Lets play one! Mets vs Fish August 30th, 2011

The  Mets have another game against the lowly fish on Tuesday night and some old friends will be back in the lineup.

Justin Turner and JAson Bay will be in the lineup tonight. For some reason TC has Pagan batting 5th in front of Jason even Ruben Tejada has a better slugging percentage then me Bay. The Mets winners of a DH last night go for there 3rd win in the series against the Marlins. Evans who missed the DFA bus when Baxter went down gets another start at first base.    Mr who knows what your going to get Mike Pelfrey is on the mound. 

Ike Davis has been running in Arizona so look for the  Mets to make a decision on him when it comes to surgery this weekend. The  Mets have only until Thursday before they can expand there roster. 

Mets lineup vs. Florida - Reyes-SS, Turner-2B, Wright-3B, Duda-RF, Pagan-CF, Bay-LF, Evans-1B, Thole-C, Pelfrey-p

Mets Post Irene Series V. Marlins: Let's Play Two - Mets Lineup V. Marlins - August 29, 2011

Irene has come and gone, Jose Reyes is activated (but won't play in game 1), it's a beautiful day, so the Mets will play two.

After having Saturday's and Sunday's game were cancelled due to the looming Hurricane Irene, it is now time for some baseball. Here on Long Island, we fared fairly well considering the predictions. Those along the south shore of Long Island experienced a lot of flooding, and those further north are dealing with trees and tree limbs all over the place. Many are still without power, but that is to be expected. Thankfully, not many were injured or killed.

As for the Mets, they are coming off a two game winning streak and look to build upon that. I was fortunate to go to Chris Capuano's gem Friday night, and it was great being at the park. I hadn't been to a game since late April, so it was great to go, and even better to see a solid performance from the Mets and Cap.

Today the Mets will play a double header against the Marlins. Game 2 is a make-up for an earlier rain-out .

Jose Reyes was to make his triumphant return to the Mets lineup today, which he still might, but it won't be for game one. Ruben Tejada will get the start at SS in game 1.

Mets game 1 lineup V. Marlins:

1. Pagan CF

2. Tejada SS

3. Wright 3B

4. Duda RF

5. Bay LF

6. Evans 1B

7. Thole C

8. Turner 2B

9. Dickey RHP

Source: NY Post

Mets & Braves and Hurricane Irene.

The Mets start a 3 game set tonight against the Wild Card leading Bravos.  The mets were able to muster 1 win against the Phillies this week and now face the pitch rich Braves. The Mets will face Hudson tonight against Capuano on Social Media night.  They have a 4pm game tomorrow and the Mets have reluctant to reschedule Sunday's game even with Hurricane Irene looking to reak havoc late Saturday and all day Sunday  as per The National Hurricane Center.   The Hurricane I am sure will be a bit more exciting then the Mets and there play without Jose Reyes. 

Reyes had a rehab game last night and didnt really test his legs much. He flew out to Left and was out of the game after 5 innings.  He had no chances at short and expects to play again tonight.

Mets prolly will make a roster moved before the game with Scott Hairston going on the DL.

update 215PM   per Mr Rubin-twitter

Mets official says Saturday and Sunday are postponed. Not sure about doubleheader on Sept. 8, but at least 1 game then.

Earthquake Shakes NY & Mets Fans Suffer Damage: Pictures Are Worth Thousands Of Words

Mets standing after last night's 9-4 defeat.



Niese strains rig cage muscle and is headed to DL



Collins talks to Niese after removing lefty with injury

In other good news, Scott Hariston also strained a rib cage muscle and might also be headed to the DL.

Possible replacements for Niese are: Pat "DFA" Misch, Chris Schwinden, and Miguel Batista.

The after shocks of yesterday's quake resume when the Mets take on the Phillies at Citizen's Bank Park this afternoon at 1:10. More tremors expected when Pelfrey takes the mound in the bottom of the first.

