Jerry Manuel Continues to Hurt the Mets

Last night the Mets had a chance--a real chance--to get themselves in a position to win.

Sadly, Mets manager Jerry Manuel saw to it that the team was put in the worst position to fail, and they did.

The Situation:

Top of the third, 2 outs, bases loaded, pitcher's spot up, Manny Parra on the mound, Mets down 5-2.

Jerry's Options:

On the bench are three pinch-hitting options:  Chris Carter, Fernando Tatis, and Gary Matthews, Jr

Parra is a lefty, so Chris Carter is not the best option.

Fernando Tatis is a switch hitter.  He is 1 for 2 lifetime against Parra with a double and an RBI.

Gary Matthews Jr is a switch hitter and has no history against Parra.

Narrowing It Down:

On the season Fernando Tatis is 6 for 13 with 2 walks as a pinch hitter--.462 BA, .533 OBP, .769 Slg %, 1.303 OPS

On the season GMJ is 3 for 18 with 0 walks and 10 Ks as a pinch-hitter--.167 BA, .167 OBP, .167 Slg %, .333 OPS

The Decision:

Despite all the evidence clearly pointing to Tatis, Jerry Manuel goes with GMJ, who struck out. 

It was another unfathomable decision in a season full of them.

There were other poor decisions in the game, but that was clearly the one, above all others, that Jerry could have correctly made with ease.

A titanic head-scratcher of epic proportions.

Jerry ball?

Mets Rookie Crop Shines Through

The Mets have a ton of rookies, and though some of them have experience elsewhere, in MLB terms they are rookies.

The current crop is as good as any the club has had in recent memory.

• Hisanori Takahashi--4-1, 2.13 ERA, now in the starting rotation
• Ike Davis--.866 OPS, anchor at 1B, batting cleanup
• Jennry Mejia--3.43 ERA, key setup man
• Jonathan Niese--4.79 ERA, lefthanded starter
  
• Raul Valdes--2.86 ERA, long man +
• Ryota Igarashi--1.38 WHIP, setup man with "8th inning guy" potential and 95 mph fastball
• Chris Carter--.313 Batting Average, primary lefthanded pinch hitter

Of the traditional rookies, Ike Davis has shined brightest, stabilizing both the defense and anchoring the offense with a heady professionalism seen in players a decade his senior.

The pitchers have made the biggest contributions and now comprise 40% of the starting rotation.

Takahashi has been nothing short of spectacular, and Jonathan Niese comes back from injury looking to re-fire what was an excellent start to his season.

The rookies have made the biggest contribution in the bullpen.

Jennry Mejia, the youngest player in the game, is learning on the fly, and he has met the challenge both in pressure and non-pressure situations.

The "older rookies", Ryota Igarashi and Raul Valdes, are big contributors, and both have the experience and the stuff to get hitters out late in the game.

Chris Carter brings fire, passion, and a strong lefthanded bat.  He has come through in key RBI situations and is limited only by his weak defense and the fact that there just aren't that many at-bats for him--yet--in this lineup.

All in all a terrific rookie class that contributes on a nightly basis.

While the Mets didn't make many big splashes in the off-season,  the little splashes are doing just fine.

An Offensive Offense

Last night was a sad continuation of the Mets offensive struggles.

While they did face a very tough starter in Josh Johnson, the Mets also had their share of scoring opportunities, and they once again failed to capitalize.

Let's take a quick look at the offensive numbers for 2010:

.236 BA with runners in scoring position
.182 BA with the bases loaded
.222 BA with runners in scoring position and 2 outs

Keith Hernandez and Gary Cohen were marveling at the Padres pitching during last night's broadcast, proclaiming the staff as the reason behind the Padre's success.  Yes, their pitching has been tremendous, but there's more.

Here's the dirty little truth--the Padres lead MLB in OBP with RISP--a robust .407.  Couple that with their .467 Slg % with RISP, AND their pitching and it's easy to see why they're winning.

For the most part the Mets pitching has been good enough for the team to be 5-6 games above .500.  Unfortunately, the Mets have a .332 OBP with RISP to go along with a putrid .366 Slg %, and they are losing the close games because of it.

After last night's game Jerry Manuel said he was going to tinker with the lineup.  That tinkering better include Reyes to leadoff and a bit of Chris Carter in rightfield.  Pagan must bat second, and Castillo needs to bat 8th.

