Mets rained out on Monday, Santana Start Moved To Tonight

Perfect start to the series...a washout. Well, this gives Johan Santana the opportunity to get 5 days of rest before taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Nothing better than a rested ace.

He and the Mets are going to face Ian Snell. Snell is a righty that has a 2-1 record with a 4.45 era. This is not a good match-up even though he has a high ERA. Snell had only given up a run and struck out 10.

There is a good sign as he only lasts about six innings before calling it a day. So if the Mets can force him out of the game early with a high pitch count, they should be ok.

Look out for Delgado, he hit 2 homers on Sunday, he could be on to something.

Picture courtesy of MLB.com
Video

4/21-4/27 Player of the Week: Johan Santana

There hasn't been that real shining star this week, but one performance stands out among the rest. and that is...

Johan Santana
7.0 Innings
7 H
2 R
2 ER
4 K
2-2, 2 doubles, Walk

Against Washington, the left handed stud pitched his heart out, recording 7 innings and striking out four to get the win against the Nationals.

He also did it with the bat. He went 2 for 2 that same game, including two doubles and a walk .

The man can do it all and thats why he deserves POTW honors. Congratulations Mr. Santana.

Runner Up
Carlos Beltran 1 Hr, 4 RBI's

Past Winners
Jose Reyes 4/14 - 4/20

pictures courtesy of espn.com

Mets Beat Braves in Rubber Game

Braves 3 9 0
METS 12 9 0

The Mets beat the Braves and took two of three in the weekend series. The matchup was more in favor of the Atlanta Braves, who sent smoking hot John Smoltz to the mound against Cinderella himself, Nelson Figueroa. At the end of the day, it was Cinderella who found his glass cleat.

Figueroa pitched 5.1 innings and gave up all three of the runs on seven hits. It was not perfect but it was enough to get the W. The 33 year old wonder has shocked Met fans with how well he has pitched in the first three games of his season.

The bullpen was pheonmenal. Not a single run given up by the clean up men. Even Schoeneweis, who is not really the creme de la creme, managed to pitch a scoreless inning.

In came in Billy Wagner, who came into the game to close. It was his sixth of the year.


On the offensive side, Carlos Delgado sent two balls out of the park with a pair of solo shots; one in the third and one in the seventh. The fans wanted the big guy to come out for a curtain call, but he decided not to because he didn't deserve it. I would have done it, even if it were my only two hits of the season. That was a sign of disrespect to the fans. I hope he doesn't act like that again.

pictures courtesy of espn.com

Now Batting Number two....

Coach Willie Randolph seems to be following a baseball converted formula of former Knicks Coach Larry Brown as of late as he has shuffled the lineup so dramatically, the team cannot establish its identity. What's to blame? Injuries

When Luis Castillo was hurt, he alternated Ryan Church and Angel Pagan in the two hole providing some needed pop behind the speedy Reyes. But as he got healthy, Randolph put him back in the two hole and the team has not been the same since April 20th. Here is the breakdown of numbers for the two hole this season.
Just food for thought, the two hole is generally the area where the perfect hybrid of speed and contact are found ex. Derek Jeter.

Angel Pagan
.437 (7-16) (3-1 team record)

Ryan Church
.380 (8-21) (5-0 team record)

Luis Castillo
.230 (9-39) (2-8 team record)



Well, as you can see, Castillo isn't a real catalyst. Yet, inexplicably he gets placed at the top of the order. Chruch should be the first candidate to put on there since the Mets have the most success with him batting there. However, Pagan would easily provide more speed to the top of the lineup.


Wille has to wake up and realize that the Mets need replace their second baseman 's batting spot. Give it to someone more youthful , that can drive runs as well as score when the ball is hit. Hope your listening...



Pictures from yahoo! sports

Alou Coming Soon?

Yes, we have not heard of this name in a long time. Thats because Mosies Alou was hurt to begin the season with a hernia. The injury bug has bitten Alou and he was scheduled to come back in May. But on Tuesday, he went 2 for 7 in an extended rehab stint for the veteran outfielder. It is assumed he will return to the major league squad as soon as the end of this week (Link).

This brings a whole new conflict on who is going to play what part of the outfield? Here are all the outfielders who are on the main roster as of 4-23-08:

Carlos Beltran
Angel Pagan
Ryan Church
Endy Chavez
Brady Clark
Marlon Anderson*

*Infielder as well

Now where Alou fits in this mess is Willie decision to make. If I were the skipper, I would send down two outfielders because it is seriously becoming a team full of outfielders. What ever happened to just carrying 4?

