2010 ~ Small Ball

The Sailing Ship

7/31/2010 12:58:00 PM Jeremiah Alley

I'll try to do my best and not completely slam the Mets for once. People who know me know that I have always been fairly critical of the Mets as an organization, so I will do my best to be diplomatic. Here it goes...

I am a perfectionist by nature, so it is only fitting that I would come to expect the same from my team. For years I have hoped and prayed, and prayed, and prayed a little more that this organization would somehow transform into the Yankees of Queens. I understand how bad that sounds to a Mets fan on the surface, but there is far more logic buried underneath that sentiment...

I am old enough now to see plainly the dysfunction with the Mets. I have, like everyone else, been going to this circus for years, always crossing my fingers that one day the ship would right itself. Maybe one day we would have a decent general manager, a good manager in the dugout, and ownership who truly put pride into owning a professional baseball team in New York City. Maybe one day we could sustain greatness considering the wealth of resources for this franchise. These were some of my desperate thoughts when thinking about the Mets. It's a tortured love affair to a degree...

Now, here I sit and I just do not believe that Mets' ownership has a clue. All the Wilpons have ever done is employed personnel that have made some real head scratching decisions. I'll spare everyone the time of listing off incidents in which the Mets' came off looking foolish because I think we all know them by heart. Needless to say, the Mets have never been a franchise predicated on stability. The Mets as a whole never have a clear cut direction. With the exception of a few seasons in their history the front office never seems to do the right things at the right time. The class, the sophistication, the professionalism, and more importantly the baseball acumen you see in other franchises just does not seem to exist with our beloved organization, which begs a few questions...

Why hasn't Jay Horowitz been charged with Grand Larceny and sentenced to 5-10?... Why in the world do we still pay Bobby Bonilla?... And, is he in cohoots with Jay Horowitz?... Who exactly is Jay Horowitz?... Does Omar Minaya always mutter nonsense even when not on camera?... Is that Jeff Torborg in a Jerry Manuel costume?... And finally, if Bernie Madoff has the Wilpons' money, shouldn't he really be the owner of the Mets?... Just saying....

Minor League Profile: Corey Vaughn

7/23/2010 12:07:00 AM Anonymous

The Mets used their fourth round selection on the 6'3" 225 lbs 21 year old right hand hitting OF from San Diego State. In 34 games at Brooklyn this year Corey Vaughn has been solid, to put it lightly. He's posted the following numbers...

Granted he is only in the low minors right now but keep an eye on this guy because he could very well be rising through the system very soon if he keeps it up.

Scapegoat?

7/22/2010 11:42:00 PM Anonymous

In a bit of light humor, though not so light as to not have a modicum of truth involved, I find myself wondering who the scapegoat will be this year. We all know last year there were a few different incidents or causes to the Mets failed year. The most pronounced of those being the rash of injuries and failure by the medical staff and trainers to keep a healthy and whole baseball team on the diamond. Although there was also that "incident" involving Tony Bernazard and his special brand of motivation. The year before we saw Willie Randolph get ushered out of town in a somewhat surprising manner by Mets brass after winning 3 out of his last 4 and trailing in the NL East by 6.5 games. Jumping forward the Mets currently sit at 7 games back in the division and are just 1-7 in their last 8 games after coming back from the All-Star break. If I had to hazard a guess as to the scapegoat this year I would probably finger a few different people starting with the obvious choice, Jerry Manuel. His coaching staff could also face the same axe, most notably Howard Johnson. There hasn't been a point this year where the Mets have clicked from top to bottom with the bats consistently(**See Barajas, Francouer, Bay). While I liked Hojo as a player and would hate to see him go I think the Mets could make him one of many scapegoats this year.

In a side note, Omar Minaya has pieced together a team that, at least in the first half of the year, proved they could be competitive. If they don't finish with a decent record he could also find himself looking for a new job.

Wright's Different Approach

7/22/2010 11:34:00 PM Anonymous

During today's game Ron Darling and Gary Cohen both finally commented on something I've been noticing about David Wright's plate appearances. If you didn't catch the game or didn't notice yourself David has been standing a significant distance away from the plate than he usually does. I'm fairly sure that he changed the approach in the games in Arizona but it wasn't as pronounced due to the camera angle SNY was using. I bring the point up now because it seems like the change is affecting his perception of the strike zone. It makes you wonder why he, or maybe Hojo, decided to try it out. He's been pretty successful thus far this year it doesn't make much sense to do something like this more than half way through the year.

The Reyes Situation

7/17/2010 04:02:00 PM Anonymous

Jose Reyes, the catalyst of this team, has been hampered by the "side" injury since the series in Puerto Rico(as if you already didn't know). Since then the team has floundered and lost ground in the NL East race, now 5 games back. The problem with this whole situation doesn't stem back to Reyes himself but management and team physicians. Ask yourself this...How can a visibly hurt player be allowed to play after being injured? If you answered, "He shouldn't play" or anything of the like than you speak with common sense. Something the Mets apparently lack when dealing with injuries. There was a point after Reyes injured himself when he had to dive back into second base and had to call timeout and stretch out while grimacing in pain. Team officials, in all their infinite wisdom, continued to play him. When is this team going to learn that a healthy player in the long term is far more important than sending him out to battle through and hopefully contribute.

Will It Continue?

7/17/2010 03:28:00 PM Anonymous

The Mets lost the second game in a row via the shutout. Put sinply they just don't look like major leaguers right now. The only players pulling their weight lately are the pitching staff. Yet even with some of the outstanding performances by Niese and Dickey the offense can't muster enough support to get these guys a W. It's a trend that needs to change. Is it time to start pointing fingers yet? I have heard plenty of fans say that Hojo and other coaches are not pulling their weight but I disagree to some extent. It takes a team to win and a team to lose. As a fan though I am fighting the urge to pin the blame on any one person. However, It's obvious the team needs some kind of spark. They look flat.

He's Baaaaaaack

7/15/2010 10:05:00 AM Anonymous

Carlos Beltran is back on the active roster for the first time since last year. He comes back at a crucial time for the Mets as they're fighting to overtake the Braves who are four games ahead of them in the east. It'll be interesting to see if the lineup gets a major overhaul.

Smoother Sailing?

7/15/2010 10:02:00 AM Anonymous

In an article from Elias it's noted that the Mets have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the second half. The combined winning percentage of teams they face comes to .482. Hopefully they can capitalize and wipe the floor with all the scrubs.-Elias Sports Bureau

A Word From Elias

7/14/2010 10:16:00 AM Anonymous

David Wright is the only player to record a hit in each of the last five All-Star Games (2006-2010). Wright's five-game hitting streak in All-Star competition is the longest for any major-leaguer since Wade Boggs (1988-1992) and the longest for a National Leaguer since Steve Garvey (1974-1978).

NL Takes The Midsummer Classic

7/13/2010 11:49:00 PM Anonymous

For the first time dating back to 1996 the National League won the All-Star game tonight. The story of the game has been the pitching dominance shown from both sides. However, the NL definitely outshined the AL in that department. I'll tell you I'd be a little intimidated by that rotation and bullpen. Anyway, it's about time a National League team gets home field advantage during the world series. Now it's time to focus on second half baseball and the path to the finish.

Starting Lineup 7/11/10

7/11/2010 12:24:00 PM Anonymous

As if it needs to be said, today's game is crucial. The Mets send Johan Santana(6-5 3.11 ERA) to the mound to fight the Braves and Derek Lowe(9-7 4.40 ERA).

1. Angel Pagan CF
2. Alex Cora 2B
3. David Wright 3B
4. Ike Davis 1B
5. Jeff Francoeur RF
6. Chris Carter LF
7. Rod Barajas C
8. Ruben Tejada SS
9. Johan Santana P

Key points to this game: The Mets need to stay patient with Lowe and run the count deep in order to maximize his pitch count but also stay away from hitting into easy groundball outs. Also, Jason Bay got the day off today which is probably the best news he's heard all year.

Starting Lineup 7/9/10

7/09/2010 05:07:00 PM Josh Alley

The Mets start a crucial series with the first place Braves at 7:10 PM in Citi Field. They'll send nasty knuckler R.A. "Trickey" Dickey (6-1, 2.62 ERA) to face highly touted Tommy Hansen (8-5, 4.19 ERA). Should be an interesting matchup. The lineup:

1. Angel Pagan CF
2. Jose Reyes SS
3. David Wright 3B
4. Ike Davis 1B
5. Jason Bay LF
6. Josh Thole C
7. Jeff Franceour RF
8. Ruben Tejada 2B
9. R.A. Dickey P

Curious to see if Jose Reyes will still be batting from the right side against the righty. He was supposedly set to see a doctor on the off day yesterday but that was cancelled. Maybe he's feeling much better, so we'll have to wait and see. It's important for the Mets to win this game and set the tone for Pelfrey and Santana, who pitch Saturday and Sunday.

Big Series, Bigger Theory

7/09/2010 03:03:00 PM Anonymous

The series against the Braves tonight represents a huge opportunity for the Mets to gain ground on the NL East leaders. However, this series could determine how aggressive the Mets brass pursues trade options. I could see Omar scramble if the Mets lose the series. If it does happen he could up any offers on the table or even explore options he may not normally explore(i.e. The Oswalt possibility). So as if everyone wasn't already focused on the three game series, they certainly would be if we make a spur of the moment decision because of it.

Long season still to go.