We're all getting frustrated with the Mets lack of production and timely hitting, and Jerry can take command of this thing now and help right the ship.

It's certainly still early, and with the talent the Mets have, all can be right in the world soon.

Chris Carter Look-a-Like

The Animal!

Oh Billy!

Hey kids, don't do drugs, or go to a Turkish prison, or have a "special prison friend"...Victory!

Mets Cap Off Amazing Comeback Win

In what was the game of the year thus far, the Mets came back to beat the Nationals 8 to 6 in Citi Field.

The game started off poorly for the Mets, with Jonathan Niese giving up a three-run blast to Adam Dunn to put his team behind.

The Mets had plenty of chances to score early, but double play after double play killed the rallies, and the Mets were behind 6-2 in the bottom of the 8th.At one point in the game the Mets were 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.

Yes, it was that bad.

And then the magic happened...

12 men came to the plate, and 6 scored.

The New and Improved Rod Barajas, "Now with even more A-Has!" double off the leftfield wall to tie the game at 6.

After a beautiful bunt single by Alex Cora, the newest Met, Chris Carter, stroked a line drive single to right to give the Mets the lead.  Jason Bay walked with the bases loaded to give the Mets their 8th and final run.

Frankie Rodriguez came on to close it in the 9th, and after getting two quick outs, the magic of Ike "Money" Davis resurfaced for the third time.

Davis made another unbelievable catch by diving into the dugout and flipping over as he was caught by a half dozen teammates, coaches and trainers.

After the first two of these spectacular plays, the bench now stands ready anytime Ike approaches.  The young first baseman is more acrobatic than a 4 foot 6 female Chinese gymnast, and he once again stuck the landing to take home the gold medal.

It was just a terrific comeback all around, and we saw solid, and much needed, hitting from Jason Bay and David Wright.

The Mets play the Nats tomorrow afternoon to finish the series.

Chris Carter Called Up

The Mets had finally seen enough.

Enough of the game Frank Catalanotto trying to hang on, and enough of the fiery and hard-working Chris Carter continue to swing the bat well at Buffalo.

Carter is up, Cat is gone.

I also believe that Jeff Francoeur's struggles had something to do with it as well, and that Carter just might see some time in rightfield.

Carter will certainly pair with Fernando Tatis as the Mets primary pinch-hitting tandem.

There is zero downside to this move, and it just might give the Mets the shot in the arm they need.

Lastly, the Mets are going to need a DH soon, and Carter is likely to be given that role.

Chris Carter   35 | RF Buffalo BisonsTriple-A International League

Stats AVG: .336 HR: 6 RBI: 22

Full Name: William Chris Carter Born: 09/16/1982 Birthplace: Fremont, CA College: Stanford Height: 6' 0" Weight: 230 Bats: L Throws: L

Player  POS  G  AB  R  H  2B  3B  HR  RBI  TB  BB  SO  SB  CS  OBP  SLG  AVG  OPS  E  Chris Carter RF 28 109 16 37 8 2 6 20 67 8 8 0 0 .395 .615 .339 1.010 0

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Chris Carter NOW

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Frank Catalanotto's pathetic excuse for an at-bat Sunday was the worst in MLB history.

Seriously, the guy is batting .167 on the year with a .208 Slg% and .408 OPS.  He can't hit lefty's, he can't field, and he certainly can't pinch-hit.

How bad are Cat's stats as a Met?  ESPN's picture of him shows him in a Ranger hat with a big porn stache. 

He looks like a guy in the witness protection program, and maybe he should be.

Take one look in the minors and you see your answer:  Chris Carter.

Player	POS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG	OPS	E
Chris Carter	RF	28	109	16	37	8	2	6	20	67	8	8	0	0	.395	.615	.339	1.010	0

Is there any reason whatsoever to not make the move, and make it now?

At least Carter would give you a fighting chance as a pinch-hitter.  I am 100% positive that Cat would take a minor league assignment to try and get his swing together, so it's not like there's one ounce of downside to this.

Come on Omar--enough is enough!

It's Time for Chris Carter

In my last piece I wrote about why it's time to end the Jose Reyes batting 3rd experiment.

The other move to make is to replace Frank Catalanotto with Chris Carter.  The Mets will need to keep GMJ on the roster until Carlos Beltran returns, but Frank can be replaced now.