The only two outfielders who I consider are everyday players are Beltran in center and Church in right. But what about left field?

We can easily weed out Anderson since he's mr. utility. Chavez doesn't seem to have the same magic from 2006. That leaves Clark and Pagan...OK Pagan deserves it out of all of these (what I believe are) bums. The numbers don't lie. But amazingly, it will not matter as Alou will most likely overshadow the young talent and jump right into the lineup. So much for Pagan.

4/13-4/20 Player of the week: Jose Reyes

Jose has been swinging a hot bat lately, ever since he came back from his injury and has returned to the ways of old. All he needed was a pep talk from Carlos Beltran to get a shot in the arm (hopefully not literally). In that time he has went from slump to superstar once again, hitting .428 for the week and here is the rest of the stat sheet:

.428 avg (12-28)
2 Home Runs
2 Triples
2 Doubles
7 Runs
2 Stolen Bases

His highlight game was on April 15 against the Nationals. he hit 4 hits in that game including one double and one triple.

Getting his first two homers and adding two more base steals proves why he is the player of the week. Congratulations.


picture courtesy of: espn.com, mets.com

Jackie Robinson Day At Shea

Complete MLB Coverage
Video: Press Conference

Today is a very special day, even more special than the actual Mets-Nationals game later tonight. Because tonight is the night that they honor the legend, Jackie Robinson.

The fans will be in for a treat as all the players will be donning on the retired number 42. The scorecard should be interesting to fill out. (Ex. 42 scores in....42?) They did this last year all around the majors. The Metropolitan should be honored to participate in something this special.

But thats not all...



The Mets also showed their affection by unveiling the new Jackie Robinson Rotunda that will be apart of the new Citi Field in 2009.

The following was said by the Mets COO Jeff Wilpon:

"Remember, our blue and orange is from the Dodgers and the Giants. We understand our place in National League history."

Yes... indeed, the spirit of Jackie Robinson still lives on through the players, coaches and fans.

Just for fun: TRIVIA!
Who is the only active player in the majors to wear number 42?

Pictures courtesy of MLB.com, Newsday and Weblog.muledesign.com

Duaner Sanchez on the Road Back to the Mets

After over a year of absence, the Mets could be getting their 7th inning guy back very soon. Duaner Sanchez has finally pitched back to back games in the minors.

He pitched for the AAA ballclub, The New Orleans Zephyrs and performed exceptionally. He did not give up any runs in any of his outings and struck out one on Saturday.

The last time he pitched was in 2006, the year the Mets made it to the playoffs.

In 49 games, the right hander went 5-1 with a beautiful 2.60 ERA. He almost struck out a batter per game with his 44Ks.

If he comes back and pitches this nasty, there is no reason why the Mets wouldn't be a favorite in the east.

With the Mets' bullpen woes these days, they can use any help they can get. Their 'pen currently consists of:

Scott Schoeneweis
Joe Smith
Jorge Sosa
Arron Heilman
Billy Wagner (Closer)
Pedro Feliciano


The numbers say that the bullpen is doing exceptional. But outcasts like reliever Sosa (6.23 ERA) and setup-man Heilman (6.23 ERA) stick out like sore thumb. The numbers do not reflect the performance that I have seen from the hurler as Schoeneweis and Smith are both inconsistent. That leaves only Feliciano and Wagner as the only stable parts of the bullpen. They are in need of that consistent reliever that can come out and help hand the ball to Wagner. All signs point to Sanchez.

The Met Experience: Brewers Vs. Mets April 11

Brewers 2 2 2
METS 4 8 1

Well I was blessed enough to get two dollar tickets for Shea through a couple of coworkers. Much thanks to them.

Just to let you know, the upper deck seats were considered to be a non-alcoholic area. I enjoyed the seats a whole lot. I can't complain since I could see the field. (Sorry no picture.)

Wait, I retract that statement. The fog was really unpleasant. I felt as if I was watching the game through a foggy mirror. Not the best thing for the eyes.

Key Players of the Game


As for the game itself, Brooklyn native Nelson Figueroa pitched lights out baseball against the Brew crew. The Mets won the game 4-2. Figueroa, not likely to have this start again, dazzled and displayed his pitching brilliance through struck out six in six innings of work. He also had a no-hitter going, which kind of annoyed me when random people started to pay attention to his stat line. Oh! So close!



