Category: Dailies
Adam Rubin: Pagan’s rehab
Angel Pagan will begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday night with the St. Lucie Mets at Tampa. Pagan is scheduled to play four games with the Florida State League club before being activated, manager Terry Collins said. Pagan has been on the disabled list since April 22 with a strained left oblique.
Collins said he received a message Tuesday from rehab coordinator Randy Niemann indicating Pagan — who played in a simulated game that day in Port St. Lucie — was progressing.
“It was all good news,” Collins said. “He’s swinging real, real well. He ran great. He has no discomfort at all. So hopefully the recovery is fast. For sure I know we want him to play four days there.”
Pagan appeared close to returning once before, but was shut down after a May 5 game with St. Lucie when oblique discomfort resurfaced.
ESPN’s Parker: Mets must pull the trigger, deal Reyes
NEW YORK — The New York Mets can’t afford to be prisoners of the moment.
Everyone knows this franchise needs an overhaul. Big time. It has to be broken down and built back up. There are no more quick fixes — no magical free-agent signings out there to turn the Mess back into the Mets.
Enter Jose Reyes.
The Mets can’t be afraid to pull the trigger on a deal that will send Reyes, their starting shortstop and one-time pride and joy, packing sooner rather than later this season.
There was even talk on this current homestand that the defending world champion San Francisco Giants would be interested in his talents, if he became available.
Some might look at this scenario as a dilemma. It’s not a dilemma, it’s a golden opportunity. Remember, you have to give in order to get. If the Mets, currently in last place in the National League East, are looking to add a top prospect or two — including a pitcher, of course — they have to be willing to part with a top-shelf player.
Reyes has been red-hot of late. The Mets should be thrilled, because it only raises the ante. On Saturday, Reyes went 2-for-5, including a two-out RBI single to give the Mets a 2-0 lead in their 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field. He had two triples Friday night. In the team’s past 11 games, Reyes is batting .355.
“Every time on the field, you play with no problem, I’m going to have fun,” said Reyes, who started last season on the disabled list after playing in just 36 games in 2009. “This year, I went to spring training with no problems.
“Last year, I wasn’t able to play in a game in spring training. This year, I could. That’s the big difference for me to come into this season ready.”
It’s hard to watch Reyes play and not want him on the Mets for years to come. He’s both a good player and an exciting player. And when he’s healthy — as he finally is this year after a couple of injury-plagued campaigns — he’s an All-Star shortstop most teams in baseball would love to have on their roster.
The Mets can’t just offer Reyes, in the last year of his contract, a big-bucks deal to stay and not entertain the idea of life without him. It must be explored and given strong consideration, especially when you realize he will bring you the best young talent back out of all the players they will eventually unload as the trade deadline approaches.
Reyes, who will turn 28 in June, isn’t kidding himself. He understands the business of baseball and knows there’s a good chance he will be dealt. When asked if he wants to stay, or whether he has envisioned wearing a different uniform for the first time in his career, Reyes was honest.
“My focus right now is playing baseball and continuing to do my job,” he said. “Whatever happens, happens in the future.
“But right now, my main thing is to continue to play.”
The Mets have made many mistakes since 1986, their last championship season. One of the biggest is not dealing players when their stock is sky-high. Too often, they wait too long and aren’t able to get full value. Outfield prospect Fernando Martinez is a recent example. He could have been the centerpiece of a big deal a few years back. His career is now stalled by injuries.
It’s not just about Reyes, though. It’s about all the major pieces to this organization — the players who were supposed to be the nucleus of a championship-contending squad. But at this point, the Mets should be listening to everybody about anybody — especially Reyes, David Wright, Francisco Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran and Jason Bay. No one has to be saved.
As good as Reyes and Wright have been, the left side of the infield represents what went wrong, not right with the Mets. It’s hard to look past the historic late-season collapses both autographed by the pair.
The notion that the Mets can’t part with Reyes because fans won’t buy tickets is crazy. Reyes is playing well, but the Mets haven’t been selling out Citi Field. Fans buy tickets to see a winning team, not just a player or two.
If there was ever a team that needed to be fumigated, cleared out, it’s the Mets. And if management is serious about doing it, it can’t be afraid to start with Reyes.
Thole and Jenrry
The Mets placed Jenrry Mejia on the disabled list earlier this week, because of a complete MCL tear which will require Tommy John surgery, keeping him out for up to twelve months. This is bad, for Mejia and the Mets. It’s a real shame about Jenrry. He was a good fall back option if someone got injured or wasn’t producing.
Also, the Mets had to place Pedro Beato on the disabled list with elbow tendinitis. Come on, can they catch a break? At this rate, the Mets will need to get someone if the injuries persist. The Mets called up Mike O’Connor.
After watching the last few Mets games, I am becoming increasingly worried about Josh Thole. For one, he isn’t hitting. He grounded into a 1-2-3 double play last night which resulted in zero runs and a loss.
But that isn’t the worst. Josh Thole cannot catch the ball. He has been dropping pitches left and right, including more than one last night that he should have caught. Granted, R.A. Dickey was pitching last night. But Josh was missing pitches he should normally catch and he appears to be lazy behind the plate. They (the Mets) need to find a solution to this problem…quickly.
Also, for Rangers fans, Im looking to go to the Mets v. Rangers game in June. Any tips on where to stay or what seats are best for autographs, that would be great.
