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)

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.

The 95+ HR Outfield

In 2009 the Mets, as a team, hit 95 HRs.

The question for 2010 is, "Can the Mets outfield break this total?"

I'm going to say an emphatic "yes" and predict the following totals:

• Jason Bay--32
• Carlos Beltran--28
• Jeff Francoeur--22
• Gary Mathews, Jr--8
• Angel Pagan--6

That's 96 right there, which doesn't include any "Tatis in the OF" homeruns, or September callups.

Book it!

Mets 2010 Season Prediction

The Mets will be better in 2010 than they were in 2009, the question is how much better?

While many pundits are predicting a long season, I believe there is reason for hope and that the Mets will compete well and challenge for the division.

Let's begin with a look at the positions:

Catcher. In the off-season I thought the Mets would fare best with a youth movement, both here and at first base.  Last year's catching duo of Brian Schneider and Ramon Castro are long gone, and I truly felt Josh Thole could handle the job provided the Mets added a veteran caddy.  Instead of going with this plan, the Mets added a bunch of veteran backstops, and two of them are poised to handle the catching duties in 2010.  Both Rod Barajas and Henry Blanco are pretty sound defensive catchers with power and a canny knack for not getting on base.  I do think these guys will help the staff and do what doctors promise to their patients--do no harm.
Verdict:  Upgrade

First base. First is the other "youth movement" position.  Ike Davis had an outstanding 2009 minor league campaign, followed by a brilliant fall, and an even better spring--he goes to the minors.  Daniel Murphy, a big-time punching bag in 2009, had a steady spring, especially defensively.  Unfortunately for Mr Murphy, he tweaked his knee and start the season on the DL. It looks like once promising slugger Mike Jacobs has won the role as the opening day first sacker.  Jacobs has a very long swing, strikes out a ton, and plays defense like my grandmother--but he is a super nice guy and he'll hit the occasional long ball when his bat somehow finds the ball.  Fernando Tatis, who had a horrible spring, figures to get some playing time here as well.  I really would have liked the Mets to go with Chris Carter here.
Verdict:  Status Quo 

Second base. Let me start by saying I actually like Luis Castillo a lot.  That said, Jerry just uses him the wrong way.  He hit for average last year, and his OBP was terrific, but the man has no business in the 2 hole.  He bunts too often, has zero power, and his range at second is more limited by the day.  I am certainly OK with Castillo at second this year, but he should bat 8th--period.
Verdict:  Status Quo

Third base. Mr Met David Wright needs a big season--and he is going to have one.  Last year he was a mental train wreck, and he suffered more than most from the AAA lineup the Mets put out in 2009.  His power is back this spring, and he looks like the David Wright of old.  I think he'll hit 30+ homeruns with a ton of doubles and RBIs while playing slightly above league average third base.
Verdict:  Upgrade

Shortstop. Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose!  He's back, and he could be back on opening day if the Mets weren't so gun shy right now with injuries.  Jose is going to bring the go-go Mets back and spark the entire lineup with his talents.  With Carlos Beltran, David Wright and Jason Bay behind him in the lineup, Reyes can easily score 120 runs in 2010.  He is going to miss the first 5 games of the season, but that's fine if he stays healthy the rest of the year.  I am expecting the best season of his career.
Verdict:  Upgrade

Outfield. Call me crazy, but I think the Mets 2010 outfield might be the best the team has ever had.  Jason Bay is a tremendous hitter and veteran presence who will provide the stability and power that the Mets never seem to find in their leftfielder.  Carlos Beltran, who should be back in a few weeks, is one of the premier centerfielders in the game.  He is a true five-tool player and a clutch performer.  Jeff Francoeur seems to have a new lease on life.  If he gets on base at anything above a .330 clip, the rest of his game will be there, including excellent defense, an agressive attitude, and a wonderful clubhouse presence.  This group will delight Mets fans all year--after Beltran gets back that is.  I am confident in Angel Pagan and Gary Mathews to fill in well--both guys are big time talents that add a great deal of depth to the team.
Verdict:  Major Upgrade

