May 2008
WOW
I’m paralyzed with joy right now. I think this might be where this team turns it around and starts to get it going. Endy Chavez being Endy hit that pinch hit homerun and than Frenando Tatis winning it in the 12th. The met’s had not won a game this year when losing after 7 innings.
My foot is in my mouth for my previous article on a team with no resiliency they showed some tonight. And I would gladly take that..
GOOOOD JOB GUYS KEEP IT UP TOMMROW I’LL BE THERE TO SEE IT FIRST HAND!!
Takin Care of Business……
How soothing it was to finnally here that over the sound system at Shea again following a night of baseball. Back on track with a W and now it’s offically time for the boy’s of summer to turn it around. Maybe the game last night was a serious wake up call to them that they need to get their act’s together so let’s get started.
The Good
- Willie Randolph, I have been quite harsh on the manager whose time with the club seems to be dwindling with every loss but he makes this list today. Tinkered with the lineup a little bit today and it paid off as he batted Easley, Tatis and Castro 5th, 6th and 7th in the order respectivly and they rewarded him with by going 5 of 9 and driving in some very important runs for the team. A double steal with Beltran and Tatis also a little aggressive managing trying to manufacture runs. Hats off to Willie maybe he’s starting to get his act together.
- The Supersubs-As Keith Hernendez continusly reffered to them as during the telecast, this included Damion Easley, Frenado Tatis, and Ramon Castro. Going 5 of 9 making all the play’s in the field with the execption of Castro who possibly could have blocked the two Santana wild pitches great game by these guys.
- Carlos Delgado-For sitting on the pine!
The Bad
- Jose Reyes-Offensively the game wasn’t bad for Jose but he made an error again in today’s game making it three straight that Jose has committed an error in. Jose seems to be getting careless in the field I don’t know what the issue is but he needs to snap out of it and fast. You can’t have that coming from your shortstop.
- Johan Santana-Hear me out now, he pitched a good game don’t get me wrong, all though he did give up another homerun. I would have liked to have seen Johan show up as an ace and tell Willie at the end there that he wants the ball in the 8th. To see him give the ball directly to Billy would have been a welcomed sight but it was good to see Duaner come in and get some outs, just would like to see a little more like what Mike Hampton used to be for the Mets that bull like mentality which I don’t alawys get from Santana he doesn’t seem used to pitching in the city where the bright lights are alawys on you.
Advice
- Willie must have heeded the advice of a now retired great college basketball coach Bobby Knight. That advice is, “The best way to get through to a player is not through his ears but through his ***.” Meaning sit em down on the bench don’t play him they’ll get the message good to see Willie bench Delgado as a result of poor production.
- Next bit of advice KEEEP I repeat KEEEEP Frenado Tatis in the lineup. Even if it’s just for as long as Church can’t play Tatis has been tearing the cover off the ball and if thats an extra two weeks of hitting atleast someone in the lineup is producing.
- Consider platooning Schenider more often. Schenider is good and I like him alot don’t get me wrong but maybe give Castro a few more at bat’s against lefty’s throughout the year it might just pay dividends.
UP NEXT
- Finish up with the rubber game tommrow against the Marlins. Ollie will look to get a W after not having his best stuff but still batteling in Colorado in his last outing.
- The Dodgers come to town this weekend for a 4 game set.. Look for me at popcorn night on Thursday gotta believe I’m getting that free food!!
- The Met’s go west for games with San Fransico and San Diego.
Yesterday….
Sorry for the lack of an article yesterday I was so frustrated with the game that I didn’t even want to go and write anything I just decided to watch the Stanley Cup. Right now they are terrible and neeed to do something different lets see if Johan has an awnser tonite…..
If they cant turn it around Willie NEEDS to go.
My Rant
This team right now is in dire straits. The difference between winning teams and losing teams can be found in the enviornment in which they play, and how they respond when they are losing. That’s what this team does wrong, you look up and down the roster and there is certainly enough talent to make a fantastic team here if the game were decided soley upon natural abiltly to play the game but it’s not.
