Jerry Manuel is Driving Me Crazy!!!

• Tie Game
• Bottom of the 6th
• Bases Loaded
• 2 Outs

Who does Jerry use to pinch hit?

Angel Berroa.

Who was on the bench?

Jeremy Reed.

On the year Reed is batting .364 as a pinch-hitter. He's 8 for 22 in that role with a .500 slg%.

Moreover, Reed's been up 10 times this year with 2 outs and RISP and he has 4 hits and 3 walks.

In his career, Berroa is 1 for 10 as a pinch hitter....actually he's now 1 for 11 after swinging and meekly grounding out on the first pitch against a guy who had walked 6 batters to that point.

Why on Earth would you pinch hit Angel Berroa over Reed in that situation?

Maybe cause it would have been lefty against lefty....oh wait, Reed is 4 for 7 against lefty's this year and Davis is actually easier to hit from the left side.

It's effin nuts!

How Would YOU Build Today's Lineup?

If I were in charge....

Luis Castillo should leadoff today as he's 7 for 14 with a walk against Phillies starter Joe Blanton.

1. Luis Castillo, 2B
2. Ryan Church, RF
3. David Wright, 3B
4. Gary Sheffield, LF
5. Daniel Murphy, 1B
6. Brian Schneider, C
7. Jeremy Reed, CF
8. Alex Cora, SS
9. Johan Santana, P

Jeremy Reed hasn't had a lot of luck against Blanton, but we need his defense today---fly ball team against a flyball pitcher.

And just in--Jerry's lineup, which has Luis batting 8th:

1. Alex Cora, SS
2. Daniel Murphy, LF
3. David Wright, 3B
4. Ryan Church, RF
5. Nick Evans, LF
6. Jeremy Reed, CF
7. Brian Schneider, C
8. Luis Castillo, 2B
9. Johan Santana, LHP

Bad Jerry Manuel Decision #78

Two words: Argenis Reyes.

Argenis is batting .225 against lefties in AAA this year.

In 24 big league at-bats against lefties, Argenis has a .167 BA and a .167 OBP to go along with that...yup, no walks and 6 Ks.

Jerry used him to pinch-hit, against lefthanded CC Sabathia with two men on base in the Mets lone rally of the night.

He struck out.

Dare I mention that Jeremy Reed is 4 for 4 against lefties this year?

Do I even mention the fact that Daniel Murphy is hitting .276 against lefties this year--8 for 29 with a HR?

Nah, I'll just shut the hell up and pretend I'm speechless.

Besides, the outstanding blogger Joe Janish of Mets Today does a heck of a lot better explaining Jerry's "positive spin" on the loss than I ever could.

Argenis Reyes....wow.

Mighty Mets Keep Grinding

Yes I'm an optimist about this team, and not because they beat the Orioles last night.

The optimism comes from the fact that the Mets are once again 3 games out of first place.

They are keeping pace during the hardest part of this year's schedule while the injured players heal.

Good news from friend of NY Sports Dog Adam Rubin: Maine and Ollie tracking to return quickly.

Adam writes:

Oliver Perez and John Maine will oppose each other in a makeshift game in Port St. Lucie tomorrow involving extended spring training players, pitching coach Dan Warthen told the Daily News. Afterward, Maine should be ready to re-enter the Mets rotation, while Perez would advance to an official minor-league rehab start, indicating a return within two weeks is possible.

"Right now is the best he's felt for a long time," Warthen said about Perez, who aborted his last comeback attempt after right knee discomfort flared up following a May 26 start for Triple-A Buffalo.

Maine, on the DL with discomfort in the back of his right shoulder, threw pain-free yesterday in Port St. Lucie, according to Warthen. The righthander is not eligible to be activated from the DL until Monday, so Fernando Nieve will need to make one more start, Friday against the Rays at Citi Field.

Good news indeed.

Speaking of the schedule--if the Mets can keep pace for the next few weeks, they catch a pretty nice stretch of games after the All-Star break.

Atlanta, Washington, Houston, Colorado.

OK, I think it's time to go let Fernando be a minor leaguer again when the Baltimore series ends.

The Mets simply have better outfield options right now--namely Jeremy Reed. It's a small sample size, but did you know Reed is 4 for 4 against lefty's this year? FMart is 3 for 17, all singles.

Fernando Tatis also needs to play over Daniel Murphy.

Tatis has a .394 OBP in 27 June at-bats. Murphy has a .289 OBP in 31 June at-bats.

In January I wrote a piece on how Murphy and Tatis should be platooned. Jerry Manuel has used them exactly the opposite, and it's hurt both players.

The numbers simply don't lie. Jerry is not a numbers guy.

Speaking of numbers, how about Sean Green and Pedro Feliciano?

Both players continue to impress in their roles.