Stay tuned for more meteorological prognostications as well as sightings of locusts.

Sources: Photo ESPN, NY Post

Ruben Tejada: Caveat Emptor

After last night's humiliating-lack luster game attended to by the Mets (they certainly didn't play any baseball last night), Mets manager Terry Collins came up with this about Ruben Tejada:

“He’s a good little baseball player. There’s no doubt about it. We’re sitting on the bench trying to figure out -- right now he’s swinging the bat better than everybody -- where to put him in the lineup to use him a little bit better.”

Be careful Terry. Don't let Tejada's play in these meaningless games be a mirage. Tejada isn't as slick in the field as advertised: he makes many mental mistakes and is often out of position. Does he have talent? Yes, but if you look at the quality of play, he is no Reyes. Tejada might be the Mets shortstop next year if Reyes bolts, but he doesn't have the arm of a pro shortstop. I have always felt that Ruben is better suited for 2B.

As for his hitting, don't be fooled. Yes, he has hit well over the last 14 games, hitting .378, but it can be very misleading. As the old adage says, in part, don't believe what you see in April or September. It's a small sample set, and I would hate for the Mets to bank their future on such a small sample of quality. Look at his stats over an entire year, and you get a better understanding of how soft of a hitter Tejada is.

He is much improved in plate discipline, running deep counts most at bats, and fouling off pitches by the truck load, but there are many balls that should be in play that he fouls off to the first base side, which leads me to believe that his bat speed isn't there.

The Mets need to be careful of how they handle this situation. This season is over, but the future is at hand, and they must be careful of how they proceed. They must be careful of not over-evaluating their talent, and in the case of Ruben Tejada, Caveat Emptor.

Source: ESPN New York

Mike Pelfrey a closer in 2012? You are kidding me right?

Mike was suppose to be the ace this year without Johan.  Well we know how that worked out. After a solid 2010 when won 15 games this year for Big Pelf has been a step backward. TC was worried that Pelf was pressing with the Ace mantra.  Well the ace mantra is off and Pelf still is an enigma. Except for 2 run complete game performance against the reds in July he has been a innings eater at best. 

Now word comes out that the Mets threw around the idea of Pelfrey closing in 2012. What does that say about the confidence in Parnell?  Zip which it should be since he cant pitch in a stressful situation. So lets Big Pelf do it. I mean the guy gives up 1st inning runs almost every time he is out there so that seems logical. Have him blow the lead in the 9th instead of giving up 4 runs over 6 innings with a pitch count over 100.  

Not sure what brainac had this idea but I am glad to see Alderson basically said no way.  Good rather have Pelf be the #4 or #5 starter.  Because if he has proving anything this year he is the Nuke version of the pitching core. Mr unclutch!

Link- Pelf a closer?

Ground Hog Day? Deja Vu All Over Again? This Is Our 2011 NY Mets

The Mets again decided that their starting pitcher was not equipped to handle a lead, so it was handed off to their "stellar" relief corp, which in turn, once again surrendered the lead and the game.



Last night the Mets battled back from being down 7-1 to take a 9-7 lead, only to have the normally reliable Jason Isringhausen suddenly develop Steve Blass disease, and then hand it off to great stuff, lousy results, Manny Acosta to allow the tying and winning runs score.

Today wasn't much different: the Mets were down 2-0 when Lucas Duda went yard to tie the game. Then Jason Bay, who should have hit a homer if not for the 16' left field wall, wound up on 2nd. Josh Farm Boy Thole inexplicably laid down a bunt, thus leaving the go-ahead run on base. How a hitter can give up with a runner on is beyond me, and Ralph Kiner sounded as if he was gonna have a coronary.

Then Collins made the poor decision to remove RA Dickey in the seventh. Dickey had only allowed two runs in 7 innings. Once again, Acosta and Beato allowed the tie to become a deficit, and the Mets once again succumbed to the Brewers 6-2.