The Lilly/Lee Argument

7/09/2010 10:30:00 AM Anonymous

So for the past few days the reports about trade activity have jumped around more than a kid on a pogo stick. One day it's, "The Mets are just as likely a destination for Lee than any other team involved." Then there's a 180. Now that the Yankees are neck deep in negotiations, or so it appears for this minute, the Mets are rumored to be focusing in on Ted Lilly. There's only one thing I have to say about that....Good. As I've stated before the cost for renting Lee would put another dent in the minor league systems and only return two compensatory picks if he leaves. It was rumored that the Mets would have to put a package together in the range of 4 prospects which could have included Thole, Flores, Mejia, Martinez and others. Not worth it. Lilly on the other hand should require much less to acquire. What's the best part about Lilly? He's a free agent this winter and if he decides to go elsewhere he nets the Mets two compensatory picks since he, like Lee, is a Type A free agent. The players are two different caliber of player but Lilly will make this team better with less damage to the Mets future.

Down On The Farm - 7/8/10

7/09/2010 10:24:00 AM Josh Alley

First stop, Buffalo, where the Bisons dropped one to the AAA Yanks, 10-7.

Justin Turner, Luis Hernandez and Jorge Padilla each went 3-5 with two runs scored. Turner and Padilla each added an RBI, Turner's coming on a solo homer.
Mike Jacobs was 1-3 with two walks and a two run shot, his fifth homer in five days.
Fernando Martinez and Lucas Duda each went 1-5, with Martinez picking up an RBI.
Brian Bruney had a tough debut, giving up two hits, a walk and one earned with one K.

Next stop is Altoona, where Bighamton won again, 4-3.

Kirk Nieuwenhius continued his hot streak, going 2-5 with a solo homer.
Sean Ratliff was 1-2 with a double, run scored and two walks.
D.J. Wabick was 2-4 with an RBI.
Mike Nickeas was 1-4 with an RBI.
Dylan Owen with 0.2 of relief with a hit and two strikeouts to earn a hold.
Eddie Kunz got the last out for his third save of the season.

Then we head to St. Lucie, where they defeated Ft. Myers in the continuation of their suspended game, 8-2. They also won the regularly scheduled game, 7-6, with four runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off with the win.

Makeup game:

Jordany Valdespin was 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Wilmer Flores was 3-5 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs.
Beltran, who didn't play the makeup, was 1-1 with a double, walk and two runs scored.
Stefan Welch was 2-4 with a run scored.
Kai Gronauer was 3-3 with a walk, a run scored and two RBIs. He's batting .400.
Michael Barrett and Juan Lagares each went 1-5 with two RBIs.
Eric Beualac got the win, going five and giving up five hits, one earned and striking out four.

Scott Moviel pitched all four innings in the makeup, giving up three hits, one walk, one earned and striking out two to earn the save.

Regularly scheduled game:

Jordany Valdespin went 1-5.
Wilmer Flores went 1-4 with a walk, run scored and an RBI.
Beltran played all nine in CF, going 1-4 with a walk.
Stefan Welch went 0-4 with a walk and RBI.
Juan Lagares was 2-5 with a run scored and RBI, including the walk off single.
Michael Barrett went 0-2.
Hector Pellot was 1-3 with a walk, run scored and RBI.
Ryan Mollica was 2-3 with a triple, two runs scored and two RBIs.
Jeurys Familia did terrible in his start. He went 3.2, giving up two his, SEVEN walks, four earned and striking out three. Did someone tell him he's allowed to throw strikes?

Erik Turgeon picked up the win with two shutout innings, giving up only a hit and striking out two.

Last stop is Asheville, where Savannah pounded out a win, 11-6.

Pedro Zapata was 2-6 with two runs scored and an RBI.
R.J. Harris was 2-3 with two walks, three runs scored and a two run homer.
Cesar Puello was 0-2 with two walks and three runs scored.
Jefry Marte was 1-4 with a walk, RBI and two runs scored.
Travis Ozga was 2-5 with five RBIs.
Jet Butler was 2-5 with a run scored.
Willy Tovar went 0-5.
Taylor Whitenton got the win despite an uneven start. He went six innings, gave up nine hits, two walks, three earned runs and struck out three.

Notable Mets History

7/09/2010 09:25:00 AM Josh Alley

On this date in 1969, Tom Seaver had a perfect game going for the Mets with one out in the ninth inning. That is, until Jimmy Qualls stepped to the plate for the Cubs and ripped a line drive single to left field. That was perhaps the beginning of what most Mets fans feel is a "curse" against the Mets to never throw a no hitter or perfect game. I personally would like to believe that curses don't exist, but when they've come close so many times only to be denied, it's hard believe there's not something working against them.

Yankees On Brink Of Lee Trade

7/09/2010 08:56:00 AM Josh Alley

According to this article from Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees are on the verge of acquiring Cliff Lee from the Mariners.

Really? I mean, really? The only thing worse than hearing about LeBron all of last night against my will is to wake up and find out the Yankees are about to acquire Cliff Lee. Fantastic.

UPDATE 9:02 - According to Buster Olney at espn.com, a "source" says there's no deal in place yet with the Yankees and there's still time for another team to step in and make a "more aggressive offer".

Reyes Will NOT Visit Doctor After All

7/08/2010 04:04:00 PM Josh Alley

Despite what Jose Reyes stated last night, apparently he did not and will not see a doctor today in regards to his oblique injury. Instead the Mets will have him swing from the left side of the plate before tomorrow's game and reevaluate him at that time. My guess is that Reyes must have felt considerably better this morning, hence the cancellation. We'll keep you posted, as always.

Mets Net Two From Venezuela

7/08/2010 02:55:00 PM Josh Alley

Nick Collias of mlbtraderumors.com brings us news of the Mets' signing of two Venezuelan prospects, their first signings of the 2010 international FA period.

The prospects, Vicente Lupo and Leon Jackson Canelon, will head to the Mets' academy in the Dominican Republic. Mets' scout Hector Rincones insisted that the Mets liked Lupo due to his unbelievable strength, while they liked Canelon because of his soft hands and speed.

More Cliff Lee

7/08/2010 02:48:00 PM Josh Alley

jonmorosi
Spoke with a scout who likes #Mets AAA OF Lucas Duda. Might be one of #NY's best trade chips. 24 yrs old, 14 HR this year. #MLB

jonmorosi
I'm hearing Lee mentioned with the #Mets less and less frequently. #Mariners want a ML-ready power bat, and #Mets not trading Ike

- Jon Morosi via Twitter

Seems like two contradicting tweets to me. One indicates Mets have less and less of a chance due to M's need of power bat. Other tweet indicates Lucas Duda might be that player. Not sure what to believe anymore.

Mets Briefs

7/08/2010 12:41:00 PM Josh Alley

For some quick details on various injured Mets, head on over to MLB.com, where Anthony DiComo brings us updates on Castillo, Beltran, Perez, and Reyes.

Apparently Luis Castillo will be starting his rehab assignment sometime this weekend. Ollie will be heading up to Buffalo to finish the last leg of his rehab assignment and Carlos Beltran continues to impress with his rehab in St. Lucie. All great news except for Ollie. I kid, I kid.

I'm actually in the minority in believing that Perez should head to the rotation upon his return. Takahashi has proven that his value is higher in the bullpen then in the rotation. Also, Perez' value is much higher in the rotation. Why? Well, if Perez has a bad start, the Mets still have five or six innings to get back in the game, especially with a guy like Takahashi who can come on in the third or fourth inning and stop the bleeding. However, if you bring Perez out of the pen in the sixth or seventh inning and he implodes, there's little chance of recovering in time to make a game of it. So I say Perez to the rotation first and if it doesn't work, you can flip flop him with Takahashi. Then again, I'd prefer not to have Perez on the team at all.

Down On The Farm - 7/7/10

7/08/2010 11:54:00 AM Josh Alley

Last night was one of many positive for the Mets' minor league teams as they picked up the win in all three games that finished. The reason I say finished is because St. Lucie's game was suspended in the fifth inning due to rain.

First stop is Syracuse, where the Bisons won 6-2.

Jorge Padilla was 1-4 with a walk and a run scored.
Mike Jacobs was 2-5 with two homers and three RBIs.
Fernando Martinez was 1-3 with two walks.
Lucas Duda continued his tear, going 2-4 with yet another homer, a solo shot. He now has 7HR, 17 RBI, a 1.059 SLUG and unbelievable 1.535 OPS in his last ten games. WOW.

Pat Misch was stellar for the Bisons, pitching a complete game with five hits allowed, one walk, two unearned runs and six strikeouts. Keep on keepin' on Misch.

Next stop is in Altoona, where Binghamton doubled their way to a 9-6 win.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis was 3-5 with a walk, two doubles and two runs scored.
Nick Evans was 2-6 with a homer, two RBIs, and two runs scored.
Josh Satin was 3-6 with three doubles, two runs scored and an RBI.
Sean Ratliff was 4-6 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored.
Mike Nickeas and Raul Reyes were both 2-5 with an RBI. Nickeas also had a double.
Eddie Kunz pitched the last inning for the save. He gave up one hit, one walk and struck out one.

In St. Lucie, the Mets were winning 4-1 in the home half of the fifth before the game was suspended due to rain. Final results in tomorrow's Down On The Farm.

Last stop is Savannah, where the Gnats downed Rome 6-2.

Pedro Zapata went 1-5 on the day.
Cesar Puello went 1-2 with two walks.
Jefry Marte was 1-2 with a double and an RBI.
Juan Torres was 2-4 with a run scored.
Jet Butler was 2-4 with a double and two runs scored.
Alonzo Harris was 2-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.
Willy Tovar was 1-3 with a double, walk and two RBIs.
Gabriel Zavala pitched three perfect innings of relief and struck out five.