This team has no kind of bounce back when they get down in a game you can tell they get this glazed look over there eyes like here we go again and don’t even try to fight back. To me that is the difference between a winning team and a losing team. A team made up of winners take it personally when the fall behind in a game they don’t miss a beat. They get riled up if they are losing and you can see the intensity in their faces. You don’t see that with this Met’s team and it is unfortunate.
I believe that is a direct coorelation of their manager. Their leader and I’ll tell you why for a couple of reasons. One you look at those Braves teams of the late 1990′s when they won all those divison titles. Those teams took it personally if they were losing espically to the Mets of that time when the Mets first started to become a talented team. It started right with their skipper the fiery Bobby Cox who didn’t let his players feel as if they could be defeated even if they were behind in a game 15-3. This is why those games against the Braves were never over until that final out was recorded because you simply just didn’t know. Bobby also would go to war for his players, if they got screwed over he’d go fight for them so they went to war for Bobby that’s how it works.
Willie simply doesn’t do that for his players. Willie doesn’t put himself on the line for his guys and his guys simply don’t put themselves on the line for Willie. Maybe it has nothing to do with his coaching style who knows but whatever the case he doesn’t mesh with this team. So as a result he needs to go. Sorry Willie but happy trails may you be successful elsewhere because I do feel you proley are a good guy but you just don’t work here.
Right now though the team looks absoulutly pathetic and it’s sad, if they can’t turn this around a fire sale come trade deadline time might be warrented to try and stock up our heavily depelted farrm system and let’s get back to the strategey of trying to build a winner for a long time around Wright, and Reyes.
end of rant
Another One Bites the Dust
Well thats all folks. In a road trip that saw them win only 3 games two of which came at Yankee Stadium it is finnally over but the after shock from this might not be over. The Mets went on today to lose 4-1 to an injury ridden Rockies lineup…….
The Good
- They scored a run…… I swear they did
- Despite giving up the 3 run homerun that wasn’t entirly his fault John Maine pitched a decent ball game, even with some early command problems
- The bullpen, Scott Scheoenweis and Matt Wise pitched 2 innings total out of the bullpen in relif for John Maine. Allowing only one runner to reach base, (Scheoenweis’ first batter) whom was quickly erased on a double play on the next batter.
The Bad
Well just go down the order 1-9
- Jose Reyes- 1-4 on the game had the lone RBI single, but don’t be fooled Jose looked terrible all game long. He was picked off first base (the second time he’s been picked off this series) and had a costly error in the field. An error that possibly could have turned a double play that could have prevented the 3 run home run to Seth Smith and well atleast could have kept it to a 2 run home run if you want to play the you can never assume the double play nonsense.
- Luis Castillo-0-4 in the two spot is never good, couple that with a play where Jose Reyes was in motion with a 3-2 count and one out Castillo can only hit a measly hopper to Cook, and than can’t beat it out to first which results in an inning ending double play. (Idea instead of making all of our minor leaguers learn how to play outfield how about teaching one or two of them how to be a second basemen? Or we could kidnap Chase Utley and put him on our team?)
- David Wright-0-4 Sorry buddy, usually David find’s a way to be exempt from criticism but not today. As the leader of the club and our number 3 hitter when all else fails all eyes turn to David to get a rally started to get the big hit, fair or not thats the case and he failed to do so today. Including getting an AB in the 9th which he could do nothing with poor performance David.
- Carlos Beltran-1-4 nothing to major wrong with Beltran, maybe one of the few who doesn’t deserve to be counted with the bad, had a single, and also hit an atem ball right at the second basemen. However his struggles continue but in all fairness there really were no RBI situations that he could screw up so maybe he can get a C for the game.
- Carlos Delgado-0-2 well there goes the home run streak, the hit streak and the every thing else. Delgado did get onbase by taking a walk but that was the extent from Delgado. His age once again showed as he was late on a bunch of pitches and just looked over matched at the plate, also an error on a routine ground ball luckily Maine was able to pitch out of that one.
