tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81064057983112417162024-03-13T03:44:33.021-07:00MetsanityBring the Kiddies, Bring the Wife, Our Owner is a BillionaireGaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-33025918179873862232021-01-19T17:10:00.003-08:002021-01-19T17:12:07.172-08:00Jared Porter, We Hardly Knew Ye (Thank God)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="458" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ECUtkv2qV8" width="625" youtube-src-id="-ECUtkv2qV8"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>When the Mets hired Jared Porter to be their general manager, we noted that the young executive <a href="https://metsanity.blogspot.com/2020/12/porter-as-gm-and-mccann-at-catcher-is.html" target="_blank">checked all the boxes</a>. He was a part of three World Series-winning teams with the Red Sox, picked up another ring with the Cubs, became an assistant GM with the Diamondbacks, and was a protege of Theo Epstein, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30712193/mlb-hires-former-chicago-cubs-president-theo-epstein-consultant-field-matters" target="_blank">who was just hired</a> by Major League Baseball.</p><p>We had a feeling things were changing for the better. The Mets were finally entering baseball's modern age, and had seemingly found someone who would get them on the leading edge of the curve after so many years of lagging behind.</p><p><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30737248/ny-mets-gm-jared-porter-acknowledges-sending-explicit-images-female-reporter-worked-chicago-cubs" target="_blank">Or not</a>.</p><p>Less than a year ago, the Mets hired Carlos Beltran to be the manager, only to see him get caught up in the Astros cheating scandal, which led to him being fired before managing a game or even running a practice. Now, the Mets shiny new GM was fired after a month, immediately following a shattering ESPN report on how he bombarded a female journalist with texts that included unwanted nude photos. </p><p>The harassment led to the woman leaving journalism entirely, and while she declined to pursue legal action because she feared repercussions (ESPN was ready to publish a story three years ago but stood down per her request), she came out now, anonymously, because she didn't want someone else to go through what she did, adding that she wasn't sure Porter was really sorry.</p><p>Let the record show Porter was here long enough to make one trade — albeit a monumental one for Francisco Lindor —before being shown the door by owner Steve Cohen, who in one tweet showed everyone that, despite the embarrassment, this ain't your old New York Mets.</p><p>Cohen acted swiftly and rightly so. No wishy-washy statements about starting an investigation, or waiting to see what the tabloids and talk radio hosts had to say. Zero tolerance is zero tolerance, and Cohen made that clear. If it means starting another search, or letting Sandy Alderson run things for a while longer, so be it.</p><p>The report was cringeworthy, filled with texts that make Porter look like a desperate frat bro, which maybe he is. Maybe take a hint after 30 unanswered texts? </p><p>If there is a silver lining, it's that we have an owner who is truly in charge and knows the right way to handle a crisis. That and the fact that maybe the Mets dodged a bullet, because this debacle exposed Porter as someone who not only lacks maturity but whose character falls woefully short of any decent standard of behavior.</p><p>The old Mets would have worried about what people thought, hemmed and hawed, and probably still wouldn't have done the right thing. </p><p>This time, even though the offense absolutely warranted an immediate firing, the team stepped up without hesitation because its owner actually knows what he is doing.</p><p>And in the end, we do what Mets fans do. Try and look at the bright side of life.</p><p><br /></p>Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-25899555572704199132021-01-07T16:56:00.001-08:002021-01-07T16:56:36.848-08:00Francisco Lindor - That's a Fun Name to Put in the Lineup<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="364" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n1qjgOmt4gc" width="600" youtube-src-id="n1qjgOmt4gc"></iframe></div><br />Less than 24 hours after one of the most disturbing days in American history, Mets fans were given a reprieve with one of those old-fashioned hot stove league deals that has you counting the minutes until Opening Day.<p></p><p>We first heard rumors of the Mets' interest in Francisco Lindor in the waning weeks of 2020, and while acquiring a player of his stature would certainly be amazing, with so many other holes to fill, such a move would have to be considered a luxury.</p><p>Luckily for Mets fans, owner Steve Cohen has expensive tastes. Happy Freakin' New Year!</p><p>Lindor is arguably the best shortstop in baseball, most definitely in the top three, and at age 27 is entering the heart of his prime. A free agent after 2021, Lindor will most likely be locked up long term, giving the Mets a marquee shortstop who can hit, field, get on base and run like the wind. </p><p>You thought Jose Reyes was dynamic? Wait 'til you see this kid.</p><p>And yes, we remember another 27-year-old Cleveland middle infielder who didn't pan out (what happened, Carlos Baerga?) But that kind of thinking is only for fans who like to wallow in the mire of failures past. This is a new era in Flushing and all signs are pointing up.</p><p>New GM Jared Porter has landed quite a prize in his first big deal, and you can see Lindor (as of now) at the top of the order behind Brandon Nimmo and in front of Dom Smith, Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil and James McCann.</p><p>Is this the kind of deal that kick-starts the hot stove action? Does it get the ball rolling? Does it inspire someone like George Springer to want to come to Citi Field and roam centerfield? </p><p>Why stop there? Make a deal for Nolan Arenado. Sign Trevor Bauer. Like Tom Petty sang, the future is wide open.</p><p>And don't forget about Carlos Carrasco. He is an excellent, playoff-tested pitcher who solidifies the middle of the rotation and is by all accounts is a great guy in the clubhouse. Throw him in with Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, David Peterson and Steven Matz with Noah Syndergaard back before the All-Star break and you've got something. Seth Lugo goes back to the bullpen where he can do his best work.</p><p>Yes, we'll miss Andres Gimenez, who could pick it. We loved listening to Keith Hernandez was poetic about his play in the field, and while he will develop into a very good player, his bat doesn't project to be as good as Lindor's. And Amed Rosario was a fun player too, he just couldn't take a pitch.</p><p><a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/01/07/francisco-lindor-new-york-mets-steve-cohen" target="_blank">The Mets are in it to win it</a>, finally. </p><p>Now if only we can have some fans at the games.</p>Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-51043362549542651912020-12-14T19:14:00.003-08:002020-12-14T19:14:50.365-08:00Porter as GM and McCann at Catcher — Is Trevor Bauer Next?<p><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="351" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eUhdawsmA0Q" width="676" youtube-src-id="eUhdawsmA0Q"></iframe></p><p>I'm not gonna lie, I had no idea who Jared Porter was before the Mets hired him as the GM. Zero. Zilch. Nada.</p><p>Not that I expected them to hire anyone I knew, or anyone that well-known. With Sandy Alderson as team president overseeing the whole enchilada, you figured the Mets would go the route of the young, up-and-coming executive who speaks fluent analytics and hopefully has had some success.</p><p>In that respect, Porter checks all of the boxes. He was in the Boston front office for three World Series titles and added a fourth ring with the Cubs. He was an executive Vice President and assistant GM of the D-Backs, and has worked his way into this opportunity with the Mets. Steve Cohen has to like what he sees.</p><p>Porter's hiring comes on the heels of the Trevor May signing and the Mets' expected signing of catcher James McCann, and those moves taken together seem to point in one indisputable direction.</p><p>Trevor Bauer is next.</p><p>Call it a gut feeling, and this is coming from someone who until now didn't really think the Mets were going to go in on Bauer, who will command a princely sum and who would be a polarizing presence in New York.</p><p>But take a look at what has happened. First start with May, who worked with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner in Minnesota. He is all about data and mechanics, two things that Bauer has built his surging career on. Bauer and his dad are like mad scientists compared to traditional pitching coaches. They make Rick Peterson look like a community college dropout.</p><p>Then look at McCann, whose offensive numbers are impressive but maybe not much more important than his defensive work. He has become an expert pitch framer and has earned high praise for his ability to handle a pitching staff. Now he gets to work with Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard... and possible Bauer.</p><p>Toss in a youngster like David Peterson and maybe a reborn Steven Matz — with Bauer, that is an incredible group of starters. </p><p>Porter's background and approach fit right in with this new Mets front office, and you know Cohen has made it a priority to drag the Mets out of the dark ages. What better way to signal that commitment than by signing Bauer?</p><p>And this doesn't take into account the bouquets that Bauer continues to toss in Flushing's direction. Sure, he may just be doing everything he can to market himself and drive the price up, but why wouldn't he want to join the club owned by the multi-billionaire rebuilding in New York?</p><p>George Springer is still there for the taking, too.</p><p>It's a weird feeling to be a Mets fan and think anything is possible. But here we are.</p><p>I can remember where I was for almost every big Mets trade or player signing. I've got a feeling I'll know where I'll be when Bauer makes his decision.</p>Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-36277664283561294902020-12-02T18:16:00.002-08:002020-12-02T18:29:47.017-08:00Meet the Matz: LI's Own Is Tendered But His Future Is Still Unclear<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQ10ekpvCL0rjcmRTlDlIt7FonYjTdLrAa6MKzQNY-uiEfxMD6MMOL8NWsp2I_CVGsNz_Hw36Q8V1NPDrywLmFsLriygtIzt0GXZ7rtGBcM49Cq1eHIXs44rrzq-nQMsCvkE6F_BxeyMH/s400/homer.