Reyes Visits Doctor Today

7/08/2010 10:29:00 AM Anonymous

According to a report by the Daily News Jose Reyes will be visiting with a doctor today to see why he is still feeling discomfort with this latest injury.

Hopefully it is nothing too serious but even if it isn't they should still keep him on the bench until he is back to being able to play at his typical level.

Notable Mets History

7/08/2010 09:57:00 AM Josh Alley

Today is a big day in Mets history. On this day in 2000, the infamous Roger Clemens/Mike Piazza beaning incident took place. Mike Piazza was rushed to the hospital after getting hit in the head with a Clemens pitch that most people feel was intentional. On that same day, the Yankees swept the first two park doubleheader since 1903 by beating the Mets 4-2 in both games. Also, Dwight Gooden got his first win in Shea (this time as a Yankee) since 1994.

More On Cliff Lee

7/08/2010 09:22:00 AM Josh Alley

This morning brings us a few tidbits of Cliff Lee news. We'll start off with John Harper of the New York Daily News, who pens a great article about Josh Thole's stock throughout baseball and the possibility of him being in a Lee deal. Of particular note:

"He's one of those kids who can flat hit," was the way an NL scout at Wednesday night's game put it. "You don't see anybody choke up on the bat anymore, and that tells me he's got great confidence in who he is as a hitter. I don't doubt that he'll hit .300 in the big leagues, and even if he doesn't develop power, he'll have great value as a catcher. The more he hits up here, the more you have to think he's someone who could be a fit for Seattle." - NY Daily News

Thole is certainly doing a fantastic job of raising his value right now, both to the Mets and potential trade partners. Even if he doesn't net us Cliff Lee, is it so terrible to have a potential .300 hitter at catcher for years to come? I think not. Harper throws out a hypothetical Wilmer Flores/Jenrry Mejia/Josh Thole deal for Lee and says the Mets would make that trade. That's a lot to give up, however, you have to give up something to get something. The only one I'd be hesitant to give up is Mejia.

For more on the Twins pursuit of Lee, check out Joe Christensen's article for the Minnesota Star-Tribune here. Christensen mentions that it's Ramos and Slowey that are likely targets for Seattle. He also mentions that the Twins and M's have yet to exchange names in trade scenarios. Lastly, he examines the deep struggles of Wilson Ramos in AAA, which is sure to hurt his trade value.

For our final update, we head over here, where the always good T.R. Sullivan profiles talks between the Rangers and Mariners at MLB.com. According to Sullivan, talks between the Rangers and M's are "heating up". I think we've heard that one before. What I find ineresting is that the Rangers are apparently forgoing international signings to free up money for deadline acquisitions.

Posturing, posturing, and more posturing.

Patience Patience

7/08/2010 08:48:00 AM Anonymous

In an attempt to simplify things a bit we have been making changes to various things on the blog...Including the url. We are in the process of forwarding all the information over to metssmallball.com. However, until those changes go into effect the blog will only be visible if you enter the address www.metssmallball.com, don't forget those W's. If for some reason you can not connect during the transfer please use the original address allocated by blogger, mets-smallball.blogspot.com. Thank you, we appreciate your understanding.

Post Game 7/7/10 Reds 3 - Mets 1

7/07/2010 09:41:00 PM Josh Alley

For the second straight night, the Mets got the scoring started with a home run. After Jose Reyes lined out weakly to Arroyo to start the bottom half of the first, Pagan laced into one, driving the ball into the bullpen in right center to make it 1-0.

The Reds evened it up in the top of third in the same fashion. After Niese cruised through the first two batters, he left a changeup over the middle of the plate to Brandon Phillips, who crushed the ball into the left field stands to make it 1-1.

In the seventh, the Reds extended their lead. After Reds' rookie Chris Heisey made a nice running catch to rob Bay of a likely triple to end the sixth, he came up and hit a solo shot to put the Reds up 2-1. Two hits allowed by Niese to that point, both home runs. After a fluke bunt by Arroyo with two outs kept the inning alive, Brandon Phillips killed the Mets again with an RBI double to make it 3-1.

The Mets' bats went quietly in this one. They had runners on first and second with one out in the ninth but failed to produce any runs. Would love to tip my cap to Bronson Arroyo for a great game. However, the Mets have seen him enough times now to figure him out. Have to do better than what they did tonight.

It's starting to concern me quite a bit that the Mets have done so poorly in clutch situations this year. Playoff teams find a way to win these kinds of games and the Mets simply haven't done that this season. But, there's still half a season to play and with a good series against Atlanta, things will turn around. Let's go Mets!

Beltran Update

7/07/2010 07:53:00 PM Josh Alley

A quick Carlos Beltran update for you. Carlos started in CF tonight for St. Lucie. That's his third straight night starting in CF. My hunch is that if Beltran feels good tomorrow, you'll see him with the big club for the start of the Braves series on Friday night. I just hope he starts one of the games in the series as opposed to coming off the bench the whole time. Stay tuned for more info.

Starting Lineup 7/7/10

7/07/2010 02:56:00 PM Josh Alley

The Mets will look to take two of three from the Reds tonight by sending out Jon Niese (6-2, 3.62 ERA) to take down Bronson Arroyo (8-4, 4.25 ERA). Niese has won five straight decisions since returning from the DL the first week of June. Bronson Arroyo has been pretty hot himself the last 10 starts, posting a 6-2 record in that span. The lineup:

1. Jose Reyes SS
2. Angel Pagan CF
3. David Wright 3B
4. Ike Davis 1B
5. Jason Bay LF
6. Josh Thole C
7. Jesus Feliciano RF
8. Alex Cora 2B
9. Jon Niese P

It'll be interesting to see if Jose Reyes bats left handed tonight as he didn't seem to be bothered the injury last night at all. I wouldn't be surprised if they bat him righty one more day before allowing him to hit lefty. The Mets need this win tonight. It would make all the difference in going into the Braves series with lots of momentum and none at all. Let's go Mets!

Hmmm.....I Didn't Know That

7/07/2010 12:30:00 PM Josh Alley

That's right, it's Wednesday once again and time for your little known Mets fact. Today's fact will be about a former Mets player, Billy Wagner, who achieved one of the most rare and bizarre feats of Mets history. I chose not to put this one in the "Notable Mets History" column today because I thought it fit better here.

Did you know that on 7/7/07, Billy Wagner picked up his 17th save in the 17th inning and did it while throwing 17 pitches?

If he didn't do it, he definitely should have played 7-17-27-37-47 in the pick 5 lottery that night. He would have won easily.

Cliff Lee All Day Everyday

7/07/2010 11:55:00 AM Josh Alley

For an update on Cliff Lee and his chances of being a Met this season, head over here to Joel Sherman's blog for the NYPost.

Coincidentally, I've never been a fan of Sherman's work in the past, as I have mentioned on this blog before. However, the work he's done this year has completely changed that opinion. He's started to shift away from the "opinion" heavy pieces that's he done in the past and gone to a more "reporter" feel. It's worked out wonderfully. When he reports the story, as opposed to how he feels about it, he does a tremendous job.

As for Lee, I would have to agree with the assessment that the Mets match up better with the Mariners than most people are giving them credit for. Jack Zduriencik is a scout at heart and trusts his eyes/instincts when it comes to getting players. However, just as Sherman points out, the Twins are a scouting based team just like the Mets. It should get more and more interesting watching this unfold.

As for the Rays rumors, who in their right mind would trade an ace (even if he is a rental) for Upton right now? Better yet, who in their right mind would trade Upton right now? The golden rule of GMs is to never dump a guy at his lowest value unless you absolutely have to. The Rays do not have to, though. He's young, they're winning and he still has upside. Trading him and probably a prospect or two for a rental would be irrational. Upton's trade value can't get any lower right now, it can only get higher. So let it do just that. Then trade him.

Notable Mets History

7/07/2010 11:25:00 AM Josh Alley

On this day in 1964 the Mets played the first and only All-Star game at Shea Stadium. The National League won the game 7-4 on a comeback win in the ninth capped by a three run homer by Johnny Callison. The Mets' 2B Ron Hunt became the first Mets player to be start an All-Star game. It was very fitting considering the game was played at Shea.

Down On The Farm - 7/6/10

7/07/2010 10:56:00 AM Josh Alley

We bring you back our daily farm report today, only with a little bit of a different format. Instead of detailed recaps, we'll bring you just final scores and the lines of notable Mets prospects.

In Buffalo, the Bisons dropped a tough one to Syracuse, 5-4. The notables:

Fernando Martinez went 0-3 with a walk and a run scored.
Lucas Dude went 3-4 with a two RBI double and a run scored.
Manuel Alvarez went two innings in relief and gave up a hit, walk and struck out one.

In Altoona, the Binghamton Mets won 11-6.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis went 4-4 with three scored, a double, three RBIs and a walk.
Sean Ratliff was 3-6 with two runs scored, a home run and four RBIs.
Nick Evans was 1-3 with two walks and a solo home run.
Raul Reyes went 0-5.

Mark Cohoon started and went four innings, giving up three hits, two walks, two earned and struck out two.

Dylan Owen went an inning of relief and gave up two hits, three walks and four earned.

In St. Lucie, the Mets beat Charlotte 8-5.

Jordany Valdespin was 1-4 with an RBI.

Wilmer Flores was 4-5 (now batting .431) with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs.

Carlos Beltran, playing for the second straight night in CF, went 2-4 with a double, run scored and a walk. Getting excited about his return.

Stefan Welch was 1-4 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI.
Kai Gronauer went 1-4 with a walk and an RBI.

