Francoeur To Rangers? Reyes Sits, Pagan Sits: Sore Wrist - Mets Lineup Vs. Braves - August 31, 2010

Tonight's Mets Murderers Row:

1. Castillo 2B
2. Wright 3B
3. Beltran CF
4. Francoeur RF
5. Davis 1B
6. Blanco C
7. Carter LF
8. Tejada SS
9. Niese LSP

Tejada is back at SS for the Mets tonight. Strangely Francoeur is hitting cleanup. Pagan is sitting due to right wrist tendinitis and is day-to-day. Wright moves to the 2 hole - probably because he is 0-25 at Turner this year. Wright hasn't batted second since May 12, 2007.

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Many sources are reporting Jeff Francoeur might very well be playing his last game with the Mets. Ranger scouts have been in Atlanta, and Manuel called Francoeur in for "a talk."
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Sources: Kevin Burkhardt, Adam Rubin

Misch Bombed. Mejia To Start Saturday Against Cubs?

Pat Misch had his worst outing last night in Atlanta, going 3 innings, allowing 8 hits and five runs in the Mets 9-3 loss to the Braves.

With Jenrry Mejia have a great outing last night for Buffalo, going 8 innings, allowing five hits and one run, striking out 9 and walking 1, it is believed he will replace Misch on Saturday and get his first Major League start against the Cubs.

When asked about the situation, Minaya didn't rule out a possible Saturday start for Mejia.



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Killer Stat: David Wright was 0-5 last night, dropping him to 0-25 in Turner Field this year. Even Francoeur has a hit in Atlanta. ________________________________________________________________

Sources: CBS Sportsline, ESPN.com, David Lennon Twitter

Tejada Sits, Beltran SIts, Animal Starts: Mets Lineup Vs. Braves - August 30, 2010

Tonight's Mets lineup v. Atlanta courtesy Kevin Burkhardt:

1. Pagan CF
2. Castillo 2B
3. Carter LF
4. Wright 3B
5. Davis 1B
6. Francoeur RF
7. Thole C
8. Hernandez SS
9. Misch LSP

Ruben Tejada sits (again) in place of Luis Hernandez. Pat Misch vying for his first win of the year. Beltran sits, Carter starts in LF.

With A Little Over A Month Left In The Season, The Mets Have Issues That Need Addressing This Off-Season

With 32 games left in this roller coaster season, the Mets have to address some key points this off-season.

The Oliver Perez situation must be resolved, and the only resolution I can see is that he is removed, one way or another, from this team. Perez has had two consecutive poor, injury riddled seasons, and this makes his trade value less than a pet rock. The Mets need to release him. Period. I understand that no one, especially the "frugal" Wilpon's want to eat $12M, but it is costing them so much more having him on the team, where he will not see any action. The Mets are prone to never admit fault or poor decisions, but there is no escaping the Perez Fiasco. I will not kill the Mets for signing him to the three year $36M contract; to do so would prove hypocritical. I thought he would bounce back to the 2006-2007 OP. I too was wrong.

Luis Castillo. There might be a trade partner out there, but would most likely require the Mets to pick up a large portion of his $6M salary for 2011. Castillo has been hammered not only by me, but by the media. One thing I will always respect Castillo for was the way he handled himself with the media after dropping the ARod pop-up last year. He stuck around and answered everyone's questions. He is a smart ball player, but his skills have eroded. Once a solid defender, he has little range, and does not pivot well on the double play any more. This does not mean that Ruben Tejada is ready to be the everyday 2B; Tejada makes Rey Ordonez look like a solid Major League hitter. Tejada has talent, but he has to a least hit around .220 to make carrying him on the team acceptable. Hitting well below the Mendoza line isn't going to cut it. The Mets might try and see what possible Free Agents or trades are available at the 2B position for 2011 until Tejada can prove he can hit Major League pitching.

Jeff Francoeur. He's a goner. I will not back down. He can play for me any day. The fans have absolute disdain for Francoeur. He has been getting on base more frequently and hitting better of late, but an OBP of less than .300 isn't going to cut it. He is second to none in his RF play, but with how poorly most of the Mets have hit this year, Francoeur becomes the whipping boy. If everyone else was hitting, his low average wouldn't be an issue. I still love the guy and demeanor, but that won't be enough to have the Mets tender him a contract. I hope everyone out there remembers this when some scrub like Fernando Martinez is patrolling RF with a lower average, and less HR's.

Lastly, Jose Reyes. The Mets have a team option for 2011. I don't see how they can't pick up the option. Many have been on Reyes' case too. Yes he has been injured a bit the last two seasons, but when he is on, there isn't a more electric player in the game. I keep reading and hearing people saying Jose should be traded, but the type of player he is, great speed, good defense, great arm, some power, lead-off hitter, steals bases, manufactures runs, etc. - where are you going to get all that in one player? His talents aren't easily replace. The Mets could replace Wright easier than Reyes. The Mets should not only pick up his option, but look to extend him maybe two more years. I wouldn't extend him longer due to injury issues the last two years, but lets not forget, he is only 27.

I will not pretend to know all the answers, but these are the four key points the Mets must address this off-season. There is no easy fix, and the Wilpon's can keep reciting the same old untruthful mantra that 'there are no financial issues with the Mets', but truth be told, no one expects them to make any splash in the upcoming Free Agent market, so they must look to make better by purging some of the mistakes they've made. I won't be easy, and I can honestly say I am not expecting much, but the two biggest players that must be addressed and removed are Castillo and Perez. Then they need to lock up Jose.

Dickey Goes 7 Thole Goes Yard In Mets 5-1 Win Over Stros

RA Dickey pitched seven strong innings, allowing one run, knocking in two runs, and striking out two in the Mets 5-1 over the Astros.

Josh Thole hit his second career HR in the sixth inning, and was 2-3 on the day scoring two runs.



Jose Reyes didn't play again today, and took some fielding practice before the game. If all goes well, he should take some hacks in BP.

Source: CBS Sportsline, ESPN

Reyes Sits, Blanco Gets Second Straight Start, Francoeur In RF Again: Mets Lineup V. Astros - August 28, 2010

Jose sits again in tonight's second game against the Astros at GHMP. Today's Lineup courtesy of Adam Rubin:

1. Pagan-LF
2. Castillo-2B
3. Beltran-CF
4. Wright-3B
5. Davis-1B
6. Francoeur-RF
7. Blanco-C
8. Tejada-SS
9. Santana-LSP

Henry Blanco gets his second straight start with Johan starting. Francoeur and Wright look to continue their hot hitting. Johan needs for his mates to put up some runs; more than the usual one or two

Q&A With Jason Bay

Adam Rubin was nice enough to summarize the Q & A with Jason Bay who was at Citi Field last before and during the Mets 2-1 win against the Astros behind Big Pelfs 8 inning 120+ pitch performance . There is no timetable for him but at this point but I am sure he is happy to do something that will bring him closer to playing. The minor league season ends next week so its not even sure if he will even be able to get in a game or 2 with the Bisons who are in playoff hunt. Below are some excerpts from the session Bay had with the Media. To check out all the questions you can see it over at ESPN NY.com

When did the headaches go away?



"The last week or so you go 90, 95 percent of the day and you feel fine. And usually at night a little bit you kind of get ... and we're not talking migraines. We're just talking a little uncomfortable. Enough to know you really can't do much yet."


