to holla at me on aim or something.

Today is a tough day to be a Mets fan.

2004-04-16T10:50:00.000-04:00
News and Notes

From the NY Daily News
Mike Cameron was a late scratch from the lineup because of a sore adductor muscle along the inside of his right thigh. He said it was "precautionary" and that there had been some tightness since he played on the turf in Puerto Rico against the Expos.

With Scott Erickson on the DL with a left hamstring injury, Jae Seo is assured of at least two starts. The first will be Sunday against the Pirates.

Hopefully Seo will be assured much more than two starts. It'll be interesting to see whether they give Erickson another shot, even if Seo pitches well. My money would be on yes.

2004-04-15T22:44:00.000-04:00
Minor League Report

For games played on 4/15.

Norfolk:

Final Score: Norfolk 7, Indianapolis 6

Mike Jacobs scored on a Craig Brazell double in the top of the ninth to give Norfolk a 7-6 win over Indianapolis.

Brazell finished the game 2-for-5, including a two run home run, and three RBI. Jacobs went 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI. Wilson Delgado had a perfect day at the plate with four hits in four at-bats, including two doubles, a run scored, and an RBI.

P.J. Bevis (1-0) pitched one inning and got the win. He held the Indians scoreless on two hits.

Binghamton:

Final Score: Portland 2, Binghamton 1 (11)

Kenny Perez drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the eleventh inning to give the Portland Sea Dogs a 2-1 victory over the Binghamton Mets.

Mets Neal Musser gave up five hits, one earned run, three walks and struck out four in six innings of work.

Binghamton's Prentice Redman knocked in the Mets only run with a double.

St Lucie:

The St. Lucie Mets fell behind early 1-0 but were able to overcome the early deficit and extend their winning streak to six games with a 4-2 victory over the Daytona Cubs.

Starter Kevin Deaton looked dominating at times allowing just six hits and one unearned run while striking out four. Deaton earned his first victory of the year. The Mets bullpen was again solid in relief allowing just one unearned run. The team of Tim McNab and David Byard combined over the last four innings to allow just five hits. Byard recorded his first save of the year.

At the plate six different Mets collected hits. Jonathan Slack, Justin Huber, Brett Harper, Zack Clements, Robert McIntyre and Corey Ragsdale accounted for the Mets offense. It was Ragsdale two run home run to deep left center field that put the game out of reach for the visiting Cubs.

Cap City:

The Braves held off Capital City’s bid for first place in the SAL Southern Division and ended a three-game winning streak for the Bombers by a final score of 7-3.

Capital City starter Vincent Cordova struggled with the Braves from the beginning, as the first two batters in the first and the second innings all notched hits

The two home runs from the Bombers were both solo shots (from Shawn Bowman and Tyler Davidson.

Updated prospect stats can be found here.

2004-04-15T21:50:00.000-04:00
Mets Shutout the Braves
Mets 4 Braves 0

W-Leiter (1-0)
L-Ramirez (0-1)

The Mets lineup was hurting even more today, as Mike Cameron was scratched due to tightness in his leg. This would not matter though because Al Leiter, David Weathers, Orber Moreno and Braden Looper combined on a shutout. Leiter pitched well, but only lasted into the 6th and was pulled beacuse he got in some trouble. Weathers then got the call and got a huge double play to get out of the inning.

Perhaps the most impressive thing of the night was Orber Moreno's eight inning. He retired the Braves in order on just 5 pitches. At the time the game was 2-0, so I was glad to see Art pitch him in a meaningful spot.

Offensively, the Mets just did enough to get buy. Shane Spencer drove in 2 runs early, and Karim Garcia and Jeff Duncan each added RBI hit's in the eighth to seal the game. This was Garcia's first at bat since injuring his finger. Cameron was able to pinch hit in the ninth as well.

It was another good night for Kaz Matsui, who went 1-2 with 2 bb's.

Ty Wiggington had a rough night going 0-4. The thing that bothers me about Wiggy is that he has no patience at all. He went up there hacking tonight and his average is now at .200.

Current record:5-4

2004-04-15T14:25:00.000-04:00
Mets Find Assistant GM

The Daily News reports the Mets have decided to hire John Ricco of the commissioner's office as an assistant GM for Duquette.

Ricco was a major league baseball labor relations manager and is considered the "next wave" of general managers by Baseball America.

More Reyes News

Some more encouraging news on Reyes:

"The report for the day was he made good progress (yesterday), so we're obviously pleased by that, and we'll see how he's feeling (today). We're taking it kind of a more daily approach here. We're optimistic today, where a few days ago we weren't sure where it was headed. We feel like he's turned the corner."

Duquette said Mets management wants Reyes to play three or four minor-league games as part of his rehabilitation before returning to the club.

2004-04-14T22:57:00.000-04:00
Yates takes a Step Back

Braves 6 Mets 1

W-Thomson (1-0)
L-Yates (0-1)

The Mets gave Mike Piazza another start at first tonight, but it did not start well. Piazza made an error on the first batter of the game. The ball was hit hard, but should've been caught. After the error, Yates had control problems but managed to get out of the first with just one run. Yates came back strong with a nine pitch second but would not make it out of the third. Yates would get hammered in that inning giving up 5 runs.

Jae Seo came in for Yates and pitched 2 and 2/3 scoreless inning allowing just one hit. He looked extremely impressive in my opinion while Yates' pitches looked flat.

The game was pretty nuch in hand after that. Thomson had the Mets number the entire night. They had a few opportunities to do some damage but they were quickly extinguished. Jeff Duncan struck out in a key spot.

Piazza looked ok at first. He looks extremely uncomfortable but so far hasn't done anything that has hurt them.

Mets Record-4-4.

2004-04-14T21:50:00.000-04:00
Minor League Report

For Games played on April 14th

Norfolk: No game today.

Binghamton:

The Mets beat Erie 3-2 and 5-1 Wednesday night at NYSEG Stadium, sweeping a doubleheader and a three-game series against the SeaWolves. The Mets have won six straight and are 6-1.

In the opener of the twin bill, Ron Acuna singled home Wayne Lydon from second base for the victory in the seventh and final inning. Jose Diaz (1-0) won the night cap while tossing five hitless innings.

David Wright went 2-3 with 2 2b's in game 1 and 2-3 in game 2.