Rotation. Oh boy--this is the tough one.  The Mets really failed to address rotation concerns this off-season.  Johan Santana was lit up regularly this spring, but you just know he's going to compete for the Cy Young this year.  After that, it's a game of who knows?  John Maine has one excuse after another.  I expect him to battle all year, and struggle a lot.  A 10-15 record would not surprise me with a 4.50 to 4.80 ERA.  Mike Pelfrey is the real wildcard--he looks great from a physical perspective, but his pitches were really flat this spring.  That could be a function of him working on stuff, or it could be that he's lost some of the sink on his fastball.  Regardless, I do think he is the most overcoached pitcher in the rotation.  Oliver Perez might be done.  With the spring he's had, the Mets might be wise to send him to AAA for a month--the issue is there aren't many other options other than to start him wit the big club--and hope for the best.  Jonathan Niese had a solid spring, and seems ready to resume what looks to be a promising big league career.  Expect at least 15% of the Mets starts to come from pitchers other than these five.
Verdict:  Status Quo

Bullpen. The Mets bullpen looks pretty strong to me right now.  Francisco Rodriguez is a gamer--yes he had some health issues, but he's had a really solid spring, and there's no reason to think his 2010 won't be anything short of outstanding.  The setup man job was won by default by Pedro Feliciano.  This is not great in that Felciano excelled at his specialist role and has for quite some time--he is death to lefty's and can pitch almost daily.  Takahashi seems like a great fit, and he will definitely get some starts mixed in with his long relief role.  Kiko Calero should get the final spot--he will become a fan favorite.  The other members of the bullpen, which could feature Jennry Mejia (60% chance of him making it per Adam Rubin), are a decent mix of talents that should provide Jerry Manuel with a lot of options.
Verdict:  Upgrade

Prediction. While the Mets aren't on anyone's radar scope as anything near a favorite, they are also much better than many of the fourth and fifth place finishes that are being spouted by various pundits.  The team is solid offensively, has a true Ace, a great closer, and there is serious potential lurking in that starting rotation.  The bench is the best the Mets have had in a while, and the bullpen is really stocked with arms of different flavors that could be a real difference-maker in many a close game.

Survey Says.....

86-76, third in the NL East, miss the playoffs by 3.5 games.

Jason Bay's Excellent Spring

With all the hand-wringing over Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran, combined with the hand-wringing over the starting pitching, the hand-wringing over the bullpen, and the hand-wringing over the various options at first base and catcher, Jason Bay has been largely ignored this spring.

Sure, he's the biggest free agent signing in these parts since Johan Santana, but he gets less ink than Daniel Murphy, Mike Jacobs, or Omar Minaya's haircut on any given day this spring.

The most coverage he's had was during the Olympics when he tried to explain curling to his Latin American teammates, or when he took a few hours to convince Jeff Francoeur that they do speak English in Canada and that it is actually a country.

So I'm here to give him some props, and his 1.135 OPS deserves it.  Jason Bay is having a very, very nice spring--he's hitting, he's blended in well with his teammates, and he is poised to have an outstanding year.

He sure looks and acts like the big slugger the Mets desperately needed to anchor the middle of the lineup.

Status: Active

• Born: 9/20/1978 in Trail, BC Canada

• Bats/Throws: R/R
• HT: 6'2''
• WT: 205

• Debut: 5/24/2003
• College: Gonzaga

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DATE	OPP	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG
03/07/2010	WSH	2	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	.143	H	2010/03/07/wasmlb-nynmlb-1	S
03/08/2010	@FLA	3	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	.200	A	2010/03/08/nynmlb-flomlb-1	S
03/09/2010	HOU	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.167	H	2010/03/09/houmlb-nynmlb-1	S
03/11/2010	BOS	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.143	H	2010/03/11/bosmlb-nynmlb-1	S
03/13/2010	DET	3	2	1	1	3	0	1	0	.176	H	2010/03/13/detmlb-nynmlb-1	S
03/14/2010	@FLA	3	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	.200	A	2010/03/14/nynmlb-flomlb-1	S
03/15/2010	STL	3	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	.261	H	2010/03/15/slnmlb-nynmlb-1	S
03/18/2010	@FLA	3	2	2	1	2	0	1	0	.308	A	2010/03/18/nynmlb-flomlb-1	S
03/19/2010	MIN	2	1	2	0	0	1	0	0	.357	H	2010/03/19/minmlb-nynmlb-1	S
03/23/2010	ATL	4	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	.344	H	2010/03/23/atlmlb-nynmlb-1	S
TOTALS		27	8	10	2	7	2	5	0	.370

Staying Optimistic on Beltran

Although news of Beltran's knee surgery came as a surprise, now that we've had a night to let it sink in, there are reasons for optimism.