- Brian Schneider-1-3 no big defensive mishaps behind the plate, just left 2 men on base today however and a couple of strikeouts make it only an ok game for Brian maybe another one who doesnt quite deserve to be on here today.
- Nick Evans-0-2 get’s a freebie today for his 3 double game yesterday come’on guys its the kids second big league game as they say $%*^ happens.
- Endy Chavez-1-3 scored a run another one who batting 8th had no protection from the pitchers spot he gets a freebie.
- John Maine-pitched a decent game but left after the 6th because of an extremly high pitch count. Had some control problems throughout the game but didn’t really do much bad.
- The New York Mets aka the New York Mess-Showed 0 resilency. As a whole after the 3 run home run in the 4th the club looked defated for the rest of the game. Wake up it’s the fourth inning you can still come back and win it there’s plenty of time, but no effort was given they could not muster up any offense and they got the outcome they deserved. Put a big L next to this one.
Direct your Boos Towards…..
- The entire club as a whole minus the bullpen who have been pitching extremly well this series.
- Don’t count Aaron Heilman as a part of the bullpen boo him to.
- Willie.
Countdown to Pink Slip
- Well I had thought maybe Willie would be given till the end of the Marlins series, as a result of a well played game yesterday but I did not take into account the possabilitly of them showing 0 effort today. My estimation is if he’s not gone tommrow he’s certainly gone after the series with the Marlins if they win the series….
1-3 days.
Series Grades
Hitting-C-- With the execption of today’s game the hitting was not that bad throughout the series today the bats were just non existant.
Starting Pitching-B- Colorado is a tough place to pitch however I feel the starters did a decent job. Maine got beat on one pitch which cost him 3 runs and should have been out of that inning if not for Joses fielding gaffe. Ollie pitched through not having his best stuff and it wasn’t his fault Willie trotted him back out there for the 6th in which he had no business being on the mound. Vargas pitched beautifully Saturday.
The Bullpen-A-This is not including Aaron Heilman the bullpen was very good this series. Did not allow a run yesterday nor today for that matter, and Joe Smith was put in a bad spot Friday as a result of poor use of the bullpen by Willie, Hats off to the pen.
Unknown’s-A+- From Fernado Tatis’ homerun in his first AB friday for filling in for injured Marlon Anderson, to Claudio Vargas’ gem Saturday to Nick Evans 3 double game Saturday the unknowns out performed the stars.
Phewwwww….
Yup I just heard it the collective sigh of relief that swept over New York as Fernado Tatis caught the ball to record the final out of the game. Put one in the win column for the goood guys. This means Willie atleast in my mind will have atleast the Flordia series to see if he can turn this club around, so it should be an interesting couple of weeks.
The Good
- Claudio Vargas threw a gem, in a very hard place to throw a good game. Colorado is a rough place to pitch and Vargas threw a great game. Granted the huge outpouring of support in the first inning really helped Vargas settle in early but even if your settled in hats off to Vargas what a great game and it’s what we needed.
- Nick Evans who? Yeah exactly due to a depleted outfield as a result of injuries he got called up from AA Binghamton, to play LF. Despite the fact he’s a first basemen. Well no major screw ups in the outfield, and guess what 3 doubles whata game welcome to the big’s kid, although he’s not quite Willie May’s yet so Eric Karros hop off..
The Bad
- Not going to focus on any negative today lets take the win as a positive and keep it rolling guys
Direct Your Boos towards…..
- That five game losing streak and laxadasical play boooo that and may we wish it goood riddance for ever and may it never come back!
Take A Curtain Call…
- Nick Evans preformed first big league game 3 doubles take a step outta the dug out
- Claudio Vargas pitched a solid game at Coors field and served as the Mets stopper as Johan, Ollie and everyyone else couldn’t do kudos….