St Lucie:

The Mets pounded out 18 hits en route to a 12-4 victory over the Daytona Cubs. With the win, the Mets extended their winning streak to five games.
Five different Mets players had three or more hits led by Joe Jiannetti's 4-for-5 night. Aarom Baldiris, Bobby Malek, Brett Harper and Corey Ragsdale all had three hits. Malek and catcher Brandon Wilson had two doubles each.

Brian Bannister threw five strong innings scattering seven hits while surrendering three earned runs. Luz Portobanco and Joey Cole threw the final four innings to quite the Daytona Cubs bats

Cap City:

Capital City overcame a flurry of Greensboro runs to pull out a 9-8 victory and produce a three-game sweep of the Bats.

Capital City answered by batting around in the seventh, getting four runs home and closing the gap to one. That set the scene for Wilson in the eighth. With two outs and one man on, Wilson let loose with his second home run of the game and charged around the bases to put the Bombers in the lead.

Greg Ramirez closed the game for the home team and got the save

Complete prospect stats can be found here.

2004-04-14T20:08:00.000-04:00
Reyes Update

News from Mets.com on the progress of Jose Reyes.

General manager Jim Duquette said that Jose Reyes made strides in the rehab process but added that he couldn't say definitely whether he would be back during before the current homestand ends. Reyes, who is continuing to rehab his strained right hamstring, remains several days away from playing in any minor league game. Duquette said cold weather wasn't a determining factor in Reyes' return. Therefore, it's possible he could rejoin the team in Chicago on April 23 rather than waiting for the warmer weather in southern California later in the trip. Still, Duquette added that all three games in the Cubs series being day games will benefit because it will be warmer.

In other injury news, Cliff Floyd (quad) has gone to Florida, joining Reyes and Scott Erickson (hamstring). Duquette said that Erickson "has not done a ton yet", implying that it will be some time before he returns.

Obviously,the sooner I see Reyes back on the field, the better I feel about our chances this year. And the opposite goes for Erickson. The longer he is out, the better I feel about our chances.

Yates got shelled. I'll post a recap once the game is over.

2004-04-14T19:54:00.000-04:00
Rain Delay Notes

The Mets are currently in a rain delay, so this gave me a chance to do some online reading. I noticed this little blurb in Peter Gammons latest column:

With Tom Glavine and Al Leiter in the rotation, the Mets focus on the left side of the infield, which is why Ricky Gutierrez will play a lot of third base behind the veteran lefties when Jose Reyes is back at second base.

I don't know what his sources are, but this is interesting. Could the Mets have soured on Ty Wiggington's defense this quickly? If they have, then Gutierrez really wouldn't be that much better. There is one peron who would be though.

That person is Mr. David Wright, who went 2-3 with 2 doubles in Game 1 of today's double header. If David Wright were to play tomorrow for the Mets, he would be both a defensive and offensive improvement over Wiggington, Zeile and Gutierrez. I know he has never played a single game in AAA, but when a kid is ready, he is ready. Miguel Cabrera was ready last year, and David Wright is ready this year.

Now lets get this rain to stop and Play some Ball!!!

2004-04-14T10:58:00.000-04:00
A Look around the Minors

Norfolk:

Norfolk's starting pitcher Matt Ginter pitched four scoreless innings in his Tides debut as Norfolk won a rain-shortened game 2 - 0 against the Louisville Bats. The game was called in the top of the 8th due to heavy rain. With the win, the Tides improved to 2 - 3 on the season.

Binghamton: Game Postponed by Rain. Will be made up as part of a double header today.

St Lucie:

The St. Lucie Mets won for the second straight night on the road as they downed the Brevard Manatees 7-5. Andres Rodriguez, Forrest Lawson and Corey Ragsdale each had two hits, and Robert McIntyre had three RBIs, including a double for the Mets. Ragsdale had a triple. Brian Edwards (1-0) got the win with three innings of relief.

Cap City:

Capital City made it two in a row over the Bats with a 5-0 victory. A quartet of Capital City pitchers combined for the shutout: Matt Lindstrom (W, 5 IP, 8 SO, 0 BB), Jose Rodriguez, Domingo Acosta, and Shane Hawk.

Updated Minor league stats can be found here.

I will do my best to post game recaps each morning from now on.

2004-04-13T17:57:00.000-04:00
Those were the Days

Well, I have aboout an hour to kill and I feel the urge to write. Problem is, there is no real news and no game to discuss. I hate off days. So I decided to write about my experiences as a Mets fan. This is in part to ESPN's article about baseball most miserable moments.

I am a 19 year old fan so my misery and passion does not go that far back. I'm going to say that I started really becoming a Mets fan in 1996, when Lance Johnson, Bernard Gilkey and Carl Everett patrolled the outfield. The Mets finished 71-91 that year, but more importantly, they played exciting baseball. Todd Hundley would hit 41 homeruns that year. We witnessed a young player named Edgardo Alfonzo just start to become the player we would know and love. We saw Paul Wilson make his major league debut. This was the year that hooked me. I was now a Mets fan for life.

The misery never really hit hard till 1998. The Mets lost their last 5 ballgames and just missed the wildcard by a single game. It truly was depressing. The next year however was my favorite I've ever witnessed. It was an emotional rollercoaster. I was worried about the Diamondbacks, but thanks to Fonzie and Todd Pratt, we managed to get buy. Now it was time for the Braves.

The Mets and Braves had an ENOURMOUS rivalry. There was the whole Rocker controversy, and you couldnt go anywhere without hearing a "Larry" chant. Unfortunately after three hardfought games, the Mets were down 3-0 in the series. In game 4 tensions were hign and thanks to an 8th inning single by John Olerud, the Mets lived another day.

Game 5 was amazing. I think everyone here knows that.

Game 6. The Mets were down and out. They rallied for the lead. Piazza homering off Smoltz is my favorite Met moment thus far. Then it came crashing down. 2 blown leads. The Mets had the game and blew it. It was all up to Kenny Rogers. At this point I could barely watch. I knew the end was near but wouldnt admit it until it actualy occured. Then it happened. A bases loaded walk to Andruw Jones. The game was over, the series was over. I turned off my tv before Jones could touch home. I couldn't bare to watch. I just sat on the edge of my bed and for the first and only time in my life, cried over a baseball game.

Speaking for the younger generation of Mets fans, we've yet to experience a miracle. I think it is fair to say, that anyone who cant remember the 86 championship, has got to be a suffering met fan. We've been through a lot. But god I miss those days from 1999. It will never get any better than that.