Oliver Perez started, going 5.2 and giving up two hits, three walks, two earned and striking out seven. Not excited about his return.

In Savannah, the Gnats dropped one to Rome, 7-6.

Pedro Zapata was 1-3 with a triple, walk and a run scored.
Jefry Marte was 2-4 with a walk, RBI and a run scored.
Willy Tovar was 1-4 with an RBI.

Collin McHugh started and went six innings, giving up five hits, one walk, two earned and striking out nine.

Luis Rojas pitched 1.1 of relief. Despite hitting 97 on the gun multiple times and striking out two, he did give up two hits, a walk and three runs. Only one was earned though.

Post Game 7/6/10 Mets 3 - Reds 0

7/06/2010 09:43:00 PM Josh Alley

The Mets got the scoring started in a way no one would have expected. After Tejada singled up the middle with one out in the bottom of the third, Santana tried to bunt him over. However, for some weird reason Tejada decided to steal on the play and was thrown out easily. What did Santana do? Oh, he just homered on the 12th pitch of his marathon at bat, a line drive off the right field foul pole. The homer was Santana's first of his career. 1-0 Mets.

After beginning to wonder if the Mets would ever give Santana any run support, they quieted my thoughts in the sixth. Reyes lead off with a bunt single. He was moved to second on a fielder's choice by Pagan and then Wright was intentionally walked. They were moved over to second and third after what was one of the worst throws I've ever seen, by Votto. He made a nice stab on a hard grounder by Ike, but then made a weird belly flop in the midst of trying to throw the ball to second and it, as expected was nowhere near the bag. Fortunately for the Reds, Cabrera was able to recover and get the out at first. But for some inexplicable reason, the lefty Maloney was left in to face Bay with the open bag at first. Instead of pitching around/walking him, they pitched to him and Bay made them pay. He drilled a single to center to make it 3-0.

That would be all the support Santana needed on the night as he pitched a magnificent three hit shutout. He walked three on the day, but struck out five and was throwing 91 mph consistently in the ninth inning. It was certainly the Johan Santana Show tonight. Let's go Mets!

Cliff Lee Talks Not Progressing

7/06/2010 03:14:00 PM Josh Alley

According to this report from rotoworld.com quoting a tweet from John Paul Morosi, the Mets' talks with the Mariners regarding Cliff Lee are not making much progress.

It's interesting to me that that within 24 hours, reports have surfaced that the Twins have offered Hicks and Ramos, but also that the Mets' talks aren't going very far. To me, this seems like an awful lot of posturing. While I don't believe that this is being done with the hopes that Omar will read the reports and up his offer, I do believe it's a bait to bait to bring other teams in. If the Mariners can drag other teams in, or get an involved team to up it's offer, then that would give them the leverage they need to squeeze more out of Omar.

Why do I believe that? Very simple. Two weeks ago, even as little as a week ago, there was no mention of the Mets not being able to add payroll. There was, however, reports from Seattle publications that Cliff Lee to the Mets was getting "louder and louder". Now, all of a sudden, we're hearing "no money", "not progressing", etc. Typical deadline posturing.

A final note: GMs do not leak accurate information to well known publications. They leak inaccurate info to them. The guys who have traditionally gotten the inside scoop are lesser known reporters. Ken Rosenthal was a relative unknown until a few offseasons ago, when he seemingly broke every trade/signing. Jon Heyman was known mostly in NY until he broke all the news a couple years back. Now he's known throughout the country and has coincidentally broken several false news items since gaining notoriety. My point being, if you want to take a guess at which news is the most accurate, your best bet is with the least known guy. Of course, I could be way wrong, but that's just the nature of the rumor mill.

Starting Lineup - 7/6/10

7/06/2010 02:57:00 PM Josh Alley

The Mets look to bounce back from a tough loss to the Reds last night. They'll send out Johan Santana (5-5, 3.41 ERA) to face a yet to be announced starter for the Reds. Harang was due to start yesterday, but was bumped to today with back pain. However, the Reds have yet to give a definitive answer on his start. The lineup for the 7:10 PM start:

1. Jose Reyes SS
2. Angel Pagan CF
3. David Wright 3B
4. Ike Davis 1B
5. Jason Bay LF
6. Jeff Franceour RF
7. Rod Barajas C
8. Ruben Tejada 2B
9. Johan Santana P

Santana will look to build upon his last start, when he went seven, gave up only one run and struck out seven. Johan Santana returning to form would have as much impact on this Mets team as a trade for Cliff Lee. So if he gets back to throwing 92-94 and dominating, things will be just fine. There's no reason to believe that can't happen, either, as Santana's velocity has been steadily increasing as the season's progressed.

Beltran Off The Bench

7/06/2010 09:57:00 AM Josh Alley

Apparently, Jerry Manuel and quite possibly even Omar Minaya are starting to act as irrational as most Mets fans are after last night's loss. Jerry had this to say to reporters last night about the possibility of Beltran being activated for the Atlanta series on Friday:

"If there are no setbacks, I would expect that discussion to take place later in the week," the manager said. "It's not just having that bat on the bench against the Braves, it's the threat of having that bat come off the bench." - via NYPost

This, to me, is a completely irrational notion. Send down Carter, call up Val Pascucci or Nick Evans. Both are right handed, both have tons of pop. Neither of them are long term solutions, but would be just fine coming off the bench for three games. Or, here's a fantastic idea, if you activate Beltran, let him start. If you do, that puts Pagan or Franceour on the bench. Both would hit right handed off Wagner, too. Just plain old stupid to activate Beltran to come off the bench. If that's the case, let him finish his rehab and come back the first game after the All-Star break. Geez, we hit a little rough patch and everyone starts getting all crazy. We'll be fine everyone, just relax. That goes for you, too, Jerry.

Cliff Lee Update

7/06/2010 09:40:00 AM Josh Alley

In the earliest hours of this morning, MLB.com's Mike McCall brings us an update (via Jeff Fletcher's twitter) of the Cliff Lee trade saga. The most noteworthy commentary:

AOL Fanhouse's Jeff Fletcher reported Monday that the Twins have offered prospects Aaron Hicks and Wilson Ramos for Cliff Lee, who has a 2.34 ERA and boasts a strikeout-to-walk-ratio of almost 15-to-1. - MLB.com

This is certainly an intriguing package from the Twins, if it's true. The Mets certainly have more than one package they can offer that would exceed that one. However, it would require more than two prospects from the Mets, or a player like Pagan, as Hicks is currently rated as a better prospect than anyone in the Mets system. Not to mention most rate Ramos as a better prospect than Thole.

This whole situation is starting to make me a little bit nervous, as you've heard less and less about Lee to the Mets the past few days. At this point, I'd like to see the Mets get aggressive and do whatever it takes to get Lee. But, for all I know they could be attempting to do just that. During the whole Johan Santana trade ordeal, not much was said about the Mets being serious contenders or about what they might be offering. Next thing you know, Santana was a Met. So we'll see how this Lee ordeal shakes out. I just wish that something would come easily to the Mets. That's just not how it goes in Mets land. I believe somewhere there's a rule that Mets fans have to be on the verge of a heart attack before anything good can happen.

Notable Mets History

7/06/2010 09:27:00 AM Josh Alley

After a few days off (except that I worked like mad at my regular job), I bring you some notable Mets history.

On this day in 2004, Richard Hidalgo set a franchise record by hitting a home run in his fifth straight game. That record still stands.

I remember that home run streak like it was yesterday. They had just traded for Hildalgo less than three weeks prior to the streak. The Mets traded David Weathers and Jeremy Griffiths to get him.

In that year, Denny Walling was the hitting coach to start the season. Jim Duquette was still the GM. The middle of the order after the trade was Piazza, Hidalgo, and Cliff Floyd. Oh, and Shane Spencer and Karim Garcia were platooning in RF. Did I forget to mention Art Howe was manager? What a long way we've come since then.

Starting Lineup 7/4/10

7/04/2010 11:14:00 AM Anonymous

The Mets will look to even the series against the Nats today when they send Hisanori Takahashi (6-3, 4.24 ERA) to the mound to battle against Craig Stammen (2-2, 5.13 ERA). Stammen is just 1-2 with a 4.67 ERA against the Mets in his career.

1. Angel Pagan CF
2. Alex Cora 2B
3. David Wright 3B
4. Ike Davis 1B
5. Jason Bay LF
6. Jeff Francoeur RF
7. Rod Barajas C
8. Ruben Tejada SS
9. Hisanori Takahashi P

Yet another game without Jose. His side is still bothering him which should be of concern to Mets fans and Brass as they are by far a much better team with him in the lineup.

It's The Fourth

7/04/2010 10:09:00 AM Anonymous

Have a happy, fun and more importantly safe Fourth of July.

Dickey After No Decision

7/04/2010 09:46:00 AM Anonymous

After pitching a superb game yesterday limiting the Nats to just 2 unearned runs in 7 innings only to see his effort squandered by a poor performance by Francisco Rodriguez. After the game he kept a light mood and was joking around with reporters when they asked him about his counterpart Stephen Strasburg and losing the decision...

"Not that he's not good. He's very good. But I felt like the ball was going to be invisible. It was nice when I got up there and actually saw it. I know I struck out, just because I'm a pitcher. He threw me a breaking ball I thought was going to hit me in the mouth and it was a strike. But I saw it."

It's good to see him joking around after a tough loss for the team.