On the year, Cat is hitting a not so robust .143 with a pathetic .182 OBP and a so low it's almost unheard of .190 Slg %.

Moreover, he is useless against lefthanded pitching.  Last year he was 1 for 11 against southpaws, and for his career, he hits them at a .239 clip with a .331 Slg %.

Chris Carter, the hero of spring training for three years in a row, continues to toil in the minors.

He is currently hitting a robust .329 in AAA, with a solid .987 OPS.

For those that argue there is no defensive spot for him, I would counter with the same can be said of Catalonotto.

Carter can pinch-hit, play RF, LF, a little first base, and is certainly more of a threat in the batter's box than Cat.  Catalonotto has only started one game this year, at first, but he's pinch-hit 18 times with a grand total of 2 hits.  Oh, and against those lefty's?  He's 0 for 6 this year, and again, he was 1 for 11 against them last year.

Look, I like Cat, he's a good guy, a solid guy, but he has nothing left in the tank.  He was a part time player with a sub-MLB average OPS the last two seasons, and at age 36, he is at the end of the rope.

Why not give Carter, and his superior offensive skills, a shot?

I think his energy and intensity will help the club, and there is no question he'll be more productive than Frank.

It would also prove that the Mets did, in fact, get some value from the Billy Wagner trade, and the fans would love it as Carter has already attained something of a cult hero status.

I can see him winning a few games for the Mets this year with some late inning power.

Like Ike Davis? Thank the Braves

Many of us were up in arms when we let Billy Wagner go for a song, knowing the Mets  would have received first round compensation and another high sandwich pick had he signed elsewhere after the season.

This is exactly what happened with the Red Sox after Wagner declined their offer in 2009.  Wagner is now a Brave.

Think that doesn't matter?  Do you like Ike Davis?

The reason the Mets have Ike Davis in the first place is because the Braves signed Tom Glavine back.  Yup, the pick awarded to the Mets was the 18th in the 2008 draft, which the Mets used to take Ike.

The Mets also received Bradley Holt, the 2009 94th ranked prospect by Baseball America.

Thank you Atlanta Braves.

Down on the Farm

What a day for the entire organization!

AAA Buffalo WON 11-7
Jason Pridie - 4 for 5, 3 R, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, SB (can he replace GMJ?)
Josh Thole - 1 for 3, 2 R, 2 BB
Fernando Martinez - 2 for 4, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI
Chris Carter - 0 for 5 (average down to .214)
Ruben Tejada - 2 for 4, 2 R, 2 2B, K
Pat Misch - 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Kiko Calero - 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Manny Acosta - 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

AA Binghamton WON 15-3
Kirk N+10 - 5 for 6, 4 R, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI
Nick Evans - 1 for 5, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB
Zach Lutz - 0 for 5, R, BB, 3 K
Lucas Duda - 3 for 4, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K
Jose Coronado - 1 for 5, R, HR, 4 RBI, K
Brahiam Maldonado - 2 for 4, R, 2B, BB
Scott Shaw - 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K

A+ St. Lucie WON 7-5
J. Valdespin - 2 for 4, R, BB, K, CS, E
Sean Ratliff - 1 for 4, R, HR, 3 RBI, 2 K
Stefan Welch - 1 for 4, R, 2B, K
J. Familia - 4 2/3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (his K numbers have been strong, the runs have been ugly)

A Savannah WON 11-3
Juan Lagares - 3 for 6, 2B, 3B, K
Wilmer Flores - 3 for 5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, BB, K
Kai Gronauer - 4 for 6, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, SB (now batting .394)
Cesar Puello - 2 for 4, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K, SB
Alonzo Harris - 1 for 5, R, 3 K
Mark Cohoon - 6 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Erik "Pierre" Turgeon - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Mike Jacobs DFA'd, Stoner...then Ike?

The Ike Davis era at Citi Field could be starting sooner then we think.

I personally love the move if it happens.  Ike is positively raking right now, and he has been for well over a year against every level of competition.

Ike can hit and he has the power to put it out of any field.  Moreover, first base has been an abysmal disappointment to this point and we all believe this move will certainly be an upgrade, both offensively and defensively.

If I were king for a day...

Ike comes up Monday, Chris Carter to first base at AAA, and fix the big league lineup.