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="homer at the bat" border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="400" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQ10ekpvCL0rjcmRTlDlIt7FonYjTdLrAa6MKzQNY-uiEfxMD6MMOL8NWsp2I_CVGsNz_Hw36Q8V1NPDrywLmFsLriygtIzt0GXZ7rtGBcM49Cq1eHIXs44rrzq-nQMsCvkE6F_BxeyMH/w400-h310/homer.gif" width="400" /></a></div>My neighbor Nicholas is a huge Mets fan and loves baseball. The middle schooler can always be found playing catch with his dad in front of his house, usually wearing the orange and blue.<p></p><p>One of his favorite players is Steven Matz.</p><p>One reason is that his mom is a guidance counselor at my old high school, and Matz' mom was (not sure if she still is) a staff member there. So one day, she was able to get Matz to meet her son, which was a highlight of his young Mets fandom.</p><p>It all started out so great, do you remember? Matz making his debut at Citi Field, stellar on the mound and at the plate, the image of his family — led by his grandfather — going nuts in the stands. The future looked bright.</p><p>He had his injuries, and often struggled with his temper, but a young, hard-throwing lefty is valuable, and prior to 2020, Matz looked like he was coming into his own. He made 30 starts in each of the previous two seasons with a combined ERA of just above 4, winning 16 games and averaging just under a strikeout per inning. </p><p>With Noah Syndergaard out getting Tommy John surgery, Matz, at age 28, was in great position to take a big step forward in 2020 and establish himself at the top of the rotation behind Jacob deGrom.</p><p>We all know what happened next.</p><p>In the COVID-shortened season, where no player had a chance to bounce back with a big second half because there was none, Matz was awful. Maybe beyond awful. It was mind-boggling.</p><p>Despite having the best K rate of his career, as well as his best average fastball and slider velocity, Matz was pummeled. Literally. His pitches were usually right down the middle and hitters hammered him. <a href="https://sny.tv/articles/stay-or-go-analyzing-whether-steven-matz-is-a-fit-for-the-mets-in-2021-and-beyond" target="_blank">Their rates of barreling him up, hitting him hard and sending the ball out fast</a> placed Matz at the bottom of MLB. </p><p>His season-ending line: A 9.68 ERA, a 1.69 WHIP and an astonishing 14 HR allowed in just 30.2 innings.</p><p>Despite all that, the Mets tendered Matz a contract, and he will reportedly earn $5.1 million, although it is also reported that the contract is not guaranteed.</p><p>I wouldn't have been surprised to see them cut bait, but with pitching depth an issue, it made sense to keep him. He supposedly has met with former pitching coach Phil Regan to figure out what went wrong, and you'd hope that Jeremy Hefner has some ideas.</p><p>The Mets will undoubtedly acquire or sign at least one middle-to-top starter, whether it's Trevor Bauer or Jake Odorizzi or Blake Snell or whoever. Which means Matz is basically the fifth starter until Thor makes his triumphant return.</p><p>And while Seth Lugo really, really, really wants to start, he's just much better in the bullpen, and the numbers back that up. Figure Lugo to bolster the back of the pen with newcomer Trevor May and Edwin Diaz. </p><p>I was surprised that lefty Chasen Shreve was let go as he was effective for much of the year and is a much-needed lefty reliever. Somehow Robert Gsellman is back.</p><p>Maybe Matz ends up in the pen as well, although with his first-inning issues, that may not be the best solution. But he's on the team, still a work in progress. He's approaching 30, and yes, sometimes lefties take longer to develop. </p><p>Let's hope Matz figures it out. Fellow Long Islander Steve Cohen hopes so, too.</p>Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-87208787530517814762020-11-25T21:12:00.003-08:002020-11-25T21:12:55.132-08:00Steve Cohen Is Giving Us Plenty to Be Thankful For<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNm2e-3Q-NL74qqZf6W3ZIbAQpPJUPviRg8TbZW9YSw6AQt4qKXPTKZV_j0qyh2Z-2QjU22NNRDsbt66DlViDWDyDOPR_riXj6sIQugSZS01lf6SVAmI17dBoGLyvh9bwnhAlGD99fJa5F/s400/thankgiving.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNm2e-3Q-NL74qqZf6W3ZIbAQpPJUPviRg8TbZW9YSw6AQt4qKXPTKZV_j0qyh2Z-2QjU22NNRDsbt66DlViDWDyDOPR_riXj6sIQugSZS01lf6SVAmI17dBoGLyvh9bwnhAlGD99fJa5F/s320/thankgiving.gif" /></a></div>A friend of mine this week bought a season ticket package, and he told the Mets sales agent that if the Wilpons were still the owners, he wouldn't have bought it.<p></p><p>The agent replied, "You're not the first person to tell me that."</p><p>Multiply that exchange by the hundreds or even thousands, and you understand that the impact Steve Cohen has had on the Mets franchise goes well beyond how much money he will spend on players. He's selling tickets himself. </p><p>He doesn't play a position in the field and will never swing a bat, but fans are buying in because of the confidence he brings to the club, and the hope that sustained success is right around the corner, along with a World Series title or two (or several).</p><p>Cohen was interviewed on SNY tonight and if you weren't sold on Cohen, you sure are now. He may be the richest owner in baseball by several billion dollars, and has been known to drop eight figures on artwork, but when he speaks, you hear the fan in him. </p><p>Maybe the highlight of the interview was when Steve Gelbs asked him if there was any piece of Mets memorabilia he'd like to own, and he casually said, "<a href="https://www.sny.tv/articles/steve-cohen-explains-how-he-came-into-possession-of-mookie-wilson-s-world-series-game-6-winning-baseball?jwsource=cl" target="_blank">Oh, you mean like the Buckner ball</a>?" And pulled it out of its case and held it up to his webcam.</p><p>"Funny story," he continued, explaining that an associate told him the ball was for sale and that it would cost around $150K. "OK, then buy it," Cohen commanded. When he was told the ball was his, Cohen asked what the final price was and was told it cost him $410,000. "I wasn't happy," he said. "But I'm happy now."</p><p>He said he'll put the ball in the Mets museum. Keith Olbermann, who apparently has Buckner's glove, said it would be nice to put the ball in the glove so they finally touch. Someone else has Mookie's cleats and said he'll donate those to the museum as well.</p><p>Cohen added that he wants to make the Mets a place where players want to play, "and not just for a check." He talked about taking chances and how it makes life less boring. He talked about making things better for everyone, from the players to the staff to the fans.</p><p>Free agents? "We're talking to everybody." He may even bring back the black jerseys, and my son will be thrilled.</p><p>The guy is the anti-Wilpon. He's been a fan all his life. Tom Seaver was his favorite player. He said he looks forward to an Old-Timers Day when Darryl Strawberry, David Wright, Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling, Ed Kranepool and others can come back to Flushing.</p><p>It was an amazing interview, and provided fans with pure hope.</p><p>What's that ticket sales number?</p>Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-22303016629708352042020-11-24T17:20:00.000-08:002020-11-24T17:20:46.547-08:00Blake Snell Traded for Pete Alonso? You Gotta Give to Get, But...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvijg3UhZ03NBaGZTjlHLVcIk9zwg07x2dwk8KXrLpDhywFzJdBuQIEpsmp-lR6d9y1sjckm_HjzftyhacSAbONwnqGWGoSfLQXnOtNeNA0AUKxl3WM44a4QUvolQ2cbgnGHNZKSvYVBV/s1200/blake-snell-4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Blake snell" border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvijg3UhZ03NBaGZTjlHLVcIk9zwg07x2dwk8KXrLpDhywFzJdBuQIEpsmp-lR6d9y1sjckm_HjzftyhacSAbONwnqGWGoSfLQXnOtNeNA0AUKxl3WM44a4QUvolQ2cbgnGHNZKSvYVBV/w447-h252/blake-snell-4.png" width="447" /></a></div>After Blake Snell was yanked from game six of the World Series, he reacted the way millions of baseball fans and ex-Major League players across the country did — with a facial expression that matched the F-bomb that burst forth from his mouth.<p></p><p>Snell hasn't always said the right things, but after the game he took the high road and reminded the reporters present that Kevin Cash made a lot of right moves to help the Rays get to where they ended up, and he was right.</p><p>But Snell is a bulldog. He's not a five-inning, only-twice-through-the-order pitcher. (An aside: Tampa Bay has done an amazing job acquiring talent that others have undervalued and maximizing what they have, but for the life of me, I do not understand why you would want relievers, who are by definition not as good as starters, to pitch more innings.) He wants the ball, he won a Cy Young two seasons ago, and on that night he was DOMINATING THE DODGERS MY GOD...</p><p>(Deep breath)</p><p>Anyhoo, not soon after the Dodgers had their super-spreader celebration, there were rumblings that maybe the Rays would entertain trading Snell. On one hand, it doesn't make much sense since he is on a very team-friendly contract and a small market club like the Rays rely on those. On the other hand, the Rays have always been inclined to strike while the market is hot and deal someone sooner rather than later.</p><p>And so, it has come to pass that the <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-rumors-blue-jays-interested-in-jt-realmuto-others-blake-snell-sonny-gray-could-be-traded/" target="_blank">Blake Snell trade rumors have begun</a>. So we ask: do you want Snell on the Mets, and what would you give up for him?</p><p>Snell is under contract for the next three years at a total of just under $39 million, which Steve Cohen just found under the floor mats of his Lambo. Trevor Bauer is looking for that kind of cash for one season.</p><p>Snell would find a happy home in Flushing, where he would bond with Jacob deGrom and dare Luis Rojas to take him off the mound. Thor will be on a pitch count when he comes back, and Lugo and Stroman aren't throwing any CGs anytime soon, and Peterson is just a babe. So Snell and deGrom would form the dynamic duo at the top of the rotation, eating innings and giving the bullpen a break twice a week.</p><p>One of the teams reportedly interested in Snell is Seattle, and the Rays would probably want Jarred Kelenic, which is rich. </p><p>So what could the Mets offer? Would you deal Pete Alonso? </p><p>Let me state for the record that I am not in favor of such a move and why MLB and the MLBPA haven't yet determined whether the NL will have the DH next season (which I also don't like, but, you know, progress) is beyond me, because if they do, Alonso would be perfect as the mostly DH, sometimes 1B.</p><p>Maybe a package including J.D. Davis or other prospects would work. But a young and accomplished player like Alonso, who is from the Tampa area, would be very enticing for the Rays.