Rick Peterson's Impact

Last year when the Mets fired Willie Randolph, Rick Peterson was let go as well. It was a move that was applauded throughout many circles for reasons that came out afterward--Peterson was described as a major "control freak who didn't listen."

When he left it was ugly, and got uglier. He was roundly criticized by many on the staff, including ace Johan Santana and Oliver Perez.

Both of these men are undergoing surgery.

Let's take a quick look at the Mets key pitching stats in 2003, the year before Peterson's arrival:

2003: 4.50 ERA, 3.7 BB/9, 93 ERA+

Pretty poor--the Mets had the second most losses in the NL that year, with 95. The staff featured some good pitchers--Al Leiter, Tom Glavine, and Steve Trachsel, who won 16 games, and reliever John Franco, who had a 2.92 ERA, and Armando Benitez, with a 3.10 ERA.

When Peterson arrived in 2004, the pitching staff remained essentially the same. 4 of the 5 starters stayed in place, and the 5th starter situation remained fluid all year, just as it did in 2003. Benitez was replaced with Braden Looper as the closer, who put up similar numbers.

The overall numbers of the staff improved, which remained a consistent theme throughout Peterson's tenure.

2004: 4.10 ERA, 3.7 BB/9, 104 ERA+
2005: 3.77 ERA, 3.1 BB/9, 109 ERA+
2006: 4.16 ERA, 3.2 BB/9, 105 ERA+
2007: 4.27 ERA, 3.5 BB/9, 100 ERA+
2008: 4.07 ERA, 3.6 BB/9, 103 ERA+

As we all know, Peterson was fired in June of 2008, but he gets partial credit for last year's performance.

And now we have 2009--Dan Warthen in full swing, injuries up and down the staff. Horrible numbers that look very similar to 2003:

2009: 4.44 ERA, 4.0 BB/9, 96 ERA+

So what was the true impact of Rick Peterson? Let's combine the numbers the year prior to his arrival and after he left, and look at them against the averages from Peterson's tenure:

With R. Peterson: 4.07 ERA, 3.4 BB/9, 104 ERA+
Without Peterson: 4.47 ERA, 3.8 BB/9, 94 ERA+

It does make you wonder how much impact Peterson truly had, and what 2009 would have looked like had he stayed in place.

Mets Pre-Season Questions: Part 2, The Offense

My friend Ravi, a very, very smart baseball guy has written part two of his Pre-Season series. To read Part 1, please click here.

--Dave

Mets Pre-Season Questions : Part 2, The Offense

In continuing my pre-season look at the New York Mets, I would like to focus on the offense. This past off-season, much has been made about bringing back the same hitters who were in part, responsible for two straight September swoons. However, consider the following:

• 2006: 834 (3)
• 2007: 804 (4)
• 2008: 799 (2)

Those numbers are the run totals (and NL rank) the Mets have put up since the core of the team was formed, in 2006. Now one may look at those totals and notice a declining trend. However, it is important to note that the 2006 team had a much better supporting cast, with a big year out of Valentin, a great first half by Nady, consistent production from LoDuca, and a possible career year from Beltran.

I think the 800 run mark of the past two years is a fair estimation of what we can expect this coming year, provided the core does what it is supposed to.

That being said, there are a few questions this lineup will need to address in 2009. I won’t waste time looking at the Reyes/Wright/Beltran trinity, because we pretty much know what they can provide. I do think Beltran will get off to a better start this season, as he is healthy, as opposed to 208, where he was coming off surgery.

Instead, I chose to focus on 2 Mets about whom there has been much speculation, and whose success is integral: Luis Castillo and Carlos Delgado.

Luis Castillo

Is there anyone in the Met-verse more hated than Castillo right now? In fact, it seems like all the venom that was reserved for Heilman has been directed toward Luis Castillo. At the end of the day, we all know the criticisms…no power…lack of range…but surely there must be positives. Luckily, Robcast23 of Amazin’ Avenue has done quite a bit of grunt work for me.

One thing that is easily forgotten by us fans is just how good Castillo was (even though he was in the division):

• This was a guy that since he started playing every day hit .290+ nine out of 10 seasons.
• In that same stretch he posted an OBP below .350 only once, averaging approximately .375.
• He has 3 Gold Gloves on his mantle
• Its actually staggering from '02 to '07 to see how consistent he was across the board. He had basically the same season 5 (good) years in a row.
• The only significant change has been the K%, which has steadily improved each year from a high water mark of 17.5% in '99 down to 11.7% in '08, which is a lot.

In addition, as mentioned on Amazin’ Avenue, there wasn’t meaningful variance in Castillo’s peripherals, when comparing 2008 to his career.

I think the biggest reason for Castillo’s lost season was his inability to get in shape. If you recall, Luis had surgery on both knees before the season. As a result, he came to camp in poor shape, and never really hit the ground running. Supporting my case is the one outlier in all of Castillo’s peripherals. The average player has a BABIP (batting average on balls in play). of .300.

However, some hitters have the ability to consistently maintain a higher rate (whereas pitchers tend to gravitate toward the .300). Luis Castillo is one of the players, as he sports a career .333 BABIP. In 2008, that number dipped to .269.