By way of background, Carlos Beltran had surgery on his troublesome right knee Wednesday and the All-Star center fielder will miss the start of the season. There are conflicting reports on whether or not the Mets gave their permission, but there is no question that Beltran and his doctors felt he needed the procedure to have a productive 2010 campaign.

And that's the real point here--having the surgery in mid-January, almost 3 months prior to the season's April 5th Opening Day, or having it later and delaying his season even further.

If the doctor's 8-12 week estimate is true, Beltran can reasonably be expected back in the lineup in mid-May.

Yes, this is absolutely bad news for the Mets, especially on the heels of 2009 when it seemed every player on the team went down with one ailment or another. In fact, the Mets had more disabled list days than any other team in history, and the record certainly showed it.

There is still the issue of whether or not Beltran's physician spoke with Mets medical personnel, but according to Beltran's agent, Scott Boras, Dr Steadman spoke with Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek on Monday and again after Beltran was examined in Colorado on Tuesday, and that Steadman obtained Altchek's consent for the surgery.

From the AP:

"Dr. Steadman has represented to us that he spoke with the Mets' physician and he received consent to go forward with the plan and the surgery," Boras said. "Dr. Steadman has told us that his office contacted the Mets trainer and obtained the appropriate insurance forms and received approval for payment to go ahead with the surgery."

"The doctor said eight weeks, possibly, and a window to 12 weeks to resume baseball activities. With elite athletes, the timetable is sometimes shorter than the original prognosis," Boras said.

In a statement released Wednesday night, the Mets said Beltran's osteoarthritis worsened during the offseason and he decided to have arthroscopic surgery to clean out the arthritic area of his knee.

The procedure was performed by Steadman, considered one of the top knee surgeons in the world. He is noted for his work performing microfracture knee surgery on basketball players.

Boras said Altchek had been examining Beltran once a month during the offseason.

"Since the beginning of November, he was feeling discomfort and pain," Boras said. "They found some fragments in there that had to be removed."

Mets fans are rightfully worried about these events, especially given that the team's rack record on injuries has been less than stellar. I also think they should remain optimistic that 4-6 early season weeks without Beltran is much better than the alternative of missing major chunks of time mid to late year.

For now Angel Pagan looks to be the leading contender to start the year in CF, though Rick Ankiel could be a decent stop-gap or platoon option and 4th outfielder.

Swine Flute Plays for the Mets

It appears that neither Carlos Beltran nor John Maine has swine flu.

Maine is already feeling better, and the diagnosis on Beltran is more along the lines of a true stomach flu.

Friend of NY Sports Dog Bart Hubbach of the NY Post has a detailed update on the status of the "Swine Flue" scare.

He reports:

A source said SNY producer Dan Barr began feeling ill Sunday night during the Mets' charter flight to Pittsburgh for the series that began Monday and was sent home yesterday. SNY crew members, including the team's on-air broadcasters, travel with the coaches and players on the same plane.

"Personal matters about our employees are confidential," SNY spokesman Andrew Fegyversi said in a statement last night. "However, we have always been committed to taking every medical precaution and making sure our employees get the proper care."

Mets assistant GM John Ricco told reporters the club is confident that Beltran and John Maine, who also has been battling stomach illness, are safe from swine flu. Maine, in fact, returned to the team yesterday and felt good enough to perform off-day throwing drills, after having to leave early from his start Sunday at Citi Field against Florida due to the stomach ailment.

"We've been told [swine flu] is not a type of illness that's transmitted through the air," Ricco said before last night's 3-1 loss in Pittsburgh. "It's more shaking hands, sneezing. So we're not too worried. The symptoms, we've been told, are marked generally by high fever, joint aches and fatigue.

"These symptoms are not consistent at all with what Carlos Beltran and John Maine have at the present time, but our players are being informed that this has happened. Right now, no one on our team is feeling any of that type of symptoms."

Bottom line for the team is that relative good health is just a few days away.

Let It Rain?

Normally I'm the type of fan that hates rainouts....loathe them with a passion.

But with rain in the forecast for the next few days, and a plethora of injuries that are swinging precariously between DL or "a few more days of rest", I say Let It Rain!