2004-04-13T10:07:00.000-04:00
If Only every Player Were Like This

I have to admit, everyday that goes by I start liking Mike Cameron more and more. It's not just his defense or his hitting, it's his attitude. He seems to be one of the ballplayers who "get it." There is a great NY Times article which every Mets fan should read. I've highlighted some points here.

Cameron created his own subdued mosh pit by chilling, one of his favorite words, with the frigid fans after batting practice. The home opener was 90 minutes away, but Cameron showed less stress than a bullpen catcher.

Cameron signed baseballs, programs, bats and gloves and did not give fans a casual wave or simply ignore them, as so many other Mets did. It was a neat display by a baseball ambassador, a player who appreciates his job and has a giddy feeling about his new address with the Mets. "I thought it would be a lot better if the people of New York know who I am," Cameron said. "Know how my momma raised me."

"It's not all just about baseball," he said. "It's about the person as well."

Cameron did not need any bouncers yesterday. He wants New York fans to get a feel for the kind of person he is. Why not chill with them on the dugout? "I'm at the ballpark," he said. "Nobody is going to hurt me. No one has nothing against me. It's just kids. Kids want to know who they're rooting for."

Now that's someone you want playing for your team.

Injury News

Cliff Floyd was feeling optimistic yesterday and offered these words on his injury:

A Grade 1 strain, like a small tear," is how Floyd described the results of yesterday's MRI to reporters. "I feel a lot better, but the problem is there's a lot of fluid in there and you have to get rid of it."

Floyd admitted he was hoping to avoid the DL - "what if I feel better in a week?"

Karim Garcia said he would like to play tomorrow and would be able to "play through the pain."

Mike Piazza refered to himself as "day to day" and hopes to play Wednesday as well.

This is the best possible news. Hopefully all Floyd needs is a short DL stint. The way things are going for the Mets though, I wouldn't count on it.

Their really hasn't been much news on Jose Reyes, which leads me to believe he still has a while before he comes back.

2004-04-12T17:21:00.000-04:00
Mets Win the Home Opener

Mets 10 Braves 6

W-Trachsel (1-1)
L-Hampton (0-1)
S-Looper (2)

The Mets made their Shea debut looking more like a AAA squad. Mike Piazza was out with a hyper-extended forearm, Cliff Floyd was out with a strained quad, Jose Reyes is just out. Because of the Mets long growing injury woes, they fielded a lineup with Shane Spencer and Todd Zeile in the 3 and 4 spots. Today it wouldnt matter what the lineup looked like because they ripped starter Mike Hampton for 7 runs. Todd Zeile went 3-5 and Kaz Matsui and Mike Cameron each had 2 hits in powering the offense. Steve Trachsel pitched 6 strong innings and Orber Moreno pitched a scoreless 7th......then it was Grant Roberts time.

Roberts came in and immediately served up 4 runs and 2 hr's. This is now 2 awful outings on the season. I personally think Roberts is hiding an injury. His velocity is just not what is should be. If he has another outing like this he may just pitch himself off the staff. It's a shame because he's got so much promise.

The 9th inning was also more tense than it should have been. Dan Wheeler started the 9th but struggled. The Braves had the bases loaded with one out but closer Braden Looper got a game ending double play in just 2 pitches to earn the save.

I now expect that Zeile will start getting more attention as a possible third base option. I say why not? I am on the record as not being a big Wiggington fan, and right now I think Zeile is a better hitter. They are both below average fielders so that wouldnt be a downgrade. Call me crazy but I think if Todd Zeile played everyday we could see a 270 average with 15 homeruns and a decent OBP. I'm just not sure Wiggy has that in him. I'm not saying to sit Wiggington now, but if he does struggle, I would feel comfortable with Zeile out there. (God I cant believe I just said that)

2004-04-12T12:24:00.000-04:00
Floyd Placed on DL

The Mets placed outfielder Cliff Floyd on the disabled list and called up Jeff Duncan from AAA Norfolk. Floyd had an MRI taken today, but the results are not yet known.

I'm glad Duncan got the call up. He played pretty well last year when he was first called up and at least gives us a good glove out there.

Outfielder Karim Garcia hopes to be back by Wednesday because of his fractured finger.

2004-04-11T18:50:00.000-04:00
Mets Win Game....Lose Floyd

Mets 4 Expos 1

W-Glavine (2-0)
L-Hernandez (0-1)
S-Looper (1)
HR-Valent (1)

The Mets got another well pitched game from Tom Glavine as they evened their record at 3-3 on the season. Piazza played first well despite getting into a collission because of a bad throw by Glavine.The Mets offense was powered by Eric Valent, who gave the Mets the lead with his 2 run HR in the 6th.

Valent better get used to the playing time. With Floyd likely to go to the DL, and Garcia's finger, Valent will see his share of games.

The question is, who should take Floyd's roster spot? As tempting as Victor Diaz sounds, I really dont think he is ready to man right field. My money would be on Jeff Duncan or Prentice Redman.

They are calling Floyd's injury a "strained quad." He will be re-evaluated tomorrow. My first reaction when hearing this was, "oh a strain...that's good. Anything is better than a tear." But after watching how long Reyes' "strain" is taking to heal, I got worried again.

Tomorrow is the home opener. Hopefully the news on Floyd wont be grim.

2004-04-11T14:24:00.000-04:00
Why??

I was going to do my first ever running diary of a game. I figured it would be fun documenting Piazza's frst start at first. I scrapped this plan 3 batters into the game when Cliff Floyd injured his quad running out an infield single. There is no word on the severity of the injury, but it looked bad...real bad. Floyd was helped of the field and struggled to get down the dugout steps.

This is a huge blow to the Mets season. If he is out for any length of time that virtually assures another long season.

First Reyes, now Floyd. What have Mets fans done to deserve this?

I'll give the full report once it is known.

2004-04-11T00:21:00.000-04:00
Mets Bats Dissapear

Expos 1 Mets 0

W-Patterson (1-0)
L-Seo (0-1)
S-Biddle (2)

The Mets offense decided not to show up last night as they wasted a solid effort from Al Leiter and Jae Seo. The Mets managed just 3 hits off Paterson, who was impressive for the Expos. This is the type of pitcher the Mets generally struggle against....a young unproven one.

It was a rough night in the field for Karim Garcia, who dropped a fly ball and had a fly ball hit his finger, causing him to leave the game. He is not expected to miss any time.