You think you will play again this season?


"I expect to. But at the same time I'm not foolish to know that I haven't done anything in a month and there's a certain rigor of programs you need to go through. I'm also fighting not just getting back into shape, but also making sure my head doesn't hurt either. You're going against two things. I fully expect to and I want to. I also understand we have time constraints as well. If the consolation to all of it is going into the offseason knowing I didn't have any restrictions, that's definitely something that I need to do."


Had you had a previous concussion that might account for how long this one has taken?


"No. And that was kind of half the issue. I mean, I think everybody has had a concussion at some point. They classify so many different things in so many different ways. I didn't really know what to draw on. It was just, 'How do you feel?' 'I feel good today.' You go through an hour or two where you just want to lie down and take a nap and close your eyes. It started off as kind of a constant thing and over the last couple of weeks it's kind of slowly weened down to nothing so far."


Have you spoken with other athletes with concussions?


"Plenty. I talked to a good friend of mine who is going through it right now -- Justin Morneau. He's struggling a little bit. I've had a lot of time -- looking stuff up and just kind of getting a feel. It's one of those things that everybody is different."


When will you start baseball activities?


"I don't know. I'm just looking forward to getting on a bike right now and doing something. ... I'm so bored, I'm just looking forward to doing something."


Carlos Beltran wanted to come back last year for "peace of mind" with his knee when arguably he should have shut it down, and he ultimately needed surgery. Maybe it's not apples to apples, but is there any merit that shutting it down is best to avoid anything longer term?


"There's also a part of me that if you go through all the stuff and you're ready to play, why aren't you playing? You know what I mean? OK, I'm ready to go. There's nine games left. Or whatever it is. But you're not going to play? It would be tough to sit back. I understand the idea and the merit to it. I think right now more than anything it's more peace of mind. There was a point as I'm sitting there in the middle of August thinking if this doesn't clear up, I can't resume offseason training. I'll be seeing doctors. It's another thing you don't want to go through. I'm looking forward to getting through all of this knowing that's fine. If there's two games left, OK, maybe not. If there's more than that and I'm able to play, I don't see why I couldn't and shouldn't play."

Mets lose Jose Reyes in Blowout loss

The game started out on a nice positive note with the Mets jumping out to a 4-0 lead and there was Jose Reyes finally getting a knock in his 2nd at bat. Too bad that hit lead him to leave the game due to his oblique acting up. 

Reyes felt a twinge in BP yesterday and again after his first 2 at bats and Manager Jerry took him out. Reyes left the game alot easier then when Jerry took him out in first game as manager playing the Angels . Reyes seem to realize that its better not to make it worse.  More on Reyes later today when he gets to the ballpark.

The Mets had a 4-0 lead early and Niese was cruising but gave up a  2 run homer to of course Handley Ramirez and then in the 6th it was over . 7 runs crossed the plate as the Mets went on to lose 11-4 despite having lead off walks in 7 of the 9 innings. 

Mets go another day with picking up ground in the standings with Philly losing and the Braves and Giants idle. 

Look for Pelfrey to kick off the series with the Astros who come off sweeping the Phillies at Citizens bank ballpark.

The Squish the Fish lineup for Thursday Aug. 26th.

As Metfan73 takes his herd to Queens and Citi Field to see the Mets play the Marlins in game 3 of the homestand, the Mets will finally let Luis Castillo take a couple of hacks. Tejada who has been 0 for the summer finally takes the pine in the are we in the hunt or aren’t we lineup.


Niese will battle the Marlins to see if the Mets can win a series before the all of sudden hot Astros come into town for a weekend series.


Reyes. Pagan. Beltran. Wright. Davis. Francoeur. Thole. Castillo. Niese

Looking Forward To Tonights Game? I Am...

Yes, it is true. I am looking forward to tonight's game against the Marlins. Not for some miraculous play-off push. Not so much to see Jon Niese and the young Mets perform. Not to witness Jerry making some decision that will make me scratch my head.

No. I am looking forward to tonight's game because the metsfan73 family will be attending. I have had the pleasure of attending two previous games this year, but this is the first time I have taken the family.

My wife called today asking if I knew where her Black (ugh!) Mets jersey with 31 Piazza on the back was. Can't say that I knew, so being the great husband I am, I told her she can wear my classic white Mets Jersey. I will be adorned in my newest Mets T - gray with the orange and blue logo.

We will be with our three children (metsfan97, metsfan99, and metsfan03) and my daughters (metsfan03) friend. Really looking forward to it.

Our seats are in section 109. We got the tickets from the Mets Fan Club For Kids. This was the first year I had signed the kids up, and with how hectic this summer has been, we weren't able to get to a game until now.

We usually get to take our kids to one game a year, and I usually go with my counterpart, LongIslandMetFan, two or three times/year. Yes, this will be my third game, but first with the fam, and I am so looking forward to it.

My boys (metsfan97 & metsfan99) are getting old enough to really appreciate the game, and are starting to live and die with this team like their psychotic father. While at the game we usually discuss field alignment of fielders, a batters position in the box, pitches thrown, etc.

With my daughter? It's where is Mr Met and why isn't the HR Apple going up?
Ahhh, youth!

Hopefully this will be a victorious night for the Mets. It already is for the metsfan73 family.

Mets rally falls short

Was it asking too much that the Mets win 2 games with walk off hits in the bottom of the 9th?  Castillo had a chance to win it but was walked with 2 outs to load the bases. Up comes Reyes who before this series was hitting like.500 over 6-7 games. Now of course he is 0 for the Marlin series and he grounded out to first as the Mets lost 5-4 to the fish.  

Wright had lead off the inning with a solo shot to straight centerfield to bring the Mets to 5-4 and then Davis and Thole duplicated what they did Tuesday night by getting on again with hits and Hessman grounded out weakly that moved up the runners.  Stage was set but not meant to be . 

Misch pitched ok allowing 4 runs, earned over 6 innings and Igarashi gave up the 5th run which was manufactured by a trple by Morrison . Pagan also threw out Helms a tht eplate earlier in the game to prevent the fish from adding more runs.

The Mets only mustered 7 hits and 3 of those came in the 9th. Frenchy had another decent nite with 2 hits and a rbi. He has been crowding the plate and if you can believe this he leads the team in pitches per plate appearance for the month of August.   

The Mets blew a chance to gain on the Phillies and Braves who both lost. Mets try to win the series tonight with Niese heading to the mound. 

Check out the box score here

Castillo Rewarded After GW Hit By Being Benched: Mets Lineup V. Marlins - August 25, 2010

Nice to see Jerry reward Luis Castillo with some pine after a clutch hit last night. Today's lineup courtesy Kevin Burkhardt:

1. Reyes SS
2. Pagan LF
3. Beltran CF
4. Wright 3B
5. Davis 1B
6. Francoeur RF
7. Thole C
8. Tejada 2B
9. Misch LSP

Pat Misch looking for his first Met win this year going against the Marlins. Francoeur gets another start in RF after two sacrifice RBI last night, and as stated above, Castillo gets screwed for a hitter so far below the Mendoza line that he couldn't find it with a Hubble Telescope.