In Manuel's Shoes

7/04/2010 09:07:00 AM Anonymous

So last night you saw K-Rod blow a two run lead in the ninth when he gave up a game tying

bases loaded double by Adam Dunn. The double came after he gave up a hit and after two walks. The problem with this scenario is that when he was pitching to Zimmerman he bounced 3 fastballs in 4 pitches. I'm not talking just before they got to the plate, more like 40 footers that didn't have a prayer. It's easy to want to stick with your closer but Francisco was showing all the signs of not having it at all yesterday. You wonder why Jerry didn't make the move after he gave up the double to Dunn who, for a fastball hitter, was thrown a steady diet of fastballs. Something had to be off with K-Rod maybe he didn't have his off speed stuff but as the coach he wouldn't have been riding pine regardless of his status. In fact he probably would have been relieved to be lifted from the game. Here's a word from Rodriguez about his performance last night.

"I'm so embarrassed. I just want to apologize to the fans that were watching that. I know I'm better than that. I know I'm capable to do better than the BLEEEEEP job I did today. I've just got to tomorrow make sure to be ready. I don't have any concern. The thing I've got to do is I've got to go out there and do a better job and get people out."

Post Game Run Through

7/02/2010 10:02:00 PM Anonymous

The Mets came out on top as they downed the Nationals by the score of 5-3. Another terrific start from Jon Niese who, as pointed out by Jesse Orosco, was consistent with his arm angle and motion when using both his cutter and curveball. Oh yeah, he also did it with the bat when he scored Alex Cora from third with a double. Some other key points and performances on the night...

David Wright- 3 for 5 with a double and a run

Alex Cora-1 for 4 with a clutch triple to clear the bases with 2 outs

and of course...

Jon Niese- 7 IP, 6H, 1ER, 0BB and 8 K's(career high)

The final out came when Francisco Rodriguez, who let up two runs in the inning, picked off Roger Bernadina at second base. It was good to see the Mets come out on top after a disappointing walk off loss last night.

All-Star Voting

7/02/2010 09:52:00 PM Anonymous

So Last night marked the end of the All-Star voting, at least for now anyway. The starters will be announced this Sunday at 5 p.m. EST. Hopefully David Wright made it in but I have a sneaking suspicion that biased Phillie fans kept voting for Polanco regardless of the fact that he's on the disabled list. Not to take away anything from Placido but Wright has been tearing it up and his June performance should have been enough to put Placido under. We'll find out on the 4th.

Mets Sign Bruney

7/02/2010 08:57:00 PM Anonymous

The Mets took the bait and signed the ex-Yankee Brian Bruney to a minor league deal. He has been assigned to Triple A. If he gets the call at some point I hope he and K-Rod can keep from coming to fistacuffs.

Igarashi Bump

7/02/2010 09:48:00 AM Anonymous

So last night Igarashi gave up the winning sac fly in the bottom of the ninth inning. The thing is I think he was a victim of being called in at the wrong time... At the start of the ninth inning Feliciano was able to get the first out but looked as though he reached max effort in doing so. The very next batter,Willlie Harris, he walked and then the drag bunt by Morgan. At the time Ryota was warming in the bullpen and in my opinion should have been brought in to face Christian Guzman. You would have a fresher arm with radically different stuff to battle with Guzman and if he got on then you would have to deal with Zimmerman with the bases juiced. It made no sense to wait until the bases were jammed until you make that change. Especially after Igarashi showed the night before that he pitched out of the stretch effectively.

Post Game 7/1/10 Nationals 2 - Mets 1

7/01/2010 09:57:00 PM Josh Alley

The Mets did what they seemingly always do and scored first. Feliciano lead off the game with a single up the middle. Tejada bunted him over to second and after a strikeout by Wright, Ike drove him home with a bloop single over the second baseman's head to make it 1-0. That was only the second first inning run Livan allowed this season.

Santana was cruising through 6.2 with no runs allowed until the Nats finally got to him. Ian Desmond lead off the game with a single, Nieves bunted him over and a wild pitch by Santana (his first of the year) two batters later moved him to third. Nyjer Morgan finished the job with an opposite field single to score Desmond and tie it at one. That would be all Santana allowed, though, as he finished with seven innings, six hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. Santana was regularly throwing in the 90-91 range and was sharp the whole way through. Very encouraging start from Santana.

Unfortunately, Jerry seemed hell bent on not winning this game. After Feliciano got the last two outs in the eighth, Jerry brought him back out for the ninth. After allowing hitters to reach first and second with one out, Jerry left him in to face Christian Guzman, who's was batting .363 right handed. What did he do? Single to load the bases. After Jerry then brought Igarashi in, Zimmerman hit a sac fly to end the game. Just an awful, awful decision to leave Feliciano in. Cost us the game, no doubt about it.

Starting Lineup - 7/1/10

7/01/2010 03:44:00 PM Josh Alley

The Mets will look to start off the month July as hot as they played in the month of June. They'll open up a four game set with the Nationals in a 7:10 PM start at Washington. Johan Santana (5-5, 3.55 ERA) will look to turn his season around against Livan Hernandez (6-4, 3.10 ERA). The lineup:

1. Jesus Feliciano CF
2. Ruben Tejada SS
3. David Wright 3B
4. Ike Davis 1B
5. Jeff Franceour RF
6. Chris Carter LF
7. Henry Blanco C
8. Alex Cora 2B
9. Johan Santana P

As you can see, no Reyes, Bay or Pagan today. For Bay, it's just a day off. For Reyes and Pagan, they're both sidelined with injuries to their sides. Hopefully, it will be the last day out of the lineup for both.

The Mets are 1-6 in their last seven games in Washington, though they did split a two game series the last time they played. Obviously, with the Nationals playing so poorly, this series will have a different feel to it this time around. However, just because a team is playing poorly (cough cough, Marlins, cough) doesn't mean it'll be easy.

A Little Bit Of Phillies News

7/01/2010 12:42:00 PM Josh Alley

While it is generally not my intention to report on the happenings of other teams, I felt this bit of information to be very prudent. David Murhpy of the Philadelphia Daily News brought us news of Utley and Polanco's injuries. Utley's update was of the most significance.

Sprains may range from first-degree to third, with higher-grade sprains featuring significant tearing, and third-degree being a complete tear of the ligament (in Utley's case, the ulnar collateral ligament).

Surgery to repair a thumb ligament generally sidelines a position player for 6 to 10 weeks. - David Murphy, Philadelphia Daily News

Murphy doesn't come right out and say it, but he seems to be alluding to the fact that there's a good chance Utley will have surgery and miss significant time. His reporting of Utley and Manuel's reactions to Utley's first MRI are very telling. Apparently, Utley left angry, before reporters could question him about it.

I find it very funny that several Phillies fans laughed at me when I told them Utley wouldn't hit .300, 30 home runs, OR drive in 100. That means none of the three. Even before the injury Utley wasn't on pace for any of those three. Guess those Phillie fan friends of mine aren't laughing anymore. As I write this post, Peter Gammons just tweeted that Utley will, in fact, require surgery. That answers that question.

What I will say is this: This is what happens when almost the entire core of your team is over 30 years old. No, I am not including Hamels in that core. He needs to be much more consistent to earn that moniker. Even still, Halladay is 33, Lidge is 33, Moyer's 47, Howard is 30, Rollins is 31, Victorino is 29, Ibanez is 38, Werth is 31, and Polanco is 34. I think you get the point. Basically, as the Mets learned the past four seasons, age is a killer.

Cliff Lee...Done As A Mariner?

7/01/2010 11:45:00 AM Josh Alley

Jim Duquette, former NY Mets GM, had the following to say on his Twitter page not too long ago:

Jim_Duquette Cliff Lee told people around the club, Tuesday may have been his last start as a Mariner.

Hmmmm, very interesting. If this is true, that means Cliff Lee would be traded within 2-3 days. But to what team? Hopefully the Mets, of course. We shall see very soon I guess.

Hiram Bithorn Stadium Woes

7/01/2010 09:06:00 AM Anonymous

As a whole I am not a big fan of the Mets playing in Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

Don't get me wrong I think the fans down in the PR exceeded the crowd that would have been in Miami but there is just something about the Stadium that bothers me. I think that's the only thing I did enjoy from the series, the fans and their overwhelming passion for the game. It was like a 3-day party. Every time I looked up to see video of fans everyone was cheering and jumping around having a great time. There was one point where a fan started to throw beers out to various people in his section. However, the added travel time coming with no off day, combined with a stadium that the Team hasn't played in since 2004 resulted in a poor showing. I am all for exploring different baseball markets just not at the expense of the team or players(Reyes' apparent injury rumored to be the result of the turf). To top it all off the Mets are now just 3-7 when they play in Puerto Rico. If Loria can't draw a crowd at Miami, like he couldn't in Montreal, than maybe he should move them to Puerto Rico full time with the promise of a new stadium or at least one with grass.

Notable Mets History

7/01/2010 09:00:00 AM Josh Alley

This day in 2003 was one of great relief for Mets fans, as they saw the Mets trade Roberto Alomar and cash to the Chicago White Sox for Andrew Salvo, Edwin Almonte and Royce Ring. Of the three prospects, only Royce Ring had a semblance of a major league career. Salvo never made the majors and left the game in '06. Almonte pitched briefly, and terribly, for the Mets in '03 before never really being heard of again. Royce pitched five seasons in the majors before heading to the minors for the past two, where he currently pitches for the Yankees Triple-A team.

As for Alomar, he was quite possibly the most hated Met ever and rightfully so. He was a loafer and a generally ornery guy.

Down On The Farm - 6/30/10

7/01/2010 08:30:00 AM Josh Alley

One day after our top four minor league teams swept all their games, they very nearly got swept away. If not for Buffalo getting a win, it would have been one awfully crazy turnaround.