There was another homecoming as 35 year old catcher Raul Cassanova got a RBI in the game. He has played with the organization before. This was another unexpected performance from a lackluster ball player. But the effort is greatly appreciated. He finished 1 for 3.

MLB Video Recap

Jose No Longer the Rey-es of light?

What is up with Jose Reyes? He has continued his slump from last season and has also slowed down on the base pads. He got hurt on April 11^th against the Brewers hitting himself into a bases loaded double play. Tough Break.

Lets take a look at his career numbers for Stolen Bases

2003: 13*

2004: 19*

2005: 60

2006: 64

2007: 78

2008: 01+

* = DNP full season

+ = Current Season

Before he got injured, he only managed one stolen base. That first stolen base came in a double steal with David Wright on April 10^th against the Phillies. That’s eight games into the season, the worst of his career.

Quick Fact: He attempted to steal in the first game of the season but was gunned down at second. Not a good way to start the season when he stole almost 80 last year.

Now with this injury, it does not look bright for the young shortstop. His wheels are his main asset and there has to be a way to make sure that the Mets keep his legs fresh and healthy to steal a ton of bases in the future.

Photo Credited to: MLB.com

The Met Experience: Opening Day At Shea

The Following is real footage and comments that I encountered during the day at Shea. I would just like to add that this was an interesting experience. It would have been more special if they won the game. Well Here it goes....

I caught the local transportation to the stadium. I barely made it on time. To my surprise...lots of people. I should have came earlier.

I arrive at the stadium at around 1240, and the placed is packed. I am surrounded by too many met fans. Even the cars fill up every inch of the lot.

Lots of Santana jerseys out here. I guess the other 24 players don’t matter.


There are met fans screaming "lets go Mets" and "f*** the Phillies." There was one fan who climbed the stairs in each floor. Starting chants. Too bad i could not get it on camera.

Even the nosebleeds are taken up. Wow was i lucky. Still feels like it cost too much.

They have a makeshift store outside of the stadium. Perfect for those who want to spend their money on stuff they don’t need.

Just noticed they have a countdown until Citi Feld. 81 home games. Wow. Seemed so far away but after looking at that, its just next year. It could be more if we make the playoffs.

The national Anthem was nice. Even those loud jets made an appearance. Didn't like that part as I thought I went partially deaf.

1st
Ryan Howard fouled off a ball....BOO! That met fan cant catch.

Moyer is delaying the inevitable. Throwing to first. Calling time w catcher to mound.
2nd
Solo double play w Delgado. Feiliz grounded out to first then he tagged the runner.

They should give Delgado a new song. Its getting old. But hey that homer still looked fresh. His first of the season. He has a avg over 350.

Church already has five rbi’s on the season. And a hr. I like, I like.

4th
Howard struck out w runner on first on a full count.

Phillies collide in the outfield. The center field made the out.

Delgado got a single. He's on fire.

Pagan gets on base.

5th
Castillo taken out for Easley? Seriously Puzzling.

Fight on the third base side. Again, I appologize, no footage. But who would want to be embarrassed like that?


6th
Fan to Utley: go for the hat trick. A man in front of me said “Hit him again.” lol

Balk by Perez. Do not agree with this call. . And so ends the day for perez. 5.2 inn 2Ks. It wasn’t that bad of a start.

Enter joe smith. Brace yourself
“Your not a major leaguer Joe!“ a Met fan said. I beg to differ. He got out of the jam.

Two men in blue blazers and orange ties came to our level. They looked like twins. So many people dressing up. I even saw Pinman. All that’s missing is the one, the only, Cow-Bell MANNNN!

“When did they get that apple?” Easily quote of the day.

7th
I counted four fights as of this inning. The guy next to me said that this does not usually happen. Some guy in an army SD hat got tossed. Good riddance!


Guy next to me is blowing up a beach ball. Just punched it to his right.

8th
Two more runs for the Phils...some home opener. All hail horrible Heilman.

People are leaving as I write this sentence.

They played this song "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley. I rather have Sweet Caroline right about now.

I went down to see my friend Andrea aka Ultimate Met fan and she had better seats than me. They were located on the Mezzanine third base side. Not bad. Personally, I'm not complaining as my seats were pretty good for upper deck. Still those 35 bucks are a hole in my pocket.

Mets Lose Home Opener to Rival Phillies

The Mets can't buy a win. Especially with that bullpen, that gave up all the runs that put ahead the Phils 5-2.





The only form of offense came from Carlos Delgado as he belted one into the Mets bullpen to put his team up 2-0. I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I thought it would be smooth sailiing from here... Wrong....