Afternoon Chat With Mets Beat Writer Adam Rubin

This afternoon Adam Rubin took the time to chat and answer questions about the Mets. Some of the more interesting questions and comments were:

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Q: I've heard different rumors saying Santana wants out... What's your take on these and are they true?

A: I've never heard that articulated by Johan. I'm sure he can't be thrilled with how things have evolved. But he is making $20 million-plus each of the next three seasons, which should make him feel a little better.

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metsfan73 (Long Island)

Hi Adam,With all the rumors surrounding the Mets about Castillo, Perez, Omar, and Jerry, do you really think the Mets will actually eat any of the three under contract? Secondly, do the Mets really believe Josh Thole is a #1 catcher?

A: I don't see any way Ollie is back with the Mets in 2011. I'm sure they'll try to find a salary swap, but unless the Mets actually take on a worse contract, I can't imagine that's feasible. Castillo, I doubt, will be here. But the Mets can probably find a bad contract swap for him. As for Thole, I believe he can be an average defender who hits .270-290 with less than 10 homers. Is that a No. 1 catcher?

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Q: What is the latest on daniel murphy.

A: There was a report he's running down at the complex in Florida. I suppose it's possible he plays winter ball to learn 2B, LF, etc., but I don't know how far along he is in the recovery from knee surgery. I imagine the next you hear from him in a Mets context is spring training.

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Q: Have the Mets finally realized that David Wright is not a true franchise player, but rather more of a complimentary piece of the puzzle albeit an excellent one? He can be the 'face' of the franchise (ala Jeter w/ the Yankees), but he does not appear to be the kind of player who makes others in the lineup better, rather he suffers and 'doesn't' seem to 'get his' when he is the last one standing. Your thoughts?

A: I actually had one person from the organization concede that David is a great, great complementary player but not capable of being the guy who is the one who can shoulder the primary load. That does not diminish his value to the franchise, or the fact that he's an All-Star and one of the game's better players.

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Q: I don't understand the disconnect between Jerry Manuel and the Mets front office. This is reason number 1 for letting Manuel go. He is back and forth on every subject. If he doesn't have an answer then he should tell the media that. The second reason is the pathetic way he mismanages the bullpen, which is the main reason of the Mets win loss record in close games. Do you agree?

A: I would say the biggest issue is that the field staff, front ownership and front office all pull in different directions. You call up F-Mart and Tejada, then send down Tejada. You play Francoeur, even though he won't be here in 2011. There's no cohesion.

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Q: Adam, it seems like no organization has had more (for lack of a better word) mid-level prospect breakouts this year than the Mets. But do any of Lucas Duda, Eric Cambell, Sean Ratliff, Zach Lutz et al honestly qualify as more than organizational fodder?

A: That's a realistic assessment. I had one NL scout tell me the Mets had the deepest farm system in the division, but nothing like the other teams do in terms of elite prospects.

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Q: Can Bay be moved to RF and go after Carl Crawford then sign a Rich Harden type

A: I do not believe the Mets will be throwing around big dollars this winter.

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• Other items covered by Rubin were:

• He believes KRod will be the closer in 2011

• He says he believes the Mets will dump Castillo and Perez in the off season

• Francoeur will not be a Met in 2011

Regarding Ike Davis' chances of being Rookie Of The Year:

Very doubtful. Doesn't believe he will get any votes with Buster Posey, Jason Heyward, Mike Stanton, and Mike Leake all ahead of him. There are only three spots on the ballet.

To read Rubin's chat click here.

Mets battle for once and win on walk off hit by Castillo

Tonight was one of those rare nights where the Mets played crisp ball, hit the ball and had key hits with 2 outs and very smart base running helped the Mets over come the Marlins and won 6-5.

Big nights for Angel Pagan who had 4 hits and a key hit in the 8th which he stretched a single into a double with 2 outs on a mental lapse from Maybin in Centerfield. Beltran had a 2 out rbi single then to tie the score at 5.

This was after R A Dickey gave up a 3 run homer to new Met killer Gabby Sanchez with 2 outs in the 7th. Dickey was laboring in the 7th and due to a botch call on a pick off attempt of Ramirez the inning was prolonged. 

Frenchy who has been very patient at the plate had 2 sacrifice flies for 2 rbis and Wright had a triple and a single.

The Mets broke out the bats with 12 hits including 3 in the 9th with Davis and Thole getting singles and then with 2 outs Luis Castillo batting righty against Ohman hit a flair past Uggla into right field and Davis who had a great lead at 2nd was able to score with Stanton's throw wide of the plate to give the Mets a much needed come from behind win. 

The Mets won for only the 2nd time after trailing after 7 innings . Castillo had come in as a double switch for the no offense Tejada and should be given the chance to play tomm night.

Not that there is much to compare it too but could have been the best game the Mets have played since ther All-Star break.

Check out the box score here

Side note Rod Barajas...of course has 3 hits including a homer in first game for Dodgers.

Thole Catching, Francoeur In RF: Mets Lineup V. Marlins - August 24, 2010

Tonight's Mets lineup against the Marlins courtesy of Kevin Burkhardt:

1. Reyes SS
2. Pagan LF
3. Beltran CF
4. Wright 3B
5. Davis 1B
6. Francoeur RF
7. Thole C
8. Tejada 2B
9. Dickey RSP

Wright continues to bat in the four hole...your guess is as good as mine. Francoeur moves to the six slot due to Thole and Tejada being in tonight's lineup. Get ready Francoeur haters...

My 3 picks for September call ups. Mejia,Dillion Gee and Lucas Duda.

They are possible talking about changing September call ups in the next CBA which will occur after the 2011 season. We might be looking at having teams who bring up players from there minor league have a set number of guys activated based on the other team. Well for 2010 and ’11 now it’s bring as many as you want. Only 3 I would like to see are pitchers Jenrry Mejia, Dillion Gee and outfielder Lucas Duda.

Mejia I would only like to see if they give him a chance to start just to see how he does. Nick Evans has really done extremely well this year but I personally really have no interest in seeing him to be honest. Lucas Duda shows some promise.

Going to concentrate a little on Duda here since he has seem to really risen up the ranks in 2010. The 24 year old was a seventh round (243rd overall) pick out of the University of Southern California in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. He spent time in Brooklyn and St Lucie and spent all of ’09 in Binghamton and was called up to the Bisons in May of this year. He plays the outfield and first base. It is has been said he is a blue collar type of player that will run through a wall. Mets can use players like that on this team. The Mets have pitchers like that and the offense really doesn’t seem to project itself that way.

Duda brings something to the table that Mets could use. A bat who this year who has hit for average as well the kid has developed some power. Close to 50% of his hits this year have been of the extra base/hr variety. He has provided some pop for the Bisons with 17 home runs and a slugging percentage north of .600 and it’s over .700 against right pitching. The kid also seems to do pretty well in the clutch.Duda is hitting well over .300 with runners in scoring position in a small sample of 60+ at bats and has hit .317 since joining the Bisons in June. He has an on base percentage of over .380 which includes 24 walks and 48 strikeouts in 227 at bats.Check which Mets these days have a OBP over .380. Yes I know its not the majors but still. The kid projects to be a corner outfielder with not much speed.