The aforementioned Buffalo picked up the win, 9-4, to sweep the four game set from Syracuse. It was all offense all night as Lucas Duda homered in his third straight game, Mike Cervenak went 3-3 and Jorge Padilla was the key with a 3-4 day, including two doubles and four RBIs. Fernando Martinez added a double and run scored in two at bats after pinch hitting for the pitcher in the seventh.

In Binghamton, the B-Mets squandered a solid outing by Mike Antonini, losing 6-3 to Altoona. Antonini went seven, gave up five hits, one walk, three earned and struck out seven. Emary Frederick made the start afterthought by giving up three earned in 0.2 in relief of Antonini. It wasn't all bad though, as Nieuwenhuis hit his tenth homer of the season, Nick Evans went 1-3 with a double and a run scored, and Sean Ratliff went 2-4 with a double and run scored of his own.

St. Lucie continued the losing by dropping one 8-3 to Jupiter. Perez took the loss in his rehab start. He went six, gave up five hits, a walk, four earned and struck out six. He gave up two home runs on the night. The other rehabbing Met, Carlos Beltran, played all nine in CF, got one putout and went 2-4 at the plate with two singles and an RBI. Jordany Valdespin and Wilmer Flores both went 2-5.

Finishing up with Savannah, where they continued their struggles since all the promtions, the Gnats lost a tough one in Greenville, 2-1. Armando Rodriguez did his best to win it for the Gnats, going seven and giving up only four hits, one walk and one earned run. He struck out an impressive nine hitters on the night. But the offense couldn't get it going to support him. Nick Santomauro and Cesar Puello both picked up two singles that lead to nothing of substance. Dock Doyle went 1-4 with an RBI and that was about it.

All-Star Voting Ends At Midnight

7/01/2010 08:17:00 AM Anonymous

VOTE NOW, LATER AND ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN

Wright Ran The Mets In June

7/01/2010 08:04:00 AM Anonymous

As if you already didn't know David Wright was on fire for the month of June. He set a Mets record with a .404 batting average while driving in 29 runners, the first time a Met has done so in a calendar month(elias). It still bothers me that he is not a lock at 3rd base for the All-Star game considering the fact that during June he had more RBI's than there were games.

Post Game 6/30/10 Mets 6 - Marlins 5

7/01/2010 12:37:00 AM Josh Alley

The Mets jumped on the board quickly in this one yet again. Jesus Feliciano lead off the first with a double subbing for Reyes in the leadoff spot. After Tejada reached on an error by Gaby Sanchez, Wright drove them both home with a double to center to make it 2-0. Those two RBIs gave Wright 29 in June, tying a career high in a month. Big Ike singled home Reyes on a line drive that nearly took on the second base ump to put the Mets up 3-0.

Mike Pelfrey didn't start the game all that sharp, though. He gave up a lead off double to Chris Coghlan and two batters later, Hanley drove him in with a single to make it 3-1. After striking out Cantu and watching Hanley steal second, Pelfrey watched Uggla single home Hanley to make it 3-2. Pelfrey threw 40 pitches in the first.

Alex Cora and Jesus Feliciano, both native Puerto Ricans, had Pelfrey's back. Cora lead off the second with a ball hit down the left field line that he tried stretching into a double. Uggla appeared to have him dead to rights, but Cora made the slide of the year, picking up his left arm at the last second and sneaking his right hand onto the bag to beat it out. After a hard bunt by Pelfrey that failed to advance him, Feliciano made it a moot point by singling to left to bring home Cora and make it 4-2.

Pelfrey's uneven start continued in the bottom of the fifth. He let up a leadoff single to Hanley and followed that by giving up a double to Cantu, scoring Ramirez. Uggla came right up and tied the game with a single to score Cantu. He left with two outs in the inning, handing the ball to Dessens, who got yet another clutch out to end the inning.

The Mets picked up Pelfrey in the top of the sixth thanks to some really bad Marlins defense. Cantu let a Bay grounder go under his glove and then The Animal singled him over to second. Two batters later, Cora hit a ground ball to Uggla that should have been a double play to end the inning, but Uggla did a weird hop and dropped the ball without getting any outs. Josh Thole then put the Mets ahead 5-4 with a single to center. Unfortunately, Hanley made a great snag of a Feliciano line drive up the middle and easily doubled up Cora to end the inning and save at least one run.

In the top of the seventh, the Mets extended their lead again, thanks to the fourth Marlins error on the night. Tejada was hit in the back with a pitch to lead off the inning. Cue the bad Marlins defense as Wright reached on a wild throw by Cantu and put runners on first and second. Two batters later, Bay drove in Tejada with a single to make it 6-4 and cap the scoring in the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Marlins pulled to within one in Parnell's second inning of relief. With two outs, Parnell gave up a single to Chris Coghlan and then a double into left by Gaby Sanchez to make it 6-5. K-Rod then came on and got the last out of the inning.

He made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth as he seemingly always does, but ended the game with a strikeout to end the nightmare that was the Puerto Rico trip. Boy am I ever glad that experiment is over. I thought it'd be a great idea. I still think it is, just not with the Mets involved.

Rehabbing Mets

6/30/2010 10:03:00 PM Josh Alley

The Mets had two players rehabbing down in St. Lucie tonight. We all know Beltran's there working his way back, but Oliver Perez also made his first rehab appearance in St. Lucie tonight.

We'll start with Perez, who was, well, Perez. He went six innings, gave up five hits, one walk and four earned runs, including two homers allowed. He did strike out seven on the night, though. Not an altogether terrible start for Perez, but not great either. The seven strikeouts and only one walk were definitely the silver lining. The two home runs? Not so much.

Beltran had himself a very encouraging night, playing all nine innings in CF. He had five balls hit to him all night, but only one putout (the other four were singles or doubles he had no chance of reaching). Nice to see Beltran get tested out in the field tonight. Will be even nicer if all is well with the knee tomorrow. Beltran had a good night at the plate as well, going 2-4 with two singles and an RBI. He's now batting .391 during his rehab assignment. Keep it rolling, Carlos.

Reyes Hurt During Warmup

6/30/2010 06:12:00 PM Josh Alley

Jose Reyes apparently injured his side while batting in the cages before the game. He was escorted into the clubhouse by the trainer, came back out to test it, then was sent back in the clubhouse with the trainer. Not good. We'll keep you posted.

Update 6:12: Reyes has been scratched with a stiff lower back. New lineup:

1. Jesus Feliciano CF
2. Ruben Tejada SS
3. David Wright 3B
4. Ike Davis 1B
5. Jason Bay LF
6. Chris Carter RF
7. Rod Barajas C
8. Alex Cora 2B
9. Mike Pelfrey P

Hmmm.....I Didn't Know That

6/30/2010 04:55:00 PM Josh Alley

That's right ladies and gentleman, it's Wednesday, which means it's time for your little known Mets fact of the week. This fact is going to revolve around my favorite Met of the past five years, Carlos Beltran.

Did you know that Carlos Beltran was a standout volleyball player all through high school, only to finally give up volleyball for baseball at seventeen thanks to his father's convincing? Could you imagine if Beltran had gone with volleyball instead? Talk about a waste of talent. I think everyone needs to go out and buy a nice gift for Beltran's dad.

Notable Mets History

6/30/2010 04:25:00 PM Josh Alley

On this day in 2000, Mike Piazza caps an historic comeback for the Mets against the Braves with a three run bomb. The ten run inning still stands as a Mets franchise record for a single inning. Perhaps more impressively, the Mets scored nine of those runs with two outs to finish off the 11-8 win. Sometimes I forget just how special that 2000 team was. If only they didn't have Benitez as their closer.

Starting Lineup - 6/30/10

6/30/2010 04:18:00 PM Josh Alley

The Mets look to avoid the sweep in their three game set with the Marlins at San Juan. They'll send their ace Mike Pelfrey (10-2, 2.71 ERA) to stop the bleeding against Chris Volstad (4-7, 4.40 ERA). This is where the Mets need Pelfrey to step up and be the stopper he is quickly becoming. The lineup:

1. Jose Reyes SS
2. Jesus Feliciano CF
3. David Wright 3B
4. Ike Davis 1B
5. Jason Bay LF
6. Chris Carter RF
7. Rod Barajas C
8. Alex Cora 2B
9. Mike Pelfrey P

It is essential that the Mets get the win tonight and put the nightmare series behind them. They're currently 0-6 against the Marlins on the road this year and I'd definitely like it if they not go 0-7. They'll have their work cut out for them, though, as Volstad has a nifty 2.70 ERA against the Mets in four career starts. However, he is only 1-2 against the Mets in those starts, so they've found ways to win against Volstad despite not scoring many runs.

Down On The Farm - 6/29/10

6/30/2010 03:57:00 PM Josh Alley

Sorry for the delay on this folks, but I had to be at work extra early this morning, leaving me with no time to post. However, it was a perfect day for the Mets' core four minor league teams as all of them picked up the win.

Buffalo won their game at home aagainst Syracuse, 6-1, behind the strength of some fantastic pitching by Dillon Gee. He started and went seven, giving up only three hits, a walk and one earned. He struck out six on the day. Lucas Duda homered for the second straight game, a solo shot. Mike Jacobs and J.R. House each picked up two hits, a double, and two RBIs. Fernando Martinez added two hits, a double, run scored and RBI of his own. Solid effort all around.