The lineup:

• Reyes
• Pagan
• Wright
• Bay
• Davis
• Francoeur
• Barajas
• Castillo

For more on Ike, take a look at his minor league lifetime stats.

Say it with me, "I Like Ike!"

Ryota Igarashi has a Website, Does Figgy?

Since everyone is up in arms this morning about some of the cuts the Mets made, I decided to find out a little bit more about one of the culprits behind those cuts.

Ryota Igarashi has an 8.53 ERA this spring and zero major league experience--and it looks for all the world as if he has made the Mets.

Nelson Figueroa, Bobby Parnell, Kiko Calero and Elmer Dessens; infielder Russ Adams; and outfielder Chris Carter did not make the team.

While I do think Calero, Parnell and Nelson will still play a large role this year, it seems odd from a statistical (and eyes) viewpoint that the Japanese import got the nod.  Obviously his salary has a lot to do with it, as does the fact that Parnell has options and Calero needs to work on his arm strength.

Nellie is the odd man out, but truth be told he is a "second half big league pitcher".  By that I mean he's the type of guy a club brings up after the usual injuries occur.  His first half value is just not high enough.

Now back to Igarashi--he does have a pretty cool website, as evidenced by the picture at the top of this post.  That said, there is a disturbing link on his page called "Swallows Man".  I hope he didn't actually do that.

Igarashi can also pull a tire while running backwards--I seriously doubt Figgy could pull off such a superhuman feat:

Does Figgy have a website?  If not, does he need me to build him one?  Should we buy him a tire?  Maybe a bigger tire than Igarashi used, like a monster truck tire.

Perhaps it will help his cause, and that's something I can get behind.

Chris Carter: Mr Marpril

We know Reggie Jackson was Mr October, and looking at the stats, there is no question that Chris Carter is Mr March and April, or "Mr Marpril".

His Spring numbers the last three years are gaudy...in fact they're downright fantastic.

Two years ago Carter had a very nice spring, finishing with an .893 OPS and hitting .371...at the time I'm sure he was convinced the big leagues were right around the corner.  He did get his September cup of coffee, and he responded well to the challenge, hitting .333 in 18 at-bats.

A year ago Carter came to camp on a mission and slugged to the tune of a 1.038 OPS, which led to him breaking camp with the big club.  Unfortunately, he only lasted 4 games with the Red Sox for a total of 5 at-bats.

Not to be deterred, Carter dutifully went to AAA Pawtucket and put up yet another outstanding year offensively.

Which brings us to 2010--and the Mets--and Spring Training--and Carter--and...

Another amazing spring, only this time it's even better.  Carter is sporting an off-the-charts 1.621 OPS--that's like Pujols on Steroids (figure of speech Albert, don't cry).

The question for Carter is what will be the outcome of another spring in which he is basically the best hitter in camp?

Right now he seems to the clear "26th man" in the minds of Mets management and destined to shuffle off to Buffalo.  It's a shame, because he certainly has the type of bat that could help the club.

CHRIS CARTER SPRING TRAINING STATS -- LAST THREE SEASONS

	TEAM	G	AB	R	H	TB	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	GO/AO
2008	BOS	16	35	4	13	18	5	0	0	6	1	0	5	0	0	.371	.378	.514	.893	0.29
2008	CIN	1	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000	2.00
2009	BOS	28	76	15	27	50	5	0	6	11	2	0	12	0	0	.355	.380	.658	1.038	1.38
2010	NYM	9	13	5	5	15	1	0	3	8	2	0	2	0	0	.385	.467	1.154	1.621	0.20

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1 for 13

Not sure what to make of Fernando Tatis right now.  In the off-season I advocated for a youth movement, and those plans didn't include the 35-year old, who was terrific in 2008, and not so good in 2009.

Sure, he had a fine August and September, but when the Mets needed him most, the numbers were not very good.

Hopefully the knee thing is over and he'll get back to form, but right now he's not looking like the player the Mets needed him to be, and his bat is not anywhere near that of Chris Carter, the projected "26th man".