For a guy with little power, whose speed is so critical to his game, not being in shape is a pretty big deal. To understand the effect his knee surgery/lack of conditioning, look at his defense. Luis is a 3-time gold glove second baseman…Last year, I think Delgado had better range (joking). That doesn’t just happen overnight. Now I’m not saying that he is going to steal 60 bases, or win a gold glove, or have a 30 game hit streak. What I will say that if his offseason commitment to being ready the season is true, then you can expect a BA of close to .300, with an OBP north of .350. Not bad from the 2-hole.

Early reports say Castillo is in fact in excellent shape, and he himself said he is fully healthy. Hopefully it is a sign of things to come.

Carlos Delgado

I may as well copy what I said above and paste it hear, because I can make pretty much the exact same case for Delgado. It was, without saying, a tale of two seasons for Delgado. One was vintage, while the other was forgettable. Some like to believe that it was the dismissal of Willie Randolph, while Delgado’s resurgence started a few weeks prior.

Personally, I believe that is was a series of injuries, which cost Delgado a season and a half.

Is it coincidence that his slump came on the heels of offseason surgery in 2007, with Delgado injured throughout? When you look at how his 2nd half numbers compare to his career numbers, you may not think so either. Thankfully for us, Brian Joura at Fangraphs.com has done a wonderful job in analyzing Delgado’s performance, and giving us a fair expectation for 2009.

The first myth to dispel is that Delgado’s poor performance was because of Willie Randolph, and that his resurgence began upon Willie’s departure. Brian points out that from June 27th until the end of the season, Carlos put up a line of .295/.378/.576 –certainly numbers we are used to seeing from King Carlos- about three weeks before Willie got the midnight axe. (Of all the flak the Mets caught, Jon Stewart’s criticism was by far the funniest).



A lot of detractors say that Carlos cannot maintain his 2nd half production over the course of a full season, and I am inclined to agree. Of course, a look at some of his 2nd half statistics shows that his 2nd half was a tad unlucky. Delgado’s 2nd half BABIP was .295, compared to a career .309. In addition, his K and BB rates were in line with recent trends. However, I also think that while he won’t be as good as his 2nd half line, Delgado’s 1st half will not be so bad.

Ultimately, his full season performance compares very well to what Carlos has done over the past few years. As Brian points out, Delgado’s 2006 and 2008 lines are very similar:

• 2006: .265-38-114
• 2008: .271-38-115

One improvement Delgado made over his 2006 stats was his line drive percentage. Carlos did a much better job of squaring up on the ball and making solid contact in 2008, as he hit a higher percentage of line drives, and a lower percentage of fly balls. AS Brian astutely points out, though logic would suggest a higher line drive rate would result in a higher BABIP, the defensive shift teams use seem to mitigate this effect.

One potential red flag is that Carlos had a very high HR/Fly ball ratio. However, watching him day in day out, its not a stretch to say that Carlos still has big time power.

So what caused the most prolific left handed hitter over the past 10 years (non Barroid division) to have a miserable season and a half? Injuries. Prior to the 2007 season, Delgado had wrist surgery. Recently, Delgado has gone so far to say that the injuries were not the cause of his struggles, but rather is was a mental issue. His swing and timing was off. In my opinion, that was a result of the surgery, and recovery time.

In 2007, it seemed that every time he was on the verge of busting out, he got hurt again, ending with the broken hand he suffered at the end of 2007. In 2008, he was able to stay on the field, and address his timing issues. We all know what resulted.

Looking toward next season, it is entirely possible that Delgado’s power output could diminish. Most of Delgado’s homers are hit to right center, which is among the deepest parts of Citifield. At the same time, cheap is not an accurate way to describe Carlos’ homeruns. Delgado seems to be aware of the effect that the new park may have, and he has suggested trying to go down the line more, to take advantage of the right field porch.

My one concern is that this can cause him to change his swing, which could result in another tailspin. I’m not sure if he was joking around with that statement, but I do think he knows what he is doing.

While Carlos may not hit for a .290+ average, I think it is reasonable to expect a 30-35 HR season from Delgado, with 110+ RBI, and a .275 BA. If Castillo is able to stabilize the top of the order (I don’t buy into Jerry’s idea of Castillo batting 1 and Reyes 3), then I can see Carlos exceeding those expectations.

I’d like to give thanks to Amazin’ Avenue and Fan Graphs for providing me with excellent reference material.

Check back soon for Part 3.

-Ravi

Good Morning Mets Fans! 3 Games Up!

The Mets are a team that is easy to like for several reasons.

The main reason, at least for this writer, is that they play hard. The Mets run, play tight defense, hit well with nice power, and they have solid starting pitching and a capable bullpen.

The stats back it up...here's where the team stands in the NL:

• 2nd in Runs Scored
• 2nd in Stolen Bases
• 3rd in Hits
• 3rd in Walks
• 3rd in Triples
• 5th in Batting Average
• 5th in OBP

As for the pitching staff, they are:

• 5th in Team ERA
• 6th in Strikeouts
• 11th in Walks

The team has a 107 OPS+ and a 103 ERA+, so with all adjustments made and neutralized, the team is hitting and pitching above the median, but not so far above to justify their incredible play and record these last few months--there's more to it, but what?