If it wasn't for those meddeling Phillies, who scored three in the seventh and two in the eighth, the season would look a lot more brighter right now.





Speaking of bright, Oliver Perez pitched his heart out. He did ran into some trouble in the first couple of innings and was forced out of the game in the sixth when he was throwing a bit erradically. He recorded 2 K's and gave up three hits. Careful "Oli," your potential is showing.





The Bullpen on the other hand, is looking like a nightmare...and that is putting it in lighter terms. Between Schocenweis, Mota and Heliman, they gave up the five runs to ruin a beautiful day.





Truly, this is a celebration gone sour.


pics courtesy of ESPN.com

The Opening Day Experience

Yes guys, I went earlier today to the last home opener at Shea Stadium. Even though we lost, I had a blast. It was an unforgettable experience. Sadly it will be my first and last home opener at the stadium. I didnt want it to end with a loss but What can you do? I will post tons of media as soon as I can. Apparently, I dont have a USB to plug in my handy dandy phone. You guys will just have to wait and see...

Mets Vs. Phillies Preview and Prediction

Here is the day all of you local fans have been waiting for. The final Mets home opener. Its a perfect setting for the perfect opponents...The Philadelphia Phillies.

Remember? those same Phillies that told the whole Metiverse that they are the true team to beat? The same team that took the rightful spot of the Mets on top of the NL East? Those same Phils that were eliminated in the first round against the Rockies? yeah, I bet all of you enjoyed that.

Now its 2008, a fresh start to an old rivalry. Here are the new acquisitions for the opposition:

Brad Lidge
Pedro Feliz
Geoff Jenkins

Personally, Jenkins is the only true Met Killer. Every time I see him, he destroys them. Feliz will bring his depressing average to shea and will probably not amount to much.

What else can we say about Brad Lidge, the former Astro who gave up that HR to Pujols in the 2004 playoffs. He has not been the same since. No worries. We don't have to worry about these three.



Lets make some predictions:

Oliver Perez V. Jamie Moyer

The way Perez was pitching against the Marlins, he seemed like a Cy Young candidate. But that was a weak lineup filled with youngsters. This is a lineup that is packed with power hitters like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and 2007 MVP Jimmy Rollins. He might struggle but this is the last home opener at Shea, they have to win. Besides, its against Moyer, a 40-plus year old pitcher with a 5 plus ERA, cannot dominate the Mets. METS WIN 7-3

Mike Pelfrey V. Kyle Kendrick

Pelfrey's first start of the season. Gulp. If anything, this will come down to which offense will outslug the other. I have to admit, there is very little confidence on the once promising youngster. Let's hope he can prove me wrong. Until then, I say the Phillies get through this one.
PHILLIES WIN 10-7

John Maine V. Adam Eaton
The rubber match. Adam Eaton is no ace. He has struggled throughout his career as a Padre and in Philadelphia. I believe that Maine will bounce back from his terrible Turner Field start. With the home crowd behind him, he will be unstoppable.
METS WIN 5-3

REMINDER: SPECIAL SURPRISE LATER TODAY!

The Florida Experience Part Deux

I've been meaning to post these pictures up from my friend's Florida trip. This is the continuation of opening day. As you can imagine, this must have been the coolest experience that not only a Met fan, but a baseball fan in general. I even have the official game sheet here. So, Enjoy the pictures.










P.S. I have a special treat tommorrow. Stay tunes to what it might be. I can tell u this is really big!

Mets Gets swept by Braves in Short Series

METS 5 10 0
Braves 11 15 0

There is something about Turner Field that turns off the Mets. They lost both games over the weekend to the rival Braves. There was supposed to be a third game but it was rained out.

Flushing's finest lost to the Braves 11-5.

John Maine didn't look the same from the spring. Instead, the Mets got a pitcher who gave up four runs in four innings. He did strike out five but walked three. This guy is supposed to hold the #2 spot until Pedro gets back? I don't think so. He has to wake up and NOW!

Jorge Sosa gave up a grand slam to Kelly Johnson that sealed the deal.

On the bright side, Angel Pagan doesn't know the meaning of stop. He hit a two run single. The offense is looking healthy, its up to the bullpen to help fix this mess up.


Side note: a controversial call made by the umpire. Apparently the ball that Jose Reyes hit was caught. If you look back at the play, it clearly hit the floor. The play was ruled a hit after an umpire conference and Willie argument. That would be about the only thing that went right for the Mets.