</p><p>Again, it would kill me. There are other pitching options out there, like Jake Odorizzi and Taijuan Walker, so Snell isn't a priority like CF or catcher or the bullpen. And the Mets have some decisions to make as to who they're willing to deal and who they want to keep.</p><p>But it's something to think about, and something tells me next season, Snell will be on a mound throwing for someone other than a manager who thinks the third time through the order is a death knell.</p>Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-12361716600050127152020-11-23T20:06:00.000-08:002020-11-23T20:06:26.608-08:00Nine Years Gone, but a New Dawn Thanks to Uncle Steve<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRTawWWEj1W2aqCMfb0cp58NJMPnbSXE0cb5YD0zdHQzakItR2hZJXUYdtDAmkOUTDcUS5-x3qMu76u68pM0jVsTtD8zZmBJfROJtLamwVFQo_uiPbAOI7mrThZ4xE2I_xtsu5sYP5SS3/s2000/CohenMets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Steve Cohen" border="0" data-original-height="1335" data-original-width="2000" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRTawWWEj1W2aqCMfb0cp58NJMPnbSXE0cb5YD0zdHQzakItR2hZJXUYdtDAmkOUTDcUS5-x3qMu76u68pM0jVsTtD8zZmBJfROJtLamwVFQo_uiPbAOI7mrThZ4xE2I_xtsu5sYP5SS3/w400-h268/CohenMets.jpg" width="400" /></a>Nine years ago, my son was in fourth grade and thinking about playing soccer. Nine years ago, my daughter was 5 and thinking about Scooby-Doo. Nine years ago, the Mets had a losing record and Sandy Alderson was completing his first year as the GM.</p><p>Nine years later, my son is playing soccer in college, my daughter is a freshman in high school thinking about anything but Scooby-Doo, and the Mets have a multi-billionaire owner who has re-energized a franchise that has wallowed in the doldrums for far too long.</p><p>What a difference a near-decade makes.</p><p>Nine years ago was the last time I posted to this blog. I don't really remember why I stopped, but it was likely because I was tired of trying to stay optimistic and lauding the team's pluck when what I really wanted was wins and a championship.</p><p>Of course, the last nine years haven't been completely bereft. A year after I shut this bad boy down, R.A. Dickey had a season for the ages and won a Cy Young, and Alderson later traded him for a package that included Noah Syndergaard. The Mets swept the Cubs to make it to the 2015 World Series and deserved a better fate. David Wright's amazing Mets career came to a heartbreaking, injury-shortened end, but his last game was one we won't soon forget.</p><p>Mike Piazza was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame. Johan Santana threw the Mets' first no-hitter. We saw the rise of home-grown talents like two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, Michael Conforto, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Dom Smith. But playoff success continued to elude the Amazins.</p><p>However, a new day has dawned. The Katz-Wilpon ownership era, horribly undone by blind faith in a Ponzi schemer named Bernie Madoff, finally gave way and sold the team to Steve Cohen, a lifelong Mets fan who in his short tenure as owner has shown that he gets it. He's going to upgrade all aspects of the organization, drag it into the modern day, spend serious cash, and tweet back at the faithful. So far, it has been glorious.</p><p>So what better time to dust off the keyboard and get on this train?</p><p>After a pandemic-shortened, super-weird season, the Mets are in position not only to pay up for top free agents but grab the best of a motherlode of players who will have been made available by teams that are cutting budgets after losing a ton of money. Uncle Steve didn't take that bath, and the Mets will certainly benefit.</p><p>A Tom Seaver statue is coming, but unfortunately, The Franchise won't be around to see it. You'd think that in addition to Old-Timer's Day and possibly Bobby Bonilla Day, we'll see statues of Piazza and Wright outside Citi Field as well, and a few more numbers retired, starting hopefully with Wright, Hernandez, and Carter.</p><p>The hot stove season will be a wild one. The 2021 roster should be juicy. We don't know if we'll be able to attend games in person. But we'll be there for the ride.</p><p>All aboard.</p>Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-58817638294175771342011-08-09T21:44:00.000-07:002011-08-09T21:51:27.539-07:00These Mets sure know how to take a punch — and deliver one<iframe width="595" height="489" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kv6iyZg3GaY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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I was talking with my brother over at <a href="http://optimetsic.blogspot.com/">Optimetsic</a> recently about this Mets team, and how — despite all that's gone on with injuries, and the rough start — enjoyable the season has been, how players like Justin Turner and Daniel Murphy and Dillon Gee have stepped up, how they never give up, how Terry Collins has the team playing hard every game.<br />
<br />
But while I have enjoyed what the Mets have done, I admit I want more. I've been pointing to the final third of the season, with a majority of games at home, and three series left against the Braves, as being the Mets' final chance to prove to the naysayers that they were far from finished, that they could still have a run in them.<br />
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Then the Mets lost four in a row to the Nationals and the friggin' Marlins, and dropped the opener of the Braves series, and I have to say, it was rough. Here it was, their big chance to at least start to make up ground, and they were blowing it, the last three losses coming at home, which made things doubly frustrating. And of course, losing to the Braves is always painful.<br />
<br />
And yet, the Mets battled back again, winning Saturday night with four home runs and 16 hits, and you thought, OK, there's still some hope.<br />
<br />
I tuned into Sunday's game late, hearing on the radio that Willie Harris was in for Jose Reyes, who left with an injured hamstring. WHAAAA? We get to my mom's house, and within a half-hour, Daniel Murphy gets spiked and injures a knee, and you knew just from the look on his face that he was done for the year. SERIOUSLY?<br />
<br />
And yet, the Mets still battled, but ultimately let the Braves take it when Bobby Parnell allowed a broken-bat single, a walk, and then for some reason threw three straight sliders to Chipper Jones, who of course rolled a 15-hopper past second in the top of the ninth for the win.<br />
<br />
Immediate thoughts were that Citi Field must be built on an indian burial ground. Ike Davis wasn't hurt here, it was in Colorado, but still -- that was a seemingly innocuous collision with David Wright that's kept him out all season. Murphy hurts his other knee covering on a stolen base — when does that ever happen? Just plain bizarre. And Reyes again? Something's up. If there really are Phillies jerseys buried in the foundation, dig 'em up.<br />
<br />
I lost it, especially with Parnell, who I thought would benefit by having a Frankenstein-like implant of Jason Isringhausen's head onto his 100-mile-an-hour body. Parnell went to the well once too often with Chipper, which he has a tendency to do. He hasn't learned to pitch, and that's what keeps guys like Kyle Farnsworth bouncing from team to team.<br />
<br />
And yet, the Mets still battled. They could have packed it in, but instead rallied to take game one of the Padres series on Monday, <a href="http://optimetsic.blogspot.com/2011/08/game-114162.html">recapped nicely here by Optimetsic</a>. Two in the eighth, two more in the ninth. Lucas Duda is going to get a huge opportunity to be the left-handed power-hitting first baseman that Davis was supposed to be, and this audition will go a long way toward him possibly being the right field starter next season. Duda has met the challenge.<br />
<br />
He came through again Tuesday night, with two more hits, but more importantly, a huge sacrifice bunt in the eighth that set up the game-tying sac fly by Nick Evans (keep this kid around, please). Best of all, Collins said Duda asked him if he wanted him to bunt. Anything for the team, coach.<br />
<br />
Then there was the game-winning run on a bases-loaded walk to Ruben Tejada, who has shown that he has a pretty good eye.<br />
<br />
Everyone contributed. Pagan homered for the second straight night. Hairston had a big hit. Jason Bay continues to hit. Carrasco got out of a jam.<br />
<br />
Collins has said over and over that this team doesn't give up, and they've proven that over and over again. If any team deserved the YOU GOTTA BELIEVE mantra, it's this one. And so, I continue to be greedy and perhaps too unrealistic. Ten games out with 11 to play? THERE'S STILL A CHANCE.<br />
<br />
*** And yes, I know the video above is in Spanish. Damn YouTube "embedding disabled by request." It still translates.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-59378281113753615442011-07-28T19:59:00.000-07:002011-07-28T20:03:35.504-07:00Know when to hold 'em, Sandy<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="489" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kn481KcjvMo" width="595"></iframe><br />
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Prior to the season, there were two things we wanted Sandy Alderson to do — release Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez. He did, and it sent a message that things were going to be different under this new regime.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to July. The Mets have hovered on the fringe of the wild card race despite missing David Wright for two months and Ike Davis longer than that, with no Johan Santana at all. Terry Collins is getting the most out of his players (except for Angel Pagan and Jason Bay), but with the trade deadline approaching, two players loom large as Alderson balances the present and the future — Frankie Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran.<br />
<br />
K-Rod has a clause in his contract that has a $17 million option for 2012 triggered by 55 games closed. Beltran is a pending free agent who by contract cannot be offered arbitration, meaning the Mets get no draft picks for him if he goes elsewhere next season.<br />
<br />
Alderson managed both situations perfectly. He quietly moved K-Rod during the All-Star break for players to be named later, and then got a premier starting pitcher prospect from the Giants for Beltran.<br />
<br />
Both moves were necessary for the future. As for the present, the Mets had closing options in Jason Isringhausen and Bobby Parnell, and moving Beltran gave Lucas Duda a chance to show why he was the organization's player of the year last year (and maybe provide the lefty power missing since Davis left).<br />