That more is Jerry Manuel, who is the NY Sports Dog favorite for NL Manager of the Year.

Jerry's Mets are 45-26, a .634 winning percentage.

How good is that? Translated over an entire season it would mean 103 wins.

This after his predecessor had led the Mets to a 34-35 record.

• Willie Randolph in 69 games: 34 wins
• Jerry Manuel in 71 games: 45 wins

In the old "buy or sell" game I would quickly answer "buy" when it comes to Jerry Manuel, our pick for NL Manager of the Year.

Yesterday capped a stunning road trip for the Mets: 3 tough teams, a 6-2 record on the trip, and a sweep of the NL wild card leading Milwaukee Brewers. Perhaps more stunning was the fact that the Mets did it with 3 lefty's against the Brew Crew. Prior to this series the Brewers had gone 31-13 against lefty starters.

Ryan Church had a monkey on his back chattering in his ear--a certain Carlos Delgado was teasing Church about finding that nice power stroke he displayed earlier in the year.

Church found it with a first inning Grand Slam to put the Mets up 4-0--a lead they never gave up en route to another big win.

"Delgado, he was joking about it today, 'Hey, it's been a while, you haven't hit a home run in a while so why don't you get one today?'" Church said. "We shared a little laugh there when I touched home plate, 'Hey, I got it out of the way.'"

Ryan Church is a good guy, and it was nice to see him contribute in a big way to get his confidence back up for the final push to October.

"It's been a hectic year," Church said. "It's just something that I don't want to look at it and just throw this last month away. I want to build on things and try to get back to how I was in the first half and finish strong. It's not how you start, it's how you finish. I'm a big believer in that and hopefully that's what continues to happen.

"A lot of people had written me off saying I wasn't going to be able to play again. They thought my season was over. So I looked at it like, 'You know what, I'm going to show them.' I think day in and day out, it just gets better and better. Finally things are starting to come around."

In total the Mets pounded out 9 runs to finish the trip in style.

Jose Reyes continues his amazing season and blasted his major league leading 18th triple. He also stole a base and tied Mookie Wilson for the Mets all-time bags swipes lead. Figure Jose to break that record Friday night in front of the Shea faithful.

Brian Schneider, another key starter who has found his power stroke, followed Church with a dinger of his own. It was Schneider's 5th home run in his last 11 starts.

Schneider had a fine August in which he hit .286 with a .365 OBP and a stout .536 slugging percentage.

Any offense from Schneider is a bonus, and he has suddenly become a bonus baby.

On a day when the hits were spread out throughout the lineup the two "young'uns" made their presence known.

Daniel Murphy, who is suddenly very hot again, had two hits, a walk and scored two runs. Murphy has a .446 OBP on the year. His counterpart, Nick Evans, had a big pinch hit single that plated two and helped the Mets extend their lead. Evans hit over .300 in both July and August and he is becoming a pretty tough hombre at the plate.

The pitching was masterful and tough luck Ollie Perez, who had pitched well in his previous three outings with three no-decisions, got the win, his 10th of the year.

It is becoming more and more apparent that Ollie is something of a "must sign" this off-season.

At just 27 years old, he has a strong resume and, perhaps more importantly, is an oddity. There aren't too many lefthanded pitchers that are capable of going deep into games, giving the opposition such a different look, and striking out hitters the way Ollie can. He makes our staff better.

The bullpen had another great outing--they have now held the opposition without a run in their last 15 1/3 innings.

So now we all breathe. A well-deserved day off for all of Met Nation followed by what looks to be the series of the year (weather permitting).

The Phils lost to the Nats, so the Mets now stand 3 games up on their bitter rivals and the Phils will be out for blood.

The Mets realize the importance of this series and have big Mike Pelfrey on the hill against Brett Myers.

"It's important that we come out with the same intensity, the same focus after this off-day," Wright said. "We don't want to get lackadaisical. We want to come out with that same focus that we came out with on this series and on this whole trip."

Does it get any better than this? No way!

Enjoy your coffee!

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
N.Y. Mets (79-61) «	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	9	10	0
Milwaukee (80-59)	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	2	6	0

Players of the Game

New York D. Murphy AB 4 R 2 H 2 HR 0 RBI 0

New York R. Church AB 4 R 1 H 1 HR 1 RBI 4

Good Morning Johan Santana (Mets) Fans!

It was the best of times, it was the best of times.

Johan Santana, the Ace, took the mound yesterday with a singular purpose--to get a win. The fact that he accomplished his mission in such an utterly dominant fashion was not in the least bit surprising.

The results, a 3-hit shutout in which all 3 hits were singles, delivered in 113 crisp pitches (85 for strikes), is testament to how good he really is.

Want more? He threw a first pitch strike to 26 of the 31 batters he faced. Catcher Brian Schneider said Johan shook him off 5 times, and a few of those were decoys.

Still need more? In August he is 2-0 in 4 starts with a 1.84 ERA, and 23 Ks in 29.1 innings. This after going 2-0 in July with a 2.65 ERA.