Binghamton picked up the win at home, as well, beating Altoona by a score of 9-5. The MVP of the game was undoubtedly Raul Reyes. He had two hits on the day, including the game winning grand slam in the third inning. He had a total of five RBIs in the game. Mike Nickeas added two hits and two runs of his own, Nieuwenhuis picked up his first hit since returning to the lineup, a double. Nick Evans picked up two more hits and a run to continue his very solid season. Eric Niesen started for the Mets and picked up the win despite not having his best stuff. He went five, gave up five hits, three walks, three runs and struck out three.

St. Lucie, also at home, picked up their win against Jupiter, 7-3. Leadoff hitter Jordany Valdespin set the tone with a 3-5 day, scoring a run and driving in two more. Wilmer Flores was also 3-5 with a run scored. His average in 27 ABs since joining St. Lucie is now at .481. Small sample, but still impressive. Beltran was 1-5 with a single as the DH. Brad Holt pitched fairly well despite walking just about everyone in the stadium. He went five, gave up two hits, one run and walked five. He did strike out 5, though.

Savannah picked up the lone road win of the night, winning 6-1 at Greenville. The pitching was the key in this game as three pitchers combined to give up only one unearned run. John Church, making his first appearance as a starter, went four innings of shutout ball and gave up only a hit and a walk while striking out three. Luis Rojas and Gabriel Zavala combined to go the last five, giving up only three baserunners and striking out five between them. The unearned run was charged to Zavala. On the offensive side, Cesar Puello and Alonzo Harris both picked up two hits, with Harris' three run homer putting the game away in the sixth. Pedro Zapata, 1-5 on the day, pushed the game winning runs across the plate with a two run single in the second.

Post Game 6/29/10 Marlins 7 - Mets 6

6/29/2010 10:23:00 PM Josh Alley

The Mets got things back to normal by scoring in the top of the first. Angel Pagan hit a ground ball to Hanley that knocked him down and then Ramirez threw the ball off his leg to allow Pagan to reach base. After Wright singled him to third, Bay drove him in with a sac fly to make it 1-0. Wright was caught tagging to second on the play to end the inning. It was a smart risk by Wright nonetheless.

The Mets extended their lead in the top of the third when Tejada lead off with a single, Takahashi pushed him to second with a bunt and Reyes drove him in with a double (he moved to third on an errant throw) to make it 2-0. Pagan pushed Reyes past the plate with the second Mets' sac fly on the night to go up 3-0. Once again, Wright made the third out at second. He hit a single to center and then on the first pitch of Bay's at bat was thrown out trying to steal.

Takahashi did a fantastic job of giving up the lead in the bottom of the third. After loading the bases up for Hanley, Takahashi gave up the slam to make it 4-3 in a swing of a bat. Two batters later, Takahashi gave up a two run shot to make 6-3. Wow, talk about awful. Cliff Lee anyone?

In the top of the seventh, the Mets got themselves back on the board after three quiet innings. Tatis lead off with a bloop double that should have been caught by more than one Marlin. Franceour followed with a bloop single of his own the Coghlan misjudged to put runners on the corners. Tejada then grounded into what seemed to be a double play except that Hanley botched it, resulting in only the out at second and a run to come home to make it 6-4.

The Mets just wouldn't go away quietly in this one. Rod Barajas lead off the ninth with a single to left field and The Animal drilled a double into left to put runners on second and third with no outs. After a Franceour groundout scored Barajas to make it 6-5, Josh Thole became the unlikely hero with a single up the middle to tie it at six.

Unfortunately, it just wasn't enough tonight. The Marlins won it in the bottom of the ninth on a two out double by Cantu and a single by Uggla to drive him in and end the game, 7-6. Tough loss. Come back and get them tomorrow guys.

Hypothetical Situation

6/29/2010 07:10:00 PM Josh Alley

My friend (a Yankees fan) posed the following hypothetical situation to me the other day:

Him: If, for $30 million tax free, you had to cost the Mets game 7 of the World Series in a manner slightly worse than that of Bartman, would you do it?

Me: Wow, that's a an awfully tough one.

Him: Not only that, but every time David Wright came to bat afterwards, a video would come up on the Jumbotron of him saying, "I hate Josh Alley more than anything in the world".

Me: Laughing hysterically. I think I'd have to go with no???

Him: No way! You wouldn't take the cash?

Me: Nah man, some things are just worth more than money.

That, in a nut shell, describes my love for the Mets.

Oliver Perez Rehab Official

6/29/2010 04:48:00 PM Josh Alley

According to Adam Rubin at espnnewyork.com, Oliver Perez will officially start his rehab assignment tomorrow, pitching for the St. Lucie Mets. Also, according to Rubin's Twitter page, the Mets have signed Michael Barret to a minor league deal. Wouldn't be surprised if this was in an effort to get some catching depth at Buffalo pending a trend involving Thole. Just speculation on my part, though.

Starting Lineup - 6/29/10

6/29/2010 04:41:00 PM Josh Alley

The Mets look to bounce back from the home run festival yesterday and pick up a win in the 7:10 PM start in San Juan, Puerto Rico. They'll be throwing Hisanori Takahashi (6-3, 3.78 ERA) out to face fellow lefty Nate Robinson (5-6, 4.89 ERA). The lineup:

1. Jose Reyes SS
2. Angel Pagan CF
3. David Wright 3B
4. Jason Bay LF
5. Rod Barajas C
6. Fernando Tatis 1B
7. Jeff Franceour RF
8. Ruben Tejada 2B
9. Hisanori Takahashi P

It's good to see Pagan back in the lineup, however, I hope he's fully ready to play as we don't need him worsening his injury. I'll also be interested to see how well Bay plays today after busting out with two homers yesterday. Would be nice to see him come back strong today and get hot. The Mets beat Robinson the only time they faced him this season, roughing him up for six earned in 4.2 innings. Takahashi took a no decision in his only start against Florida, giving up five earned in 5.1 innings.

Your Daily Dose Of Beltran

6/29/2010 03:44:00 PM Josh Alley

Carlos Beltran started at DH in an early St. Lucie game today. He went 1-5 on the day again, once again with a single. My guess is that Beltran didn't play the field simply due to the fact that it was an early game and they didn't want to overtax the knee. I have a feeling he'll starting playing back to back games in the field within the next couple of days.

Vote The Wright Way

6/29/2010 03:40:00 PM Josh Alley

According to the updated NL All-Star voting results released today, David Wright trails Polanco by only 22,635 votes for the starting 3B slot. Wright closed the gap by over 100,000 votes over the last week and has until the end of Thursday to surpass Polanco. With Polanco on the DL, Wright is all but certain to start. However, let's do our job and vote him in like he deserves. You can vote for Wright by going here. By the way, you can vote up to 25 times.

More On Cliff Lee Possibility

6/29/2010 10:23:00 AM Anonymous

In a post written by Tim Dierkes of MLBTraderumors.com, Tim goes on to suggest that the Mets may ultimately exclude themselves from the Cliff Lee sweepstakes...

In my opinion, the Mets probably couldn't swing a Lee trade with Fernando Martinez as the centerpiece. He's hitting .248/.299/.397 at Triple A currently. Starter Brad Holt is struggling at Double A, though second baseman Reese Havens is raking. We heard from Rosenthal in on June 7th that the Mets are high on infielder Ruben Tejada, enough that they would be reluctant to include him in a Roy Oswalt trade. In a June 23rd article, Mark Hale of the New York Post found the Mets unlikely to include Mejia, Davis, or Jonathon Niese in a Lee offer. He opined that the Mets would have to build the deal around names like Tejada, Martinez, Wilmer Flores, Jeurys Familia, and Josh Thole. From where I'm sitting, the Mets don't seem like the team that will ultimately make the best offer for Lee. -Tim Dierkes MLBTRADERUMORS

I have fought over and over again about my stance on this but I will repeat it anyway. The Mets should not mortgage the future AGAIN. We have finally seen some of these guys breakout and start progressing through the system it would feel disappointing to just throw it away for a rental player. The Mets are a young team and they don't need to take on a win now mentality and mortgage away long term options.

Barajas Breathes A Sigh Of Relief

6/29/2010 10:14:00 AM Anonymous

When Henry Blanco started yesterday with R.A. dickey it marked the third straight game in which he did so. A trend that will likely continue for the foreseeable future. When questioned about Barajas not catching Tricky Dickey Jerry Manuel had this to say...

"I like Blanco and Dickey. It's a little better match for us catching him, a little easier for Henry than [Rod] Barajas. When Barajas catches him, it's such work that we really don't feel we have him for the next day."

Can't say I blame him as Barajas spends more time chasing after the Knuckler than actually catching it.

Retro Video

6/29/2010 09:10:00 AM Josh Alley

Check out this video from WNBC news after the Mets won the World Series in '86. Enjoy.

Down On The Farm - 6/28/10

6/29/2010 08:16:00 AM Josh Alley

Yesterday was an up and down day for the baby Mets as they dropped three and picked up two. Unfortunately for Savannah, they accounted for two of those losses. Let's take you through it.

The Bisons lost a tough one down in Charlotte, 13-12, in what proved to be a pretty wild game. Recent pickup Ramon Ortiz was the main culprit, going three innings while giving up 12 hits, two walks, nine earned runs and striking out only one. Obviously, Buffalo's offense fared pretty well though. Russ Adams was 3-6 with two homers and three RBIs, Andy Green was 2-5 with a solo homer, Val Pascucci was 3-5 with a solo homer, and Lucas Duda was 2-4 with a home run and 4 RBIs (not a grand slam). Unfortunately, it just wasn't enough.

The Binghamton Mets had a close one of their own, but came out on top 7-6 after six runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off with the win. The heroes of the day were definitely Sean Ratliff and Luis Hernandez. Neither had multiple hits, but Ratliff's three run homer in the bottom of the ninth made it 6-4 and Hernandez' two run double was the walkoff winner. By the way, Kirk Nieuwenhuis made his return to lineup after being out for just over two weeks and went 0-4.