<br />
The Mets have dealt with the changes extremely well, and swept the Reds in Cincinnati. As of Thursday night they are 6 1/2 games behind the Braves at 54-51, with 57 games remaining and three days left before the trading deadline.<br />
<br />
Now what we want Alderson to do is: nothing.<br />
<br />
The future is secure. There's tons of money off the payroll next season. The team is playing well, and despite what many have to say, the Mets are certainly in the playoff hunt. The chemistry is good. Daniel Murphy and David Wright are hitting machines. Bay had a huge day Thursday and is destined to get hot, as he usually does each season (except last year).<br />
<br />
Sandy, stand pat.<br />
<br />
You did what you had to do. There are 33 home games left and this team is fun to watch. Keep what you've got and give the fans a reason to come to the park and spend money. Keep this team as it stands now intact and see if it can't make a run in the final third of the season. See if Davis, who says his ankle is pain-free, can come back. See if Johan Santana, who threw three solid rehab innings today, can join the rotation by September.<br />
<br />
No one in the clubhouse is waving a white flag. Isringhausen and Byrdak can contribute to this team making a playoff push, not someone else.<br />
<br />
Job well done, Sandy. Now sit back, relax, and see what these kids can do.<br />
<br />
We might be surprised.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-68018110769006982432011-07-27T21:30:00.000-07:002011-07-27T21:30:27.037-07:00No Beltran, no problem as Mets continue to man up<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="489" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h2mthsJZefk" width="595"></iframe><br />
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I don't think I'm going out on a limb by saying Wednesday was the pivotal day of this season, perhaps the most pivotal in the Mets' last few seasons.<br />
<br />
The day began with intensifying reports that a Carlos Beltran trade was imminent. By the afternoon, word was out that Beltran was traded to the Giants for 21-year-old pitching prospect Zack Wheeler, with the Mets throwing in around $4 million to pay most of Beltran's remaining salary.<br />
<br />
Beltran reportedly took his teammates out to dinner Tuesday night in anticipation of the deal, and said his goodbyes in the clubhouse an hour before Wednesday's game against the Reds. Lucas Duda started in right field, and after saying he was most comfortable in left and at first base than in right, manager Terry Collins responded, "He better get comfortable real fast."<br />
<br />
So what happened? The Mets responded the way they have responded to adversity all season. Duda homered, a laser to right. Daniel Murphy, batting third, had four hits. David Wright, batting fourth, homered and drove in four. Angel Pagan, Beltran's protege, doubled in two runs in the first to give the Mets the lead. Jose Reyes had two hits and two runs. And Mike Pelfrey tossed a complete game, his best start of the season, helping the Mets win their third straight in a four-game series in Cincinnati that ends Thursday afternoon.<br />
<br />
Man up. That's what Collins has preached all season. The bullpen has an example in Jason Isringhausen of how to bear down. R.A. Dickey is a bulldog. Justin Turner brings the grit. The four relievers who closed out Tuesday's win did so in blue-collar style.<br />
<br />
It's old school. Mex loves it. I love it. The Mets draw walks, hit for average, steal bases. They don't get a lot of home runs but they score. They win on the road. If they can figure out how to win at home again — and here's where the fans can help by, you know, showing up to support them — then maybe we've got something here, Beltran or no Beltran.<br />
<br />
Anyone criticizing Sandy Alderson's performance so far is an idiot, plain and simple. He quickly defused the K-Rod situation and got a top-40 prospect with top of the rotation talent for a rental player. You can't argue with that. Suddenly, the Mets' farm system has a bunch of future starters in Mejia, Familia, Wheeler and Harvey, not to mention Gee and Niese.<br />
<br />
A few words about Beltran. He's one of the best players the Mets have ever had, hands down. Best center fielder, no question. Effortless. A great hitter. Clutch — look up the numbers. Unfortunately, some people remember only his slow start his first season, the called strike three in 2006 and the injuries that derailed 2009 and most of 2010. That's unfortunate. The guy was a professional and classy and in his last seasons a mentor. He will be missed.<br />
<br />
But I don't expect the team to roll over. Collins won't allow it. Wright and Reyes and Bay and Murphy and Dickey won't allow it. It's a tough assignment, what with the Braves staying hot and getting ridiculous calls in their favor. But the Mets are still in it and this team will continue to fight. Lots of home games left to make things interesting.<br />
<br />
Wednesday was a good day for Beltran, a good day for the Mets and a good day for Mets fans. A win-win-win, which is exactly what the Mets have done to the Reds. Hopefully, it continues.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-76965784910226081182011-07-26T22:11:00.000-07:002011-07-26T22:22:30.184-07:00They ain't dead yet<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="487" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/grbSQ6O6kbs" width="595"></iframe><br />
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I stopped listening to Benigno and Roberts on WFAN <a href="http://metsanity.blogspot.com/2011/05/mets-win-pelfrey-pitches-well-but.html">back in May</a> because (1) Benigno is a moron and (2) for guys who claim to be Mets fans, they are awfully negative. But because the FAN is the No. 1 AM station on my car stereo, when I head out to grab lunch, out of habit I'll tune in to 660 and occasionally catch a bit of their show, against my better judgement.<br />
<br />
So there I was this afternoon, running out to the Landmark Deli for an "Emeril Calling" roast beef wrap, when I turned on the radio just in time to hear those paragons of positivity declare several times, while discussing what kind of return the Mets could get for Carlos Beltran, that the Mets are dead.<br />
<br />
I'll admit that my optimism borders on the lunatic. I'm the kind of fan who will hold on to every last shred of hope until mathematical elimination is nigh. But really, with more than a third of the season left to play, we're calling the Mets done?<br />
<br />
Sure, Atlanta was 7 1/2 games ahead of the Mets in a crowded field for the Wild Card entering Tuesday's second game of a four-game set in Cincinnati. But 60 games is a lot of baseball left, so could we please hold off on the shovels? Good Lord.<br />
<br />
Yes, to win 90 games the Mets would need to go 39-21 over their final 60 games while the Braves go no better than 30-29 in their final 59. Unlikely? Maybe. Impossible? Not at all.<br />
<br />
The Mets took a step forward and improved to 52-51 with an 8-6 win over the Reds Tuesday night in a game that featured some sloppy play by the home team and some very gutsy work by a shorthanded Mets bullpen, with Beato, Acosta, Igarashi and Byrdak combining to save a win for Jon Niese, who imploded in the fifth after four solid innings. <br />
<br />
The Mets have had a tough schedule so far, particularly since May 27, when 14 of the 18 series were against playoff contenders. The only games that weren't were against Oakland and the Dodgers (Mets went 5-2) and five against the Marlins (the Mets won just once). In that stretch of 51 games, the Mets went 26-25. Not bad, considering the strength of schedule and the lack of David Wright, Ike Davis, and for a bit, Jose Reyes.<br />
<br />
The rest of the way gets easier, providing the Mets get better at home. After this road trip the Mets will have the final third of the season left, 54 games, and 33 will be at Citi Field. They play the Braves nine times, six at home. That's an opportunity.<br />
<br />
Terry Collins has expected his players to step up when needed all season, and when Beltran is traded, that just means Lucas Duda and Jason Pridie will have a chance to show what they have. Collins mentioned this week that if Beltran leaves and he senses any negativity in the clubhouse, he'll move quickly to squash it, noting that most of the players are fighting not only to win games now but for a spot on the roster next season. So there's dual motivation.<br />
<br />
As for Beltran, we keep hearing that the Mets won't get top prospects for a two-month rental, but the fact remains that among the outfielders who will be available, Beltran is the best player and the biggest impact bat. So Sandy Alderson is smart to wait this out to the end to see who coughs up the most.<br />
<br />
But I'm at a point where if the offers for Beltran are that underwhelming -- and especially if the Mets can pick up another game or two between now and Friday -- the Mets should just keep Beltran and ride the season out. (As I finish this, the Mets could pick up another half game and move to 6 1/2 games out if the Pirates can beat the Braves, but it's the top of the 18th inning. Yikes.)<br />
<br />
With so many home dates left, the Mets should consider the value of keeping its top players and going for it. If it doesn't work out, so what? They lose out on a couple of middling prospects.<br />
<br />
But if the Mets can catch fire? How much are all those "meaningful games" worth, not just in dollars but in karma?<br />
<br />
Like I said, I'm a lunatic. Or fanatic. A fan.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-86070402304380059402011-07-13T07:40:00.000-07:002011-07-13T07:46:18.539-07:00Can the Mets get the band back together (without K-Rod)?<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rN5V-6yCbpg" width="560"></iframe><br />
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So I took a week off from the blog, for a couple of reasons. One, after the Subway Series the Mets went to the West Coast and, frankly, I can barely stay awake to watch the games than blog about them afterwards. Plus, we were away for most of that week, and then there was the All-Star break, so I figured I'd just take a breather and come back with a post after the midsummer classic with a look toward what the second half of the season could bring.<br />
<br />
I didn't have to wait long for the first gift.<br />
<br />
Within an hour of the conclusion of the All-Star game (won by the NL), the Mets dealt Francisco Rodriguez to the Brewers for cash (later reported to be $5 million, or what he's owed the rest of this season) and two players to be named later.<br />