So while the rest of the league gets weaker, Johan Santana, Brandon Webb and CC Sabathia get stronger. This is why they are aces, this is why the Mets needed Santana, and this is why he is invaluable to the club.

Think of the tertiary effects of his start--the Mets are in the middle of a streak of 23 games in 23 days--the closer is on the shelf, and guys are tired. When your Ace goes out and pitches a shutout you essentially give 2/3rds of the team the day off. He made it easy--gave everyone a mental and physical blow--he dominated.

"I wanted to give the guys out there a break," Santana said. "That's why I'm happy I pitched the complete game. That it was shutout, too ... that's better."

"It was actually kind of boring out there, it made for great watching," Aaron Heilman said.

"He was very adamant about going back out for the ninth," Manuel said. "Which is a good thing. When you can, you like to reward them for all the other times we've had to take them out."

"It's always good when you give your team and your bullpen a break," said Santana, the only Met with a complete game in 2008. "More than anything, that's what I was trying to do. And as you go in the game, and then you see how everything is coming along, I was just trying to do my job."

Trust us Johan, you did your job and then some.

Well the Mets sure are playing some good ball under Jerry Manuel now, aren't they? He seems to push the right buttons, rest guys when they need it, communicate well, and get the guys to play hard for him. Leadership is either the most overrated or underrated part of an organizational hierarchy, depending on who you talk to.

Is it important in big league baseball? Is Jerry a better leader than Willie? We'll never really know, but what we do know is that for this year, the results speak for themselves:

The leadership question: Have the Mets responded to Jerry leadership style?

Willie and Jerry: 2008
Manager		Win		Loss		Percentage
Willie Randolph		34		35		.493
Jerry Manuel		34		21		.618

Not to look ahead, but there sure are some interesting games coming up in the remainder of August. Day game today against Pittsburgh with John Maine on the hill, then it's back to Shea for some home cooking against the Braves and the Astros. The it's straight to Philly for our final two road games against our rivals, FINALLY a day off, then on to Florida to play the fish.

Our good friends at CoolStandings show the Mets remaining opponents:

2008 Remaining Schedule
vs. Team	PCT	H	A	Tot
ChiCubs	.613	4	0	4
Milwaukee	.568	0	3	3
Philadelphia	.532	3	2	5
Florida	.512	3	3	6
Houston	.508	4	0	4
Atlanta	.452	6	3	9
Pittsburgh	.444	0	1	1
Washington	.352	2	4	6
TOTAL	.488	22	16	38

Not a bad looking schedule, though to be fair, the Phillies have one that looks pretty similar.

All in all the Mets have rebounded well from some early season turmoil and are right where they want to be--first place with their destiny in their own hands.

This, my friends, is why they play the games. This is why we're Mets fans. This is what baseball is all about.

Enjoy your coffee!

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
N.Y. Mets (68-56) «	0	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	4	10	1
Pittsburgh (55-69)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	2

Players of the Game

New York B. Schneider AB 3 R 1 H 2 HR 1 RBI 3

New York J. Santana IP 9.0 H 3 ER 0 BB 0 K 7

New York Mets
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jose Reyes, SS	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	.304
Argenis Reyes, 2B	4	0	3	0	0	0	0	.280
Damion Easley, 3B	5	0	1	0	0	0	3	.265
Carlos Delgado, 1B	4	0	0	0	1	1	4	.257
Carlos Beltran, CF	4	2	2	1	0	1	3	.272
Daniel Murphy, LF	3	1	1	0	1	0	1	.415
Endy Chavez, LF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.272
Fernando Tatis, RF	4	0	0	0	0	2	5	.296
Brian Schneider, C	3	1	2	3	1	0	0	.259
Johan Santana, P	4	0	0	0	0	1	5	.140
Totals	36	4	10	4	3	5
Batting
HR - Carlos Beltran (17, Karstens), Brian Schneider (4, Karstens)
SH - Argenis Reyes (3)
RBI - Carlos Beltran (82), Brian Schneider 3 (25)
2-OUT RBI - Brian Schneider (9)
Team LOB - 9
Fielding
E - Jose Reyes (14, Misplayed grounder)

New York Mets
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Johan Santana (W,11-7)	9	3	0	0	0	7	0	2.75
Pitches-Strikes - Johan Santana 113-85
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Johan Santana 9-12
Batters Faced - Johan Santana 31

Good Morning 1st Place Mets Fans! 10 in a Row!

Pitching? Who needs pitching? Just get 6 straight hits in the 9th inning...that will work!

The Mets started the second half just the way they ended it--with a win--a big win.

Johan didn't have good stuff and allowed 5 runs in 4 innings, but ringmaster Jerry Manuel sprinkled a little more pixie dust on the team and brought out the Mets Magic for the 10th time in a row.

"It was a tough day, trying to battle the weather (86 degrees) and everything," Santana said. "I was trying to get into a groove. I wasn't able to get anything going."

That was OK though, because our good friend Mr Momentum made his daily appearance.

"You know momentum is one of those strange things, you can't identify it until it's over," Manager Jerry Manuel said. "I guess we still have it, I can say that." He then added, “They showed it’s going to take a lot to knock them out.”