After the game, Mets manager Terry Collins offered some very telling and honest comments when he said:

"R.A. pitched a great game. I'll take this one. I have great confidence in my players. I really do. I think we can get the job done. I've obviously been wrong. We can't stop anything. I should have stayed with R.A., see if we can keep the game tied. I thought we'd try to play to win there. We just can't stop anybody."

Continuing, Collins added:

"I'm allowed to be frustrated. I'm frustrated, because he pitched great. I said, 'This may be our last chance to score. Let's try to get a hit here.' ... But when you can't stop the other team, you look back and say, 'S---, maybe we should have worried about stopping them first."

The last two days have been frustrating, but I try and take it with a grain of salt. I thought the Mets would be lucky to be .500, and that was before there were devastating injuries to Chris Young (remember him?), Fearless Ike (stop being so scared and have the surgery!), and the pulse of the organization, Jose Reyes. Although they have been getting beat day in and day out, they always put up a fight, and for that I am grateful. Problem is, TC has to have more faith in his pitching staff because the relief corp is shot. Collins admitted that this team cannot wait until September 1st for the expansion of the roster, and he wants help from the minors soon. The one pitcher he did mention by name is Josh Stinson, Stinson right now is with AA Binghamton.

The defensive woes are almost unbearable. For those who actually believe that Ruben Tejada is a professional SS, just watch him. He is a good fielder, but he is no SS. He is a 2B. He doesn't have the arm nor range to anchor the infield. He has progressed a bit with his bat, but don't be deceived. His batting is a hollow stat, just like kids who hit well in Spring Training and in September.

However frustrating this season has been, it has been a pleasure to see such youngsters as Justin Turner, Murph, Pridie, Niese, Gee and others; it has been fun to watch.

The bigger question is how many more times does history have to keep repeating itself?

Quotes: ESPN

Mets beat Padres 7-3 : R A Dickey joins Twittersphere

The Mets finally beat the Padres in a series in San Diego with a 7-3 win last night.  Wright had a 3 run homer and Angel Pagan came to life with 3 rbi’s.  Gee and Wright both had some nice defensive plays and Jason Bay was consistent with going 0-4 with a walk and a run scored.   He is on one if his lack of hitting tears with a 0-19 streak.   The Mets were going to give Bobby and his straight fastball the 9^th but when the Mets piled on the runs they gave the 9^th to Igarashi who gave up 2 runs pitching to 6 batters.  As the Mets head home to face the Brewers some observations. 

Mets were pretty flat on the road trip except for last night’s win.  With the season now at a point that there playing for pride, it would be nice to see a little more of Baxter and let Hairston play.  Ok so he is not a rookie but he has really done well off the bench and deserves some more playing time.  Even though TC said he would like to stay with the guys in the pen for the rest of the year can they at least send Igarashi out to pasture?   I see Tejada has been holding his own with hitting close to .333 since Reyes has been on the DL . Very nice but the Mets cant expect him to be the everyday shortstop next year if they don’t resign Reyes especially if they plan to keep Thole behind the dish.  The bottom of the order will be horrendous.

R A Dickey and Justin Turner are on twitter and are having a little wager on who gets the most followers.  The loser donates $500 to charity.. check out their Tweets at   @RADickey43  and @redturn2. I of course would like to see the loser also get on the Mets dunk tank for 30 minutes but hey that’s just me.  

Red Reign Gets The Night Off, Gee Goes For #11: Mets Lineup Vs. Padres - August 17, 2011

Justin "Red Reign" Turner will get a breather tonight as Willie Harris will fill in for him at second base in this evening's rubber game against the Padres.

Dillon Gee takes the hill for the Mets, vying for his 11th victory. The Mets, and Gee, need a good outing. Although he has pitched well this year, Gee has been slumping a little of late. The Mets not only need to win this game, but Gee needs to turn in a solid performance.

The Mets who have been playing poorly of late need to finish up this road trip with a solid victory before returning home for Friday's game against the red hot Brewers.