<br />
This shocked absolutely no one since we all knew there was no way the Mets would be paying K-Rod his $17 million salary next season, which would kick in once he finished 21 more games. Sandy Alderson did what he had to do, and dumped the salary, and really, if either of the two prospects the Mets pick up ever make the big-league club it would be a bonus.<br />
<br />
So next year's payroll will not include the $17M for K-Rod, nor the $19 million made by Carlos Beltran, nor the $12M for Ollie Perez nor the $6M for Luis Castillo. That's $54 million. Considering the payroll this season was around $138 million, that's a huge reduction.<br />
<br />
Think $7-8 million of that could go to Jose Reyes? Yeah, we think so.<br />
<br />
The K-Rod deal doesn't raise the white flag on the season in that everyone knew K-Rod was going at some point, and the Mets do have a couple of possible closers in Bobby Parnell and Jason Isringhausen (we're thinking Izzy to Parnell is the way to go, if only because we'll find out whether Parnell really has the stuff to close).<br />
<br />
Is Beltran next? It's likely, but with David Wright and Jose Reyes coming back in a week, it would be nice to see whether this team can hang in there. At 7 1/2 games out of the wild card with 71 games left, there's still plenty of time and plenty of fight left in the dog. And it seems that there is a chance that Ike Davis could be back, and then maybe Santana in August. The Brewers are going for it, and they're just 2 1/2 games ahead of the Mets. Fans (this one at least) aren't ready to concede anything just yet.<br />
<br />
The team is on the precipice, though, and it will be a challenge to win the series against the Phillies as shorthanded as they are. Certainly, Alderson has to think long term, and dealing K-Rod and possibly Beltran, who will not be back in 2012, are moves for the future.<br />
<br />
But we're still in the present. Terry Collins, like coach Norman Dale in "Hoosiers," doesn't worry about who's not in the lineup. His teams compete regardless of who's starting.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITGwzan_0FY&feature=related">"My team is on the floor."</a><br />
<br />
That team hasn't had Davis or Wright in a long while and has been surviving without Reyes for more than a week and they are still in the mix. Can we let this team play it out? Sure, we could get a couple of players for Beltran, but no top prospects for a rental.<br />
<br />
Why not let Beltran honor the rest of his contract and enjoy his final resurgent year in Flushing, and see what happens when the band is back together?<br />
<br />
Again, 71 games left. Nine against the Braves and six of those at home.<br />
<br />
Collins has talked all season about guys getting the opportunity to show something. Turner and Murphy have taken advantage. Parnell is about to. The Mets as a team can do the same.<br />
<br />
---<br />
<br />
Just a note about the video up top. I wanted to use the scene from "The Blues Brothers" where they tell Mr. Fabulous at the Chez Paul that they're getting the band back together, but that and most other clips from the movie on YouTube have embedding disabled. So I found this one, which is a great song, but you'll notice at the end that it was recorded off the TV in some foreign language (Spanish or Italian, I think).Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-61839357340027965722011-07-01T11:39:00.000-07:002011-07-01T11:39:40.776-07:00Subway Series: Confidence level is high<iframe width="635" height="523" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ymixm6PtVBA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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I don't follow the Yankees very closely, or the American League at all, which confounds one particular colleague at work who will ask me what I think of Ivan Nova, or if I saw that Twins-White Sox game.<br />
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The only Nova I have any opinion on is Aldo Nova, and since I am in an NL-only fantasy league, I couldn't care less about what goes on in the junior circuit. I have enough to worry about with the Mets and the two-time champion Winslow Homers.<br />
<br />
But since it's Subway Series time again, I took a closer look at the boys from the Bronx, who will play this series without their beloved Captain (who always kills the Mets but is otherwise playing like an aging No. 8 hitter).<br />
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Did you know that 3/5ths of the Yankees rotation is made up of Nova, Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon? A youngster with a WHIP of 1.4 and two retreads? That cannot be sustainable. And those are the three starters the Mets will face this weekend.<br />
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Confidence level: HIGH.<br />
<br />
I'm thrilled that the Mets will have Jon Niese, Dillon Gee and R.A. Dickey pitching in the series. And while Mike Pelfrey is much, much better at home than he is on the road, I don't mind seeing him sit this one out.<br />
<br />
The Mets just won four of six on the road against two of the three teams that have been in first place in the AL, and the Yankees will be No. 3. The Mets currently have a better road record than home so far this season, but that figures to turn at some point, and what better than now, when the team is scoring double digits per game?<br />
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I'm less than thrilled that two of the three games will be national broadcasts, on Fox and TBS Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Sunday I'll be at a barbecue at a friend's house and won't be able to hear the audio anyway, and we'll have to work something out for Saturday because Joe Buck gives me a twitch.<br />
<br />
If you think about the stretch of games the Mets are in the middle of — three first-place AL teams, followed by four games in LA and then three at first-place San Francisico — that's a pretty tough run. And yet the Mets are in a good position to come through that with a winning record for the trip and plus-.500 at the All-Star break, with David Wright ready to return right after that.<br />
<br />
Think of where this team was two months ago. Amazing.<br />
<br />
<b>NOTE:</b> Since I mentioned Aldo Nova at the top I wanted to include the music video for "Fantasy," but embedding was disabled. So you can <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YE5zEGZ_pY">find it here</a>. Aldo's leopard jumpsuit is worth the clickthrough on its own, and if anyone can tell me what the deal is with the hunchback guy carrying Aldo's guitar, I'd appreciate it.<br />
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Instead, in the spirit of the Subway Series, enjoy "Let's Go, Mets, Go!"Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-73354099908680106542011-06-30T07:29:00.000-07:002011-06-30T07:31:03.894-07:00This time, Mets avoid the trap, continue to rake<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="489" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dddAi8FF3F4" width="595"></iframe><br />
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Wednesday night's game against the Tigers was the classic trap game that the Mets, in recent years, always seemed to stumble into.<br />
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They get a win in the first game of the series, and face a less-than-impressive starter in game two, knowing that the opposition's ace awaits in game three.<br />
<br />
The Mets won game one on Tuesday, then faced Phil Coke in game two, the ex-Yankee of the 1-7 record, with Cy Young candidate Justin Verlander (who was drafted by Detroit one spot ahead of the Mets, ugh) going in game three. The middle game was the winnable one, the one that would clinch the series win.<br />
<br />
In the past, the Mets would find a way to botch this scenario, then inevitably get throttled by the ace in the final game and lose the series.<br />
<br />
So it was great to see them hammer Coke the way they did, the offense continuing not only to hit but to hit with two outs, something they couldn't do at all in April. And pile on runs, which came in handy when the Tigers kept scratching and clawing to stay in it, until the relentless of the Mets offense — did I just type that? — became too much to overcome.<br />
<br />
Angel Pagan had a huge night, as did Daniel Murphy, who had two, two-out, two-run singles. Of course Jose Reyes had another multi-hit game, what else did you expect? Guy is hitting EVERYTHING. Turner and Tejada also had two hits each, and Ronny Paulino, batting FOURTH, had four hits and four runs scored.<br />
<br />
I hope Terry Collins had some time to take a ferry to Ontario for some casino action, because everything he does is coming up gold right now.<br />
<br />
Jason Bay was 1-for-2 but drew four walks and made an incredible diving catch in left early in the game to keep the Mets comfortably in front. He also had two steals as the Mets continued to run at will on the bases, this time against the ineffective Victor Martinez.<br />
<br />
What more can you say about how this team is playing now? They have scored a franchise-best 52 runs and amassed 69 hits in the last four games, with an RISP average of .484. Good Lord.<br />
<br />
Enjoy the ride.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-4488771559381766882011-06-29T07:07:00.000-07:002011-06-30T08:22:19.816-07:00Signs of the apocalypse, or of better things to come?<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sBksHaTQCbU" width="560"></iframe><br />
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You would think that hitting two grand slams in one game (in consecutive innings), when your team hadn't hit one in two years (while allowing 18 to the opposition) would exorcise plenty of demons.<br />
<br />
Toss in the fact that one of the blasts was delivered by Jason Bay, who needed a hit like that more than anyone else on the roster, if not in the league, and Tuesday night's demolition of the Tigers could be viewed as a season-altering event.<br />
<br />
We'd like to think so. After singling the Rangers to death, the Mets busted out the big lumber, hitting three bombs to give R.A. Dickey a month's worth of run support. The Mets chased starter Rick Porcello and then hammered Daniel Schlereth for the two grand salamis. That'll inflate the old ERA.<br />
<br />
And what more can you say about Jose Reyes? How about this: Ty Cobb. Reyes has 98 career triples and 360 steals. The only other player in history to reach those numbers as fast as Reyes? Cobb. Wow.<br />