And make no mistake, this was a big win, a statement win, and the players agree. David Wright said, “I think this was our most impressive win because Johan obviously didn’t have his best stuff and the bullpen got hit around a little bit.” And they did it--again--10 in a row with contributions from numerous players.

Does it seem like the Mets players take turns playing hero?

Last night was no exception--on a night that seemed like it might not go the Mets way, David Wright, Fernando Tatis, Carlos Delgado and Damion Easley made sure the winning streak would stay intact.

Fernando Tatis has a knack for the big hit and he is swinging a great stick right now--all Mighty Mouse did was go 3 for 4, raise his season average to .306, hit a homerun and a double, and drive in 3 runs. His double down the leftfield line in the 9th plated the Mets 10th and final run of the evening. For the month Tatis is batting over .400 with 4 HRs and and a 1.286 OPS.

Fernando Tatis...Hero.

Carlos Delgado, who we've been hyping here at NY Sports Dog for continued good hitting and a big second half, had a huge game. He started the scoring with a homerun that cleared the ballpark and landed into the river--a mammoth blast. You'd think he would've been happy with that, but no, Carlos got greedy and had two more hits, including a clutch 9th inning opposite field single that put the Mets ahead. Delgado finished with 3 RBIs to bring his season total to 55. He looks so solid at the plate right now and his season OPS+ is up to 113.

Carlos Delgado...Hero.

David Wright "does what he do"...he is a second half machine and 2008 is no different. He came up in the 9th, 1 out, Mets down two runs, man on first thanks to a clutch pinch-hit single by the ultra-scrappy Argenis Reyes, and he blasted a low slider over the leaping Ken Griffey, Jr to tie the game. It was one of "those hits" that send lightning bolts all over Mets Nation and is the reason we love this kid--he is off to a Hall of Fame career, and just may be the second best homegrown player ever to wear a Mets uniform. (tip of the cap to Tom Terrific)

David Wright...Hero.

Mets fans know that this game was played on the one month anniversary of Willie Randolph's firing....the Mets struggled, in fact they blew three leads before the dramatic comeback. In the end they won, and they are now 18-9 under "interim" manager Jerry Manuel.

Jerry is not an interim manager. Oh sure, he has that moniker now, but the fact of the matter is that this is now Jerry's team. During the 9th inning of the SNY telecast Keith Hernandez said, "Jerry has made every right move tonight, he is getting it done." I couldn't agree more.

My good friend "tom talkin" from bigblueinteractive said, "You don't change anything during a winning streak"...I agree...I would also like to see the Mets quietly ink Jerry to a 2-year deal at some point over the next few weeks.

Enjoy your coffee as you grin over these standings!

National League East
Team	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road	East	Cent.	West	L10	Strk
N.Y. Mets	52	44	.542	-	28-18	24-26	18-16	7-8	18-14	10-0	W 10
Philadelphia	52	44	.542	-	27-23	25-21	17-14	17-12	14-7	5-5	W 1
Florida	50	45	.526	1½	26-20	24-25	19-14	11-10	15-11	6-4	L 1
Atlanta	45	50	.474	6½	30-18	15-32	16-19	9-16	12-8	5-5	W 2
Washington	36	60	.375	16	20-30	16-30	14-21	11-19	3-10	2-8	L 2

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
N.Y. Mets (52-44) «	0	0	0	2	2	2	0	0	4	10	14	1
Cincinnati (46-51)	0	0	0	5	0	0	3	0	0	8	12	1

Players of the Game

New York C. Delgado AB 4 R 2 H 3 HR 1 RBI 3

Cincinnati E. Encarnacion AB 5 R 2 H 3 HR 1 RBI 1

New York Mets
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jose B. Reyes, SS	5	0	0	0	0	2	2	.298
Endy Chavez, RF	3	0	0	0	0	1	2	.265
David Wright, 3B	5	1	2	4	0	1	1	.284
Carlos Beltran, CF	4	2	1	0	1	1	2	.267
Damion Easley, 2B	5	1	2	0	0	1	1	.289
Carlos Delgado, 1B	4	2	3	3	1	1	1	.254
Fernando Tatis, RF	4	1	3	3	1	1	0	.306
Brian Schneider, C	3	1	0	0	1	1	4	.250
a-Ramon A. Castro, PH-C	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	.282
Johan Santana, SP	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.128
b-Nick Evans, PH-LF	4	1	1	0	0	1	4	.229
Marlon Anderson, PH-LF	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.200
Argenis Reyes, PH-2B	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	.316
Totals	41	10	14	10	4	11	19
a-Struck out looking for B Schneider in the 9th.
b-Singled for J Santana in the 5th.
BATTING
2B - F Tatis (6)
HR - D Wright (18); C Delgado (18); F Tatis (5)
RBI - D Wright 4 (74); C Delgado 3 (55); F Tatis 3 (22)

New York Mets
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Johan Santana	4.0	6	5	5	3	2	2	3.10
Carlos Muniz	1.1	2	0	0	0	2	0	4.41
Pedro Feliciano	0.2	1	0	0	0	1	0	2.80
Aaron Heilman	0.2	1	3	3	2	0	0	4.97
Scott Schoeneweis	0.1	1	0	0	0	1	0	2.63
Duaner Sanchez (W,4-1)	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	3.48
Billy Wagner (S,23)	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2.25

Mets Midseason Grades

Oh what a long strange trip it's been....