Shea turns 40

Shea stadium has been through alot in it's 40 years. Good teams, bad teams, football the pope and the Beatles. It may be a dump now, but it is our dump and it should be celebrated.

The David Wright Show Continues

Anyone could have seen this one coming. As Ty Wiggington continues to struggle, the Mets third baseman of the future is off to a flying start. Wright was 3-4 last night with 3 doubles. If he continues to hit even close to this well, and Wiggy is struggling,I predict he will be starting at Shea sometime in July.

2004-04-10T10:00:00.000-04:00
Yates Impressive, Mets Win

Mets 3, Expos 2 (11)

W-Weathers (1-0)
L-Ayala (0-2)
S-Moreno (1)

HR-Floyd (1)
Sure the Mets won thanks to a double by Todd Zeile, but the night was really about Tyler Yates and Orber Moreno. Yates was strong going 6 innings and giving up no earned runs, while striking out 4. It was sweet seeing a young, power pitcher do good for the Mets. It is much better than seeing another soft tossing lefty up there. Hopefully Tyler Yates can build upon this start and become what the Mets think he can be.

As for Moreno, he was also impressive getting the save. Moreno has always intrigued me and should be the first man called upon should Looper falter (as he did last night).

Now onto Art Howe....quite frankly he just puzzles me. I guess taking Piazza and Floyd out of the lineup with the slimmest of leads and a shaky bullpen may seem like a good idea, but it almost came back to bite him big time. Stanton got in trouble, Looper gave up 2 runs, and now we're tied. I'll give Art a pass though, i'm sure he is batteling.

Another good game for Kaz Matsui, 2-3 with 3 BB's.

News and Notes

Mike Piazza will start at first base Sunday, which is the first day game after night game of the season. I am not a fan of this move and predict it will fail. I don't think the Mets can afford to have a lousy first baseman out there. I guess I should watch him play before I rush to judgement.

And doesn't this quote just liven up your day??

The return of Jose Reyes (hamstring) isn't close. "There's still no real significant progress," GM Jim Duquette said.

I have the feeling the Mets aren't expecting anything from Reyes now, just hoping for the best. What is there to do really?

Minor league Tidbits

David Wright hit his first AA homer as the B-Mets rolled 9-3.

Complete minor league stats can be found here.

2004-04-09T01:34:00.000-04:00
Mets Lose Game....and Erickson

Braves 10 Mets 8

W-Cunnane
L-Franco
S-Smoltz

HR-Cameron (2) Wiggington (1)

This was an awful loss for the Mets. The game started with the News that Scott Erickson was scratched due to a strained hamstring. This opened the door for Dan Wheeler to make the start.

I don't know what to think about this game. The Mets played lousy defense, and got terrible pitching. What is even more unlikely is that Mike Cameron and Kaz Matsui made big errors in the game. Matsui ole'd a ball and booted another routine one. Cameron had a ball hit off his glove, Garcia kicked the ball and Floyd let a runner tag up because he fell asleep.

This game was the 2003 Mets all over again. I'd like to put it off as one game, but I also know that good teams do not play like this. The Mets were horrendous. I dont know who to blame, but Art Howe is on the top of the list. The Mets failed at fundamentals today....they always seem to be good at that.

Back to Erickson. Is anyone surprised he got hurt? What did the Mets expect with this guy? After the game he was placed on the 15 day DL and they will call up Jae Seo to take his place.

Right now I don't know what to believe with this team. They look very good offensively, but it is clear that they still need a lot of pitching help.

Kazmir Hurt

Top prospect Scott Kazmir left Thursdays game after feeling a pain in his midsection. Kazmir is listed as day to day.

Indians Claim Anderson

The Cleveland Indians claimed pitcher Jason Anderson off waivers from the New York Mets on Thursday and optioned the right-hander to Triple-A Buffalo.

I guess this means we got absolutely nothing for Benitez.

2004-04-07T22:01:00.000-04:00
Mets Get Spanked

Braves 18-Mets 10
W-Grybowski
L-Trachsel

HR-Piazza-(2,3) Cameron (1) Garcia (1)

Today's game started off great for the Mets. Piazza hit a bomb in the first which was followed by Mike Camerons first HR as a Met. In fact, it looked like another easy Mets win when they took a 6-0 lead. That all changed when Steve Trachsel and Grant Roberts decided to give up 11 runs in the 4th inning to turn the game into a laugher.

Later in the game Piazza added another homer, and even played 2 innings at first base. Piazza got the job done out there, but I wold be nervous having him out there in a close game. It is great to see Piazza in such a groove at the plate though. He went 5-5 tonight and just looks so comfortable up there.

Trachsel and Roberts were dissapointing. You hate to blow a 6-0 lead, especially against the Braves and Mike Hampton. I wouldn't be to concerned about Trach, as he is known to throw in some clunkers from time to time. Roberts was not impressive at all, especially with his velocity.

I usually tend to overreact to Mets losses early in the season, but I will not be doing that this year. Tomorrow is a another day as Scott Erickson makes his Mets debut.....god help us all.

2004-04-06T23:36:00.000-04:00
Reyes Progressing...Questionable for Home Opener

Jose Reyes' hamstring is getting better by the day, but the Mets will not rush him back. Manager Art Howe said he wasn't sure whether Reyes will play in the home opener.

Kaz Makes Mets history

With his first-pitch, first at-bat home run, Kazuo Matsui became the third Met to homer in his first major-league at-bat. The previous two were Benny Ayala in 1974 and Mike Fitzgerald in 1983. He became the first Met to have three RBI in his major-league debut since Preston Wilson in 1998.

Mets Honor Shea and McGraw

I was wondering what those patches were for on the Mets uniform last night. Well the patches are to commemorate Shea Stadium's 40th anniversary and it reads"Ya Gotta Believe", in honor of Tug McGraw.

Quotes

"It certainly ranks up there with some of the wins I've had with a little more meaning," Glavine said. "I don't want to overplay it, but when you beat your former team, there's certainly some gratification with that."

"We're trying to turn the page from last year," Glavine said. "For me, it's not only to have a better year, but to have a better year against my former team."

2004-04-06T19:22:00.000-04:00
A Great Start for the Mets

Mets 7, Braves 2

W-Glavine
L-Ortiz
HR-Matsui(1) Piazza(1)

My Take on the Game:
Opening day finally came, and it started with a bang.On the first pitch of the season, Kaz Matsui homered to straight away center off Russ Ortiz. After Matsui's terrible spring, this was the last thing I was expecting. Matsui was by far the star of the night going 3 for 3 with 2 BB's and 3 RBI. If this was a sign of what is to come for Matsui, then the Mets found themselves a gem.