Carlos Beltran is going for an MRI today...best case is they find nothing structurally and a few days off (thanks to our friend the rain), gets him back to 100%...Let It Rain.

Jose Reyes' balky calf is still sore, and he could either be back by Friday, or head to the DL...my guess is he comes back Friday, so for now...Let It Rain.

Ryan Church's MRI came back negative, and he is getting treatment for his sore hamstring...a few more days should have him back at 100%...Let It Rain.

Frankie Rodriguez came back from his back spasms to record his 13th save last night, but he admitted to a little soreness...it sure would be nice to give him a 3 day rest...Let It Rain.

Gary Sheffield is playing every day now, and at his age he should be more of a play 2 days, sit a day or two, kind of player...we need to keep him fresh for later in the season...Let It Rain.

A few more days off also gets us nearer to being a more complete club...Cora, Schneider, Ollie, Delgado...whether you love or hate any or all of these guys, we're better with a full deck of cards to deal with.

So yes, I hate a rainout, but sometimes, only sometimes, they can work to a team's advantage.

Let It Rain.

Beltran to Undergo MRI

Beltran to undergo MRI per SNY crawler.

When Razor Shines sent him home from second (to get thrown out), I was livid...you were livid...hopefully this is not going to reveal anything more than some tenderness.

More to follow.

Finger's crossed.

Time to Get Healthy

The Mets injury woes continue, and the next day or two will provide answers to what the next month will look like.

Yesterday we heard Jose Reyes declare himself out for today. We also don't know the state of Carlos Beltran and Ryan Church.

If Church has a torn hamstring, it's like that Fernando Martinez gets called up. While we all love the kid, it's preferable to leave him in the minors to let him play every day.

Do you play FMart over one of the more experienced outfielders? He's hitting well in AAA, and he could certainly help the team right now, but odds are he'll struggle like every other 20 year old making the transition to the big leagues.

Jose Reyes is the most troubling absence this side of Carlos Delgado. That Reyes declared himself out of today's game yesterday sent shock waves through Mets nation.

If he has to go to the DL for any length of time, the team's defensive struggles become even more exacerbated.

It really is time to add DeRosa...we need the depth.

The list below isn't complete....that tells you just how banged up this club is right now.

Mets		Updated	Status	Due Back	Injury	Notes
	Church, Ryan (RF)	05/24	Day-to-day	Possibly May 25	Strained right hamstring	Missed 2nd straight game on May 24.
	Cora, Alex (2B)	05/18	15-day DL	Early June	Torn ligament in right thumb	Unable to throw in infield practice on May 18.
	Delgado, Carlos (1B)	05/19	15-day DL	Possibly mid-July	Torn labrum in hip	Underwent surgery May 19.
	Perez, Oliver (P)	05/22	15-day DL	Possibly late May	Right knee patellar tendinitis	Threw extended Spring Training game May 21.
	Reyes, Jose (SS)	05/24	Day-to-day	Possibly May 25	Calf tendinitis	Took grounders before May 23 game.
	Rodriguez, Francisco (P)	05/24	Day-to-day	Possibly May 25	Back spasms	Played catch prior to May 24 game.
	Schneider, Brian (C)	05/13	15-day DL	Possibly late May	Strained back, sore calf	Slowed by lingering calf discomfort.
	Wagner, Billy (P)	05/20	15-day DL	Possibly late '09	Torn elbow ligament	Working out at Mets' Spring Training complex.

I'm Putting Jerry Manuel on Notice

Do better!

Stop throwing away games, jerking the lineup in nine million awful directions, pulling your starters early, using relievers at the wrong time, and giving away outs with your "small ball" mentality.

I already told you once you have it wrong on small ball...next time listen!

Ya know what is the most precious commodity in baseball Jerry? An out. You never give one away unless you absolutely have to.

You certainly don't give one away in a game in which you have no pitchers or hitters left...you don't play for the tie there, you play for the damn win.

Reyes on second base with no outs is an easy call...he can get to third base in 12 different ways with Castillo at the plate, and Luis might have scored him with a hit.

But no, you give away an out and any chance for Luis to plate Reyes with a ridiculous bunt call.

Did Beltran fail? Yes he did. But so did you, and you have been doing so with regularity.

Jerry, I have you on notice--you are making way too many bad decisions lately, and I honestly don't know what is going on in your head.

Take a listen to this clip from Wally Backman and get your shit together.

