Feb 5, 2012

Mets Strike First In Subway Series

Jose Reyes continues to look like the player we all fell in love with as he came up huge tonight with a double to start a rally in the 8th and tacked on an RBI in the 9th. In the 8th, Pagan followed Reyes’ double with  a 2 RBI hit to put the Mets up 3-0 and lock up the Mets 7th consecutive road victory and 8th win overall. Hisanori Takahashi threw 6 more shutout innings against the Yanks to give the Mets their 3rd victory in 4 games this year in the subway series.

It was nice to see the Mets beat a real team on the road as this was there first test after beating up on the O’s and Tribe. However, beating up on those bad teams can increase that confidence and the Mets continue to roll. Now all we can hope for is the Mets to pick up another win in the Bronx and clinch a great road trip. Big Pelf and Phil Hughes should give us a great game tomorrow in which could be a battle between future #1′s in New York. A great story to unfold tomorrow for sure….LETS GO METS!

RA The Rugged Man Now 5-0

When the Mets hit the road after winning two of three at Citi Field versus San Diego, one thing was pretty clear at 8 and 18 on the road, they would need to start winning road games in order to compete for a playoff spot. The Mets have responded by beating bad baseball teams, sweeping both Baltimore and Cleveland to up that record to 14 and 18. Yes, we cannot get too excited about beating terrible baseball teams, but good baseball teams take care of business against teams like Cleveland and Baltimore and even better teams sweep those lousy teams.

The Mets now have won 7 in a row and are 10 games above .500 for the first time this season. The Mets have trimmed the fat off this team and certainly now have team chemistry. I get spooked when I hear about them talking about John Maine and Luis Castillo’s returns. As long as this team is hot, you cannot touch the roster, crap, even Beltran can take as long as he wants to come back with the way Angel Pagan is playing.  I think the Mets need to think about how well they are playing and how excited everyone seems and the chemistry this team is playing with before making any changes.

The Mets of course, will face a major challenge this weekend as they go to the house of horrors that is Yankee Stadium to face the defending world champs. The Yanks, however have been hit by the injury bug and were just steamrolled by a struggling Philly team the last two games. The Mets need to take advantage while the Yankee bats are silent and get two of three in this series. Winning a series at Yankee Stadium, combined with an 8-1 road record should have the Mets flying high as they square off with the AL central’s top two teams at Citi Field next week.

Ex Met JP To Wed In Bullpen

Funny story involving former Met Jason Phillips right here.

Starting to believe

It’s been a little while since I made a post. That’s not for lack of Mets watching or commentary, it’s just a busy life often times keeping me from even starting up my laptop. I apologize profusely and look to get back on track now. World Cup fever has gripped my house these days, but I find myself more often then not watching the Mets. This is quite a statement on how the Mets are playing these days.

I am starting to believe in this team. I am not trying to say I think they are going to win anything, what i mean is I think this squad with the new infusion of some youth could work. It’s not perfect by any means, and I still have a bit of a grocery list for Omar Minaya, but the core of this team is something to build on.

Much has been written about the Mets “core” over the last few years, that being the likes of Wright, Reyes, and Beltran. But I think the squad as a whole took a much different shape over the last year or so with the additions of personalities of Francouer and Davis, as well as the jettisoning of players like Delgado, Heilmans, Ollie P et all. They seem to genuinely enjoy playing right now and they seem to have a lot of fight in them.

As much as I hate to see hokey crap like the pie-in-the-face theatrics after games, it’s nice to realize that no team over the last few years would have done such things. They just didn’t seem to have any cohesion and at best had a divided clubhouse. Today they seem to be a good group that actually likes each other, and it seems to be from an influx of youth rather then an addition of experience.

The Mets still need another high end arm, and with the money they saved over the off season by not signing one, coupled with the money they are saving at first base and catcher, it’s time they plunked some of that down. I don’t want to see a gutting of the farm system for one player, but it should not be a money expense that shies the Mets away from anyone, I don’t care how deep Maddoff had his hands in Freds pockets.

They could still use a more consistent bat in the lineup, someone with a high OBP would be nice, but truthfully I don’t really know where I would put them. In fact it’s looking more and more like Beltran will actually make it back, and up till about a week ago it looked like it would be at Jeff Francouer’s expense, but now that he’s hot again I don’t know who to sit.

We rant on and on here about what’s wrong with the Mets, and ferociously point out the Front Office mistakes, but I have to say I am really appreciating the change in makeup of this team. It’s refreshing to watch people that actually enjoy playing a game for a living.

Hopefully Our Future Manager

This is absolutley AWESOME! “Let’s go get a beer, Doc.” I can’t wait for Jerry to be fired.

Ollie a Hand Full?

Here’s a great link I came across: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704002104575290951780732496.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

R.A. The Rugged Man Improves To 3-0

R.A. Dickey wasn’t too impressive to start Friday’s game but he got through the first 2 innings and then pitched 5 scoreless to finish up with 7 innings of 3 run ball. Dickey is never going to be lights out on a regular basis but what he has shown in his last two starts is that he will battle and keep his team in the game. To me, he is a good number 5 starter for this club and will definitely give you a shot against other teams 5th starters.

