David Wright is About to Get Red Hot

Image via Wikipedia
David Wright's 2011 campaign has already seen its fair share of ups and downs, but current signs point to an uptick.  Specifically, I am talking about how well he is seeing the ball of late.

Wright has now drawn a walk in 7 consecutive games and raised his OBP from .322 to .347 over that span.  In addition to the walks, he stroked seven hits and cut down on his K rate.  The downside is that the hits have not come at the most opportune times, and he has not driven in any runs over the last week.

A quick look through Wright's career stats show that this current consecutive games with a walk streak is the longest of his career.  The numbers also show that when Wright walks with frequency, the power numbers follow.

History tells us that this will be the case here, and that David will have a monster May.

VIDEO: Reyes Clearly Safe

Jose had every right to go ballistic. Thankfully our man Murph balanced the books and the Mets went on to win in fine fashion.

Good Morning Mets Fans!

Hey peeps.  Yes, I've been away for a while--I've received a bunch of e-mails and here is the answer why:  work.  I had a pretty good year, OK, a great year, and managed to get promoted up within my company, and I am just now settling down and back in to some semblance of a social life.

So....anyone else going to the game tonight?  I am very pumped up after last night's big win.  It will be a treat to go see the Mets and RA Dickey.  The team has an excellent chance to extend the winning streak to 6.

The Mets visited Walter Reed Yesterday--I was going to cruise up there and take a look at the proceedings since I have access as a Vet and military retiree, but alas that work thing got in the way.  I was just very pleased at how the team went about its business and did what's important.

I know all of you know about the great Joe Petruccio and his website My Mets Journal.  Well, none other than little old me was lucky enough to win his latest contest for a free personally drawn and signed piece.  In fact, here it is:

So all in all a very good Mets week.  Win 5 in a row, guys hitting and pitching well, the team acting as a team, and on a personal note, I will be in some choice seats tonight thanks to Davey Johnson, and I win a piece of beautiful Mets artwork from one of my very favorite artists.

A good morning indeed.

Jeff Pearlman's Awakening

Sportswriter Jeff Pearlman is the author of the classic, "The Bad Guys Won".  It's one of my favorite baseball books.  He also writes for Sports Illustrated and has several other books out.

Like most baseball writers, Pearlman got wind of the Mets Walter Reed visit and heard about the three Mets that didn't make the trip.  His perspective on their non-visit resulted in what I consider an unfortunate piece for Sports Illustrated.

I called Jeff Pearlman on the piece, writing on his blog:  

Jeff:  I just wanted to thank you, in advance, for your upcoming visit to Walter Reed. I know all of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Marines there will enjoy the personally autographed books you’ll be bringing them.

E-mail me if you want me to go with you…really.

Regards,
Dave

This morning I saw this from Pearlman: "Sometimes You're Simply Wrong..."
In it he says:

Started thinking about it this afternoon, while doing my regular Friday segment on Hardly Workin’ With Greg Burton, an ESPN Radio show in Richmond. Greg asked about the column, and as I began to dump on the players it hit me: How many times have I visited Walter Reed? How many cards have I sent the troops? How many meals have I cooked? How much money have I donated?
In other words, why am I expecting more of three ballplayers than I am of myself? And why do they have a greater obligation to charitable deeds than I do?
Answer: They don’t. If they were wrong not attending, I’m wrong for doing jack shit.

Jeff Pearlman came up with a solution--do something.  He actually took the time to contact Walter Reed and offer up his time, his books, and the opportunity to sit and chat with the wounded to talk baseball, sports, books, etc.

A very good thing, by a good man.....very good indeed.

From a 21-Year Military Veteran: Leave Them Alone

I am a 21-year veteran of the Armed Forces, and a disabled vet as well.  I am absolutely appalled by the Press coverage that Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez are getting for not going to Walter Reed.

Why?  It is not big deal that they didn't go.

Carlos Beltran said he visited a VA hospital this off-season and had meetings to attend about his charity on the day of the Walter Reed visit.

Luis Castillo said he is not comfortable around amputees and those with other disfigurements.

Oliver Perez refuses comment, which is his right.

The fact of the matter is that this wasn't a visit to the zoo, it wasn't some mandatory fun, it was a visit to Walter Reed to pay tribute to fighting men.  Why on Earth should someone be forced to do it?  If it was voluntary, then why make a fuss over anyone who didn't attend?

Oliver Perez is from Mexico.  Does that mean if an American works in Mexico he needs to go visit a Mexican veteran's home?  Should they wear a Viva Zapata! shirt while doing so?

If Luis Castillo doesn't want to see disfigured people, do you force him to go and deal with the trauma?  Do you make the soldiers uncomfortable by forcing a guy on them who refuses to look, or possibly gets physically ill in their presence?