Tonight Tim Redding climbs back on the hill and hopes to build on two impressive starts in a row.

He shaved 3 runs off his ERA in those starts and faces a Baltimore team that is floundering right now.

Just keep grinding Mets....keep grinding.

Momma Said There'd Be Days Like This...

I'm watching the game last night, frustrated by the previous loss to the Pirates, frustrated that we can't get any big rally's going, frustrated that we can't hit homeruns, frustrated that we're physically injured and sick with the flu, frustrated, at pretty much everything going on with the team....and then it hit me.

They'll be days like this.

So I began looking for positives, and there are many.

The Mets lost 2 in a row, 3 of 4, and the Phillies have won 5 in a row....and they're 2.5 games out of first...on June 3rd....with all the turmoil.

Jose Reyes comes back Friday...I'd almost forgotten how singularly valuable he is to the club since he's caught up in the middle of so many injuries.

We are about to get Jose Reyes back....the Jose Reyes that has had 779 hits, 65 triples, 258 steals, and 452 runs scored in the 4 seasons prior to 2009.

Let's do a little lineup projection for next week:

1. Reyes, SS
2. Castillo, 2B
3. Beltran, CF
4. Sheffield, LF
5. Wright, 3B
6. Church, RF
7. Murphy, 1B
8. Schneider, C

That alone makes me feel better, but there's more.

Frankie Rodriguez, Bobby Parnell and Pedro Feliciano are pitching light's out.

In fact, our bullpen really is a strength, and will be throughout the season. JJ Putz is struggling, but overall the BP is championship caliber.

The flu sucks...we all know it...and it can decapacitate you for a few days or even a week, but once it's gone, it's gone.

Carlos Beltran should start feeling better today or tomorrow, and he'll be back this weekend. Hopefully the rest of his body will benefit from the time off.

Remember--he doesn't have swine flu, he doesn't have an injury that requires weeks of re-hab, and he has a fantastic approach this year with his hitting.

Beltran will be back SOON...maybe not tonight or tomorrow, but certainly by the weekend.

So we "add" two all-star MVP candidate players in the next 3 days, PLUS we get Alex Cora back to help stabilize the bench.

Playing the subs now will pay dividends later.

Jeremy Reed, Fernando Martinez, Angel Pagan, Fernando Tatis...one of these gentleman wil likely play a heroic role down the stretch.

Think back to the championship teams...they all had a core of stars, but in most cases there was an unlikely hero that emerged down the stretch or in the post-season that catapulted them to victory.

It also may not hurt that Reed and Pagan have played well, and other teams that may have interest in them before the trading deadline have certainly scouted and noticed....those two guys can play, and they are cheap.

John Maine and Mike Pelfrey are studs.

With Johan Santana at the top of the order and Maine and Pelfrey behind him, the Mets have 3 top front line starters.

Maine was 4-1 in May with a 2.75 ERA.

Pelfrey was only 2-1, but he had a 2.93 ERA in May, and went 7+ innings in 4 starts with 3 earned runs or less in all 6 of his starts...he easily could have went 5-1 or even 6-0 for the month.

So this morning, over my coffee, I'm re-thinking my frustration over the last week and especially the last two games and the Saturday debacle.

Momma said there'd be days like this, we know and understand that during the season long marathon that there will be ups and downs.....we also know the best days are ahead for this ballclub.

Bad Jerry Manuel Decision #74

Wow, these are really piling up now.

Situation: 8th inning, Mets up 5-3, David Wright draws a leadoff walk against a young pitcher, Jeremy Reed up, Wilson Valdez on deck.

What would you do?

What did Jerry Manuel do?

He elected to bunt with Reed, who bunted back to the pitcher, who turned and threw to second to force David Wright.

OK, wait a minute here.

Jerry Manuel had Jeremy Reed bunt to get Wilson Valdez up?

Jeremy Reed is batting .291 and is a career .258 hitter with a .681 OPS...he had two hits on the night...Reed also has a little pop, with 84 extra-base hits in 1,112 career at-bats. He's not great, but amazing when compared to Wilson Valdez.

For his career, Wilson Valdez has a .213 batting average and a .257 OBP with the worst slugging percentage in history--.278...that is not a typo. He has a lifetime OPS of .535 and a total of 13 extra base hits in 263 career at-bats.

All of the statistical studies in the world tell you that you don't bunt the man over after a leadoff walk....that the odds of him scoring decrease dramatically with one out, even if he makes it to second.

Every man alive knows you don't bunt a semi-productive hitter to get to Wilson Valdez. Everyone except Jerry "Goin' with my Gut" Manuel, who falls in love with every scrap heap guy he finds.

So after the promising start to the inning, Jerry bunts, the sacrifice fails, and the Mets went out quietly with nothing to show for DW's leadoff effort.