Tom Glavine also did the impossible....he beat the Braves. Glavine went 6 innings giving up 2 earned runs and striking out 2. This was a big start for glavine, as he couldnt afford another clunker like last year. I wasnt all that impressed with his stuff, but he got the job done and in the end that is all that matters.

Mike Cameron...is a god. It is going to be so fun watching him patrol center this year. He makes everything seem easy, and he almost robbed Giles of a homer too.

Another thing I picked up on...baserunning. I am such a fundamentals freak it's not even funny. This is something the Mets lacked the past 2 years. I just noticed excellent baserunning by Cameron and Garcia on line drives. They froze and were able to get back. Last year that would be a sure fire double play. Also, they did not commit a single error. Another good sign.

So for one night only, the mets looked like a good team. I just cant wait till Reyes comes back.

2004-04-06T12:23:00.000-04:00
Trachsel Gets Contract Extension

Well I didn't see this one coming. The Daily News reports that the Mets and Steve Trachsel are close to an agreement that will keep the righty pitching at Shea through 2006.

The Mets and Trachsel have agreed to a complicated contract extension that ensures he will pitch for the Mets in 2005 and '06 if he reaches 150 innings the previous season, a level Trachsel has surpassed every season for nine years. Other terms could trigger the extension even if he fails to reach the innings count.

I am a very big Trachsel defender, but this move makes me scratch my head a bit. This virtually assures that in 2005 and possibly 2006, 3/5ths of the Mets rotation will be Glavine, Leiter and Trachsel. This assuming that Leiter is resigned, which with the way the Mets front office is, I see no reason why he won't be.

Does anyone else have a problem with that rotation for the future? This means that only 2 spots will be made availible and there are plenty of guys who deserve a shot at them. Guys like Yates, Seo, Heilman, Kazmir, Peterson and Keppel should all crack the majors by or during 2006. This move almost makes me believe that they don't think much of Heilman.

I like Trachsel, and I like him much more than Glavine, but if the Mets really wanted to stay true to their "plan" of getting younger, this move could have waited. There are a ton of questions to now be answered for the future. The Mets to me are an organization that is not exactly sure what their plan is yet, they just like saying they have one.

I gotta get to class now, so I may add more later.

2004-04-05T17:08:00.000-04:00
What is a Meaningful Game???

The Ny Times asks the players w and management about that mysterious phrase "meaningful games."

"Meaningful games?" Mike Cameron said. "What does that mean?"

"Meaningful games?" José Reyes said. "I don't understand."

"Meaningful games?" Cliff Floyd said. "Well, I guess you've got to start somewhere."

"I don't think there's any more of a definition," Duquette said. "You can take it whatever way you want."

"You'll know it's meaningful when it's there," Wilpon said. "You'll be able to feel it and taste it. We'll be in a position to attain something."

"To play meaningful games, we have to be there in July," said Al Leiter, a starting pitcher.

"I think meaningful games are in August," Floyd said.

"To me, September," Duquette said.

"If you're 30 out in July and August, it's not meaningful anymore," Cameron said. "You've got to be in the race in July and August. I'd say you have to be within 10 games in July and the beginning of August."

"Ten's an awful lot," said outfielder Shane Spencer

"Seven games, five games in September, I don't really know," Duquette said.

"You can't start saying we'll win the World Series," Floyd said. "If we're .500 or better in August, it's meaningful for us."

Leiter said, "If the fans are still interested, that will be the first indication that the Mets are still involved. Picture sellout crowds at Shea Stadium in July chanting, "Mean-ing-ful games, mean-ing-ful games."

I just found this comical. You get a different answer from everybody.

I know one meaningful game though....it starts tomorrow at 7:30. Man am I pumped.

2004-04-05T13:42:00.000-04:00
An awful Spring is finally over for the Mets

For the third straight year, the Mets played sloppy baseball all throughout spring training. The Mets committed 45 errors this spring, which grew criticsm from ownership. Today, COO Jeff Wilpon guaranteed the team would be better and manager Art Howe gave his take: "It's behind us. Now we can get serious about things. Not that we weren't serious before, but it all counts now."

The Mets need to pick up their defensive play if they want to have any hopes of competing this year. Hopefully once Reyes and Matsui get a few games under their belt things will improve drastically.

Strickland News

Scott Strickland was moved to the 60 Day DL in order to create a spot on the 40 man roster. Jason Anderson and Chris Widger were also removed in order to make room fro Scott Erickson, Shane Spencer and Eric Valent

Strickland had hoped to be back in May.

Leiter pushes Back Start 2 Days

Al Leiter and Scott Erickson will switch spots in the rotation due to Leiter's swelling. Erickson will pitch Thursday in Atlanta and Leiter will pitch Saturday in Puerto Rico.

Mets were Unwilling to Deal for Bradley

According to the NY Post, the mets would not have dealt for Milton Bradley because of character issues.

Mets COO Jeff Wilpon told The Post yesterday that ownership was unwilling to approve a trade for Bradley, the talented but troubled outfielder. Cleveland ended up shipping Bradley to Los Angeles.

"We did some due diligence," Wilpon said in a phone interview. "We were not comfortable with the player's makeup."

2004-04-04T21:22:00.000-04:00
Seo sounds off

Mets pitcher Jae Weong Seo finally broke his silence about his demotion to AAA.

"This is a very confusing time for me," Seo said through an interpreter. "I think what I was told was very inconsistent. If I don't pitch well in two or three games in Norfolk, will they send me down to Binghamton?"

"I'm being very honest," Seo said. "Things like this do happen in the workplace. is the manager and I just have to be professional about it. If they look at my spring numbers and say I didn't earn a spot on this team, there's nothing I can say about it."

Sensing Seo's disappointment, Al Leiter took him aside Friday and tried to explain the importance of not letting any bitterness get the best of him. "As a teammate and friend, it's hard to see and hard to accept," Leiter said. "I just want him to not let it snowball into two months of pouting and not working hard in Triple-A. If that happens, in a month it could be justified."

Seems like Seo is not happy at all with the demotion. If I were a betting man I would bet that he will be back in the rotation by May.