So how are we to view this first half of 2008? Are the Mets the woeful wannabes who struggled to get out of their own way? Or are they the ultra-hot Mets version 2.0 under Jerry Manuel?

First, there was the beginning....

Mar/Apr: 14-12
May: 13-15
June: 13-15

And then the Magic came back...

July: 11-2

And Mets fans hope it's here to stay. The Mets have had their fair share of injuries--Moises Alou, Ryan Church, Pedro Martinez, Luis Castillo, etc, etc. Not to use injuries as an excuse, but we're talking all-star caliber players, or at least quality major leaguers, at positions of need....that "hurts".

Toss in a dose of Matt Wise, Brian Schneider (Mr Green thumb), El Duque, Angel Pagan and the mini-dings of Carlos y Carlos, and it's easy to point to injuries as a major part in the struggles.

How about the ridiculous schedule? Devoted readers are probably sick of hearing about this from me, so I won't belabor the point. That said, the simple fact of the matter is that the Mets had a stupidly constructed schedule, yes, MLB schedule maker, I said you suck, and the worst of it came in late May through the middle of June.

OK, OK, no more excuses--the Mets have played poorly for the majority of the first half...that is a given. There have also been flashes of brilliance, a resurgent Jose Reyes, great signs from Delgado and Beltran, a clutch Damion Easley, more good news than bad from our pitching staff, and one hell of a great stretch from Mike Pelfrey.

Grades:

Front office: C-

Not that I don't appreciate some of Omar Minaya's great trades and pickups, but I am troubled by what seems to be a certain stubbornness when it comes to player evaluation. He loves the scrap heap and seems to abhor youth. He has led something of an underdog existence, and that shows in the players he favors--underdogs. Is he the right guy for us? I think so, but I don't think quite as highly of him as I once did.

Manager: C+

Willie Randolph did the best he could with an ill-constructed team...and it just wasn't good enough. He had some communication issues in the clubhouse, but I also would like to point out that he was a better field manager in 2008 than in year's past. Then again, he's another guy who has a stubborn streak in him--especially when it came to lineup construction. He was very much a guy who would put his guys out there regardless of current production. Sometimes you have to just sit someone down for a day or two and get them back in synch. Willie seemed loathe to do that.

Jerry Manuel, on the other hand, is a merit-based manager and divvies up playing time based on a variety of factors. The club is much looser under him and the results, at least thus far, are very promising.

Starting Hitters: C

Brian Schneider is very easy to root for. He plays hard, has a wonderful rapport with everyone, calls a good game, blocks the hell out of the plate, throws very well....and he can't hit a lick. C

Carlos Delgado: After a horrendous start he is hitting the ball well, driving in runs, and the numbers are creeping up to very respectable levels. C+

Luis Castillo oh Luis...I had such high hopes. The bottom line is his production is awful, his fielding has taken a downturn, and he can't stay healthy enough to play. It is going to get very interesting when he gets back...is he a sulker or a team guy? I hope the latter. D-

Jose Reyes is having the best offensive season of his career. He should have been an All-Star based on first half numbers that place him in the MVP discussion. Sure, he's had a few issues this year with the glove and with his temper, but he is still the most irreplaceable part of the Mets lineup. A-

David Wright is something of an anomaly in 2008. 70 RBIs are great, his hustle is always there, he is walking a ton, and he is out there giving 110% every day. Still, he has struggled against righties and he is hitting .239 with RISP, which seems a bit at odds with his 70 RBIs. I expect a much better second half from DW. B

Moises Alou oh yes, Moises Alou. Great guy, great bat, and just broken down. What a shame. F

Carlos Beltran is a wonderful player who has run hot and cold in 2008. He got off to a miserable start in April (.211), had a great May and June, and he has slumped again in July. The rest will do him good. Even with his sometimes inconsistent play and reduced power numbers, he is on pace for 100 runs scored and 100 RBIs. B

Ryan Church started like a ball of fire--the Shea faithful fell in love with him, and then the concussion occurred, his second of the year. He gamely tried to return (twice), but the lingering affects and the migraines were too much. Reports of his current health have either been greatly exaggerated or he is coming back to finish what he started. B-

Starting Pitchers: B

Johan Santana has been the bearer of more bad luck and lack of support than any pitcher in recent memory. His sparkling 2.84 era and 114 Ks against only 35 walks all point to a guy who should have 12+ wins. In his no-decisions Santana has a 1.69 ERA. In his losses it's 3.35. With just a bit of support he would have started the All-Star game. A

Pedro Martinez came back, probably too soon, got hurt again, and fought his way back to some shaky starts. He is still Pedro and he has looked much better of late--that is until he tweaked his shoulder. Who knows what we'll get with Pedro in the second half....his first half was a disaster. D