Do you force Carlos Beltran to delay the meetings for his $10M charity, and his lifelong dream, so that one more baseball player goes to Walter Reed?

Here's something you may or may not care about--those guys at Walter Reed get visits all the time.  It's not like this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet their hero.

I am staggered by the reporting here, and I guarantee you that if you speak with any Walter Reed Soldier, Airman, or Marine, they would tell you to leave those three guys alone. 

Related articles

• New York Mets' Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo, Oliver Perez skip visit to veterans' hospital (sports.espn.go.com)
• Three Mets Skip Visit to Walter Reed (nytimes.com)

I'm Not Going to Joke About K-Rod

Nope, not gonna do it.

• I won't say that he pointed to the sky after hitting his father-in-law.
• I won't compare Frankie's Golden Gloves to David Wright's Golden Sombrero.
• I won't say the Mets finally found their slugger.
• Not gonna tell you that the Mets have decided to cancel Family Day
• I won't sit here and wonder why Frankie got arrested after hitting his father-in-law on one occasion while Luis Castillo has been slapping things all year.
• I won't compare Frankie's hitting to Francoeur's...too easy, and as one fan on Twitter said, "If Francoeur swung at his father-in-law, he'd miss."
• Finally, I will not tell you that K-Rod doubled his team's hit total on the night.

Time for a Change

No, I'm not talking about Peter Brady's voice cracking saga, I am talking about Jerry Manuel's fan cracking saga.  It's really just way, way, way past time for Jerry Manuel's dismissal.

We've been through the litany of his bad moves and ineffectiveness all season, in fact, there is a list I kept somewhere back that I could dig out, but it's really just not necessary right now.

Just look at the simple fact that the team cannot win more than one game in a row.  Or the fact that the team is devoid of any spark whatsoever.

But what really got to me last night was the fact that one day after proclaiming Hisanori Takahashi his "8th inning guy", Jerry pulls him after giving up a walk and a single after he got the first two outs....and went to Manny Acosta.

This is not a manager that has a strategy, much less a winning strategy.

This is not a manager that understands leverage.

This is not a man who understands advanced statistics, trends, and match-ups.

This is not a manager that will fight with every dying breath, and at all costs, to win.

A manager has four basic functions:  Keep the players motivated to play their best and win, put out the best starting lineup, manage the bullpen, and make the tactical in-game moves that maximize the team's chances to win.

In my opinion Jerry fails on all four counts, and his most egregious failures occur  with his bullpen moves and in-game tactics, like bunting a man over in the first or second inning of a game.

Not putting in Frankie Rodriguez with 2 outs in the 8th in a 2-1 ballgame was just mind-boggling.  Not staying with his anointed "8th inning guy" becuae he was in the slightest bit of trouble was bad.  And going to Manny Acosta as the choice was just one more example of what an awful in-game manager Jerry Manuel is.

Time for a change......way past time.

Hey Jerry, Excuse Me, Got a Sec?

Jerry, yeah you.  Come here a sec...let me make a recommendation for you:

Reyes
Pagan
Wright
Beltran
Bay
Davis
Thole
Castillo

That is your fucking lineup every goddamn day except the catcher.

Set it, and leave it the fuck alone.

I thank you for your time.

LeBron James Will Not be a Met

Despite a full court press by Bobby Bonilla, Vince Coleman, Alex Cora and Chico Escuela, Lebron James has decided to remain in the NBA and join the Miami Heat vice taking a run at a baseball career with the Mets.

"The Mets made me a very attractive offer--very attractive--but at the end of the day, staying true to myself and humble was my only option, so I decided to leave my hometown and join the Heat," said LeBron.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel had grandiose plans for James and was visibly upset with the announcement, "I thought pairing him with The Animal would pay huge dividends, and lord knows we need some bullpen help. I just hope Carlos Beltran can make up for this a bit when he returns."

The Mets can now return their focus on the first-place Atlanta Braves, who come to Citi Field tonight for a key three game series leading into the All-Star break. With a sweep the Mets can tie the Braves.

Good Morning Mets Fans!

The Mets licked their wounds on Monday after back to back losses and came out firing on all cylinders.

Led by the top of the order, specifically Angel Pagan, the Mets erupted for 14 runs and beat one of the American league's top pitchers.

Angel Pagan is playing at a very high level and now has his average up to .304 on the year after stroking 4 hits in 6 at-bats in last night's contest.  He scored three times and drove in 4 as well.

"Angel's playing extremely well," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "He's been big."

Pagan is thoroughly enjoying his baseball renaissance, but he also knows that some of his playing time is likely to diminish when Carlos Beltran returns.  I personally envision a 4-man rotation in the outfield with Bay, Beltran and Pagan playing about 80% of the time, and Francoeur playing 60%.