Fernando This Spring

• Born: 1/1/1975 in San Pedro de Macoris,  Dominican Republic

• Bats/Throws: R/R
• HT: 5'11''
• WT: 185

• Last 10
• Upcoming
• Quick Splits

DATE	OPP	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG
03/03/2010	@ATL	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.000	A	2010/03/03/nynmlb-atlmlb-1	S
03/04/2010	STL	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	H	2010/03/04/slnmlb-nynmlb-1	S
03/05/2010	@STL	3	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	.125	A	2010/03/05/nynmlb-slnmlb-1	S
03/17/2010	@BOS	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.091	A	2010/03/17/nynmlb-bosmlb-1	S
03/18/2010	@FLA	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.077	A	2010/03/18/nynmlb-flomlb-1	S
TOTALS		13	2	1	0	1	0	1	0	.077

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Chris Carter Goes Deep Again

Chris Carter just took Derek Lowe deep....very deep....it's his third straight homer in his last three at-bats.

He's now hitting over .600 and making an enormous statement.

I really hope Carter makes the club...he's earned his shot with a terrific college career, and 6 very good minor league seasons.

UPDATE: Carter just doubled and now has 4 RBIs today.

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Would a 2010 Youth Movement Be More Fun?

With the same tired, one dimensional or injured names being thrown around, (Ryan Garko, Ben Sheets, Carlos Delgado), along with the recent signing of Gary Mathews, Jr, it's becoming more and more apparent that 2010 would be a lot more fun if we could all just take a breath and resign ourselves to the fact that watching a bunch of young guys play baseball would be a lot more fun than trying to hope for a miracle on an injured arm, an older fading never was, or a broken down former star.

Let's play Thole, Nick Evans, Daniel Murphy, even Ike Davis to platoon with Murph.

Why not have Chris Carter as the 4th outfielder?

Let Angel Pagan play CF for as long as it takes to get Beltran back.

Let's look at our "youth team" to start the season and a lineup that could work well:

SS-Jose Reyes (26)
CF-Angel Pagan (28)
3B-David Wright (27)
LF-Jason Bay (31)
RF- Jeff Francoeur (26)
1B-Daniel Murphy (25) and Ike Davis (23)
C-Josh Thole (23)
2B-Luis Castillo (34)

The same can be said of the pitching: Tobi Stoner, Dillon Gee, Jonathan Niese, Jay Marshall, all young and talented. Ollie Perez is still only 28 heading into the season, and I expect Big Pelf to have a superb year.

Here is a simple question--would you rather watch Ike Davis or Fernando Tatis in 2010?

The Mets don't need to go into 2010 with any lofty expectations, because every realist out there knows that this is likely not the year, nor is it the team that should expect to win right now.

That said, it is a team that can win, and by playing the younger talent, you'll likely get an inspired brand of fun baseball that would be competitive without breaking the bank. You also just might be surprised at the results.

It's the kind of thinking that would set up the more legitimate possibility for 2011 and beyond.

Play the kids now.

10 Things to Know About Chris Carter

Like you, I've been hunting around the Net for Chris Carter stuff....the guy is quirky to say the least!

He can also hit and has power--we could see 100 at-bats for him the rest of the year as the Mets give him an extended big league look.

Here is a smattering on Carter...

• Went to Stanford
• He is extremely intense, quirky, and he plays very, very hard
• .301 lifetime BA in 6 minor league seasons with 124 homeruns
• Seen as a "major league hitter that plays weak defense"
• 2008 International League All-Star
  
• Can play 1B and corner OF
  
• Made the Red Sox out of spring training as the 5th outfielder
• Listed as 6 feet tall and 230 Lbs and doesn't allow anyone to touch his bats
  
• Red Sox acquired him as a PTBNL in the Willy Mo Pena deal
• Uses Hulk Hogan music as his theme song before each at-bat

Speculation Still Looming: Chris Carter's Name Dropped

One of the players the Boston fanbase and some media are saying is part of the Billy Wagner deal is minor leaguer Chris Carter.

They are citing the dubious, "someone with inside knowledge", but he does seem a likely player "to be named", especially given the Mets first base prospects for 2010, his age (27 in September), and the Red Sox depth at first base throughout their system.

Carter has hit well at every level and made the Red Sox out of Spring Training.

Scouting Report

Assets	Has very good power potential and a keen eye for bases on balls. Is also adept at hitting the gaps for doubles.
Flaws	Needs to improve his footwork and hands at first base in order to become a regular at the major-league level.
Career Potential	A backup first baseman or corner outfielder.