With F Mart now sidelined with a knee injury that he suffered over the weekend. It would be cool to see someone come up here in September that can breathe a little life into the club by hitting something more than a ground ball single through the infield. How much can we watch Tejada go 0 for 4 in the lineup. He is now one for his last 33. The Mets need to bring up players that can be exciting to watch in the field as well as at the plate. Lucas Duda could be that type of player.

Let us know who you think the Mets should bring up when the roster expands...

Another complete game loss for Santana

Ahhh we are a hitting machine.  Wow check it out  6 hits..Santana should feel lucky that the Mets were able to obtain 6 hits against Duke who a ERA North of 5 before yesterday's game and still does after giving up that 1 Reyes run in the first. No way the Mets should have lost yesterday but they did.

Santana made 2 bad pitches that the Bucs hit for Solo shots and that was the game. It looks liked after the first inning the Mets were pretty aggressive on there swinging and were giving Duke easy less then 10 pitch innings.

The Mets couldnt muster anything and even after a lead off single in the 9th by Davis there were was no pinch runner or anyone who followed who could move him along and Santana goes 8 and loses again.

So Duke, who beat the Mets last year, wins for the 6th time this year against 12 losses while Santana gives up 2 runs on 4 hits and strikes out 9 and has his 8th loss . 

The Mets finish the 3 game set scoring 13 runs and now head home against the fish Tuesday night and we will see if there hitting is back or was it the lousy pitching of the Bucs that was the reason for the hitting show they had on friday and a bit on Saturday before the rains came.

The Fish will not have Cody Ross due to being claimed by the Giants and its possible Ricky Nolasco could be done for the year with a torn meniscus cartilage in his right knee.

Dickey gets the start Tuesday night against Josh Johnson.

Check out game summary and the box score from yesterday's loss here

Barajas To Dodgers: Mets Lineup Vs. Pirates - August 22, 2010

As we reported earlier today, Rod Barajas was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jesus Feliciano was recalled from Buffalo to take his roster spot.

Today's Mets lineup as they go for the sweep against Pittsburgh:

1. Reyes SS
2. Pagan LF
3. Beltran CF
4. Wright 3B
5. Francoeur RF
6. Davis 1B
7. Blanco C
8. Tejada 2B
9. Santana LSP

Source: Kevin Burkhardt

Mets Making Moves?

**** Update 11:38 ****

Rod Barajas was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is on his way to California. Jesus Feliciano was recalled from Buffalo. Thanks to Adam Rubin for information

According to Adam Rubin, the Mets might be looking to trade Jesus Feliciano to Pittsburgh. On a later tweet, Rubin also said Rod Barajas was summoned to Manager Manuel's office. Rubin wonders if he might be part of some deal.

I can't imagine what Pittsburgh has that the Mets might want, but we will watch this closely and report any information we come by. Stay tuned...

Mets win 2 in row: HoJo takes a stand.

Well the Mets now can stop hearinng the stat that they have not won a road series against a National league team all year and be the first team since the 1909 Senators to go a entire season and not win one. Ok so its against the Bucs and last nights win was called early due to rain its still a win and now they can go for the sweep

The Mets beat the Bucs 5-1 has Jon Niese didnt have the curve bal lhe usually has but got run support from the Mets including a Reyes run in the first and a 3 run home run from David Wright to left center.  Not sure I can remember the last time that Wright hit a 3 ruin bomb but it was enough as the game was called in the 6th.

News came out yesterday that hitting coach Howard Johnson had a meeting with his hitters friday night and gave them a tongue lashing.

Below are some his comments from David Lennon of Newsday

Johnson said the stricter tone of the meeting was unusual. "It was a little bit out of character for me," he said. "But you know what, it was OK because I think guys respond to it. I felt like it was necessary."


Part of that was due to the criticism levied at Johnson, albeit indirectly, when Manuel ripped the Mets' offense as "pathetic" after Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Astros. Johnson said he didn't hear or read the comments, but plenty of people called to tell him about them the next day.


"They were surprised that it would go to that level," he said. "I definitely take it personally, and I think that as a group, we have to take it personally . . . We're not going to be pathetic. That's unacceptable.

HoJo has come out and said the hitters need to be the agressor and when the situation arises they need to not take alot of pitches  etc. Of course this will work against Frenchy if he changes his approach back to swinging at everything.

HoJo had to say something because how can he not have is job in jeporady with a team that is scoring runs of less then 3 per game since the Break. Hojo is well liked but at same time if there is no prodcution from this lineup how can the Mets keep him in this position. I dont think the Mets can go by what happens against the Bucs but if they go home and cant hit or score against the Fish and the Astros something has to change.

Chris Carter In 4 Hole: Mets Lineup Vs. Pirates - August 21, 2010

The Mets look to build upon their offensive output of last night against the hapless Pirates, who have ensured yet another season with a losing record. Today's Mets lineup courtesy of Adam Rubin:

1. Reyes-SS
2. Pagan-LF
3. Beltran-CF
4. Carter-RF
5. Wright-3B
6. Davis-1B
7. Thole-C
8. Tejada-2B
9. Niese-LHP

Chris Animal Carter gets another start in RF and the cleanup spot. At least for one night when Jerry developed his lineup by picking names out of a hat, it worked. I guess it could be worse if the Mets were in a "rebuilding mode"...

If there has ever been a manager managing for his life on a daily basis, with absolutely no chance of being retained, Jerry is the man. Right now he is at least as pathetic as Art Howe was in the closing month of the 2004 season. Jerry is not just pushing the Panic Button, but he is leaning on it like an irate driver on the Belt Pkwy during Friday rush hour.

Mets get 15 hits and plate 7 against the minor league Bucs

Everyone was happy last night since the Mets beat up on a team they should have beaten up. The Mets scored 3 in the first against Jeff Karstens  who has not won a game since June.
"We feel very good that we can do [this]," manager Jerry Manuel said after watching the Mets amass 15 hits. "It just never manifested itself until tonight."


The Mets battered former Yankee Jeff Karstens (2-10) for seven runs on 11 hits (nine of them were singles) over 3 1/3 innings, while Pelfrey who was not feeling well battles through 8 innings as the Mets won 7-2.

Now of course to get excited about winning a game against a team that already has 82 losses really is just doing something that is expected. For once though the Mets did the expected.  Everyone in the lineup was able to tee off against Karstens who looks done.  Of course once he was lifted the Mets didnt do much against the likes of Gallagher,Ledezma,Resop and former Met Chan Ho Park.  The Mets only had 4 hits in the last 5 plus innings against a team that has a ERA of just over 5.00.

Everone except Tejada and &Pelf had a hit in the starting lineup. Beltran was the only 1 who had just 1 hit while cleanup hitter Carter had 2 hits and 2 rbi's including a solo shot in the 3rd against Karstens. Maybe Carter will be in the cleanup spot tonight against lefty Zach Duke but does that mean Frenchy will sit? 

It was the first time in a month that the Mets amassed that type of production . The Pirates now have 18 straight years of losing records.  

Pelfrey must have felt honored to get that type of run support and of course now they will score 1 run for Jon Niese who goes to the mound tonight.

Check out the box score and game summary here

Animal Carter batting cleanup. The we are in the playoff hunt lineup vs the Bucs

Nothing like having a guy who has 15 rbi’s as your masher batting 4th. As the Mets get ready to play the Bucs who are 1 loss away from another losing season they have Chris Carter batting 4th and Beltran hitting 3rd. Yeah this is a lineup that might work. I can see Manager Jerry with the dart board with a bunch of faces and today’s winner was the Animal.