This evening's Mets lineup:

1. Pagan-CF
2. Harris-2B
3. Wright-3B
4. Duda-1B
5. Bay-LF
6. Pridie-RF
7. Thole-C
8. Tejada-SS
9. Gee-RHP

Pelf From The Pen: A Future Possibility?

Last night the Mets turned in yet another lack luster/no heart effort. Lefty Jon Niese pitched respectably in only allowing 3 runs in 6 innings, but the Mets offense, which was offensive, took the night off.

The lone Mets run came on a double by Ruben Tejada in the 4th inning in their 6-1 loss to the Padres at Petco Park.

The most notable occurrence in last night's game was a relief appearance by Mets "Ace" Mike Pelfrey. Pelf showed he was as pitiful in the relief role as he is as a starter.



Big Pelf allowed two hits in 1/3 of an inning, yielding a run. He threw 8 pitches to three batters and struck out no one. Quite Pelfrey-esque.

Terry Collins says he put Pelfrey in to get some work since his last start was cut short by taking a line drive off his right elbow. Pelfrey is still expected to make his next start on Friday against the Brewers at home.

Although Collins doesn't want anything read into his decision to have Pelfrey relieve last night, one must wonder: "is this Pelfrey's future role with the Mets?" Pelfrey's only other professional relief appearance was during the epic 20 inning Mets victory over the Cardinals April 17, 2010. Pelfrey has been terrible as a starter for over a year now, and he hasn't shown he has the mental make-up to pitch out of trouble, or to face adversity. Might this mean that Pelfrey's future is as a set-up man out of the pen where he pitches only an inning? His mental gaffe's and his lack of intestinal fortitude in pressure situations has certainly hurt the Mets. He was GIVEN the #1 starter role, and he has failed miserably. He didn't have to compete for that honor; it was handed to him on a platter, and he hasn't been able to live up to what has been expected of him.

Albeit Collins' move is supposed to be innocuous, it does make one ask: "Pelf From The Pen: A Future Possibility?"

Source: CBS Sportsline

Mets win in 10 :Izzy notches 300th save

Of course the  Mets dont make it easy.  Up 4-1 early the Mets gave up the lead and of course your friend and mine the brainless Bobby Parnell blew the lead after  R A Dickey gave up 3 .  Thats ok though since Jason Isringhausen recorded his 300 save when the Mets went ahead again in the 10th by pitching a scoreless bottom of the 10th.

Josh Thole plated 3 with a rbi hit and a 2 run shot of of Harrang. Duda had 3 hits with a solo shot that was a moon shot.  Good ole boy Jason Bay went 0-4 and left 5 runners on base. Guess the hot streak is over. 

Mets have a chance to win a series in San Diego for the first time in a long time if they can win tonight.

Congrads to Izzy to recording his 300th save with the team that dubbed him part of Generation K.

Mets Box Score

Izzy comments after the game  It is special," said Isringhausen, who celebrated with teammates with champagne postgame. "It's the reason I came back was to get 300 -- and I got it. So now it's time to move on for myself and keep playing baseball and hopefully get some more saves before the end of the year."


Adam Rubin

Gut Time Check For The Mets As Players Clear Waivers

As my esteemed colleague wrote this morning, the Mets are at a cross roads. We never expected this team to contend in any fashion, but have been pleasantly surprised by their guts and never say die attitude.

With all the injuries, it's no wonder the team is struggling. Problem is, the more we watch, the more we realize that this off-season there needs to be a thorough evaluation of EVERY PLAYER on this team.

Yesterday we learned that Chris Capuano passed through waivers. No surprise. He has shown a lot of moxie this year, but he can't seem to be productive past the fourth or fifth inning. He is an Elvis type of player, smart, works hard, but I don't know if that is enough to save him.