Gangster, my ass.

Mad Scientists Create Santos

After some thorough research we've discovered where Omir Santos came from.

Apparently, he is the result of a cloning experiment first envisioned by Frank Cashen, implemented by Bobby Valentine, then tweaked by Rick Peterson, and finally perfected by none other than Tom Seaver, whose "vineyards" are actually an ultra-classified breeding ground that the Hall of Famer has been running for over a decade.

First, they took some DNA from Paul LoDuca and Carlos Beltran, then combined them. After the embryo was successfully developed, Gary Carter and Keith Hernandez began teaching Santos how to play like a Met.

The results, to date, have been stunning.

Santos has a compact swing, solid catching skills, the perfect blend of fire and cool and looks equally like his "Dads".

Seaver is currently working on a lefthanded starting pitcher.

Omir Santos 2009 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Season	16	40	8	12	3	1	1	8	1	9	0	0	.300	.310	.500	.810
Career	26	46	7	11	3	1	1	6	1	9	0	0	.239	.250	.413	.663
Last 7	7	11	2	3	2	0	0	2	1	2	0	0	.273	.308	.455	.762
Projected	148	370	74	111	28	9	9	74	9	83	0	0	.300	.310	.500	.810

Good Morning Mets Fans!

The Mets are 5 and 1 in May, all against NL East rivals.

Last night the Mets pounded Phillie's starter Jamie Moyer for 7 runs in 2 and a third innings. Five of those runs came on homeruns by Carlos Beltran, David Wright and Jose Reyes.

David Wright remains hot and seems to have his swing and timing back.

"I think David is turning the corner," Manuel said. "When you hit a ball out of center field in this park, it means you're doing a lot of things right."

Wright's homerun was hit to the deepest part of Citi Field and had a majestic arc on it.

"I think this ballpark, you know it's big. But if you hit it good, it's going to go out. You can't let the high fences intimidate you," Beltran said.

2009 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Season	27	102	19	32	7	1	3	15	17	30	4	5	.314	.408	.490	.899
Career	730	2752	483	851	190	11	133	504	357	529	96	27	.309	.389	.531	.921
Last 7	7	24	4	10	3	0	2	7	6	5	2	3	.417	.516	.792	1.308
Projected	162	612	114	192	42	6	18	90	102	180	24	30	.314	.408	.490	.899

Jose Reyes, who is still struggling, had a solo shot in the second inning, his only hit on the night. He also struck out twice. The Mets are hoping that swing and the Pirate pitching this weekend get the All-Star back on-track.

Big Mike Pelfrey is now 4-0 and beat the Phillies for the second time in a week, with 105 pitches over 7 strong innings.

Despite the 4-0 record, Pelfrey still has some room for improvement, but his fastball looked good, he induced a lot of grounders, and he had a very manageable pitch count throughout the game and excellent control (he only walked one).

"I still think there's another gear left in the big fella," Manuel said. "I still think his off-speed stuff is a little bit away."

I've been a bit critical of Jerry Manuel the last few weeks, but for what it's worth, I thought Jerry had a good game yesterday.

First, he put out a great lineup that had eight right-handed hitters against 46-year-old lefty Jamie Moyer.

Second, he had a lot of fight in him, and after the umps blew a few calls, an infuriated Manuel got himself tossed. It was certainly "edgy."

Manuel actually came out to argue three times with first base ump Bill Welke during the game...Manuel finally was ejected by Welke in the eighth following an obstruction call on Reyes that was just a brutal call...Shane Victorino was in a rundown, and after Jose Reyes chased him back to first and flipped the ball, Victorino leaned into Reyes and intentionally bumped into him--Welke call obstruction on Reyes and called Victorino safe.

Victorino appeared to obviously throw an elbow and initiate the contact on the play, but Reyes was still ruled at fault for being in the basepath.

"He can't be there when Victorino makes that turn. He's got to get out of the way. That was the reason for the obstruction call," Welke said. "Jerry wanted me to get help on the play, but ... I moved into position to take that end of the rundown. It was my call, and there was no reason to ask for help."


Unreal....they showed the replay 20 times on SNY, and you could see Reyes clearly moving out of the basepath and Victorino going out of his way to touch Reyes.

"I thought [Victorino] went out of his way to create contact," Manuel said later.

Victorino is quickly moving up my list of most hated rival players.