The Mets are coming off a 3 hit performance against the Astros last night and still don’t understand why Hojo is still the batting coach. Most reporters tend to think that a batting coach is useless anyway. I think at this point that if Hojo is dumped that maybe all his buddies might feel a little bit accountable and maybe inspire themselves to do better. Anything that can help there weak performance since the All Star break.

Manager Jerry All Star lineup tonight against the hapless bucs.

Reyes, Pagan lf, Beltran, Carter rf, Wright, Davis, Thole, Tejada, Pelfrey

Pat Misch's 69th pitch was one too many

It stinks to watch a guy throw junk like Misch does and is able to make it work so well that he keep the young Astros off balanced and then throws a lollypop and boom game over.

The Mets powerhouse offense mustered 3 hits and 2 runs while Misch pitched well until the 7th inning. Up until the 7th he had only give up 1 hit, a double to Pence, before the flood gates opened. With 2 on in the 7th Carlos Lee, who was hitting over .300 when he plays the Mets, clocked the first pitched he saw from Misch over the left field fence for a 3 run shot.  Of course since the Mets are not hitting that was the game.

The Mets even scored a run with a hit earlier with a couple of walk and shotty fielding by the Astros. Nothing like the Mets fire power offense. Manager Jerry called there outing pathetic. Does he still think this lump of a team has a shot at the playoffs?  The Mets now split a 4 game series, have not won a road series and limp on in to Pittsburgh where the Mets always have trouble to play a team that is worse then the Astros.

In a little where are they now bump, the Pirates pitching coach, Ray Searage started his career with the Mets in 1981. He was placed in the position when the Pirates dumped Joe Kerrigan early this month.


Check out the summary and the box score to last night's loss here

KRod: A Deal Gone Bad

Ironic. Yes it certainly is. Not that Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez was arrested last week for third degree assault against his companions father, no. Not ironic that the Mets took the easy way out only initially suspending him 2 games. Not even the now surgically repaired right thumb that is believed to have been injured while pummeling his "father-in-law."

The ironic thing is I was speaking to my esteemed colleague, LongIslandMetFan, and I was saying how I was considering writing a post in support of KRod and how well he has pitched since the All Star Break. As I was getting ready putting my thoughts together, the news broke (along with his "father-in-laws" face and Rodriguez's thumb) of the attack.

My take: The Mets should have given his unconditional release right then and there. The problem with this team is that they are afraid to make any move; the are afraid of the Player's Union, bad press, and anything that might make them look bad.

I am glad that the Mets put Rodriguez on the Disqualified list, but as expected, the Union has filed a grievance.

The Mets released the following regarding the grievance: __________________________________________

"We disagree with the position of the Players Association We believe our action was justified and appropriate." __________________________________________

The problem is deeper than this. The Mets as an organization have to take charge. They cannot let the players run the organization. They are merely employees. Harsh attitude? Maybe, but has a player, an agent, or the Union ever strong armed the team on the other side of the Tri Boro? No they haven't. No one player - not David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana, etc - is bigger than the organization for which he plays. The Mets must show not only the agents and the Union, but all players, that there is a standard they are expected to respect and uphold. Francisco Rodriguez failed that standard, and should be unemployed for it.

Would any of us have held onto a job after assaulting someone on company grounds? I doubt it.

I agree with Mike Silva, who earlier today said that the Mets have to take control. That is why people like Jerry need to go at season's end. Making players happy isn't what it's about. It's about having a company standard that is to be followed by all, and those who don't follow that standard are to be terminated.

What better way for the Mets to assert this power I speak of than to start with unconditionally releasing Francisco Rodriguez? If the Mets do this, I just hope they don't try and make the young Jenrry Mejia back to a reliever.

It makes no difference if the grandfather of Rodriguez's children said harsh things to him. Then walk out of the room. You do not beat a man 20+ years older than you, especially the father of your companion. If he shows this lack of respect for family, what kind of respect does he show the Mets? If found guilty of rape, Johan Santana should suffer the same consequences I outlined. No one is above the team, no one is above the law. Now it's up to Jeff Wilpon to show this.

Source: Steve Gartner MLB.com

Wright leaves games Mets struggle to win in 14th 3-2

R A Dickey was basically 2 outs from another complete game win. He seem to be able to get the Astros out with ease after the 1st inning .  The Mets scored 2 in the 7th and were up 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th when Geoff Blum tagged Mr. Dickey for a 1 out solo home run to tie the score at 2 and that ended  Dickeys night. Dickey pitched really well again and should have been able to win that game but the Mets as usual cant score runs or get hits with runners on. 

The Mets had the based loaded in the 10th and couldn't score.  The Mets drew 9 walks and had 11 hits last night and only scored 3 runs.  They left an army of men on base. That is insane to have 16 lob in a game.  Something has to give here.  The Mets scored in the 14th in the only way they know how. Without a base hit. A couple of walks some intentional and a sacrifice fly by Ike Davis who broke his  0 for slump in the 13th finally put the Mets ahead.  Manny Acosta got the save as the Astros were ready to go home since Acosta was able to get them out on 5 pitches. 

A quote from Dickey regarding the 9th inning shot to Blum, who has done an outstanding job since joing the Mets earlier this year from Mr Rubin at ESPN NY. "It was a 1-0 knuckleball, and I felt like I had thrown him some really good ones all night long," Dickey said. "I threw it exactly like I had threw the one before. The one before went straight right. That one just kind of wiggled in there and he did a good job of hitting it. One more wiggle, he pops it up. He got it. Sometimes you've just got to tip your hat. I felt like I had been punched in the gut. I did the best I could."

Kudos for Manager Jerry for calling a pitch out in extra innings that nailed the Astros trying to steal second after a failed bunt attempt by Bourn.

David Wright left in the 12th inning do to feeling sick. Of course who wouldnt after the Mets are just putrid at scoring runs. 

Jose Reyes had 4 hits and a walk and scored the decisive run in the 14th. Mets go for the 3rd win of the series tonight with Pat Misch on the mound.

Check out the box score and game summary here

Barajas to return Thursday Derrick Lee traded to Braves

As the Mets get set to play game 3 of 4 against the Houston Astros the Mets have annouced that catcher Rod Barajas will be back with the team in time for Thursdays game. Manager Jerry will make a move from his position players and send one of them back to Buffalo. I think it will be Chris Carter.  The Mets have been playing Hessman more in the field to get him ready for possible pinch hitting duties. Carter, a lefty, I think will be sent down since the Mets can use F Mart as a lefty off the bench.

The Braves netted Derrick Lee in a trade for 3 pitching prospects from the Cubbies. Lee had said before he wanted to stay in Chicago but the lure of a playoff run I am sure got him motivated since the Cubs are going no where fast.


The Mets line up tonight against Meyers.

Reyes. Pagan. Wright. Beltran. Davis. Francoeur. Thole. Tejada. Dickey

Santana cant keep Pence in the park

Finally the Mets scored more then 1 run. They scored more then 2. They actually went for broke and scored 3 which is alot for a starting pitcher of the Mets to be afforded these days. Well of course that wasn't enough since Johan Santana will see Hunter Pence in his sleep since he clocked 2 home runs off him and was the hero for the Astros with all 4 of his teams rbi's on those 2 homers.