Adam Rubin just reported on ESPN New York that some other players that have passed through waivers are:

Jason Bay
DJ Carrasco
Willie Harris and
Angel Pagan

Bay isn't going anywhere with somewhere near $33M left on his contract, and two years after this one.

Carrasco still is cool on the mound because he usually wears the stirrups socks, but he has been pretty terrible on the mound.

Willie Harris has been a huge disappointment. He hasn't been anything more than average in the field, and has been awful at the plate. He seems like a real good teammate, but sometimes that isn't enough, and he has to go. That doesn't mean FMart should be his replacement. It means maybe someone like Nieuwenhuis takes his place next year, unless...

Angel Pagan is either traded, released, or not re-signed. If so, Nieuwenhuis could be the starting CF, and Pridie in RF or the fourth outfielder. A lot also depends upon how Nieuwenhuis recovers from his shoulder injury.

As my partner in crime stated, time to put the Thole project out to pasture, and bring up Mike Nickeas. He is a solid defensive catcher, and Thole isn't turning any heads with his hitting.

I would also like to see the Mets end the Fernando Martinez experiment. It has, and will continue to be a huge failure.

I believe Duda might be earning a spot on next year's team, and I am OK with that. Other than Fearless Ike, he is the only true power threat the Mets have.

Igarashi has to go. Another poor mistake by the former GM, but the bigger problem, which was caused by the present GM is keep Igarashi and allowing Takahashi to go to the Angels.

Isringhausen has had a nice storybook comeback, and would love to see him notch save #300 in a Mets uniform (preferably at GHMP), but should the Mets waste a roster spot on a 39 year old reliever with more surgeries than gray hair?

More of an analysis will be provided later this year, but with the waiver process finishing, which will make all unclaimed players available for trade, of the starting bunch the Mets have right now, I would part ways with:

Pagan
Harris
Carrasco
Igarashi
Pelfrey
Acosta

I will give the rest of the team the rest of the year to prove their worth.

Mets down and out after D Back sweep.

Something happen to the Mets on the way to Arizona.  The Mets were hanging by a thread in the Wild Card race and now have been swept by the D Backs for the 2nd time in 2 years in Arizona and now have lost 5 straight. The Mets couldnt capitaize on the fact that the Braves actually lost 2 games over the weekend and now stand 10.5 games out of the Wild Card race. Guys in the clubhouse seem to sense the doom. 

The Mets have been hovering around .500 all year so to think they were going to put up a charge is a tough road to understand. They have played tough all year but still were not able to break away from the .500 mark . As they go into San Diego they just to need to get in there heads 1 day at a time and just continue to play the kind of ball Mets fans have apprecited.  With a couple of little caveats.

Dump Igarashi.  Did yo see him walking off the field last night after he couldn't get a out and gave up a run?  He was totally defeated and couldn't get his fastball over. He needs to go.

Stop placing Parnell in the 9th or in any situation that is pressure situation. I am tired of watching his straight as string fastball get hit after he cant get his breaking pitch over. The guy has a 2 bit head with his flame thrower arm . He has had 2 years of showing he doesn't have the make up. time to move on.

Josh Thole. How many times do we have to watch this kid try to stop a ball in the dirt by backhanded it? Enough. Bring up Nickeas . I don't care if cant hit. He saves us runs which is more then you can say for the defensively challenged Thole.

Mets give it their all thanks to Terry Collins.

  Now the Mets embark on a road trip that will bring them to Arizona and then on to San Diego.  After that the Mets will be home next weekend to play the Hot Brew Crew with Mr Fielder padding his numbers so he can achieve a huge pay day in the free agent market. 

The Mets did nothing to help there cause in the Wild Card fight as well as there poor record playing in the unfriendly confines of Shea Nu-   With a home stand that ended with the Padres capturing the last 2 games the Mets only won 3 and lost too many….In the process they lost Murphy for the year and Reyes for another 2weeks.  Now they get to play out the season with no hope of playoff baseball in Queens again. 