In Jupiter, the St. Lucie Mets won their game handily, 7-4, despite a scare in the bottom of the eighth when they let up all four runs. Hector Pellot was the hero for a change, hitting a grand slam with two outs in the fourth and adding an RBI groundout in the eighth. Carlos Beltran played the full game in CF, going 1-5 with a run scored. Wilmer Flores went 3-5 and is now batting .455 through his first five games in St. Lucie. Kai Gronauer, Mike Fisher and Joey August each picked up two hits, with Fisher adding an RBI on top.

In Savannah, the Gnats dropped both games of their doubleheader. The drop the first game, the continuation of yesterday's suspended game, 9-0. Savannah managed only eight hits in both games combined, with Willy Tovar going 3-3 in the first game for the only real offensive highlight. The pitching was fairly awful on the day until Taylor Whitenton went five innings in the second game, giving up four hits, three walks, two earned and striking out four. It just wasn't enough, though, on a day where Savannah's offense was non existent. Savannah just hasn't been the same since all the promotions.

Carlos Beltran Update

6/28/2010 10:15:00 PM Josh Alley

After getting the day off yesterday, Beltran returned to the St. Lucie Mets lineup and played all nine innings in CF. According to the Mets' twitter page, which you can check out by clicking here, Beltran had only one put out on the day while going 1-5 with a single and a run scored. The tell tale sign is always going to be how he feels the day after increasing his workloads. So if Beltran is back in the lineup tomorrow night, things are definitely looking good.

Post Game 6/28/10 Marlins 10 - Mets 3

6/28/2010 09:51:00 PM Josh Alley

The Mets were not first to get the scoring going for a change. In the bottom of the first, Chris Coghlan lead off with a walk and then stole second. Gaby Sanchez bunted him over to third and Hanley Ramirez drove him in on a hard ground ball that Reyes couldn't corral to put them Marlins up 1-0. Reyes was charged with an error on the play. Two batters later, Uggla swung and missed on a pitch, sending his bat flying into the stands. The fan who caught it threw it back onto the field. Interesting.

It didn't take the Mets very long to get it back, though, as Jason Bay hit a one out solo homer to right center, tying the game at one. That raised Bay's homer total to five on the year.

The Marlins kept the runs coming in the bottom of the third when Ricky Nolasco ripped a two strike double over Feliciano's head, Coghlan bunted a single to move him to third and Gaby Sanchez drove them both in with a double into right field to make it 3-1. After a passed ball moved Sanchez to third, Hanley drove him in with a double to make it 4-1. Dickey appeared to be on his way out of the inning but Reyes made another error on a ground ball that should have ended the inning, but instead bounced off his glove into center to score Ramirez and make it 5-1.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Marlins extended their lead again on a solo shot by Cody Ross to pretty much the same spot as Bay to make it 6-1.

Just when it seemed the Mets were dead in the water, David Wright broke up a string of 15 straight batters retired by Nolasco with a single. After an Ike Davis strikeout, Bay hit his second homer of the game to get the Mets back in it, 6-3.

Chris Coghlan did his best in the bottom half to keep the Mets at bay with a solo homer of his own to make it 7-3. Geez. Talk about a bandbox.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Marlins finished things for good when Mike Stanton hit his second ML homer, a three run shot to left to make it 10-3. I'm no longer a fan of the San Juan experiment.

I suppose Dickey had to lose sometime and tonight was the night. He just didn't have his knuckleball going and without that he's not very effective. Hopefully the Mets' pitching staff got it out of their system and will go back to what we've all been used to starting tomorrow.

Oliver Perez

6/28/2010 07:49:00 PM Josh Alley

Word has it that Oliver Perez may start his rehab assignment later on in the week. This bit of news makes me wonder if there's any way possible to get Shooter McGavin's buddy to take out Perez Happy Gilmore style. Shoot, I'd even settle for Tonya Harding. Just kidding. We love you Oliver. Well, maybe not, but I still don't wish injury upon you, just that you never make it back to NY.

Starting Lineup - 6/28/10

6/28/2010 03:02:00 PM Josh Alley

The Mets will open up a three game series against the Marlins tonight at 7:10 PM in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Mets will see R.A. "Trickey" Dickey (6-0, 2.33 ERA) face fellow righty Ricky Nolasco (6-6, 4.92 ERA). The lineup:

1. Jose Reyes SS
2. Jesus Feliciano CF
3. David Wright 3B
4. Ike Davis 1B
5. Jason Bay LF
6. Jeff Franceour RF
7. Henry Blanco C
8. Ruben Tejada 2B
9. R.A. Dickey P

Should be interesting to see how a free swinging Marlins team will do against the new look Dickey. Traditionally, Dickey has not pitched well against the Marlins, though he did defeat them the last time he faced them on June 4. In that game, Dickey went 6.1 giving up seven hits, two walks, three earned and he struck out four to earn the win. Once again, the Mets will be attempting to surpass the Braves for first, coming in just a half game back. Let's go Mets!

Bullpen's Air Tight

6/28/2010 02:52:00 PM Josh Alley

The #Mets bullpen has allowed one run over its last 26.1 innings (0.34 ERA) dating back to June 17. - Mets, via Twitter

Wow, that's an impressive stat for sure. Sometimes I forget how good the bullpen has been because of how well the rotation has been. What a great problem to have.

Mejia Update

6/28/2010 02:28:00 PM Josh Alley

According to the Mets, Jenrry Mejia has a posterior cuff strain and will return to throwing when his pain subsides.

Judging by what occurred with Sammy Gervacio earlier in the year with the Astros, we can probably expect Mejia to miss in the range of 2-3 weeks. My guess is a month and possibly even more, though. According to this site, healing can take up to three months.

Gervacio was placed on the DL on April 7th with the same exact injury and then activated 17 days later. He went on to re-aggravate that injury a week or so later. After being optioned to Triple-A a few days after that, Gervacio made a handful of appearances with Round Rock before being placed on the DL after his May 16th appearance. He's still on the DL today. What doesn't help, though, is that Gervacio has one of the most unorthodox deliveries in baseball, so that has to have made it worse.

Basically, the injury is not a major one should the Mets proceed with caution and bring him back only after he's completely healthy. I doubt, though, that any team will trade for him until he proves he's healthy and that's not likely to happen before the trade deadline.

Your Retro Video

6/28/2010 02:00:00 PM Josh Alley

Back with more video, this time of the confetti shower that took place in Manhattan after the Mets won the '69 Series.

My favorite part has to be the music. I fully expected Superman to come flying into the picture halfway through the video, only to see Lex Luther attempt to take him out. Sadly, I went away disappointed.

Your Daily Cliff Lee/Trade Rumor Update

6/28/2010 01:30:00 PM Josh Alley

For your daily update on the saga that is becoming the Cliff Lee pursuit, head over to mlbtraderumors.com, where Tim Dierkes sums up an article from Joel Sherman on the Mets pursuit of Lee, and a new target yet to be mentioned, Ted Lilly.

The idea of Lilly intrigues me as he's been a very good pitcher over the past few seasons. However, I believe that if you're going to trade top talent for a lefty starter, you go all in and get Lee. If I'm the Mets, I offer Fernando Martinez, Wilmer Flores, Thole and either Familia or Valdespin. But that's probably why I'm not the GM.

Video Of Corona Cleanup

6/28/2010 11:30:00 AM Josh Alley

I always love to see this type of stuff happen and often times people forget that teams/players do a lot of this sort of community outreach. The Mets have been fantastic at doing that type of outreach throughout the years and this serves as yet another example.

Alex Cora: Future Manager

6/28/2010 10:59:00 AM Josh Alley

I was preparing an opinion piece today on the role of Alex Cora on this team and the importance that it serves. However, Andy McCullough of The Star Ledger beat me to the punch this morning. He serves up a fantastic profile of Cora's baseball lineage, his role on the Mets, and his future in coaching. Those guys over at the Star Ledger continue to do some really impressive work and have always been among my favorite reads.

Inside the dugout, he often consults with infield coach Chip Hale to make sure rookies Ike Davis and Ruben Tejada are positioned properly, reading signals correctly, holding runners effectively. Sometimes he sneaks away to the clubhouse video room to rewind the game tape and check on the kids. There is talk that, in time, he will follow in his brother’s footsteps again. - Star Ledger

A lot of people considered the Alex Cora signing in the offseason to be a foolish one. I am not one of those people. First of all, there were a handful of other teams vying for his services besides the Mets. Secondly, he brings an invaluable guidance to younger players that not even coaches can bring, because he is their peer, their equal. Lastly, he's not a liability at second, in fact, he's fairly solid with the glove. He may not be great at the plate, but keep in mind it's hard to hit for a high average when you play once a week.

Also, I think a lot of people need to understand that the contract they signed him to also had a lot to do with keeping him in the organization longer. That increases the chance that when he does retire, he'll stay with the Mets in a coaching capacity. Some people will scoff at that notion, but when you get a guy who is great at developing and teaching young talent, you hold on to him at all costs. Think of how many teams throughout history have had a wealth of minor league talent but never quite saw them pan out. The Pirates are a perfect example. Despite routinely drafting low in the first round, they still aren't very good. A lot has to do with scouting, but a lot also has to do with development.

Bottom line is, I'd like to see Cora stay with the Mets for years to come, as I think he'll not only have an impact in the clubhouse and on the field, but he'll have an impact on the future stars of this team, as well.

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