The second was the death march for the Mets who just had 0 for August boy David Wright connect for a solo shot in the 8th to tie the score at 3. Santana was not able to get his changeup over in the 1st while the Astros lashed out a couple of hits to start the frame and before you knew it the Stros were up 3 zip on Pence's 3 run shot.

The Mets for once didnt die and score 2 off of Figgy in the first 2innings but then couldn't score again until the 8th.  The Mets had 8 hits but Davis,Frenchy and of course Tejada went hitless. I love the kid Tejada but how long are we going to watch this kid take the collar night after night. Yes he field but right now throw Castillo out there who can at least hit his way out of a paperbag. The season is over and it be nice to get the offense going at least.

Wright's home run was his 18th and his first rbi this month. Mets face Myers tonight who is the Astros best pitcher now and his ERA is just above 3. The Mets have R A Dickey coming off his 1 hit gem at home.

Check out the box score and summary here

Mets place K Rod on Disqualified list.

The Mets just annouced they are placing K Rod on the disqualified list. This way there is a possiblty of voided the remainder of his contract. This means he wont be paid for the time being. Of course watch for the union to get involved at some point since K Rod was able to pitch Saturday night with that bad thumb

They could reinenstate him for spring training of 2011.

NO comment from K Rod or his attorney yet.

various sources at Mets news conference via twitter feed.

K Rod has surgery Alex Cora signs deal with the Rangers.

Alex Cora was signed by the Rangers today and will report to triple AAA .  The Rangers need him to possibly by a fill in as Ian Kinsler is on the DL so Cora could play 2nd base.

K Rod had successful thumb surgery today.  Mets look to have brought up Ryota Igarashi to replace K Rod in the bullpen.  Still like to know who will be the long man in the pen. Could be Ollie.

The Mets have Santana on the mound tonight and will sit Pagan who is battling at the plate lately.

Reyes,F Mart,Wright,Beltran,Davis,Francoeur,Thole,Tejada,Johan.

Mets hit in 9th & Takahashi saves it

Ok so it wasnt drawn up like this but already he is near the tops of my closer list. Takahashi has done something former Mets like Heilman, Benitez couldnt do.  No drama and a 1 2 3 ninth inning against the Astros as the Mets won 3-1.

Ok so its not against a lineup with a lot of power but you know what you start small. The Mets play 3 more against the Astros and then 3 against the Pirates so its a good place to start for Takahashi. He now I am sure will be the 9th inning guy since Manager Jerry loves playing the hot hand. The problem then is who is the 8th inning guy or the long man if a started gets clocked out of the pen? 

The Mets didnt do much before the 9th inning only giving Jon Niese a 1 run lead early but he gave it back in the 6th. The Lefty now has pitched 3 games in a row giving up 1 lousy run in each start and going 7 innings. That should be 3 wins for the lefty but with the Mets not hitting its 3 no decisions.

Mets middle of the lineup came to life as Nuke-Wright had 3 hits and Beltran clocked a home run from the right side of the plate and a key hit from the left side against Matt Lindstrom that sent Wright to 3rd with 1 out in the Mets 2 run 9th.

This time the Mets were able to score from 3rd on a wild pitch and then Frenchy hit a triple off the wall to plate Beltran who was running on the play.

For a night everything clicked.  Lets see what happens with Johan pitching tonight against former Met Figgy.

Check out the game summary here

K- Rod done for the year torn ligament in his thumb

Of course we need to add insult to injury. Driving home today I here Eddie Coleman talking to Francessa and reporting that surrprise surprise Francisco Rodriguez is not with the club in houston. Why you ask? Because the selfish pitcher while hitting his fiancee father tore a ligament in his pitching thumb and will need surgery and is done for the year.

No word on a replacement but it might open the door for Sean Green.

Nothing like a little dagger when the team is already just about done. The Wilpons better not pay K Rod and we will see going forward if he will be on the team in 2011.

There is about 3.5m left on K Rod's contract and I am sure the Mets will try to void the rest of the contract to save a little cash. Of course the players union might fight it.

Manager Jerry says it might be a tough battle to fight to void contract as per Steve Popper twitter feed  it but gives no details. Looking forward to pregame tonight.

update 720pm
From Adam Rubin- ESPN NY regarding voiding contract

"We will look into everything," the official told ESPNNewYork.com.
Rodriguez is owed $11.5 million in 2011 and has a vesting option for 2012 at $17.5 million that will kick in if he finishes 55 games next season and is healthy as the guaranteed portion of the contract concludes.


Rodriguez's agent, Paul Kinzer, would not say whether he would dispute that Rodriguez was injured during the incident.


"Frankie is going to have surgery and we are focused on that right now," Kinzer told the Venezuelan sports publication Lider. "We will address the other issues later."

Manager Jerry's reaction according to Rubin.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel said he did not learn until Sunday, the day after Rodriguez returned to pitching, that the thumb was injured.
Manuel added that he was disappointed the Mets had lost their closer's services but added: "I'm not angry."

All I know that if this was the White Sox a certain manager would come out a little bit more then Manuel. I dont get how this guy can drink the Mets cool aid and not be pissed off.. Backman would be throwing stuff!!!


Mets lineup tonight has no Ike Davis again.  Reyes. Pagan. Wright. Beltran. Francoeur. Hessman. Blanco. Castillo. Niese

No excitement in Met land

Ok for once I agree with HOF 2nd baseman Joe Morgan. It doesn't happen much while listening to him and Jon Miller on the ESPN Sunday night broadcast as the Mets lose another game to the Philllies 3-1.

Morgan mentioned that the Mets are all pitching and no offense. Bingo!  couldn't say it better. Looking at the bench during the game there is no fire and there is no fire in those bats. I am sorry I am not into making a move for making a move but I think its about time that they give Hojo his walking papers. This team has no one now hitting. Of course maybe except Reyes who clocked a homer off the foul pole. No one can get a 1 out hit and of course the only players that can get 2 out hits are the Phillies. 

Now I am all for being aggressive at the plate but how many time do we need to see 1 or 2 pitch at bats from over 50% of the team. 

Can Ike Davis do more then strike out lately?  He struck out 9 times on this homestand.

The Mets now fly out to Houston to take on a team that is in worse shape then the Mets. Will the Mets capitalize. Manager Jerry thinks so as he bellow the team has to take advantage of the soft schedule. Yeah ok. Sorry I am not going on that bandwagon. At this point every pitcher the Mets face they make him look like an Ace.  Can they knock someone out of the box early . I am sick of hearing the Mets are averaging 2 .5 runs a game since the All Star break.  This is like watching a train wreck at this point of the season. Mets needs to do something but that only means they will do nothing.

Catching up with Doug Flynn.

This guy could play the field. That is what I remember older Met fans would tell me on the day the Mets got him as part of the Tom Seaver trade back in 1977. Flynn was not know for his hitting but could play 2nd base like the best of them.


This was during a time that middle infielders couldn’t hit for much. I mean how long did we have Bud Harrelson as our shortstop?