Of course no one expected them to play playoff baseball this year but 1 thing this team does that it didn’t last year is battle. No game is lost until the end. Not like last year where the team just packed it in when they were down.  That we can thank Terry Collins for. 

Collins of course was given a bad rap before his tenure started this year with how things played out 10 years ago .  Now Mets fans and the Met brass can thank Mr TC for instilling a sense of never say die tude with this bunch.  TC really has made a difference and it shows and Mets realize the team is done when it comes to the playoffs but are still exciting to watch.

Now if he could just work his magic on the injuries that seem to fall this team on a yearly basis we would be set!!!   

Mets Matinee: Hairston To Start In CF & Bat Leadoff, Evans In RF - Mets Lineup V. Padres - August 11, 2011

Scott Hairston will start for Angel Pagan and bat leadoff. Pagan will sit due to back spasms, but has said he should be available for pinch hitting duties or to come off the bench if needed. Hairston will also bat leadoff in Pagan's absence.

Nick, wow I'm not commuting to Buffalo today, Evans also gets a start in RF for the Mets after going through drills along with Murphy and Duda from coach Mookie.

Jon Niese vies for his 12th win against Cory Luebke and the San Diego Padres.

This afternoon's Mets lineup:

1. Hairston-CF
2. Turner-2B
3. Wright-3B
4. Bay-LF
5. Duda-1B
6. Evans-RF
7. Paulino-C
8. Tejada-SS
9. Niese-LSP

See the exciting Mets give 110% for 50 cents on the dollar!

Another exciting win for the Mets.  As Elias pointed out  first time since April of 1965 that the Mets won 2 games in a row that they were behind ny at least 2 runs in the 8th and won. 

They dont have Beltran, Ike Davis, Murph or Reyes but have Duda and Hairston and Tejada.and still find away to win.

If you have a couple of bucks the Mets are offering tickets tonight and tomm afternoon at 50% off all sections to see the Mets beat up on the Friars again hopefully. Sit next to a bunch of corp snobs and where your Mets attire and annoy the heck out of them!  Or sit upstairs for just 10 bucks! If I didnt have a newborn I would be there cheering these guys who wont give up  !  Too bad parking isnt half off too!

Check out the 50% off sale at Mets.com

The Soggy Lineup: Mets V. Padres - August 9, 2011

The weather has been less than stellar since early this afternoon, and we will have to wait to see if the Mets will get the game in, or start on time.

Last night the Mets had a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Heath Bell and the Padres. We also saw Jason "Puddle" Bay go yard for his 200th professional HR.

It was nice to see the youngsters contribute: Lucas Duda with the game winning hit in the bottom of the 9th and Mike Baxter hitting a pinch hit "double" to plate a run in the 8th.

The soggy Mets lineup:

1. Pagan-CF
2. Turner-2B
3. Wright-3B
4. Duda-1B
5. Bay-LF
6. Hairston-RF
7. Paulino-C
8. Tejada-SS
9. Capuano-LHP

Reyes & Murphy Disabled; Tejada & Baxter Promoted: Mets Lineup V. Padres - August 8, 2011

Jose Reyes has just been officially added to the disabled list along with second baseman/third baseman/firstbaseman Daniel Murphy.

Reyes felt "tightness" in his left hamstring in yesterdays game, being removed in the 2nd inning. Reyes is expect to see the doctor for the Dallas Cowboys who treated his hamstring issue in '09.

Murphy tore his MCL ligament on a slide by Jose Costanza in the 7th inning yesterday.

To replace both players, Ruben Tejada was recalled and will play SS tonight. For Murphy, 1B Mike Baxter has been promoted.

Baxter is hitting a paltry .256 at Buffalo in 11 games after being picked up off waivers from the SD Padres on July 22nd.