Dessens was also good in the 8th before Roller Coast Rodriguez made it exciting again in the 9th. When all was said and done the Mets held on for a 4-3 win over the Fish. This snapped a six game losing streak to them and improved their record to 2 and 6 against the Marlins.

The Mets obviously need to take advantage of their homestands until they show some consistency on the road. It is nice to see Bay driving the ball, Frenchy getting knocks and Reyes stealing bases. This is easily a game they could have to rolled over at 3-0. It is nice to see this team fight their way back into games and they beat up a pretty good pitcher in Anibel Sanchez. Let’s see if the Mets can get on a roll and do to the Fish what they did to us in Miami. Jon Niese will be back from the DL to take on Nate Roberson, definitely a game we need to take in my opinion, as always Lets Go Mets!!!!!!

Umpiring Needs An Overhaul

With many umpires retiring and technology improving baseball must look into way to correct calls without slowing down the game. With Armando Galarraga’s near perfect game catching national attention it hopefully will help call attention to the atrocious umpiring that we have seen over the past several seasons.

Over the weekend, not once but twice in both NY teams game I saw the umpire call a runner safe at second on a double play when both Cano and Reyes were clearly on the base and it wasn’t even a “neighborhood play.”

I know that we cannot do much with ball and strike calls without completely slowing the game down but other calls besides home runs need to be reviewed. It is quite simple in my mind, MLB has emergency umpires usually in case one gets hurt, have him in the backroom to quickly review a play and radio his call. This eliminates the umps from having to run to the TV and prolong the game. Or the other option is have some at the MLB office in New York watching replays when buzzed in order to help correct calls, it seems like a no brainer but time will tell. It is just unfortunate that with the type of technology we have and the low rate umpires like CB Bucknor and Angel Hernandez that we have to see huge mistakes what seems like every game.

One last thing umpires, no one comes to see you, we go to see the players so be seen but not heard, we do not need you to put on a show or do anything to make a name for yourself.

Get Wiggy With It?!?

This is not a rumor I’ve heard but something I would love to see happen. The Mets have been linked to Kevin Millwood and I have even read Millwood would except a trade to Flushing. Well, we are now in need of a second baseman and I say lets go after Ty Wigginton. Now I do not know what the O’s would want for the package of Millwood and Wiggy but I can see the Mets as legitimate contenders with those two coming on board.

Think about a lineup of Reyes, Pagan, Bay, Beltran, Wright, Davis, Wigginton, and Barajas. A pitching staff of Santana, Pelfrey, Millwood, Niese and Dickey. This then allows Takahashi to hit the pen and give it some depth. I would also add Maine to the pen and release Ollie. Maybe the Mets can even jettison Ollie to Baltimore, I’m sure it would be worth 12 million to move him somewhere where he will never hurt us.

The Orioles are now 21 games out of first and behind four great teams, I am sure that they understand that their season is already over and if given the right package would move these two veterans, that I am sure would love to get into a pennant race. Not only that Millwood and Wigginton have what it takes to succeed in NY. Millwood pitched many big games against us and Wiggy obviously was a good player before Wright came up.

I doubt this would happen but it would be a great move to change team and fans morale, make us more gritty and give us the talent to exercise those demons and make the playoffs once and for all.

Jerry and Frankie Blow Another One

It wasn’t all smiles and laughs Wednesday afternoon in San Diego as the Mets thanks to a Frankie Rodriguez blown save in the 9th and a mismanaging of the bullpen by Jerry cost the Mets the last game of their road trip 5 to 1 to the Pads.

Johan Santana certainly wasn’t at his best as he was uncharacteristically wild but still fought through it and pitched 7 shutout innings. In a 1-0 game in the 8th, Jerry put in KRod with 2 outs and runner on 2nd. K-Rod got out of the situation but you knew we were in trouble the second he came walking out for the 9th.

Mike Scioscia is often referred to as the best skipper in baseball and he never used K-Rod in two inning situations, however Jerry must have missed that 8 years of baseball history. Frankie promptly gave up a knock, a stolen base and after 2 k’s, David Eckstein delievered to tie the game. The Mets were bailed out as Eckstein was thrown out after Gonzalez got yet another hit.

Jerry then put in Valdez in the 11th and he promptly gave up a knock, they then decided to get Mejia up. If you had a clue you would figure he would have been up in case the lead runner got on. However, that was not the case, without a righty ready the Padres then loaded the bases for Adrian Gonzalez who eats up slow pitching lefties and ripped a game winning grand slam.

More head scratching for us Met fans, we cannot live this up and down roller coaster that is Frankie, and we certainly can not put him in tougher situations in the 8th. I cannot tell you how many times a reliever pitches two innings and screws up. Also, I am sick and tired of Jerry mismanaging game over and over. The Mets are talented and at home can often make up for Jerry’s mistakes by batting last, but it is clear to see Jerry’s managing mistakes cannot be made up on the road, look at the home/road splits. It makes sense to me, this team is not going anywhere until they cut ties with Jerry Manuel.

One last vent….Why send up Matthews in the 9th????? I’d rather see Ollie pinch hit and at least then he’d earn some of that 12 mill.