Amazing.

Laying in the Reeds

This is actually a Ravi piece, but he asked me to post it for him as he is a man on the move of late! Enjoy!

Xavier Nady

John Maine

Oliver Perez

Jeremy Reed

What do all the above players have in common? I’ll get to that in a minute.

Jeremy Reed was drafted in the 2nd round by the Chicago White Sox, with the 59th overall pick in 2002. A year later, he was the Minor League Player of the Year.

He began the year at Single A, and after producing a line of .333/.437/.477, yielding an OPS of .914 over 222 at bats, he was promoted to Double-A, where he found his power stroke, and hit .409/.472/.591, with an OPS of 1.063.

He was promoted to AAA the following year, which included a mid-season trade to Seattle, and played a bit better in the hitter friendly PCL. He earned top prospect status, and a call-up after hitting .305/.367/.455, with an .822 OPS for Tacoma.

Reed began his MLB career on fire, batting .397/.470/.466 for Seattle, with an OPS+ of 149 (100 is average), at the ripe age of 24. 2005 wasn’t as kind to him, as he batted .254/.322/.352, with an OPS + of 84. While not on par with his debut the previous season, his production in 2005 was not terrible for a rookie, especially one who led all center fielders in range factor.

Based on his minor league numbers, Reed was supposed to be a guy who would hit for average, and get on base at a very nice clip, while showing modest power. Then the injuries came.

2006 was tough for Reed, as he sustained some significant injuries, as he hurt his right wrist making a play in spring training, and in July, broke his thumb trying to make a diving catch in extra innings. Reed spent most of 2007 in the minors, this time conquering Triple-A, putting together a ling of .300/.354/.452, with an .806 OPS in 564 AB’s. He only had 13 AB’s at the major league level that year, and never got into a grove. He began 2008 back in Triple-A, and once again showed that the league was no match for him, as he batted .349/.413/.557 with a .970 OPS in 149 at bats. When recalled to the majors in May, he responded by going .269/.314/.360, with an 82 OPS+ on a very weak hitting team while not getting consistent playing time.

This brings me to the question I asked at the top of this post. The thing that the four players have in common is that they attracted the eye of Omar Minaya.

As he did with Nady, Maine, Perez (and Church, some may argue), Omar found a talented player, who had issues with the injury bug, suffered from inconsistent playing time, who proved he was ready, but never had the opportunity to blossom.

Like Maine and Perez, Reed was seemingly a second thought – a body to help offset a much larger deal. However, we have come to learn that these were not just any throw in players, but were in fact targeted by Minaya. Certainly Omar has had some misses, but there is no doubt about his eye for talent, that eye was rewarded by the accomplishments of Nady, Maine and Perez.

This spring, Reed is making his case to join that group, as he is batting .426 over 26 games, while also hitting for power. Though it evokes shades of Butch Huskey, Reed has a pedigree that Butch, though a successful minor leaguer himself, never had. This isn’t to say that Reed will be an all-star, but it will be very interesting to see whether or not a guy, seemingly brought in for his glove, will also be able to get it done with his bat.

The Mets Bench: More Questions than Answers

Who makes the Mets bench in 2009?

With Angel Pagan under the knife, one more name has been eliminated from competition.

If you believe Marty Noble, it will be:

Fernando Tatis, Alex Cora, Ramon Castro, Marlon Anderson and a fourth outfielder, probably Jeremy Reed.

And what of Bobby Kielty and Nick Evans?

Both players have hit well this spring, with Evans coming on of late.

As MetsMinorLeague Blog writes:

Tuesday, in the Mets 5-5 tie with Washington, Nick Evans was 2-4, with a 2B, 3B, BB, and an RBI. Each of his last three hits have gone for extra bases including his slam on Monday. That modest power boost has raised his slugging percentage nearly .300 points in five AB.

I am not a fan of Marlon Anderson. He might look good now, but his 2008 season was horrible.

2008 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Season	87	138	16	29	6	0	1	10	9	27	2	1	.210	.255	.275	.530
Career	1147	3200	392	849	174	20	63	371	227	470	71	24	.265	.314	.391	.705

I would much rather have Kielty or Evans if the Mets only carry five players. Of those two, Kielty makes the most sense in that he crushes lefthanded pitching (.881 lifetime OPS against LHP) and can provide relief for either Ryan Church or Carlos Delgado.

Should the Mets decide to go with six bench players, a case could be made for Marlon Anderson--the key words here are "could be"--Marlon looked done in 2008.

Moreover, Jose Reyes should once again play every day, so the only realistic non-starter infield at-bats the Mets need to plan for are at second base, and Alex Cora can amply fill that role.

Last year we needed power off the bench, not more Marlon Anderson.