The struggling Mike Pelfrey will take on the Padres tonight at GHMP. Tonight's Mets lineup:

1. Pagan - CF
2. Turner - 2B
3. Wright - 3B
4. Duda - 1B
5. Bay - LF
6. Harris - RF
7. Paulino - C
8. Tejada - SS
9. Pelfrey - RSP

Daniel Murphy needs to retire from 2nd base.

Ok I said it.  Yeah the man is a player without a position. Yes having him in left field will be painful . As my colleague mentioned to me earlier a outfield of Murph,Bay and Duda would be a place where singles are doubles and doubles are inside the park homers.  I tend to agree with that but do we need to lose this guy on a yearly basis at second base? A position he is just not cut out for. Everyone has said the slide by Constanza wasn’t a purposeful slide to try to take Murph out.  Just a  slide by a kid trying to make his mark by his first stolen base.  No matter Murphy gets clipped tears his MCL in his 1 good knee and lost for the year in a game he didn’t even start.  

In the past Terry Collins has talked about playing Murph at 2^nd next year.  I hope that stops and just let him play left field.  It’s ok if he loses us 2-3 games. At least he could make it up by getting a hit instead of sitting on the sidelines again!  

Murphy's Law: Jose & Daniel Injured In Mets Loss

"You can't make this stuff up!" How many times have we scribed that over the last two years? Seems like it is written a multitude of times each season.

In today's 6-5 loss to the Braves, Jose Reyes left the game in the second inning with a tight hamstring. After having an MRI at the Hospital For Special Surgery, it was determined that Reyes had once again has a strain of the left hamstring, the same injury he incurred before the All Star Break. Reyes has not yet been disabled.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Daniel Murphy. Murphy was injured in the top of the 7th when Jose Costanza's spike jammed into Murphy's ankle, wrenching his knee on a stolen base. Murphy jumped up in pain and as Collins recounted:

"All he was saying was get me off the field. That’s all he kept saying, was get me off the field, get me off the field."

Murphy also underwent an MRI at the Hospital For Special Surgery, which revealed a grade 2 torn MCL in the left knee. Although it is not expected he will need surgery, Murphy will not return in 2011. This is the same type of injury he sustained to his right knee last year, which sidelined him the entire year. As with this year, Murph was playing 2B when the injury occurred.

Ruben Tejada has once again been recalled from AAA Buffalo to replace Murphy on the roster.

It might be time for Elvis to start sacrificing small furry animals to relieve the Mets of their injury issues.

Source: ESPN New York
Photo: ESPN

Einhorn Visits Mets And Possible Talk Of Ballpark Reconfiguration Ignite Mets In 11-7 Victory Over Braves

Prior to last night's game which featured the slumping Mets, losers of four straight, taking on the Braves, prospective minority owner David Einhorn visited Fred Wilpon and the Mets.

Though neither Einhorn nor Fred (thankfully) spoke with the media, it is believed that they might very well have been speaking about changing the dimensions of Gil Hodges Memorial Park (Citi Field). It was reported that both Einhorn and Wilpon were point frequently at the far away outfield walls at the Mets home park. It has also been speculated that the Mets might consider changing the dimension of the vast outfield at GHMP.

While speaking with the media, Sandy Alderson said he isn't looking to change the field to match the team the Mets have on the field now. If the dimensions are changed, it will be to the advantage of future Mets teams.

It is well documented that David Wright has been hamstrung by the dimensions of his crib, but conversely, Jose Reyes has fared very well with the huge gaps, thus allowing Reyes to hit triples at a premium rate.



With all the perceived talks of the layout of GHMP, it apparently had a positive affect on the Mets. They hit the most homeruns in a game thus far this year. Justin Turner went yard twice, Jason "Puddle" Bay launched one as well as Josh Thole in the Mets 11-7 pitchers duel against the Braves.

It was nice to see the Mets keep tacking on runs every time the Braves cut into the Mets lead. The team save Jon Niese from a possible loss in a night where he started to falter in the fourth inning. Was nice to see the Mets pick up their pitcher, instead of the other-way-around.