Doug Flynn played for the Mets during those tough times when the Mets had Lee Mazzilli as there best player.  The Daily News catches up with the former Met infielder who just had a bout with cancer. He lives in KY while working for a local bank there. Flynn best year with the Mets was 1980 when he hits .255 but he had a Frenchy type on base percentage of .288. That year he won a gold glove while having 8 triples.


In the article he talks about that he doesn’t follow baseball much these days. Well he does make it back to NY since when they closed Shea he was part of the ceremony. He also has a picture of Citi Field in his office.

R A Dickey the unsung hero

Omar got him off the scap heap before the year started but he has been anthing but lights out as again he showed his ability with his knuckleball to stop the Red hot Phillies in the Mets 1-0 win.

This guy competes and its just great to see him out there on the Citi Field mound where he has only lost 1 start at home. This was the first time the Mets had back to back wins since June and shoutout wins since 2002.

Dickey was right when he said it was nice that the story was about the win and him pitching well and not that the umps blew the call on the Hessman homer or of course K Rod

Mets vs Phillies Friday the 13th lineup

Mets host the Phillies tonight and they will have R A Dickey on the mound against Cole Hamels. No Davis in the lineup and the Mets have also confirmed that Pat Misch gets the ball tomorrow against Halladay. No subsequent move as been made as of yet. Blanco gets to catch Dickey. Good luck with that!


Reyes, Pagan, Wright, Beltran, Hessman , Francoeur, Blanco, Tejada, Dickey

Beltran Swings and Connects.

It was nice to see some positives come out of the day/camp /pitching clinic that went on at Citi Field yesterday. Of course there was Santana that has seem to have slowed his changeup more to help establish a 10mph+ difference in speed with his fastball and he went on to strike out 10. Good job. If Warthen helped him with that maybe he can now crossover to help Wright find a batting stance that is in the same zip as the plate. Ok that’s for another time.

What else you can take out of yesterday was the play and character of Carlos Beltran. Not only did he hit well, catch well and run well he actually was man enough to comment about his true feelings in the K Rod incident
.
Beltran always get knocked for not being a leader and keeping to himself. Not everyone can mix it up well and I don’t fault him for that. What was great to see was him to step up and say hey everyone has family issues but to do what K Rod did in front of everyone was wrong. He went on to say that “we stand behind him since he is our closer but he doesn’t agree with what went on.” Yes ! Someone who can stand up and be counted. Finally a quote from someone who is not trying to say the politically correct thing. Take some notes young Jedi Wright.

Beltran besides having an opinion and actually expressing it yesterday did have some breakthroughs on the field. He started playing shallow again with the nudging of coach Razor Shines. That is why when he broke to his right on a ball that was hit to fairly deep left center he looked like the Beltran of old. Catching up to it as the fly ball was heading to the alley. Plus he was able to put together 3 hits and a sacrifice fly at the plate and ran first to third on a hit by Josh Thole.

Beltran still says that he is still not comfortable at the plate but at least he is comfortable in his own skin.

Mets move on to the Hot Phillies

Ok now that there is no real drama for this friday the Mets can move on and play the Phillies who just made a crazy comeback against the Dodgers yesterday. 

The Mets beat the Rockies yesterday 4-0 and have beaten them like 23 out of the last 27 times they have played in NY. Too bad the Mets dont have that record against the Phillies.

The Phillies activated Shane Victorino from the 15 day dl before the Dodger game yesterday. He had ben suffering from a lower adominal strain.  He didnt play last night.

The Phillies come in winners of 8 of there last 10 and only 2 games behind the first place Braves.  The struggling Mets now are in 4th place as the Marlins, winners of 4 straight are .5 games ahead of them

The Mets will have R A Dickey on the mound against Cole Hamels tonight and Saturday face Roy Halladay and the Mets have not made a decision on his opponent but it could be Pat Misch .

We will see if the Mets can use the Santana win as a stepping stone or will they continue to flouder at .500

K Rod released and Wife and father inlaw have an order of protection against him

K Rod was booked and Released on his own recognizance a short time ago in Queens. He leaves with an order of protection against him . He can not go near his "wife" or his "father in law."

He can simmer for a day or so as the Mets didnt need him today as Johan went 9 in the Mets 4-0 win this afternoon.   

K Rod has to stay away from his wife and his kids. He needs a police escort to go to his place to get his stuff. The Father in law Carlos Pena was upset with K Rod for talking down to his daughter and K Rod. Also Pena was yelling in spanish at K Rods mom and then started to hit the 53 yr old and slammed his head into the wall.

Beltran was stated as saying that everyone has family problems but the place to discuss things are at home Beltran's wife who witnessed the incident was quite upset. 

K Rod placed on restricted list-Igarashi recalled.

The Mets just announced that K-Rod was placed on restricted list for two days, unpaid suspension. Team calling it dicsiplinary action.

From the Wilpon's "Ownership and the organization are very disappointed in Francisco's inappropriate behavior and we take the matter very seriously"

The Mets recalled Ryoto Igarashi from the Bisons.

Who will be the 9th inning goat today?

According to reports, K Rod will not be processed to early afternoon in Queens. Who will Manager Jerry use to protect Johan's lead?  I think Johan at this point will need to go 9 otherwise its Ollie P to the rescue!!!

Oh this could be good!  Check out our latest post and let us know if you think K Rod should be suspended by the Mets.

Showdown At The Not OK Corral: Mets V. Rockies - August 12, 2010

Here is today's matinee lineup against the Rockies:

1. Reyes SS
2. Martinez LF
3. Pagan RF
4. Davis 1B
5. Beltran CF
6. Hessman 3B
7. Thole C
8. Tejada 2B
9. Santana LSP

David Wright will finally take some pine. He has been awful. Yes, I know Francoeur is NY's favorite whipping boy, but Wright in his last 30 AB's has 2 hits. Yes, a whopping .066 batting average. His strikeouts are skyrocketing again, and now sits at 125.

The bigger question is who in the Mets family will challenge KRod to a Mets Vs. Family bout? "Frankie" was the unanimous winner in the brawl with his father in law. Rumor has it it will be Mike Pelfrey's one year old son, Chase.

In all seriousness, the Wilpon's need to show a backbone and administer punishment on Rodriguez. This isn't the first outburst by the volatile closer. He had run ins with Randy Nieman, Tony Bernazard, Brain Bruney, as well as being rude to reporters. Totally unacceptable, and he should be dealt with accordingly. Not that I have any faith in the manager nor the owners, but something must be done.

Sources: Adam Rubin, CBS Sportsline, Baseball Reference

K Rod takes out frustration on Father in Law.

I was wondering last night that maybe K Rod would be asked to protect a lead in the 8th inning with 2 outs. He wasn’t and something snapped in K Rod after the game. He wound up having a fight with his father in law outside the family lounge and was arrested after the Mets 6-2 loss to the Rockies. K Rod was later charged with third-degree assault


There was some word exchanged after the game and he beat up on the 53 yr old which left his Father in law with facial abrasions and cuts. K Rod was then hurried into the Mets locker where a policeman was brought in the area where the Media isn’t allowed. KRod will be arraigned this morning at Queens Criminal Court. There is really no jail time for a charge like this and the charges could be dropped.


K Rod is no stranger to confrontations since he had an issue with Mets bullpen coach Randy Nieman earlier in the year and the Yanks Brian Bruney last year.