<br />
I'll say it now. Pay the man. Sure, teams are valuing him on a career year that may never happen again, but understand that Reyes is entering the prime years of 28-32. That's five seasons. You're going to want Jose Reyes in his prime for five seasons. Yes, health is a rosk, but anyone can get hurt. He's healthy now, and has been healthy before (153-plus games a year from 2005-08).<br />
<br />
And what's he worth to the team from a marketing standpoint? Many, many dollars. What is he worth to the soul of the franchise? To the fans? It's priceless.<br />
<br />
Keep Jose.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-47021549557633714042011-06-26T19:50:00.000-07:002011-06-26T19:50:54.581-07:00Everything old is new again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrkbW2wUia4sUjyG5rq2OHDKuu3wNIXs3b_R2YQkLxscdczrygO22n51XMgdFgpmP2wD7_L5odOkLGE8KI1OWQZxcQwR-3IPsn_mKr1hGBgqgLhEkOdr4M5tIMm_YHt2t-8WxJj55__gz/s1600/davey20johnson-thumb-240x300-2521481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrkbW2wUia4sUjyG5rq2OHDKuu3wNIXs3b_R2YQkLxscdczrygO22n51XMgdFgpmP2wD7_L5odOkLGE8KI1OWQZxcQwR-3IPsn_mKr1hGBgqgLhEkOdr4M5tIMm_YHt2t-8WxJj55__gz/s1600/davey20johnson-thumb-240x300-2521481.jpg" /></a></div>Terry Collins, at age 62, qualifies for a senior discount at just about every restaurant and movie theater in this country. But when the National League East managers get together for their regular canasta game these days, he's the one they call "Kid."<br />
<br />
Collins may indeed enjoy an early bird special now and then, but he's got nothing on his compatriots at the helm of the other teams in the Mets' division (well, three of them, anyway). The Phillies' Charlie Manuel is 67, new Marlins skipper Jack McKeon is 80, and running the show now for the Washington Nationals is former Mets manager Davey Johnson, who checks in at age 68.<br />
<br />
(The Braves' Fredi Gonzalez is essentially the pool boy at age 47. His role at the canasta table is to keep Jack updated on the latest from Hialeah, and fetching Charlie Manuel's gin and tonics.)<br />
<br />
You get the feeling that the Mets set a trend with the hiring of Collins. He'd been around a while, had success at other places, but hadn't managed a major league team in a number of years. Ditto McKeon and now Davey J., who of course had a loose hand on the rudder of the Mets' 1986 World Championship team.<br />
<br />
Johnson's hiring was particularly reminiscent of Collins', in that he was already working for the Nationals organization as a consultant and knew the players and the system well. Those qualities have certainly seemed to have helped Collins, who has had to manage a number of former minor leaguers filling in for injured starters.<br />
<br />
On Sunday, the Mets won another road series, this one against the defending AL champion Rangers. Like Saturday's win, the Mets piled up hits and scored a healthy number of runs without the benefit of the long ball. Jose Reyes continued to rake, getting four hits, including his 14th triple, and three runs. Daniel Murphy stayed hot with three hits, and he and Reyes both made outstanding plays in the field. Carlos Beltran had two RBI.<br />
<br />
Dillon Gee overcame a shaky start and lasted six innings, allowing eight hits and two walks, and three runs to improve to 8-1 on the season. The bullpen of Beato, Byrdak and Izzy was perfect. Why they put in K-Rod in a non-save situation is puzzling since he's always terrible, and he made things too interesting before retiring the last three hitters.<br />
<br />
Another game finished for K-Rod, who was quoted over the weekend saying he would set up for a contender. Someone should alert K-Rod (and the rest of the New York media, for that matter) that the Mets, even at .500, at 4 1/2 games out of the wild card lead, are, by definition, contenders.<br />
<br />
You know Collins considers them contenders, and you know Davey will have the same attitude with the Nationals. McKeon has already benched Hanley Ramirez and mistaken Twitter as the name of a player's dog. Manuel? He's sitting in the catbird seat, his only worries whether Oswalt can stay healthy and what channel Matlock is on when he's on the road.<br />
<br />
Gonzalez, meanwhile, barely looks up at the canasta game from his Nintendo DS, white earbuds blaring Arcade Fire as he wonders when these geezers are going to hit the hay so he can play Tour of Duty online without being asked to bring over a walker or light a cigar.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-73179881932239481122011-06-22T21:46:00.000-07:002011-06-22T21:46:25.472-07:00Taking one for the team, instead of taking one ... elsewhere<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9f3p-FlkIJoFkqADB5g6bniM2kv2Ade6mTYVVQVJyvU4OELDZoOkjWrvmByhQ11gVGCIEaL_bPDlZXPQu7suSLvYlY5l1Gp-Fs-XbckxelvFWIjsF13It2al0xDyj4FQ6P_-Wg321mwwg/s1600/justin+turner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9f3p-FlkIJoFkqADB5g6bniM2kv2Ade6mTYVVQVJyvU4OELDZoOkjWrvmByhQ11gVGCIEaL_bPDlZXPQu7suSLvYlY5l1Gp-Fs-XbckxelvFWIjsF13It2al0xDyj4FQ6P_-Wg321mwwg/s320/justin+turner.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>I had already shut the computer off. The tenth, the eleventh, the twelfth innings had gone by and I had thoughts of going to bed and not watching the rest of this game, filled as I was with the feeling that this was going to be a bad, bad, bad loss.<br />
<br />
But I couldn't do it. So I decided instead to start the process of turning in while the game plodded onward. Brought the dog in. Locked the doors. Turned off a few lights. Then went into the office and shut down the computer, figuring any recap was going to be painful, and I could just as well grind that out in the morning.<br />
<br />
The computer got turned back on.<br />
<br />
No surprise that the Mets' first walk-off win was accomplished with Jose Reyes and "Super Ginger" Justin Turner Overdrive playing key roles. Reyes tripled and scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth before K-Rod blew his second straight save, and while Turner had only one hit, it was the run-scoring single that moved Reyes home.<br />
<br />
Of course, Turner doesn't get up in that spot if Reyes doesn't get intentionally walked to load the bases. You can't blame Bob Melvin there. Reyes is the man, has been all season, and you're not going to let him beat you.<br />
<br />
Turner, meanwhile, is second on the team in RBIs and while he didn't get a hit in the 13th inning, he got the run home in characteristically gritty fashion with the walk-off hit by pitch.<br />
<br />
It was a much-needed win. R.A. Dickey was fantastic and should have gotten the win. The bullpen, aside from K-Rod, came up big, especially Beato, who needs to regain what he had earlier this season.<br />
<br />
With the news that Ike Davis could well be lost for the season — are you kidding me?! Really?! — we're looking at an offense that is going to have to scrap and fight for runs, unless David Wright comes back at full strength and Jason Bay — who looked lost again tonight after a great game Tuesday — rediscovers his power stroke.<br />
<br />
It's a huge opportunity for Daniel Murphy to reclaim the first base job, at least for a couple of months, or for Lucas Duda to prove to everyone that he is not a AAAA player. He was hitting bombs in Buffalo before he was called up, but hasn't done much with the big club, though he did get two hits in this game.<br />
<br />
One of them has to step up. Only half the cavalry is coming over that hill.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-25681949508855594942011-06-22T06:35:00.000-07:002011-06-22T21:24:00.892-07:00The buzzards are circling. Again.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cztlB3A_tlsGGBMwDzFZ_LaInmkaWer5U0lpcOsiLm3FLQgcIG1Pin9EsZOm8v58PVDD4UiIxzGkyk-jiMMX_HdemOJjvLLSEnZtm4XSnZ85dxbgBjUow1oGvfuDsXrDS6QW01yZTMOu/s1600/allah_akbar_buzzards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cztlB3A_tlsGGBMwDzFZ_LaInmkaWer5U0lpcOsiLm3FLQgcIG1Pin9EsZOm8v58PVDD4UiIxzGkyk-jiMMX_HdemOJjvLLSEnZtm4XSnZ85dxbgBjUow1oGvfuDsXrDS6QW01yZTMOu/s320/allah_akbar_buzzards.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It figures when the Mets need to rattle off some home wins — against an AL team that's sub-.500 — the team coming in happens to be red-hot.<br />
<br />
The Angels took two of three, and after a much-needed day off, the Mets dropped the opener of their series against the A's Tuesday night. Dillon Gee was due for a stinker and boy, was it bad. He's shown a lot of guts thus far, and we'll see how he bounces back. I have every confidence he will.<br />
<br />
On the plus side, Jason Bay looked tremendous, crushing a homer and adding a triple in a three-hit night. Keith Hernandez, a couple of games back, said that breaking out of slump often doesn't require hits as long as you're making solid contact. With Bay, it seems to be a confidence game, so if Tuesday night marked not only the first day of summer but the the beginning of a new season for him, that would be huge.<br />
<br />
After a very good road trip, the Mets are now 1-3 on this homestand and need to get things going. The .500 mark is now three games away, and with the July trade deadline getting closers every day, the media buzzards are circling.<br />
<br />
Every day there is a story about Reyes, really saying absolutely nothing new. He won't negotiate a new contract until after the season? No kidding. He's been saying that since November.<br />
<br />
And then there are the stories like "Mets must trade Wright," or "Mets success could cost them in the long run."<br />
<br />
Really, guys? Ian O'Connor is the new Wally Matthews, and that is not a compliment. And Adam Rubin, again, should be covering another team. Somwhere. Anywhere but Flushing.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-20415489530755377242011-06-16T20:55:00.000-07:002011-06-16T20:55:15.172-07:00Actually, it was pretty fathomable<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2m2yf8mVCNVPyFX-1Rs4XneMvxnzAMOk58PHWKgQuv32pCbZbL0HoxLozZ8h2sqsLXmsPSX234tsrdMEXZ0aZGjO5rhjlYBGEy-D-VIiS9rfFe-U4T70aB5iefGJJXr5PPspfMD5sz2LJ/s1600/470_138426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2m2yf8mVCNVPyFX-1Rs4XneMvxnzAMOk58PHWKgQuv32pCbZbL0HoxLozZ8h2sqsLXmsPSX234tsrdMEXZ0aZGjO5rhjlYBGEy-D-VIiS9rfFe-U4T70aB5iefGJJXr5PPspfMD5sz2LJ/s320/470_138426.jpg" width="304" /></a></div>"Unfathomable!"<br />
<br />
Hold on now, Gary Cohen, we're Mets fans. We can fathom quite a bit, thank you very much.<br />
<br />
The Mets' habit of taking two steps forward and one step back continued Thursday night at The Ted, and of course that house of horrors wasn't going to let this team head back to Flushing with a sweep now, was it? No way, Jose.<br />