All this being said, the real reason why the Mets broke out of their offensive slumber was due to the meeting between Einhorn and Wilpon, nor the sudden power surge by the Mets, no. The reason for the Mets win ultimately coincided with the metsfan73 family returning from vacation. While away, we had no internet access, and very little access to watch the games. If not for my partner in crime and his frequent texts, I would've been entirely in the dark.

Nonetheless, it is good to be back home, and good to be able to watch the Mets games in HD in the comforts of our most humble abode. Now lets have the Mets go on a nice winning streak to mathematically remain alive in the Wild Card Race.

Sources: NY Times, Newsday, ESPN (Photos)

Murphy left field?: Davis surgery?: Harvey wins!

Just a couple of tid bits before we get ready for the Mets do or die series against the Bravos starting tonight. Ike Davis, who hasn't played since early May, will be in NY this weekend checking in with the doctors regarding his injury. He has been running a little in Arizona.  If they dont see alot of progress he will be heading to season ending surgery. He should have it already this way it doesnt effect spring training and the 2012 season. Mets medical staff admitted that they prolly shouldn't have kept the boot on as long as it did.  Nice...

Steve Popper reports   that there is some chatter with what position the defensively challenged Daniel Murphy will play next year.  Of course most say he will play 2nd and Turner will be the super backup with Davis back at 1st. There is some thought of not retaining the punchless Pagan next year. If the  Mets dont have alot of $$$ to spend if they resign Reyes next year , Bay could move to CF and Murphy becomes the LF. We know how that turned out back in 09. Talk about a defensively challenged outfield with Murphy,Bay and Duda.

Matt Harvey hurled five scoreless innings and combined on a three-hit shutout for the B Mets .Harvey limited Altoona to three hits and struck out four in his five-inning stint. The first win for Harvey for the Binghamton Mets. Backman's team is 45-67.

Is the Johan Santana arm strength issue really a set back?

I am a doctor not a brick layer.  Speaking of Doctors looks like our 25M pitcher is coming to NY to see the boys at the hospital for special surgery Thursday for an unexpected hiccup in his recover from surgery.  The question is ..is it really unexpected?  Back when Mr Johan had the surgery last year there was chatter that he would come back some time around the All Star break after his rehab time.  Of course that didn’t happen and really no one expected it to happen.  If Johan made it back to pitch in 2011 no one could really have expect him to pitch lights out.  It takes time to build up arm strength.  Look at the Nats Mr Wang who took 2 years to get back to the majors and he wasn’t like his old self.

What will happen after Santana gets checked no one really knows but we can hope for the best case scenario. That he doesn’t need any more surgery and it’s just normal lack of arm strength at this point of the recovery.  This year means nothing for Santana when it comes to on field results  except to go into the winter knowing he will be ready for 2012. We need him back for 2012 game 1.  Keeping fingers crossed

Mets losing at the wrong time.

The Mets picked a fine time to begin a losing streak.  After winning 5 in a row during the last road trip the Mets lost the last 2 to the Nationals and lost last night to the Marlins 7-3 with the assistance of block head instincts by Mr Murphy. Not what you need to do when the team that is leading the Wild Card chase finally lost 2 in a row. The Braves who seemed to win every night lost last night to the Nationals.

The big winner has been the D Backs who have won 3 straight. They are winners of 7 out of 10 and are 2.5 games out of the Wild Card lead. With there win last night against the Giants, who have lost 4 of 5 with Beltran in the lineup, are only 1 game up on the D-Backs.

Mets have 2 more against the Fish and then have a 3 game series against the Braves this weekend which could be do or die for the Mets.  Wild Card Standings Below.

Atlanta	63	47	.573	-
Arizona	60	49	.550	2.5
St. Louis	57	52	.523	5.5	N
Pittsburgh	54	53	.505	7.5
NY Mets	55	54	.505	7.5
Florida	54	55	.495	8.5