"What's in my mind is to help the team as much as I can and to protect Carlos' spot; that's a big responsibility," said Pagan.

David Wright reached base 5 times on two singles, an RBI double, a sacrifice fly and two walks.  He is looking more and more relaxed at the plate, staying far steadier in the box, and his bat looks quick.

Jose Reyes continues his penchant for multiple hit games.  In fact, he has had a multiple hit game in 9 of the Mets last 13 games.

Big Ike Davis and Jason Bay also got into the act--Ike had 3 hits and 3 RBIs, and Bay had 2 hits, 2 walks and 2 RBIs.

When the game began it looked liked Jonathan Niese had absolutely terrific stuff.  After not allowing a hit over the first three frames, a 90 minute rain delay, plus another near 30 minute "delay" of the Mets batting around, cost him his rhythm and control.  I was actually surprised Jerry Manuel let him go back out there after the long delay, but the skipper thought he could coax Niese through 5 to get him the win.

"We had a very, very long inning. It probably cost him," said Manuel.

After exiting in the 5th just one out away from a win, Niese looked more embarrassed then anything else.  Fortunately Fernando Nieve came on and pitched extremely well for 2 1/3 and picked up the win.  Bobby Parnell came on and pitched a scoreless 8th with 2 Ks, lighting up the gun at 97 and 98 mph.  Ryota Igarashi pitched a scoreless 9th to seal the win.

All in all a great win for the Mets, who come back tonight with RA Dickey on the hill.

Enjoy your coffee!

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit (38-31)	0	0	0	2	4	0	0	0	0	6	8	0
N.Y. Mets (40-30) «	2	0	8	1	0	3	0	0	x	14	16	0

Player of the Game

New York
A. Pagan	AB	6
	R	3
	H	4
	HR	0
	RBI	4

2009 vs 2010 Mets

Let's compare some basic stats between the 2009 and 2010 Mets.

Fielding %:
2009:  19th
2010: 7th

ERA:
2009: 20th
2010: 6th

WHIP:
2009: 25th
2010: 20th

Starter ERA:
2009: 25th
2010: 6th

Saves:
2009:  20th
2010: 9th

Homeruns:
2009: 30th
2010: 19th

Stolen Bases:
2009: 6th
2010: 2nd

VIDEO: Fernando Martinez Walkoff Grand Slam

What a blast!

Mets are 17-8 Since Wilpon Flew to Atlanta

Coincidence, or little did Jeff get his message across?

2nd Spot in the Order Still a Puzzle

I applauded Jerry Manuel's move of Angel Pagan to the 2 hole, but thus far, the results have been less than stellar.

With the small sample size for Pagan (39 at bats), it's likely that he was moved just as he went into his first slump of the season, and I'm still hopeful that he retains his place there as that is where his skills are most useful.

On the season, the Mets have received astonishingly poor production from what is a key position in the order.  This isn't surprising given that Luis Castillo and Alex Cora have manned it for the majority of the season.

With the Mets surging, it's tantalizing to think just how good this lineup can be with a hot Jose Reyes and Pagan as the table setters.

I have a very strong feeling that we're going to see this offense take off when the two of them get hot at the same time, which will hopefully begin tonight in Cleveland.

Below are the Mets totals for the season by lineup position:

Split	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	GDP	BAbip	sOPS+
Batting 1st	296	271	37	76	11	7	5	31	13	3	18	32	.280	.330	.428	.758	4	.301	113
Batting 2nd	287	241	22	54	8	3	0	28	10	2	34	20	.224	.318	.282	.600	8	.240	67
Batting 3rd	282	245	37	63	15	2	7	30	16	2	34	55	.257	.352	.420	.773	7	.306	94
Batting 4th	275	245	35	59	14	2	4	28	5	0	25	70	.241	.316	.363	.680	4	.318	68
Batting 5th	269	235	41	67	17	2	11	40	6	3	28	61	.285	.353	.515	.868	8	.331	114
Batting 6th	259	223	33	59	13	1	7	25	4	1	31	53	.265	.359	.426	.785	3	.315	109
Batting 7th	252	235	29	59	10	0	11	40	5	0	8	43	.251	.280	.434	.714	4	.259	96
Batting 8th	248	220	32	63	13	0	9	32	3	2	18	39	.286	.347	.468	.815	4	.305	133
Batting 9th	241	211	17	42	6	0	1	15	2	0	12	61	.199	.242	.242	.484	1	.275	70
Bat1-2,non-P	583	512	59	130	19	10	5	59	23	5	52	52	.254	.324	.359	.683	12	.271	90
Bat3-6,non-P	1085	948	146	248	59	7	29	123	31	6	118	239	.262	.345	.430	.775	22	.317	96
Bat7-9,non-P	605	551	72	144	26	0	21	81	10	2	32	107	.261	.307	.423	.730	9	.285	108

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/15/2010.