<br />
Great comeback after Dickey didn't have it. Big homer by Hairston. A wild pitch on a strikeout in the seventh and two errors by the Braves in the eighth gave the Mets a two-run lead into the ninth, but the Mets gave it right back.<br />
<br />
Sure, it sucks when your closer blows a save, but you could almost forgive K-Rod since he'd been perfect since April 2. So we go to extras, and how close we came to getting to the 11th.<br />
<br />
Dioner Hernandez, who homered off K-Rod in New York, doubled off D.J. Carrasco, who was perfect the night before. OK, fine. Had Lucas Duda just allowed that ground ball to be fielded by Ruben Tejada — you know, the team's best fielder — the 10th inning is over. But no, that opens up the door for the rare walk-off balk by Carrasco, prompting Cohen's exclamation.<br />
<br />
Unfathomable? Improbable, for sure. But hey, six out of 10 on the road ain't nothin' to sneeze at. Sure, .500 is still a game away (again), but with the Angels and A's coming to town, that homestand should (fingers crossed) leave the Mets above water. Should.<br />
<br />
Two hits by Jason Bay, and maybe he's starting to come around. Three more hits by Reyes, who has 101 in 66 games. Wow.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-75492536207796374862011-06-15T22:05:00.000-07:002011-06-15T22:05:47.874-07:00Mets are finishing what they started<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZtfme_9XzuqCzEF3fnRNOr5i4r7c0wL6yJ3KKL921TRk8p1JdgKNwNoFSDTeFgF2cobkS9U1ATDR60ABKV67TmSCvFf8c_5lAESWGbP7ea8z0yafUqrMwrJLopd-kjFead2tmFvH3Fa4/s1600/david_lee_roth4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZtfme_9XzuqCzEF3fnRNOr5i4r7c0wL6yJ3KKL921TRk8p1JdgKNwNoFSDTeFgF2cobkS9U1ATDR60ABKV67TmSCvFf8c_5lAESWGbP7ea8z0yafUqrMwrJLopd-kjFead2tmFvH3Fa4/s1600/david_lee_roth4.jpg" /></a></div>One of the most ridiculous rules in baseball is the one that says a starting pitcher must go five innings in order to get credit for a win.<br />
<br />
In Wednesday night's 4-0 win over the Braves, in which four pitchers combined on a two-hitter, Dillon Gee was denied his eighth win of the season because of — rain. Had the game not been delayed by rain, Gee would have certainly pitched in the fifth inning and beyond. But he didn't, and at that point the designation of the winning pitcher is at the discretion of the official scorer.<br />
<br />
Bobby Parnell was given the win, and good for him, he threw two scoreless innings. But D.J. Carrasco also tossed two scoreless before Parnell and was perfect. Why not him?<br />
<br />
Of course, neither man did as much as Gee, who:<br />
<ul><li>Started the game</li>
<li>Pitched twice as many innings as anyone else</li>
<li>Left the game on the winning side with the Mets ahead, 3-0</li>
<li>Allowed just one hit over those four innings</li>
</ul><br />
But no, he doesn't get the win because he didn't go five. Insane.<br />
<br />
Gee's effort followed on the heels of another great outing by Jonathon Niese, and now the Mets starters are becoming dominant. Every night, a quality start, giving the team a chance to win every game.<br />
<br />
Finally, we're starting to see some credit given to pitching coach Dan Warthen, whose no-nonsense approach seems to be paying dividends. There's a reason they didn't toss him out when they replaced Jerry Manuel.<br />
<br />
The win moved the Mets to .500 on the season, secured a series win against the Braves at the Ted (a rarity, as we all know) and gave the Mets a 6-3 record on this road trip, which ends Thursday. The Mets have won 9 of 13. <br />
<br />
Oh, right, the David Lee Roth photo. Why is he there? Well, when I wrote the headline to this post I started thinking of the Van Halen song, "Finish What Ya Started," which of course was from the Van Hagar days. I like Sammy Hagar, but let's face it, Van Halen's best days were when Diamond Dave was on the mic, doing splits and karate kicks and just being one of the great front men in rock history.<br />
<br />
So I put his photo in there, as a tribute. No other reason.<br />
<br />
And again, something for no good reason: It's gettin' real in the Whole Foods parking lot:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2UFc1pr2yUU" width="853"></iframe>Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-34724861927197653472011-06-12T21:29:00.000-07:002011-06-12T21:29:16.068-07:00What's so funny 'bout singles, doubles & triples?<div style="background-color: black; width: 520px;"><div style="padding: 4px;"><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" base="." flashvars="" height="288" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:444365/cp%7Eartist%3D978%26vid%3D444365%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A444365" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512"></embed><br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 4px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">Tags: <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/costello_elvis/artist.jhtml" style="color: #439cd8;" target="_blank">Elvis Costello</a>, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/" style="color: #439cd8;" target="_blank">Music</a>, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/video/" style="color: #439cd8;" target="_blank">More Music Videos</a></div></div></div>More wisdom from the Book of Mex this weekend, as he recalled that the Cardinals teams he played on were pretty successful and they didn't have a lot of power. But they played in a big ballpark, and had a bunch of guys who could get hits, including doubles and triples, and there was nothing wrong with that.<br />
<br />
So here we have the Mets, winners of six of their last eight and now a game removed from .500 (again), who in their recent run of success have slapped around opposing pitchers without getting the knockout punch. Their hit totals of the last four games: 12, 10, 13 and 11.<br />
<br />
Other than the back-to-back homers by Scott Hairtson and Jose Reyes, which were icing on the cake of Sunday's 7-0 shutout, the Mets have gotten by with singles, doubles and triples, and lots of them. They have even showed an ability to get two-out hits, which at the beginning was as foreign to them as humility is to LeBron James (we are all Nowitznesses).<br />
<br />
The power drought is no surprise considering the lack of David Wright and Ike Davis, and the struggles of Jason Bay, but one of Terry Collins' strengths is not bemoaning what he doesn't have, and focusing on what he does have. And it turns out he has quite a bit.<br />
<br />
Jose Reyes had three hits and has 33 multiple-hit games, tops in the majors. The guy is just awesome, no other way to put it.<br />
<br />
Daniel Murphy is hitting better than .400 for the last three weeks, and Justin Turner continues to rake, getting a clutch, two-out double that kick-started a four-run eighth that put the game away.<br />
<br />
I'll admit I wasn't crazy about pinch hitting for Chris Capuano in that inning. He was dominating the Pirates and his pitch count was low, and Willie Harris is far from a sure thing pinch hitting with two outs. But this decision went Collins' way, as Harris got a single, Reyes got a single, and then Turner doubled, followed by a two-run single by Beltran, and then the weird play where Jason Bay scored Murphy on a sac fly, but Angel Pagan was called out for not tagging second on the way back to first.<br />
<br />
Capuano's start was just the lastest in a string of quality starts by Mets pitchers, and it's to the point now where — so unlike where things stood in April — I am confident with any Mets starter now.<br />
<br />
Pelfrey may be the only one where you wonder what you're going to get, and he's been much better lately. Niese? Consistently good. Capuano? Solid. Dickey? He's had some troubles so far but you know he's got the ability to shut a team down. And Gee? He's been unreal. Just tremendous.<br />
<br />
If you're a Mets fan, I don't know how you don't love this team. Young guys stepping up. A manager who holds everyone accountable and keeps everyone involved. An MVP-like year from Reyes. Great starting pitching, including a player who came from nowhere.<br />
<br />
I've said it before, that for a team that had no expectations, there has been a ton of pressure placed on it, especially by the media. Which has put the team in the position of "searching for light in the darkness of insanity," to quote Mr. Costello.<br />
<br />
They're finding that light. And if they can ever get Wright and Davis back (and Santana), it's going to get a whole lot brighter.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-44527075855055640362011-06-10T07:32:00.000-07:002011-06-10T08:36:49.859-07:00The Tao of Mex<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/images/videos/keith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/images/videos/keith.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>If Keith Hernandez started his own religion, how many followers do you think he'd have? I'm guessing a lot, certainly more than those rapture guys. I mean, who are you going to put your faith in? An 80-year-old radio show host who'd already been wrong about the rapture (and was wrong again)? Or an All-Star first baseman who won a World Series in 1986 and shared the MVP in 1979 (when he should have won it outright)?<br />
<br />
Exactly.<br />
<br />
He has an uncanny ability to see the future, like when he saw a catcher call for a changeup, said, "Are you kidding?" and then seconds later, David Wright blasted a homer to deep left.<br />
<br />
Almost everything Keith says is gospel. He speaks of the fundys in such a way that they should be carved into two stone tablets.<br />
<br />
He's also a big fan of Strat-o-Matic, which I spent many hours playing as a child, my bedroom a monastic retreat, the quiet broken only by the rattle of dice on cardboard. (You know that question, if you could invite anyone over for dinner, living or dead, who would they be? I'd pass on dinner and invite Keith, Jerry Seinfeld and Len Dykstra over to play Strat-o-Matic. Four-team round robin tourney, using a combination of old-timers and modern players. That would be sweet.)<br />
<br />
Hernandez sees all, knows all. So who better to comment on the travails of Jason Bay? Yet even in Keith's infinite wisdom, he cannot solve the puzzle of Bay.<br />
<br />
He's quick to point out he's never been in a slump this long, so it's baffling even to him. He's said in the past that the only way out of a slump is to hit your way out, but he agrees that days off, at this point, is probably the best thing for Bay. Maybe they should go further and send him to Aruba for a few days to really clear his head. Anywhere but a ballpark.<br />