METS 1 5 0
Braves 3 8 0

In game two of the series, the battle of the team aces was in line. Newly acquired and always adored pitcher Johan Santana against veteran John Smotlz were dueling it out on the mound. Unfortunately, Smotlz and the Braves completed the sweep. They beat the Mets 3-1 in a close but heartbreaking game.

Santana pitched a beauty of a game, only giving up one run in seven grueling innings. He managed to strikeout three, but it was that one run that gave him the decision.



It was the big power hitter Mark Teixiera who delivered the big shot to put the Bravos up on top with a two run homer in the 8th. Ryan Church was so close of robbing the big guy of the homer, apparently he needs a bigger glove. Met fans take notice of this guy. He could be haunting us for years to come.

The only form of offense for the Mets came in the ninth inning where Church got a hit to knock in David Wright. But it was not enough and they failed to capitalize on an early opportunity to get ahead in the race of the NL East.

David Wright Said it best in the Daily News

"We need to play better," said David Wright. "This is an early-season test, and we've failed so far."

Weekend Recap - MLB.tv

Pics from ESPN.com

BREAKING NEWS: Pedro on DL, Out 4-6 Weeks

I usually don't do this but Pedro Martinez being hurt at the beginning of the season is big enough for a breaking news alert.

Last night in the forth inning, he felt a pinch in one of his legs after a pitch. He was taken out of the game after that. The mets went on to lose that game 5-4 in the 10th inning. It was diagnosed as a mild hamstring strain on his left leg. He is going to be placed on the 15 day DL, but will miss about 4-6 weeks of action....OUCH!

So where does this put the Mets' rotation? Is it time to hit the panic button? Not really, since for the next couple of weeks, all they need is a four man rotation, with the fifth spot being canceled out with a day off in between.

They still have John Maine to pick up the number two ball and run away with it. He has shown potential during the spring.

As for Pedro, his playing days seemed to be numbered as this is his contract year and has gotten hurt last year and the year prior to that. But let's hope that he has a speedy recovery.

Picture Courtesy of ESPN.com

Mets Squish the Fish on Opening Day

METS 7 10 0
Marlin 2 5 1



Johan Santana....is worth the wait! Mets prevail and get some revenge from last year against the team who sent them home for good. They beat the Marlins 7-2.

Santana struck out 8 in seven innings of work. He did give up a home run to Josh Willingham in the fourth but that would be all she wrote. It was clear that there was some frustration about that fastball he left over the plate, but then he quickly regrouped and sent the next batter to the bench.



David Wright destroyed the baseball on Monday as he hit a bases clearing double in the top of the fourth to cap the 6 run inning. He finished off the day 2 for 4.

Carlos Beltran and newly acquired Angel Pagan (personal favorite as of right now) also hit doubles to knock in runs that same inning.

There was a sign of frustration as Jose Reyes was caught stealing second. He slammed his helmet on th ground. Not good for a mid twenties superstar to get this annoyed this early in the season. Chin up, Reyes, there's always tomorrow.

SNY.tv Video: Santana's Debut
ESPN RECAP Video

Pictures courtesy of :
ESPN.com
SNY.tv

Pelfrey 5th Starter After All

Mike Pelfrey has recieved bittersweet news. He is the Mets 5th man in the rotation. But it is because Orlando Hernandez had to be placed in the 15 day disabled list. El Duque is trying to adjust to his new pitching stance and is trying to heal up from injuries.

This is the second year in a row that Pelfrey has won the position. Let's take a look at last years first five starts brought you by baseballreference.com

Date       Opp DR GmReslt Pitcher Result  IP   H  R ER BB SO HR   ERA

Apr 13     WSN  - W  3-2  GS-6            5.2  6  2  2  4  2  0   3.18
Apr 20     ATL  6 L  3-7  GS-5  ,L  0-1   5    6  4  4  2  3  1   5.06
Apr 25     COL  4 L  5-11 GS-3  ,L  0-2   3    8  6  6  1  1  1   7.90
May  1     FLA  5 L  2-5  GS-7  ,L  0-3   6.1  5  3  3  3  3  0   6.75
May  6    @ARI  4 L  1-3  GS-6  ,L  0-4   5.1  3  3  3  4  1  0   6.39

So hopefully last year is last year and he can get to pitching well
because these garbage numbers should be a forgotten memory.The 24 year
old has to know its due or die and hope they didn't make a mistake by
trading pitching prospect Phil Humber in that Santana deal.



Here's to a good year Mikey, dont screw up....

Picture courtesy of bats.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/jorge-sosa/