2004-04-04T18:57:00.000-04:00
Leiter Expects to Pitch Thursday

A day after being struck in the head with a line drive, Al Leiter said he expects to pitch Thursday in Atlanta, but did not rule out pushing his start back a day if the swelling does not go down.

Indians Deal Bradley to Dodgers

The Mets quest for an upgrade in right field ended today when the Indians dealt Milton Bradley to the dodgers for Franklin Gutierrez and a player to be named later. Gutierrez is a very good prospect. He was the Dodgers' minor league player of the year last year,and heplayed most of the year for Single-A Vero Beach of the Florida State League.

He hit .282 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs in 110 games. After Gutierrez, 21, was promoted to Double-A Jacksonville, he batted .321 (21-57), with four home runs and 12 RBIs in 18 games.

I wanted Bradley on the Mets, but not at this price. The only players who the Mets have who are better than Gutierrez are Kazmir and Wright, both of whom should be untouchable. It's reasons like this why having a great minor leauge system pays off.

Yates Rocked Today

Newly appointed 4th starter Tyler Yates was shelled today giving up 7 ER in 4 IP to the Expos. I doubt this changes anything, but this is certainly not what the Mets needed now.

2004-04-04T10:50:00.000-04:00
Mets need another outfielder

With yesterday's trade of Roger Cedeno, the Mets now have a gaping hole in their 4th outfielder spot. Instead of having Timo Perez there, they now have the hideous combo of Joe McEwing and Eric Valent. I had never really heard much about Valent, so I looked up his stats....and quite frankly, they are awful.

In 93 ab's over 3 season with the Phillies and Reds, Valent put up an incredible .161,.220,.183. Now I figured that that was a limited sample, so I took a look at his minor league numbers.

Last year Valent played for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, the AAA International League Affiliate of the Phillies. Valent played in 134 games and got 450 ab's. This is where he put up an unbeleivable .218, .308, .367.

Looking at some projections for this year, his Pecota is .244/.327/.405 while his ZIPS projection comes in at .237/.319/.383. Right now the only other option would be Raul Gonzalez, who projects at 255, .336, .377. Obviously neither blows you away, but Gonzalez is 30, and Valent 27, so I would give Valent the nod just barely over Gonzalez.

It is painfully obvious the Mets need another outfielder. If they have cooled on Bradley, which it sounds like they have, then I agree with fellow blogger Jeremy Heit, that Bubba Trammell would be an interesting fit. I know we've already been down this road, but the man can hit for power, which is something our bench sorely lacks.

2004-04-03T18:22:00.000-05:00
Reyes Goes to DL, Botallico cut Loose

Jose Reyes played in the Mets minor league game today. He had 1 hit in 4 ab's but was still running gingerly. The Mets will put Reyes on the DL to start the season. Reyes will be eligible to come off when the club makes the trip to Puerto Rico, but it is likely he will not play until the Mets home opener.

With Reyes headed to the DL, the Mets could keep 2 pitchers in the Wheeler, Moreno, Botallico group. Fortunately for all, Ricky Botallico was given his walking papers and at least for now, Orber Moreno and Dan Wheeler will break camp with the team.

This was a smart move by the Mets. Moreno I think will pitch very well, and Wheeler will probably only be up until Reyes comes back. I was afraid that the Mets would give Botallico the spot just based on reputation, but I am happy to see the Mets changing their ways a bit. Today was a great day for Duquette and the Mets.

Mets Wallop Marlins

The Mets busted out of their collective slump in a big way, as Ty Wiggington led the way with 5 hits as the Mets rolled to a 21-13 win.

Matsui Feeling Comfortable

"I'm seeing a lot of pitchers now and I feel like I'm getting accustomed a little more," Matsui said. "The last three days I've had a little bit of a turnaround. I'm able to keep my rhythm in the batter's box and I wasn't able to do that before. I'm still moving toward the ball a little but that won't be fixed overnight.

"There are a lot of things I had to adjust to for the first time. I knew it was going to be a tough ride. I'm trying to get through."

I've been as skeptacle about Matsui as anyone, but perhaps he is finding his swing. For now I will give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he will hit as expected, and not be a Rey Ordonez clone.

2004-04-03T17:52:00.000-05:00
Adios Roger

According to Rotoworld, the Mets have shipped Roger Cedeno to the Cards for infielder Wilson Delgado and Catcher Chris Widger. Rotoworld also reports that Delgado will report to AAA and Widger may be relesed.

Edit: Here is an ESPN link confirming the trade.

Well, what can I say? The Mets finally showed some guts here and got rid of this guy. I didn't think they'd get any one notable back. The last thing the Mets need is another catcher, so I could see Widger getting released. Delgado really is nothing special. A slightly below average bench player. AAA is definitley the place for him to be.

Cedeno's Met career will always be remembered for the bad times, but let's remember just how good he was for us in 1999. It's a shame what happened to him. I'm glad he is off the team, but I hope he does well and gets cheered a lot in St. Louis.

2004-04-03T16:59:00.000-05:00
Leiter Hit in Head by Line Drive

Mets pitcher Al Leiter was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Alex Gonzalez in today's exhibition game. Leiter was knocked down, but did stand up under his own power. Leiter was taken to the hospital for x-rays but was coherent enought to call his wife and tell her he was ok.

Leiter's status for his first regular season start has yet to be determined.

Re-Living the 1986 championship team

There is a fantastic new book coming out entitled "The Bad Guys won", written by Jeff Pearlman. Judging from the website, the book looks to be pretty cool, especially with some great off the field stories. Check out the site, it has a ton of cool pics up too.

I am interested in this book because quite frankly I am fascinated by the 86 Mets. I was only 2 years old in 86 so I never got to experience just how fun that season must have been. Fortunately for me, my Dad had taped the entire playoff run. Those Astros games were just incredible.

2004-04-03T09:15:00.000-05:00
Reyes to Play in Minor League Game Today

According to the Daily News:

Jose Reyes' recovery from a right hamstring strain continues to produce mixed messages. After running several times from the plate to first base at half-speed yesterday, Reyes pronounced himself at 65%. Less than three hours later, after taking batting practice for the second straight day without any reported discomfort, he upgraded himself to 75% and is scheduled to play in a minor-league game today - though he had yet to attempt full bursts of speed.

Reyes also revealed he would remain behind when the Mets break camp tomorrow to participate in extended spring training. The team's assumption is Reyes will be placed on the disabled list and spend four games there, returning a week from today when the Mets play the second game of a series in San Juan against the Expos.