Jerry Manuel has a Doppelganger

Jerry Manuel has a Doppelganger, though he likely would not be flattered by the comparison.  

From Wiki:  Dr. Hassan 'Abd Allah al-Turabi (الدكتور حسن عبد الله الترابي al-Duktūr Ḥassan 'Abd Allah at-Turābī in Arabic), commonly called Hassan al-Turabi (sometimes transliterated Hassan al-Tourabi) (حسن الترابي) (born c.1932), is a religious and Islamist political leader in Sudan, who may have been instrumental in institutionalizing sharia in the northern part of the country. He has been called a "longtime hard-line ideological leader."

The two men could swap places and it might benefit both organizations.

Jerry could bring his calm personality to a fiery situation, and Al-Turabi could bring his ideology to the Mets, where it would be summarily ignored so these guys could keep playing baseball.

If nothing else we would never see a sacrifice bunt again.

Angel Pagan is a Star

With all of the uncertainty surrounding the Mets early this year, its been unheralded Angel Pagan that has provided the spark, the hits, the range in centerfield, the intelligent baserunning and the consistency that has kept the team in the hunt as they attempt to chase down a spot in first place.

How good has Pagan been?

Since May 1st, he's hit .315 with a .371 OBP and slugged at a .477 clip.  He has gotten a hit in 26 of the 33 games played over that span.  Since May 1st he has 41 hits, 8 doubles, 9 stolen bases and has scored 21 runs. 

That equates to over 200 hits, 100 runs scored, 44 stolen bases and 40 doubles over a full season.

That, my friends, is a star.

If we combine his 2009 and 2010 seasons you get an idea of how valuable he's been over a full slate of games:

Angel Pagan Batting Stats for Years 2009 to 2010

Year	Tm	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2009-2010	NYM	144	603	547	86	165	31	15	10	57	25	10	45	87	.302	.352	.468	.820	118

The best part of it is that Pagan continues to get better.

His eye at the plate is better, he is hitting to the gaps, playing smart defense, and running the bases with intelligence and hustle to maximize his speed.

He may not be very well known outside of New York, but what we know is that Angel Pagan has morphed into one of the most important players on the Mets, and he has become a complete player.

Here are his 2010 numbers and his projections:

2010 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Season	56	204	32	60	9	4	4	25	20	31	11	3	.294	.356	.436	.792
Career	323	956	147	271	54	20	19	109	81	165	37	13	.283	.337	.441	.778
Last 7 days	5	21	2	6	2	1	0	2	2	3	2	0	.286	.348	.476	.824
Projected	160	583	91	171	26	11	11	71	57	89	31	9	.294	.356	.436	.792

Related article

• Quote: Angel Pagan is Underrated (metsblog.com)

VIDEO: The Majesty of Ike Davis' Walkoff Bomb

Yes Ike, you can say bomb on an airplane.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Pelfrey Dominant, Davis Wins It For Mets Over Padres (bleacherreport.com)

David Wright is On Fire

David Wright was "sat down" for a game two weeks ago in Washington on May 19th and didn't take the news well.

The all-star third baseman is a proud player, and as the strikeout numbers piled up, the frustration could clearly be seen in his face.  He was getting chippy with umps, tossing his bat a little, and the stress and frustration was easy to see.

He scuffled a bit more after the one game "rest", and then the walks came, and the hits came, and the power came.

Since May 28th, David Wright has walked 7 times and struck out 7 times....a very good ratio.

In his last 7 games, he has struck out only 4 times, and 3 of those came in one game.  More importantly, he has stopped bailing out of the box on breaking pitches inside, and is back to just leaning away.  This was most obvious yesterday--the Marlins continually came inside, and DW just gently leaned away...it was subtle, but an important indicator that he is seeing the ball exceptionally well.

Since May 29th DW is 13 for 25, 5 walks, 4 Ks and has raised his batting average from .244 to .279.

David Wright is back my friends, and he may just be back all the way.

DATE		GAME		AB		R		H		2B		3B		HR		RBI		TB		BB		SO		SB		CS		HBP		OBP		SLG		AVG
JUN 01		@SD		4		1		3		0		0		1		2		6		0		1		1		0		0		.371		.495		.269
JUN 02		@SD		5		0		1		0		0		0		0		1		0		3		0		0		0		.367		.487		.267
JUN 04		FLA		2		1		0		0		0		0		0		0		2		0		0		0		0		.369		.482		.264
JUN 05		FLA		3		2		2		0		0		1		3		5		1		0		0		0		0		.376		.500		.270
JUN 06		FLA		5		1		3		0		0		0		0		3		0		0		0		0		0		.380		.502		.279
June Total:				19	5	9	0	0	2	5	15	3	4	1	0	0	.545	.789	.474