Read the latest on the incident over at the Daily News

Manager Jerry said after the game that he doesnt like to use K Rod for more then 3 outs if he used him the night before. So I guess he likes to overuse everyone else in his pen and not win games.

To read up on how the Mets blew another good game by Niese check out the summary here

Francoeur To Start, Davis To Sit : Mets Lineup V. Rockies August 11, 2010

Tonight's lineup courtesy Kevin Burkhardt:

1. Reyes-SS
2. Pagan-LF
3. Wright-3B
4. Beltran-CF
5. Hessman-1B
6. Francoeur-RF
7. Blanco-C
8. Castillo-2B
9. Niese LSP

Mike Hessman gets the start over Ike Davis at first. Once again David Wright and his .077 average over his last 26 AB's gets the start at third. Francoeur will be back in RF and Pagan slides over to LF.

Nothing like Jerry sticking to his pre and post game pressers and his alleged lineups. I guess Tejada getting starts for the "foreseeable future" is only about five games...Castillo to start at second.

Q&A with Rubin- Beltran,Thole,Wright, Matt Harvey and more.

Adam Rubin has almost an hour long chat with fans yesterday that of course I missed. Hate when work gets in the way! Here are some of the highlights. Did get to ask him some questions that he answered after the chat. Don’t forget to check out the latest on the Mets new star prospect Kirk Nieuwenhuis

Why is Beltran still in CF? Why is Beltran still batting 3rd? If consistent playing time is what Beltran needs to get his act together, shouldn't Jerry put him someplace where his bad knee and rusty swing won't kill us?

Even if it's clear Angel Pagan is a better short-term answer in center field than Carlos Beltran, the Mets already picked a fight with Beltran and Boras over the surgery in January. That's a huge can of worms. Officially, Jerry Manuel said that if Beltran is having difficulty with reads in center, where he's accustomed, moving him to an unfamiliar position would only make it worse. As for third, if Wright and Beltran aren't in the middle of your lineup, and Bay is out, who is batting in the heart of the order?

I agree with you that Madoff has bankrupted the Wilpons, Have you heard anything about them looking for someone to buy up to 49% of the team so Jeffy can keep control?

Whoa! I never said Madoff bankrupted the Wilpons. You don't know exactly the impact, but you can surmise that it hurt them. Even if the person overseeing the recovery of funds for the government deemed the Wilpons net gainers, consider this hypothetical example:If you invested $1 million over 20 years. Your account said you had $10 million. You actually have $1.1 million.Does that feel like a net gainer/winner in the mess?Throw in litigation by Sterling Equity employees whose 401(k) was invested through Madoff, a depressed real estate market for their other business and dwindling attendance despite a high payroll and you've got a recipe for being stung financially.

Hey Adam, signing time for draftees is closing in. Any updates on Matt Harvey or Greg Peavey for that matter?

The deadline is the 16th, after next weekend. I suspect it would go to the wire with Matt Harvey, a Boras client and the seventh overall pick. The Mets obviously knew what they were getting into when they drafted a Boras client, so you'd imagine they're prepared to shell out cash.As far as i can tell, Greg Peavey (sixth round) is the only other unsigned pick in the first 20 rounds. I have no insight on his status.

 

Do you believe that Jason Bay will return to form next season such as Carlos Beltran did in 2006 after a disappointing 2005 season? 


You hesitate to fault an adjustment period for Bay to New York, since he was playing in Boston, whereas Beltran came from KC/Houston. Still, maybe there's merit to what you're suggesting -- since Bay never had a contract like that and felt pressure to justify it. Still, even the Mets didn't expect him to hit 36 homers like he did last year with Boston. They estimated 30. Obviously having six and due to be out for a while longer with concussion symptoms isn't what they envisioned.

 Has anyone asked David Wright about why he changed his stance and now is far away from the plate. 

Wright doesn’t elaborate when asked this question he just says he moves around.  Manager Jerry noticed it on the day he sat out for touching the umpires cap.

 
Why is the NY media so quick to bury Carlos Beltran? He was arguably the best outfielder in baseball from 2006-June 2009, and everyone is saying he is done after 80 AB's. Jose R also had a slow start after a long layoff.

 

Jose had established his leg health in spring training. He was coming back from thyroid-related inactivity and it took a while. Beltran is in his 30s, with an arthritic knee and wearing a brace. I don't think people are burying Beltran, saying he's washed up. But you have to conclude he's diminished. Wherever he's playing next year, it will be the final year of his current seven-year contract, so you should get a lot out of him.




Taking a look at the Mets farm system, obviously Kirk Nieuwenhuis stands out to me. Have you heard scouts say how far he is away? His bat looks strong, I'm curious about his glove.

I just watched Kirk yesterday at the Buffalo-Lehigh Valley game. He'll be up at some point next year. I would like to see him called up in September if the Mets are out of it, but there's a crowded outfield already and he doesn't need to be added to the 40-man roster this winter.He's got a football mentality and running back frame, and moves well for a center fielder despite his size. If everything broke right, he could be a 20-20 guy in the majors. That may be asking a lot, but that's the optimistic projection.

 

Was watching EPSN baseball tonight last night. GM Jack Zduriencik firing of don wakamatsu now is probably a good thing in preparation for next year. Best to assess your players with a new coach now than the start of 2011. why can't omar pull the trigger now? what else is vested in manual? Clean house. Is that why omar did some cleaning by releasing cora and putting out the homegrowns during the last game in philly?

 

The official answer with the call-ups is to shake things up and try to energize the team with youth. The unofficial answers: The Mets could not allow Cora to reach 80 games, which would have caused a $2 million option for 2011 to kick in. And if you're not really in it, why not see if Martinez and Tejada can play at this level so you know exactly what you need this winter?

Do you have any insight as to why the Mets don't admit their mistake in the Oliver Perez contract? Why would an organization handcuff their manager by letting players that don't produce at a major league level occupy a roster spot. They are consistently short handed on the bench and in the bullpen.

They don't understand sunk costs, are stubborn, don't want to admit mistakes, think they can rehabilitate him and salvage some of the money they've spent, don't understand the ramifications of playing with a 24-man roster ...

 

What's the chance the Mets release Castillo and Perez this winter if they can't trade them

 

They have to on Perez. I imagine you can eat enough of Castillo's contract, or match up a bad contract, to find some taker. I mean, hypothetically, if you ate $5 million of the $6 million owed to Castillo, someone would take him as a $1 million second baseman, no?

 

Is there any chance of the Mets trading Beltran and signing Carl Crawford? Or signing Cliff Lee.

As I mentioned on the blog yesterday, it's hard to envision the Mets throwing around big dollars this winter. They can always backload deals with low base salaries in 2011, but that's how the Mets got into the bind they are today.


Am I nuts or does Pagan not belong in the two spot? Move him to an rbi spot and move Thole to the 2 hole. Even as a rookie, he has good bat control and puts the ball in play. Thoughts?

 The Mets used to have Paul LoDuca in the No. 2 hole, and Thole hits for a higher average and primarily is a singles hitter.

With the infield struggling with errors, does Chip Hale deserve any blame? Seems the same problems at Arizona are showing up with the Mets.

I actually think Chip Hale is a very hands-on, hard-working coach. Jerry attributed Jose's lapses to being "lax" as the pitcher is about to deliver. Is that on Chip?