Later in the inning, Jayson Werth hit a two-run homer off Pedro Feliciano to cut it to 7-5.

It was an "ut-oh" moment, but once again, when one bullpen member falters, you have another one right there to pick him up, and Feliciano's mates were ready

Frankie Rodriguez is fun, exciting, and a phenomenal closer. He came in to save his fourth game in four days, getting three quick outs to keep his record perfect at 9 for 9 this season.

"This was a big one," Rodriguez said. "Every game we can take from our division rival is nice . . . and I wanted to be there."

Mike Pelfrey appreciates what Frankie is doing.

"He's got a rubber arm. I don't think you can get 62 saves in a year without throwing a lot of days," said Pelfrey, marveling about of the single-season saves record K-Rod set last season.

So now the Mets sit a scant half game out of first place, with the Pittsburgh Pirates coming into town, Jon Niese starting tonight, and a ton of excitement in the Citi Field air.

This is what baseball is all about.

Enjoy your coffee!

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Philadelphia (14-12)	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	2	0	5	10	0
N.Y. Mets (14-13) «	4	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	x	7	10	1

Player of the Game

New York D. Wright AB 3 R 2 H 3 HR 1 RBI 2

New York Mets
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jose Reyes, SS	5	1	1	1	0	2	3	.246
Luis Castillo, 2B	4	1	0	0	1	0	1	.309
Carlos Beltran, CF	4	1	1	2	0	0	0	.382
Carlos Delgado, 1B	3	2	2	0	0	0	0	.272
David Wright, 3B	3	2	3	2	1	0	0	.314
Gary Sheffield, RF	3	0	0	0	1	0	5	.158
Pedro Feliciano, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Francisco Rodriguez, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Fernando Tatis, LF	4	0	1	0	0	0	2	.324
Ramon Castro, C	4	0	2	2	0	1	1	.304
Omir Santos, PR-C	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.258
Mike Pelfrey, P	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	.100
Ryan Church, RF	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	.265
Totals	34	7	10	7	3	4
Batting
2B - Carlos Delgado (5, Moyer), Ramon Castro (3, Moyer)
HR - Jose Reyes (2, Moyer), Carlos Beltran (5, Moyer), David Wright (3, Moyer)
RBI - Jose Reyes (9), Carlos Beltran 2 (20), David Wright 2 (15), Ramon Castro 2 (8)
SB - Luis Castillo (1, 2nd base off Moyer/Ruiz)
Team LOB - 7
Fielding
DP - Wright-Castillo-Delgado, Castillo-Reyes-Delgado
E - Jose Reyes (3, Interference)

New York Mets
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Mike Pelfrey (W,4-0)	7	8	3	3	1	0	1	5.46
Pedro Feliciano	1	2	2	0	0	0	1	3.75
Francisco Rodriguez (S,9)	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	1.32
Pitches-Strikes - Mike Pelfrey 105-59, Pedro Feliciano 21-13, Francisco Rodriguez 18-10
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Mike Pelfrey 12-7, Pedro Feliciano 3-0, Francisco Rodriguez 1-2
Batters Faced - Mike Pelfrey 28, Pedro Feliciano 5, Francisco Rodriguez 4

Shocking Video: Ex-Met Mike Cameron Line Drive Nails Pitcher

UPDATE: YouTube took the video down (MLB copyright), BUT, you can see the MLB approved version of the video here. The knock by Cameron comes at the 1:16 mark.

Baseball good guy and former New York Met, Mike Cameron hit a line drive that struck Giants pitcher Joe Martinez in the right temple.

A visibly shaken Cameron looks on in stunned silence throughout the treatment of the pitcher. You have to think he was re-living his awful head-on collision with Carlos Beltran.

Warning: this video is not for everyone and is pretty upsetting.

Hope Springs Eternal: Hinge Points

My good friend Andy gives us a few thoughts on reasons for optimism heading into Spring Training.

I tend to take an optimistic view of the team, and, like Andy, have pretty high expectations for the 2009 Mets.

I won't say my Mets cup runneth over, but the glass isn't half-empty either.

--Dave

Yes, we would all like to have a slugging left fielder.
Yes, we currently only have one lefty in the bullpen.
Yes, we have question marks in our rotation.

Got it, got it, got it.

Are we Mets fans being needlessly pessimistic as we enter the spring?