<br />
You look at Bay, there's nothing physically wrong. He still plays defense, runs hard. He's reportedly killing it in batting practice. But the coaches aren't feeding him a steady diet of sliders and breaking balls. Bay's problem, to my untrained eye, is rooted in a combination of poor pitch recognition and plunging confidence. It's become a death spiral.<br />
<br />
<br />
Jason Pridie filled in for Bay Thursday night and did well, at the plate and in the field. The Mets chased Yovani Gallardo and Jon Niese tossed another gem as the Mets' starters continue to post quality starts. That's four wins in their last five games and seven of 11, as the .500 mark is once again within grasping distance.<br />
<br />
Maybe Bay needs a return to Pittsburgh to snap him out of his trance. Something's gotta give, and now Lucas Duda is up for Nick Evans. <br />
<br />
Speaking of batting practice, Keith made a very interesting point (does he make anything but) about how players take batting practice these days with the coach close to the plate, maybe 50 feet away, as opposed to throwing back from the slope of the mound. He noted that Barry Bonds popularized that approach because it improved bat speed. Keith's feeling is that BP should be relaxed, and be about getting loose, and not be so results-driven.<br />
<br />
Amen.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-60572655882457968582011-06-05T22:10:00.000-07:002011-06-05T22:20:41.805-07:00Dickey and Reyes are good. True that - DOUBLE TRUE!<object height="288" width="512"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/PvZcMs_bQiCoJyfv8ZOzoQ"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/PvZcMs_bQiCoJyfv8ZOzoQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="288" allowFullScreen="true"></embed></object><br />
It was a lazy Sunday in the Gasparino household. A late pancake breakfast. Kids playing outside, Mom grading papers, Dad spraying ant killer and throwing out trash. After lunch we took a drive to do some quick shopping. I'd planned on DVRing the Mets game and watching it after the kids were asleep, as usual.<br />
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We were on Jericho Turnpike headed for the Walt Whitman Mall at around 3 o'clock when my buddy Mike called. His company has tickets behind home plate and a client backed out at the last minute. Would I like to go?<br />
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Damn right I would!<br />
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By 7:30 I was at the rotunda, looking forward to seeing R.A. Dickey try and give the Mets the series win over the Braves. And what a game we saw (well, the first 8 innings, anyway).<br />
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Dickey was superb. Eight innings of four-hit ball, the only blemish a solo homer by Met Killer Brian McCann. Otherwise, we saw some pretty futile swings out there by the Bravos.<br />
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When you chase Tim Hudson in four innings, you know you're doing something right. Jose Reyes was the firestarter yet again, leading off the first with a single and scoring on Carlos Beltran's double, Beltran himself scoring on a sac fly. In the second, Hudson walked Reyes to face Justin Turner with two out and two on and Turner delivered the opposite-field hit, scoring Pridie. Reyes came home on a wild pitch that never came close to the backstop.<br />
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He's fast.<br />
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Reyes had an RBI double in the fourth, and at this point the "KEEP JOSE" chants were cropping up left and right. Ruben Tejada also made a terrific catch at second.<br />
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Of course, with sunshine comes rain. Beltran fouled a ball off his ankle and left the game. X-rays were negative but we'll see how that goes. Dickey gave way to Manny Acosta in the ninth and he promptly walked the leadoff man and then a double one out later. In came K-Rod (with a five-run lead) to face pinch hitter and slap hitter Deonis Hernandez, and of course he homered to left.<br />
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Two strikeouts later, we put it in the books, and closed out an eventful 10-game homestand at 5-5. A trip to Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Atlanta follows.<br />
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Thanks again, Mike. Great seats, great company, and an always enjoyable Mets win. And it was helmet night, so the kids got a treat as well. A true win-win.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-2122797385410739322011-06-04T21:34:00.000-07:002011-06-04T21:34:44.154-07:00You know when it's real<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkNTOKHPqS2GEyC9Q2sLfLt6Ald-qe_gFTatr7luNVqhNUc6LSOwpP3Oj-TznqvShNOmGzKHvKMscSw8_EiSIt0_iJt6kZWM137JPweJcQLqI5QQpF158oHfuH-DOdvJYscsoetP7gBnJ/s1600/wendys_baconad-274x350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkNTOKHPqS2GEyC9Q2sLfLt6Ald-qe_gFTatr7luNVqhNUc6LSOwpP3Oj-TznqvShNOmGzKHvKMscSw8_EiSIt0_iJt6kZWM137JPweJcQLqI5QQpF158oHfuH-DOdvJYscsoetP7gBnJ/s320/wendys_baconad-274x350.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>So Dillon Gee is now 6-0 after shutting down the Braves on Saturday night. Any thoughts of this guy being a fluke or some flash in the pan are quickly evaporating, as they should, especially after he allowed just four hits and two walks in seven shutout innings.<br />
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And he's now 8-2 in 13 major league starts, with an ERA of 2.61.<br />
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He's the real deal.<br />
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Jose Reyes hit his 10th triple of the season, which came with the bases loaded and one out, on the heels of Jason Pridie's bases-loaded single that broke a scoreless tie. Fredi Gonzales lifted Jair Jurrjens after Pridie's pinch hit, and Reyes burned Scott Proctor and broke the game open.<br />
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Jose Reyes is the real deal.<br />
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In fact, it's getting to the point that if the Mets do trade Reyes this season — and we're finally starting to see stories about how the Mets may actually want to keep Reyes and Wright, or at least Reyes, which should be obvious to anyone with half a brain — the fans will burn Citi Field to the ground.<br />
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And I may be the one handing out torches.<br />
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Daniel Murphy had two hits and all of a sudden is batting .303, and Josh Thole had a nice night with two hits. Jason Bay was dropped to sixth in the order and I can't argue. The guy has got to get on track.<br />
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Rubber game Sunday night, painfully on ESPN. The good news is I will DVR the game and watch it with the volume practically off, so I can fast forward at will knowing I won't miss any commentary worth hearing. And that includes Bobby V. I loved the guy when he managed, but as a color guy, he's a great manager.Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106405798311241716.post-40271302732448790852011-06-02T21:51:00.000-07:002011-06-02T21:51:19.327-07:00Do you believe in miracles? YES! But then again...<blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpyp8kVPn4VRUkmFZd6BgPgRItJLMY_DI4pYAkSokS5Udl9Oyo-hVC9YV-ItlhTUQKSPo4Ebj29w7ChoTA9e3jiAnYCAULDunNndxVBEeg4lyA80HazL0EFHwM5hFVjVREMJM0-xphUv3/s1600/guido.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpyp8kVPn4VRUkmFZd6BgPgRItJLMY_DI4pYAkSokS5Udl9Oyo-hVC9YV-ItlhTUQKSPo4Ebj29w7ChoTA9e3jiAnYCAULDunNndxVBEeg4lyA80HazL0EFHwM5hFVjVREMJM0-xphUv3/s1600/guido.jpg" /></a></div>To be made a saint in the Catholic church, you have to have four miracles. That's the rules, you know. It's always been that. Four miracles, and you have to prove it. Well, this Mother Seton, now they could only prove three miracles. But the Pope, he just waived the fourth one. He just waived it! And do you know why? It's because she was American. It's all politics. We got some Italian people, they got forty, fifty, sixty miracles to their name. They can't get in just 'cause they say there's already too many Italian saints, and this woman comes along with three lousy miracles. I understand that two of them were card tricks. <br />
— <b>Father Guido Sarducci</b></blockquote><br />
I thought of this bit as I pondered whether to call the Mets' comeback win a miracle. It's really too strong a word for what happened Thursday. Sure, it was the Mets' biggest comeback since a 10-run eighth inning against Atlanta in 2000, but this was the Pirates, after all. And once Carlos Beltran smacked a three-run homer in the bottom of the third, it was a four-run game and there was definitely hope. This wasn't exactly a down-to-your-last-strike miracle. More like a really good card trick.<br />
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I give the team credit for not getting down. Maybe Terry Collins' rant the night before helped. Maybe it was the uplifting presence of Jose Reyes. More likely, it was a combination of perseverance — all four of the Mets' runs in the bottom of the sixth came with two outs — and gifts from the Pirates in the form of two wild pitches, an error and a bases-loaded walk.<br />
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Regardless, it was a key victory to get past the ugliness of the previous two games and head into the weekend series at home against Atlanta with a bit of momentum. The bullpen, this time, didn't blow the lead, thanks to fine work by Byrdak, Parnell and Izzy to set up K-Rod, who allowed one run in the ninth but held on.<br />
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Mike Pelfrey had tough luck in the first with three bloops and a bunt, but had only himself to blame in the second and third. I give Collins credit for making him stick in there and pitch through five, and Pelfrey retired the last seven batters he faced to keep the damage to a minimum, which ended up being pretty big.<br />
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Was this win a turning point? We'll find out against the Braves. Winning two of three would go a long way toward keeping the Mets' chances alive as we wait patiently for Wright to come back, then Davis in a couple more weeks. And then maybe Santana? Can the Mets hang in there that long?<br />
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Wouldn't that be miraculous?Gaspohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341292520533956958noreply@blogger.com0