The Amazin' Mess

I was primed for a let down.  We squeak out game 3 of the Subway Series and I figure well…why would we win tonight?  So I was thinking about what I could write about when the Phillies win tonight.  How about how I really don’t care so much about winning the Subway Series as I would the care about winning the Turnpike Series?  or did we really expect for R.A. Dickey to have two good outings in a row?   

Then I’m reading this during the game…and I’m like – really? stellar defense?  I glazed over the entire paragraph and how ridiculous it would be for David Wright to be traded and focused on FOX Sports saying David Wright plays stellar defense.  Maybe I’m cranky.  But then I remember…they are playing AT HOME.

So – the Mets are performing perfectly.  Unlike anything we’ve seen this year, and maybe not in 2+ years.  Great defense (David Wright made a big play in the 7th to get Raul Valdes out of trouble, thus FOX Sports shoving it in my face) , stealing bases, getting runners in from 3rd base perfectly (that Luis Castillo deadfish hit, just made me laugh), striking out Chase Utley and Ryan Howard when needed, relief pitchers getting extra base hits, starting pitchers with barely any bunting experience – laying down bunts.  Smackin’ around crabby ol’ Nelson Figueroa for good measure.  David Wright not striking out (had to add that zinger) I mean, what didn’t we see tonight? 

Post game – Jerry Manuel is praising the front office for their role in giving him such great depth and killing the argument I made here.  However, I’m still not convinced of R.A. Dickey or that Manuel has been blessed with so many options, but I am thinking he should do everything he can to get R.A. Dickey to pitch as many times at Citi Field as possible.  After tonight, I honestly think he could be a pitcher with a sub 3 ERA at home with ease.  I’ll put a dollar on that.

Filed under: Mets | No Comments »

A question was posed to me tonight after he struck out against Joba Chamberlain in the 7th inning : What happened to David Wright? 

Clearly, there’s been a ton of coverage about why David Wright is striking out so much, his uppercut swing, his bonehead errors and base running blunders (who gets doubled up on an infield pop up?).  Is he still thinking about when Matt Cain plunked him? Is it his new Popeye arms?  Is it some hot chick?

However, nobody has mentioned this.

This isn’t a new video, it’s been around, but maybe all of David Wright super-powers, the face of the franchise and everything that we expect David Wright to be, has all been transferred (in that one jumping high five) to “the Situation”.

Hey – maybe “the Situation” can play 2b.  He isn’t the brightest bulb but even he wouldn’t have tried to get the lead runner in the 7th.  Nice job Cora.

Filed under: Mets | No Comments »

Last night, finally, a little offense.  And David Wright, didn’t strikeout!

But this weekend is key for alot of reasons.

1.  Can’t embarass yourselfs at home against the Yankees

2.  If you do, it’s front office clean house time.

3.  Can Bob Melvin, Terry Collins, Wally Backman pull a 2009 Jim Tracy of the Rockies?

4.  Or we dive deeper into depression/irrelevant mode?

Filed under: Mets | No Comments »

After the game, Jerry Manuel sounded depressed and defeated, Fernando Nieve pitched like he’s overworked and defeated and this lack of offense is just depressing.  Sure, R.A. Dickey pitched nicely, the inside the park HR and the triple play was exciting (for a moment) but other than that, you knew the roller coaster ride was going to come crashing down.  As a fan, how do you not watch this game and just feel depressed afterwards?

The Mets are now 19-22 (6 games back and in last place), they were 14-9 (1 game up) and 17-13 (1 game back) at a given point.  That’s a HUGE swing.  Sure, it’s early and sure they are still 14-8 at home.   But their team AVG is .247, OBP .317 and OPS .698.  That’s like having 8 Wayne Garrett’s  in your lineup. 

The pitching is in shambles lately, but it’s time to start focusing on the hitting.  It’s worse.  I think.

Filed under: Mets | No Comments »

Per Gary Cohen on last night’s telecast, he’s on pace for 223 strikeouts.  He couldn’t get in Luis Castillo from third with one out in the 9th.  And he  makes an error to lose the game on the last play. 

Check this out:

Strikeouts

Jason Bay and Wright are going to obliterate that team record.

Another ruined (super) quality start by Johan Santana. 

Word is David Wright will get the night off tonight, but who is going to play 3rd? Fernando Tatis? Serious question, is he still on the team?  I haven’t seen him in ages.  Quick log search on BR says: His last two games, he pinch hit on the 16th and 9th.  So he’s ripe and ready to go to start tonight!

Filed under: Mets | 2 Comments »

Well, Mike Pelfrey stopped the bleeding.   I was sitting there nervously waiting for Pedro Feliciano and/or K-Rod to open it up again though.

But this is good news, no?

However, I don’t know how this team is going to stay in contention with R.A. Dickey and Dillon Gee.