No doubt, Mets fans have been burned the last two years, so its understandable. But it's also reasonable to look at the 2009 Mets and see the potential for major improvement over 2008. Not one or two games better (even though that would have been enough to make the playoffs) but as much as a 5-10 game improvement in the standings.

While its silly to go into any season expecting any one player to have in improved season, it may not be silly expecting ONE of your main players to have an improved season, or to expect that a bullpen which was historically bad last year could simply be average or better this year. Its very early, but these potential "hinge points" - points where our season swings into a better posture than 2008 - are as follows:

1) Daniel Murphy

People can say what they want about Tatis, but he will mostly play against lefties, and my guess is the "floor" with Tatis is still a .250 hitter with some power. But Murphy is a big hinge point. If he duplicates last year's numbers, over a full season (say 400 at-bats since its a platoon) he will give the Mets:

27 doubles, 9 triples, 6 HR, 51 RBI, and an .313/.397/.473 split.

Those numbers would be fantastic from a #2 hitter, right? And while they may be less than ideal from a corner outfielder (on a team that really gets all its power from 3 players), they certainly aren't bad. By way of comparison, Jayson Werth, who played corner outfield for the Phils for much of the year, put up a.273/.363/.498 split, and was considered a "steal" by our rivals.

But is that really what he will do? If he falls off and struggles, then we might have a problem. But is that really his ceiling? I don't think its reasonable to expect him to have a .400 OBP in a full year, but at the same time 23-year olds do tend to show more power as they get more comfortable. If his splits were .280/.360/.500, would people like him more? Because those splits aren't inconceivable - his numbers at the Bing last year were .308/.374/.496.

The Sporting News listed Murphy as the 8th best prospect in all of baseball (for what that's worth). If he steps up, the Mets will have a more potent offense than they did last year.

2) A "Big" Season from one of the Big 4

Can the Mets get a truly "big" season from one of their big 4 (Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Delgado)?

Omar is actually right that none of them had a career year - and while it may be silly to expect a career year from any given player in any given year (especially for Carlos Delgado), its also worth nothing that by some metrics David Wright and Carlos Beltran had worse seasons in 2008 than they did in 2007, and that Jose Reyes' season went off a cliff in September (.314 OBP).

While it may be crazy to expect "career" seasons from any of the big 4, if any of them do have such a season it could totally transform the Mets offense.

What if Reyes puts up his 2006 numbers (.300/.354/487) or better? Or if Wright puts up his 2007 numbers - minus the terrible April start (.243 BA and 0 HR) - for a full year? That would be a season of .340/.420/.567 - and definite MVP consideration.

The point is, while it is not a good bet to EXPECT a career season, its not inconceivable that two or more of the "big 4" will have a better 2009 than 2008, so that if the other two remain roughly static, you still see major improvement.

3) How much does an improved bullpen help?

I think we may all be underestimating how much the improved bullpen will help, because we are underestimating how bad it was last year.

Last year's bullpen wasn't just bad for a team with championship aspirations - it was one of the very worst in all of baseball. Only seven teams had a higher bullpen ERA (despite the Mets pitching in a pitchers park and in the NL) and was third in all of baseball in blown saves (and 9th worst in save percentage).

If the Mets wind up having a top-10 bullpen this year (and that's still a big if) its not just an improvement, its a sea change.

Lets say the Mets, instead of blowing 29 saves, only blew 22 of those (which would put them smack in the middle of the pack). That's a 7 game improvement, which would have meant the Mets win the division handily with a 96-win season.

At the end of the day, I'm not saying any of these things WILL happen - but its not crazy for Omar, and us fans, to start the season expecting at least one, if not all, of these 3 hinge points to open our favor.

Beltran Barks Back at Torre

Carlos Beltran, one of the classiest players ever to grace the diamonds of New York, bit back at Joe Torre yesterday.

The wonderful Ben Shipgel from the NY Times reported:

Joe Torre touched on Beltrán’s reported desire to take that discount and play for the Yankees in the book he co-wrote with Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci, “The Yankee Years.”

Torre said: “Beltran wanted to come to us, so he could hide among the trees. Nobody wants to be that guy to lead.” Before being honored at the Thurman Munson Dinner on Tuesday evening,

Beltrán responded to Torre’s comments. “First of all, I don’t know Joe Torre personally, so I don’t know what kind of person he is,” Beltrán said. “The second thing I have to say is that when I met with the Yankees when I was a free agent, he wasn’t there, so you know, he didn’t know that we talked, so I didn’t meet him. So if he did say what he said, then that’s his opinion. I don’t have to comment on that. I feel very happy where I am.”