As much as I want Reyes in the lineup on opening day, the D.L. is probably the best bet at the moment. Hopefully he doesn't have any setbacks along the way.

2004-04-03T08:42:00.000-05:00
Cedeno May be Headed to St. Louis

According to the Bergen Record, the Mets are on the verge of trading Roger Cedeno to the Cardinals.

The Mets are asking for very little in exchange for Cedeno, instead preferring to just rid themselves of the outfielder who has been a tremendous disappointment since signing a four-year $18 million deal before the 2002 season. If the deal were made, the Mets would pay most of the $10 million still owed to Cedeno.

I think most Mets fans would agree that this would be best for both parties. Cedeno never had a chance in New York and hopefully could find his niche in St. Louis. Meanwhile the Mets would rid themselves of a player who they have no use for and is the subject of the fans venom. I have to admit that I've always liked and rooted for Roger. If this does happen part of me will be sad to see him go.

2004-04-03T00:41:00.000-05:00
More Rotation News

It is 100 percent official. In this NY Times article it confirms reports that Tyler Yates will be the 4th starter and Scott Erickson the 5th. I won't even discuss the injustice here. I am happy for Yates but disgusted that Seo was left off the team.

"Jae had the fourth spot and he pitched himself off the team," Howe said before the Mets lost to the Marlins, 6-3, on Friday. "You just hope that you don't overreact in spring training. You can overreact to poor performance or good performance."

His friend and interpreter, Daniel Kim, said of Seo: "He is very disappointed in how everything happened. He thought he'd be the fourth starter. That idea was shared by many of us. When this became a reality, he was surprised, despite the warnings."

I never thought spring training could carry so much weight for a pitcher who was argubaly the Mets best last year. I could go into stats to back this up, but I don't even think they are necessary in this case. It seems that the Mets may have a few other tricks up their sleeves as well as they are having many trade talks involving Milton Bradley and some involving Roger Cedeno.

The Mets are looking into a couple of trades — they could unload Roger Cedeño before opening day — but the only one of significance involves Bradley, who could start in right field and who had a .421 on-base percentage last year. Though no offer has been made, talks have progressed past the preliminary stages. "In order to go forward, I'd have to get approval from ownership," Duquette said.

I would love Bradley here but if Duquette could get rid of Cedeno I would give him GM of the year. Why do I have this feeling of doubt though? Seems to me the Mets will do something incedibally stupid....as if the Jae Seo situation wasn't stupid enough.

Mets Lose Again

The Mets also lost another Spring training game. This time it was a 6-3 contest to the Marlins. That makes 7 losses in a row. I sure hope they are getting these losses out of the way early.

2004-04-02T09:06:00.000-05:00
The Roation is set....For Now

According to WFAN and Ed Coleman, the Mets have named their 4th and 5th starters.

Drumroll please.......And the winnners are.....Tyler Yates and Scott Erickson!

This comes as a huge surprise to me. I like the fact that thay are going to give Yates a chance, but I HATE the fact that they are giving Erickson a chance. I really feel bad for Jae Seo. I didnt know one bad spring training could off set a years worth of solid work.

I think there may be more to this though. I think the Mets may be holding onto Erickson because they know they have a deal in place with another team. If Duquette can get a middler reliever (lord knows we have enough of them) for Erickson, then it will be worth it. Then maybe Seo will get his chance. If this is not the case, I hope Seo pitches well enough to unseat Erickson at some point during the season.

This move also means that Grant Roberts will head to the bullpen, creating another battle for the final bullpen spot.

I will post more on this situation later when more news comes out.

2004-04-02T00:05:00.000-05:00
Wilpon Unhappy with Mets Play

Mets owner Fred Wilpon is not happy with the Mets play this spring training, and he isn't afraid to let them know about it.

Fred Wilpon acknowledged yesterday that he is unhappy with the sloppy play and warned that the team better improve its focus before the regular season begins Tuesday night in Atlanta.

The Mets have lost six in a row after last night's 4-1 setback to the Orioles. The good news was they didn't commit an error -- the Mets had been playing awful defense with 12 errors in their previous six games.

It's about time somebody stepped in and said something. As a fan, I have not been happy with the play thus far. It seems dull and un-inspired. Of course I'm sure Mr. Wilpon is aware that if this team struggles, he will lose a lot of money.

Before spring training, the Mets were told to emphasize several things: Play their best ball at the end of the spring to gain momentum into the regular season, and win TV games in order to generate interest in the club back home that would hopefully translate into increased ticket sales.

An interesting concept, but the Mets are just 2-8 in televised games. And even if they were 8-2, who would care when there is an all star team playing in the Bronx?

Rotation Getting Clearer

The Ny Daily News reports that Orber Moreno and Dan Wheeler will make the team. The article also speculates that Scott Erickson and Grant Roberts will round out the rotation.

Also from that article, the Mets sent Raul Gonzalez and Danny Garcia to AAA Norfolk.

I have to admit, the fact that Jae Seo seems like the odd man out bothers me a lot. If we were to just go on spring training, then Kaz Matsui and Braden Looper shouldn't make the team either. Some guys just have bad springs.

Mets still appear to have some ineterest in Bradley, but I am not sure if they will land him. Afterall, we are talking about the Mets here.

2004-04-01T21:01:00.000-05:00
News and Notes

The Mets continued their spring training losing streak, losing 4-1 to the Orioles. It was another bad night for Kaz Matsui as he produced an 0 for 4 effort. Ty Wiggington supplied the only run with a solo HR. Tom glavine also pitched well in the loss.

I usually do not put much stock into spring training games, but there are some alarming things going on with the mets. Kaz Matsui's struggels are certainly on the top of the list. Only one word can describe his hitting thus far....awful. I don't know if he is injured or what, but I hope he is just a slow starter or he finds his stroke soon.

Mets Interested in Bradley
According to the NY Times, the Mets are showing interest in Milton Bradley. Although the two clubs have not had any discussions, General Manager Jim Duquttes said "We're definitely considering him." Read into this however you want. I think this is a move the Mets have to make.

In that same article Art Howe suggests that Kaz Matsui may be dropped down from the leadoff spot. Matsui is batting just .167 this spring.

Reyes Improving

One day after re-aggravating his hamstring injury, Jose Reyes showed little effect of the injury as he took BP and fielded ground balls.

A Mets official said Thursday that Reyes' setbacks this week were not necessarily red flags and could be nothing more than minor discomfort during a delicate rehabilitation.