John Maine looked like he was going to embark on a 18-20 win season at the end of Spring Training. It was all working, he was in great shape, and the snap on his fastball made it look unhittable. And then a funny thing happened--the season started. His numbers have declined each month of 2008, and I have begun to wonder if something is physically wrong with him. His ERA by month, is: 3.58, 3.72, 4.24, 5.23. If that doesn't give you pause, then let me give you a tip--it should. I am watching Maine closer than any other Met over the next two weeks--I think we'll learn a lot. C+

Oliver Perez continues to confound Met fans the world over. Good Ollie or bad Ollie? Lately it's been a lot of the good--his last three starts have been superb, and we're all hoping that Good Ollie is here to stay. That said, he has been awful at times and cost the team some games. C-

Mike Pelfrey is coming off the best week of his professional life. In his last 9 starts he has a 2.26 ERA, and the team keeps on winning every time he goes out there. Yes he started slowly, but the Big Pelf of the last 7 weeks is the man. B

The Bullpen: B+

Pedro Feliciano is one of my favorite guys on the team. Gritty, nasty, death to lefty's...in fact, they hit .207 against him with a silly .585 OPS. He pitches all the time too--48 games already. A-

Aaron Heilman has turned his season around. From the worst stretch of his career to maybe the finest. He is our best bridge to Wagner and is getting incredible movement on his pitches. His grade here is lower because of his awful start, but my confidence in him is very high. C-

Joe Smith is the righthanded Feliciano. Yes, you can laugh at my man-crush now, but how many other 24-year old relievers hold the opposition to a .207 average? Righty's hit .190 against him, and lefty's hit a whopping .257. This kid is special. A-

Duaner Sanchez is one of the great Mets pickups of all-time....yes, I just wrote that. People outside of New York don't realize just how good this guy is. MLB is batting .205 against him with a .288 OBP. Sure, he has had 2 or 3 bad outings this year, but the fact of the matter is he is one of the very best middle relievers (I hate that term) in the game. B+

Scott Schoeneweis has really shown me something in 2008. He has pitched out of some tough jams, has an ultra solid 2.85 era, pitched whenever and wherever called upon, and helped solidify this pen. B+

Billy Wagner has been GREAT, then CRAP, and then GREAT again....the story of his career. Billy is Billy. B-

Bench: A-

Damion Easley turned his season around when he began starting. Solid defender, nice pop, gets the clutch hit--he is Mr Professional. A-

Fernando Tatis does the right thing at the right time. The feel good story in the NL in 2008. I love his exuberance. A-

Endy Chavez is not a starter, doesn't have any power, his speed is a bit overrated, and he is probably the best defensive outfielder in the game. A great guy to have on your bench. B

Ramon Castro is either the best backup catcher in the game or the slowest guy in professional sports this side of John Daly...I vote both. Got to love Shrek. B+

Marlon Anderson is having a rough year. What the heck happened to his bat? D

Overall Grade: B-

My expectations for the second half are riding high....I like the Mets chances....a lot...hope you do too.

Enjoy your coffee my friends! It's time to play some baseball!

10 Questions with SNY's Ted Berg

A big thanks to Ted Berg from SNY, who took time out of his busy (and getting busier) schedule to stop by for a few questions.

Ted, thanks so much for joining us. Tell us a bit about what you do for SNY and how the mechanics of the operation work in terms of the website, writers, and the TV folks.

In addition to writing the column, I manage and edit a lot of the content that goes up on SNY.tv. That basically boils down to making a lot of phone calls to line up press credentials, then working with Tom Boorstein to get the articles and videos posted on the site.

Did you go to school for sports journalism, or did you just stumble upon the dream job of every Met fanatic in the nation?

My school didn't have a journalism major -- I majored in English and Music -- but I wrote a column for the paper there and hosted a sports-comedy TV show. I always wanted to do this, but ironically it was only after I had given up on a career in sports journalism that I stumbled into one. I was all set for a life in academia when I saw an ad for an editing job at MLB.com on craigslist. I applied, got it, started working on SNY.tv, and eventually got promoted.

I'll complain to my friends and family now and then about the daily rigors of the work, but this really is a dream job. I mean, I was a hot dog vendor at Shea when I was in college. Anything to get into the park for free.

From hot dog vendor to SNY--not bad! I am a huge fan of SNY, as are my readers, and think you folks do a marvelous job of keeping us informed while maintaining an element of fairness in your reporting. That said, do you think the criticism of Jose Reyes has been entirely fair? It seemed for a time that the media, including those at SNY, were pushing for him to be traded.

I agree with you; I don't think Jose Reyes has received fair treatment at all. I won't throw SNY or its personalities under the bus for that, though, because I think the treatment is as much a reflection of the attitude of Mets fans as anything else. Reyes was so hyped when he came up and people expect so much out of him now that no one seems to realize what a nice player he's become. The trend is starting to turn with his recent hot stretch, but how many Mets fans or media would suggest Reyes win the MVP award in 2008? It sounds ridiculous, but by most park-adjusted stats, he's actually having a better season than Jimmy Rollins did last year.

We are all such huge fans of SNY and its website, Matt Cerrone’s Metsblog, and of course the guys in the booth—the Mets have the best trio in the business. Who are your favorite guys to work with, and do you have any stories you can share with us about what the atmosphere is like behind the scenes?