Notes
Delgado hit yet another HR making it three straight games
Up Next
Rubber Game tommrow let’s take the series
Count down to Pink Slip
I’m going to move it up to 4 thanks to the solid performance he’s got till the Flordia series to prove its for real
Rocky Times
When it rains it pours. Thats the state the Mets find themselves in right now and it is a monsooon. They seem to just keep finding way’s to lose games, and last night was no different. The night started ominously as you could tell Ollie didn’t have his best stuff which we all no does not bode well.
THE GOOD
- Despite not having his best stuff Ollie fought through 5 solid innings of work where he only surrendered two runs (despite being trotted out there in the 6th where he gave up 2 more on that later)
- Delgado hit another homerun heres hoping that evn if he jus goes 1 for 4 every game he can just keep hitting homeruns
- Frenando Tatis? yes thats right Frenado Tatis with his first homerun since 2006
- Endy Chavez hes just Endy.
- Scott Scheoenweis pitched stellar once again
THE BAD
- The bullpen minus Scotty Show Joe Smith let the two inherited runners score to tie the game at 4 a piece granted he was put in a tough spot he needs to keep at least one of those from scoring
- Billy Wagner surrendered his first earned run of the season giving up a solo shot to Matt Holliday in the 9th thus proving he is not invincable but don’t get on him he’s going to give up runs eventually
- Wille Randolph trotted Ollie out again in the 6th inning despite the fact that he had walked three in the pervious inning, walks the first two batters of the inning who would eventually come around to score
DIRECT YOUR BOO’S TOWARDS…..
- Willie Randolph, knowing Ollie is capable of imploding at any time Willie still trotted him back out there in the 6th inning. Which would eventually lead to the two runs that would tie the game at 4 and than ultimatly leave the Mets no wiggle room for Wag’s to work with who proved he’s only human today. Willie should have let Joe Smith who has been fantastic in relief all season start the inning and than atleast the bullpen would have blown it, your not alawys going to be able to get 6 from your starter. Ollie fought through 5 innings and could have been brought out with a chance to pick up the W despite the fact that he did not have his best stuff. Poor job Willie whom has alawys been knocked for his poor use of the bullpen, this is one of those manager desicisons that Willie had to make and once again proved incapable for that you deserve to be boooed. BOO THAT MAN.
- Aaron Heilman, again proved incapable of pitching to a little leaguer as he ended up with the loss in the game. Aaron Continues to struggle and one can only wonder just how low will we go.
UPCOMING GAMES
- Mets will play today at 3:55 on Fox for the Fox Saturday game of the week time to rebound on national TV
- Will finish up with Colorado Sunday afternoon
- Head home for a 3 game set with the fish
- Continue their homestand with 3 against the Dodgers
ps……..
- Mets missed a perfect chance last night to gain some ground in the standings despite their 4 game sweep at the hands of the Braves. The Braves, Marlins, and Phillies all lost last night however the Mets found away to squander their game as well…
Countdown to Pinkslip
I’m saying if they don’t win Willie is canned following Sunday’s game so my countdown now is going to say 2*
Pink Slip Time
It’s just about that time of year, and if Willie cannot get his boys going for him well than it’s time to see him canned. This has nothing to do with as he would like to pin it on being an African American authority figure in New York, it has to do with simply he’s just not built for the job. If you can’t get your men fired up to play and win ball games for you, well than you yourself need to be fired. As a manager you have to be a motivator and Willie certianly is not. The team as was said by the “face of the franchise” David Wright, “just seems to simply go through the motions on a nightly basis.”
That problem lies simply on the manager if he cannot get his boys going well than he needs to go. Maybe he is best serving as a bench coach as he did with the Yankees for all those years under Joe Torre, whom apparently according to some was not very fond of Willie.
You see Willie’s problem is he has no fire whatsoever. He ask’s his players to go out and play with passion and fire but yet you never see him with any. The only emotion you ever see out of Willie is the occasional fist pump or maybe three of four claps. Well Sunday while I was at the game at Yankee Stadium and the apparent home run call that was blown. Willie came out of the dugout and he should have argued that call until he was ejected from the game.