Filed under: Mets | No Comments »

I like that the Mets are giving Chris Carter a chance to show what he can do; it’s refreshing to see them give some ABs to a (relatively) young guy with a good minor-league track record and some possible upside, rather than the usual over-the-hill retreads that Omar loves to dig up (See Frank Catalanotto, Emil Brown, Jeff Conine, Ricky Ledee, Brady Clark, and the corpse of Michael Tucker).

Watching Carter, you can’t help but notice that he’s got some eccentricities, which have led Jerry Manuel to dub him “The Animal.”  The guy just can’t sit still.  This calls to mind other Mets with unusual mannerisms:
Turk Wendell would wear a shark-tooth necklace, brush his teeth a lot, and jump high over the foul line.
An old baseball card I had of John Pacella noted that he would lose his cap on every pitch, which is confirmed by his Wikipedia page.
Joe McEwing had his gyrations.
Tim Teufel had the Teufel Shuffle (or was it “Seufel”?).
Robby Alomar had his unnecessary slides into first.
Carlos Beltran has his bunts from the 3 hole.
Al Leiter would grunt like Monica Seles after almost every pitch.
Bill Pecota’s last name was later used as an acronym for a system of predicting baseball performance. (Okay, this isn’t really a mannerism, but a good Bill Pecota reference never hurt anyone.)

My favorite baseball idiosyncrasy of all time, though, belongs to U.L. Washington of the Royals, who used to play at all times with a toothpick in his mouth.  I always imagine a young Royals fan playing on the little-league lots of Topeka (or wherever) in the early 1980s, emulating his hero U.L. and ending up on the wrong end of a tough-hop grounder with a piece of birchwood lodged in his windpipe.  Of course, one could make the argument that – since this imaginary kid chose to pattern himself after U.L. rather than George Brett, Willie Wilson, or Hal McRae – he probably wasn’t getting much oxygen to the brain anyway.

Filed under: Mets, MLB | 3 Comments »

According to espn.com, Fernando Nieve is on pace for 98 appearances this year. The only pitcher ever to appear in that many games was Mike Marshall in 1974. To paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen’s famous burn of Dan Quayle: I knew Mike Marshall. I watched Mike Marshall. I spent a weekend at Mike Marshall’s wacky pitching-delivery summer camp. And you, Fernando Nieve, are no Mike Marshall.
Not even Kent Tekulve’s aviator shades saw action in 98 games.
So, it’s safe to say that Jerry is over-using ‘Nando, which may explain the recent hike in his ERA. Granted, the Mets don’t have endless options, but sooner or later something will have to give.

Addendum: to clear up any confusion the Mike Marshall I’m talking about is the rubber-armed reliever, not the plodding outfielder who the Mets inexplicably thought could replace Keith Hernandez at first base.

Filed under: Mets | No Comments »

Now in last place.  They’ve lost 11 out of their last 15 games.  What can you say?  This feels like last year. 

Sure they’ve fought back a bit the last two games.  But a sweep is a sweep.  Oliver Perez is in the bullpen, John Maine was ineffective and now Jon Niese could be out for a while? Goes back to my last post about organizational depth at the starting pitching position.

Three HUGE series’ coming up @ Bravos, @ Nats and @ the Yankees – I really REALLY suspect, that if the Mets go 2-5 or get swept by the Yankees – I suspect a change is a comin’. 

Omar should be on the horn asking Houston what the Astros want for Roy Oswalt.  If he wants to save his job.

Filed under: Mets | No Comments »

He can’t blame the weather anymore.  I can semi-understand Oliver Perez being bitchy and wild when its 40 degrees out at Citifield and he can’t find the plate.  But there aren’t anymore excuses anymore – are there?  Its time to cut the cord.  The Mets have money.  Oliver Perez will never be a good pitcher (anymore) in NY. 

However, I don’t agree with Amazin’ Avenue.

R.A. Dickey should NOT be on the next plane, he isn’t the answer either.  I don’t care what he’s doing in AAA, he’s 35 years old.  His ship has sailed.  Did he even have a ship to begin with?

Fine – give Hisanori Takahashi a chance, (maybe) give Pat Misch a chance, but lets get Omar to earn his friggin’ keep and have him bring in a decent stop-gap starter until Daniel Murphy is healthy and we can parlay him into an arm. 

But – why is the 3rd richest franchise in baseball (according to Forbes magazine) not filled with more depth?  Why is the 6th starter on the 3rd richest franchise in baseball R.A. Dickey? or even Pat Misch?  Why?

When will the Mets get to the point that their financial prowess matches the depth and status of the players on the 25/40 man roster?

It sickens me but don’t make me watch another Oliver Perez start.  Nothing is worse.

Filed under: Mets | 1 Comment »