Well, I work with Cerrone more than anyone else you see on TV since we're both web guys. He's a funny guy, and like me, he has opinions on just about everything -- not just the Mets. We end up having some pretty esoteric conversations that either entertain or freak out the interns.

I did an interview with Harold Reynolds for the web a while back -- one of my first video efforts. Usually I can keep my nerves under wraps, but Harold was such a pro that I felt totally overmatched and I guess was visibly a bit shaky. So Harold Reynolds starts essentially coaching me through Broadcast Journalism 101, and I realized he was breaking it down the same way he does a baseball game -- same mannerisms and everything -- which cracked me up. The interview came out OK, but only because Harold's great.

As for the booth, those guys are about exactly what you'd expect -- their personalities really show through in the broadcast. Gary's a professional and always willing to help, Ron is smart and always prepared, and Keith Hernandez is Keith Hernandez. I got to interview Keith when SNY did the broadcast from the Upper Deck, and it was amazing how he could answer my questions while essentially performing for the fans. What a hero. And what a mustache.

Ah yes, Keith's mustache....the stuff of legend! Speaking of facial hair, the Mets under Jerry Manuel seem like a different team, and not just the grooming standards. What is your sense of the team under Jerry? What do you believe are his greatest strengths, and how has he parlayed those into the on the field success the team has delivered under his leadership?

For one thing, I think the Mets just needed a new direction; all the Willie dialogue was getting a bit overwhelming. Manuel has a sort of Bobby Valentine air about him, where he tells the press whatever he's thinking and ends up putting the pressure on himself instead of on his players. I think that helps a lot.

Also, I love the way Manuel said from Day 1 that he'd be giving out playing time on merit. I mean, it makes perfect sense, but we heard so much from Willie about going with his guys and riding out the slumps. With Manuel, if a guy has a good game, he's going to play the next day -- no matter who he is or what he gets paid. That's how a team should be run, and I think that motivates the players, too.

Looking ahead everything seems to be in place for a fantastic finish, especially if Ryan Church comes back healthy. Do you think the Mets will add an outfielder before the deadline, or is there a sense that “staying the course” will get it done?

I'm a bit frightened to say I have no idea what they'll do because I don't know what they have to offer, and I don't know what's out there. There's been some talk of going after Xavier Nady or someone like that, but I can't imagine the front office wants to decimate the farm system any more than it already has. Others suggest Fernando Martinez could come to town, but I don't think he's anywhere near ready and I don't think this would be the best time to develop a player so young -- not with the pressure to win that's on the 2008 Mets.

As a fan of your column, Flushing Fussing, I’m very appreciative of your in-depth knowledge of baseball economics and true player value -- in fact I’ve been accused of over-relaying on stats myself -- a criticism I gladly accept. For you, did this start as a “back of the baseball card” thing and grow from there?

Back of the baseball card, RBI Baseball on Nintendo, wherever. I have no idea why or when it started, but I've always taken interest in the way a team is constructed and what makes a team succeed. Stats are obviously a big part of that. Sometime in high school, I started reading Rob Neyer's columns on ESPN.com and studying stats on the Baseball Prospectus web site, and it's been more of the same ever since.

Who is your favorite Met and why? In fact, give us two -- former player and current player.

Currently it's Carlos Beltran, mostly because I don't think he gets nearly enough credit for how good a baseball player he is. Dude is the best center fielder in the game, a very good hitter and one of the most successful basestealers of all time. Mets fans are still down on him for striking out against Wainwright in 2006, but forget the way he carried the club that year.

Historically it's hard to say. I loved Doc Gooden when I was young, but that seems like too easy an answer. I'm going to go with Dave Magadan, because I always respected the way he made a career out of being a one-dimensional player who got on base a lot. He had no power or speed, but boasted a .390 career on-base percentage.

Not so put you on the spot, but give us your fearless prediction for the second half?

In the Willie Randolph tradition of "Going With My Guys," I'll predict a big second half for Pedro Martinez provided he's healthy. Obviously his ability to stay injury-free is a huge caveat to that, but I do think Pedro's going to turn it around in a big way this season. Aging and fragile though he may be, he's still Pedro Martinez.

Last question: What advice would you give to the aspiring writers, bloggers, journalists and reporters out there?

As an editor, I can't stress enough how important it is for aspiring writers to learn and follow the rules of grammar. Editors hire writers, and no editor is ever going to bring in someone that will make editing more difficult.

Getting off the soapbox, I find that nothing helps me as much as reading good sportswriting with an eye on the craft. I don't mean just breezing through something for pleasure, I mean actually breaking down what makes it work.

I love blogs and I think it's awesome that the internet has developed to the point where anyone who wants a forum to speak his mind can have one. That's fantastic, but the downside to the internet is that there's just so much stuff out there and a lot of great writing goes unread. The internet is still a relatively new phenomenon, though, and I like to think that talent will eventually be rewarded once we get this whole new world sorted out. So to anyone starting or working on a blog, I'd say keep plugging away. If you've got a unique voice and a creative angle, people will come.

-- Ted Berg can be found all over SNY, at Flushing Fussing, on Metsblog, and in Shea Stadium...next time you see him ask him to demonstrate his "Hot Dog Heeeeeeere" call from back in the day.