However stoic Willie went out there and gave a few stern words to the umps and than was probably told to go sit his *** back down which he promptly did. However it was Jerry Manuel the bench coach who decided enough was enough and he got kicked out of the game, maybe they need to switch roles because the team responded to that. Proceeding to make the game a laugher….
Maybe he’s not the only problem but Art Howe certainly wasn’t good here so why would Willie who seems to have just as much emotion as Art Howe be any better?
Gasping for Air
The Mets travel to Colorado today to take on the Colorado Rockies in the thin air of Denver, Colorado. Maybe just what the bat’s need to truley wake up is some thin air so they can get a couple of cheap homeruns, and pat their stats than maybe we can see a turn around from this club. Right now though the Mets truley are gasping for air sitting a game below 500 and 4.5 games out of first place the Mets can begin to feel like the Yankees all though atleast they can say we’re not in last place thanks Nationals.
However they have looked truley horrendus the last few games so they need to get their act together quick or they could find themselves dug in pretty deep to that trench that is the cellar of the National League East. Because as the Mets struggle the rest of divison seems to be playing some pretty solid baseball so this is why the Mets need to get their act together and fast or we could be in for a long season at Shea and I’m not sure that you will have ever heard boooing quite so loud.
Tonight we send Oliver Perez some refer to him as Ollie, OP I like to refer to his pitching as bi polar. One day Oliver Perez can have no hit stuff and look like Cy Young out their but than the next night he trots out to the mound he looks like Armando “the rest of the name cannot be spoken in the presence of Mets fans” used to in the 9th inning. Ollie has responded well however since Billy Wagner’s criticism of him after his laugher against the Pirates where as Billy so kindly put it, “He simply just did not compete.”
I was at Ollies last start at Yankee Stadium and he looked fantastic aside from the 2 run homerun he gave up to Hideki Matsui he pitched a whale of a ball game. If only you knew you could get this kind of performance out of Ollie every night he could be a certified ace, but you don’t he gets rattled very easily so the Rocky Mountain Air may be the worst thing for him since Britney Spears shaved her head.
We shall see LETS GO METS time to get on track….
Upcoming games
- Two more with Colorado this weekend
- Than the first place Marlins come to town for the 26th-28th important games there
- Than the LA Dodgers come to town the 29th- June 1st
Important week or so of baseball this could really get the Mets off that bottom of the divison horse espically if they could find a way to dominate the Marlins like they did in that opening week of the season…
Bumming
Yesterday was supposed to be the day to celebrate my birthday which means it was supposed to be a day that the New York Mets got a huge win from their divisonal foes the Atlanta Braves. Well this did not exactly happen, the Mets needing a win from ace Johan Santana lost 4-2 not coming up with the effort needed in order to win the game. Ron Darling said it after the game, what I had talked about yesterday that in the 7th inning it became apparent that the Mets where not going to score any more runs, Johan needed to find a way to keep this game 2-1 and get the victory. Thats what ace’s do they win those games and it was unfortunate to see him give up the big inning in the 7th that would lead to the Mets demise. All is not well in happy valley right now, David Wright called out some of his teammates the other night implying that losing does not seem to affect them the way it should, and that it dissapoints him. The Mets really need to get their act together or Willie won’t be joking about having his head on the chopping block. Although he’ll proley turn that into a racial thing, as he said before the criticisim of him has to do with his race, as he talked about what happend to Herm, and Isiah Thomas…….
Little word to the wise Willie, first and foremost Joe Torre caucasian had it alot worse than you do so quit your crying, Tom Coughlin had been written off and said that he could not coach a pee wee football team until he won a Superbowl, Eric Mangini is on the hot seat and Mike D’Antoini has recieved criticism and he hasn’t even coached a game here yet. Get used to it Willie you’ve played and coached in New York you have the 3rd highest payroll in baseball you’re not performing that’s why your job is in jeporardy not because of the color of your skin, and I hope you realize that if you do get canned but, we’ll hope for all of our sakes that you and the club will turn it around..
end of rant.
jimmyk12
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