The next crucial step, and the one that tripped up Reyes on Sunday, is running the bases, and he said he'll give it another try this afternoon

I'm holding my breath that he recovers and has a long and injury free season. This is certainly a good sign.

Bye Bye Baldwin

James Baldwin, Aaron Heilman and Matt Ginter were all sent to AAA Norfolk. This leaves Scott Erickson, Grant roberts and Tyler Yates to battle things out. A decision must be made by Midnight on Saturday.

2004-04-01T12:52:00.000-05:00
Lets Not Play Games

It's time to get Milton Bradley.According to ESPN.com, the Indians will trade their talented but troubled outfielder within 72 hours. This trade is just too perfect for the Mets. His value is not that high due to his recent problems and he is much better than Shane Spencer and Karim Garcia.

Take a look at Bradleys numbers last year.

377 AB, .321/.421/.501, 152 OPS+, 10 HR, 56 RBI.

I wouldnt expect him to duplicate those numbers at Shea, but he would most definitely be a signifigant upgrade and would give the Mets the chance to have an extremely strong bench with Garcia there.

I don't know what it would take to get him but I would offer Heilman to start. I would do whatever it takes though to get this deal done and would be extremely dissapointed if the Mets at least did not show interest.

My money is he ends up in LA though.

2004-04-01T11:33:00.000-05:00
April Fools....

Since today is April Fool's Day, what better way to celebrate then reading the story of the legendary Sid Finch.

Here it is...enjoy.

2004-04-01T06:54:00.000-05:00
In the News

It's a busy news day today, so lets get started.

One day after I do an article about Seo and Roberts getting the last two spots in the rotation, chaos happens. Roberts was lit up last night which has just confused the situation even more. The NY Daily news reports that the mets were leaning towards demoting Jae Seo to start the season and giving his spot to Scott Erickson.

I think the mets are losing their minds if Erickson makes the rotation over Seo or Roberts. For months Fred Wilpon has preached the "younger and more athletic" plan. Then they go out and sign Zeile, and bring in Erickson and Baldwin. Maybe the requirement was that everyone had to be younger than Franco. If the Mets are this adamant about Seo not making the rotation then I would rather see Yates and Roberts at the bottom of the rotation. Didn't the Mets learn their lesson with David Cone last year?

Then we have a NY Post article that states the Mets are entertaining trade offers for Scott Erickon. Why would any one trade for him when there is a good chance he will be released anyway?

There is nothing new on the Reyes situation. It seems possible he could head to the DL but his agent Peter Greenberg is a bit more optimistic, "He had a little setback.He tweaked his hamstring again. We think it's a little thing. We don't think it's anything too serious." I think it would be best to hold him out from doing anything for a week, then see how it feels. I think he may have rushed into activity too soon.

And in the "I can't believe what I'm reading" section, the Mets had a workout for Bill Pulsipher yesterday. For now, he will pitch for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic league. If he pitches well there, the mets may have interest. Pulsipher seemed excited about the opportunity to return:"I'm a Met. I bleed Met blue.That's the team I rooted for as a kid."

2004-03-31T23:00:00.000-05:00
Reyes Re-Aggravates Hamstring injury

The Mets received some unfortunate news today as Jose Reyes re-aggravated his hamstring injury and will miss more time than originally expected.

Reyes re-injured the hamstring while taking batting practice. Reyes was noticeably upset and offered these words on his status: "Maybe no, maybe yes," he said. "I need a break I think. I don't know about the disabled list. I'll just have to wait and see. The only thing I can do is rest. When I'm ready, I'm ready."

General manager Jim Duquette said this:
"We're going to wait until the last minute before making a decision," Time is obviously running out. We're frustrated for him. He works hard at it. He's a big part of our club, short and long term. "Part of the recovery means that he's going to have soreness. There are no definitive answers on how long it will take to recover. It's a process of stops and starts until he feels better."

This is obviously an unfortunate thing to happen. One can’t help but root for Reyes because he has such a good attitude and demeanor. His injury problems are very troubling and should be a cause for concern. Now we just sit back and wait to see what happens next. If this is a lingering problem the mets can kiss their hopes for a strong season goodbye.

Todays Game
Dodgers 11, Mets 5
Recap
It looks like Roberts may have seriously hurt his chances to win the 5th spot.

2004-03-31T17:50:00.000-05:00
Say it aint Seo

The main story this spring has been the race for the 5th starters spot. Before yesterday, the race has been everything it was supposed to be. All 5 candidates have pitched well, and because of this the Mets find themselves with some excess arms. The consensus seemed to be that Grant Roberts has inched ahead of the pack and will be named the 5th man.If this is the case, one may have assumed that Heilman, Baldwin and Yates would be sent down to AAA and Mr. Lisa Guerrero would be forced to look for employment elsewhere. Well luckily for them, they are not dead yet. It seems as if the Mets management has not been impressed with Jae Seo this spring (can you blame them?), and have said that Seo’s spot in the rotation is up for grabs.

Let’s take a closer look at this shall we? Granted Seo is having a dreadful spring training, but that cannot be the lone factor in this decision. Last year Seo surprised us all by becoming a very consistent major leaguer. Surely his body of work from last year must outweigh his spring training work, because after all, these games are meaningless.

If you ask me this is just a motivational tool to try and get Seo to pitch better as we venture into the start of the season. If they really are serious about this threat though, then they better make the right call for who takes the job.

Lets look at the spring numbers thus far. So far this spring Seo is 0-2 with a 7.48 ERA through 21 2/3 innings. The numbers for the other 4 are as follows:

Roberts: 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA in 19 1/3 innings.
Yates: 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA in 14 innings.
Baldwin:1-0 with a 0.75 ERA over 12 innings.
Erickson:0-2 with a 3.75 over 12 innings.

Hmmm, these are some impressive number. For now lets pretend I make the decisions. Since the goal is to get younger I must rid the organization of the old men. Therefore,Erickson is gone and so is Baldwin. This leaves Seo, Roberts and Yates for the final 2 spots. Roberts deserves a chance because he has been through so much with this organization. Now we're down to two for one spot. I honestly ould like to see what Yates could do, but I am giving Seo the benefit of the doubt. I will however have him on a short leash. We as Mets fans should be confident that there is some one as talented as Yates waiting in the wings.

Please feel free to e-mail me at allstarmetsblog@hotmail.com with any questions, comments, corrections or just to say hi.
Thanks for your time.