When all this is said and done, Joe Torre is going to regret his tell-all mistake.

Thanks All

It was a dissappointing end to a very exciting Mets season.

On Sunday the bats never got going, and other than a dramatic game tying homerun from Carlos Beltran, the Mets couldn't get very much going, losing a 4-2 heartbreaker on a day they had to win to force a one game playoff with the Brewers.

So take a break, catch your breath, and start looking to next year.

The Mets "superstar core", which consists of Johan Santana, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Carlos Beltran will all be here for 2009.

Toss in Carlos Delgado, Ryan Church, John Maine, and Mike Pelfrey, and it's easy to see that the Mets will again contend in '09.

There are issues to be addressed, primarily in the bullpen and in the starting pitching staff, but we're confident that next year's team will be even better than this years.

Thanks to all the readers here for your continued support. There is much more to come!

Good Morning Mets Fans!

Encore! Encore!

Thanks to a sterling effort by Mets ace Johan Santana, the Mets kept pace with the Phillies and added a game to their wild card lead.

With only 10 games left in the season, every day is like an epic play being acted out before our very eyes. Yesterday, Johan Santana gave us a Tony award winning performance in the lead role.

Johan pitched seven strong innings and only allowed 1 earned run against a team that can hit. He pitched quickly, efficiently, and most certainly could have pitched deeper in the game had the situation called for it.

"We know every time he takes the ball he’s going to put us in good position to win a game," Jose Reyes said. "He’s one of the best pitchers in the game. It’s a real good feeling when he goes to the mound."

"I’m just like anybody," Manuel said. "When you have a pitcher like that you feel good the night before, obviously after the last game and you know you’ve got him. Once the game starts, it’s still baseball. Anything can happen. He seems to be a guy that rises to that occasion every time. It makes it exciting to say that he’s the guy that night, especially because the games are so big."

With a sparkling 2.65 ERA on the year, 2nd in the NL, Santana has had an impressive debut with the Mets. He is also second in the league in Innings Pitched, 6th in Ks, and 12th in Wins. With a better bullpen behind him he would most likely be the NL Cy Young front runner.

He has pitched his best ball in the latter part of the season, going 7-0 with a 2.26 ERA over his last 14 starts. He's an ace....a big-game ace.

His teammates helped him, and themselves out, with some excellent at-bats.

Brian Schneider hit a pair of homeruns, Daniel Murphy had two hits in the 2 hole, and Jose Reyes, Ryan Church, and Carlos Beltran all had RBIs.

Jose Reyes is really heating up--he has that look about him--the caged panther at the plate. Jose is batting an even .300 over his last 7 games with a .533 slugging percentage.

Jose knows the pressure is on him to succeed, to drive the train, to lead the charge and produce runs. "You hear people say, when Jose Reyes goes, the Mets go," Reyes said.

The hottest Met of all is Carlos Beltran. All he's done in September is hit .386 with an incredible 1.207 OPS. Beltran is hitting to all fields, driving the ball, legging out exra base hits, and playing some of the best center field of his life.

So while Reyes and Beltran are hot, other players look like they are coming around. Ryan Church is hitting a bit; the aforementioned Brian Schneider looks relaxed up there; Delgado continues to have excellent at bats and produce.

The one guy who desperately needs a change of scenery is David Wright. He has been Mr Hot and Cold the last few weeks, and right now he is cold as ice. I thought that Jerry Manuel might sit him one of these last two games, but they are just too important right now.

Now the Mets head to Atlanta for their final road games of the year....a 3 game set against the always pesky Braves. Then it's back home for 3 with the Marlins and 4 with the Cubs.

10 games. That's it. Win 9 of them and they are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. Anything less, and it's going to take help from the Phillies and Brewers opponents.

Enjoy your coffee--Act II is tonight!

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
N.Y. Mets (85-67) «	1	2	2	1	1	0	0	0	0	7	11	0
Washington (58-95)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	2	13	1

Players of the Game

New York B. Schneider AB 4 R 2 H 2 HR 2 RBI 2

New York J. Santana IP 7.0 H 8 ER 1 BB 2 K 8