It’s my time to vent…
The Mets just lost their second straight game tonight by a score of 10-3. The Mets lost a tough game last night, but tonight’s game gives most fans heart burn. Mike Pelfrey was once again comepletely ineffective and had no idea what he was doing (or it appeared that way).
Mike lasted only 4.1 innigs tonight, throwing 71 pitches, but most of those pitches from the second inning on were melons coming toward the plate.
Mike doesn’t appear to understand how to pitch. He NEEDS to bust Howard inside. Someone needs to do it. Brush him back, hit him with a fastball (not the 80 mph slider Pelf hit him with) to send a message. When you do not brush someone off the plate, your bound to leave one out and he can extend and reach pitches on the outside corner. Mike left a pitch out over the plate and Ryan drove it into the upper tank. That’s what happens when you don’t brush someone back, Pelf!
First of all, there is no way Mike should have started the game. He lost around eleven pounds due to the flu during this week. He probably didn’t have the best strength. Dillon Gee needed to get the start. He was effective from the rotation and there is absolutely no way he should have been placed in the ‘pen.
Gee walked some guys tonight and was pitching well against Howard, until he left one on the inner half of the plate, but it had enough, and he went yard and collected 4 RBI off of his grand salami.
It’s not even Gee’s fault, atleast I don’t believe so. He shouldn’t have been brought in in a tight situation like that.
Jason Bay didn;t help things by grounding into an un-timely double play. Also, the home plate umpire was absolutely awful. He missed calls (balls and strikes) and he had a very inconsistent strike zone.
Also…Mike just said in an interview that he needed to tip his cap to Howard for hitting the pitch? Tip your cap? In high school if you get a ball there you’re expected to drive it. Come on Pelf, it’s his job to hit the junk you throw up to the plate.
The two positives: Jason Pridie and Ike Davis’ home runs. Good jobs guys, for what it’s worth.
Another bad taste left in the Mets fans’ mouth. It makes it even more painful when yet again it is Philadelphia who does it. Now the Mets can expect two more losses when they face Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee…Gulp!
Break out the pepto, it’s gonna be a long two days in Philly.
Gee stays, Carrasco goes
The Mets won their fourth straight game today, sweeping the D-Backs and finishing this homestand with six wins and four losses. The Mets rebounded nicely from a near sweep at the hands of the Astros.
I’ve been impressed by the Mets’ home run totals lately at the stadium. David Wright hit two home runs today, and Ike Davis along with Bay hit homers yesterday. Ike had three bombs, and I mean bombs during the homestand. Ike proved once again he has sheer power and that he is now a force in the N.L. East along with Heyward, Utley, and Ryan Howard. On MetsBlog.com, the discussion was brought up about the dimsensions of the Mo’s Zone. It probably wouldn’t be a terrible idea, but I hate changing the stadium once it’s been open. And, I really don’t know why either. But, if they did have a shorter fence, Carlos would have had to homers today.
By the way, I love the name Gary Cohen gave the left field wall: The Great Wall of Flushing.
Dillon Gee pitched very well, yet again yesterday. He did allow four runs, but only two were earned and he was affected by a Daniel Murphy error and an Ike Davis dropped pop up in foul ground.
Sandy Alderson announced that the Mets have optioned D.J. Carrasco to AAA Buffalo in order to retain Gee. Chris Young is going to return Tuesday to pitch versus the Nats in Washington, D.C.
I will be sick if the Mets put Gee in the bullpen. There is too much changing of roles in today’s game. Just leave the guy where he has been effective and where he is comfortable. Why mess him up by switching him from a starter to a reliever, then back to a starter. If he can’t be in the rotation, send him to AAA and bring him up when a spot opens back up.
Another option could be to put Chris Capuano in the bullpen, where he has pitched before. That seems to be more logical, to me atleast. The only dilemma is that he pitched great last time out.
ESPN: Cubs threw 1918 World Series?
CHICAGO — If Chicago has been willing to believe that a cow caused the Great Chicago Fire, maybe it will buy this one: The White Sox got the idea to throw the 1919 World Series after the Cubs did the same thing one year earlier.
That’s the suggestion — more of a hint, really — from Eddie Cicotte, one of the infamous Black Sox banned from baseball after their tainted World Series against CincinnatI.
In a 1920 court deposition the Chicago History Museum recently put on its website, Cicotte said “the boys on the club” talked about how a Cub or a number of Cubs were offered $10,000 to throw the 1918 Series they lost 4-2 to the Boston Red Sox.
Cicotte is as vague as vague can be, failing to name any names or provide any details about how the players might have done it or even if he believes the Cubs threw the Series. But if what he suggests is true it means that when it came to fixing ball games in the early 20th century, Chicago was nobody’s Second City.
“It is interesting to me as a Cubs fan and a historian of Chicago that both teams could be involved in back-to-back years,” said Peter Alter, an archivist at the museum who examined the document and other artifacts that the museum paid $100,000 for at auction.
If Cicotte’s deposition lacks specifics, it does offer a glimpse into the life of a player when their lives were a lot more like the working stiffs who rooted for them than the wealthy owners they played for.
Players commonly groused about being underpaid and there wasn’t anyone in the majors who didn’t hear rumors about fixes. It was impossible not to see the gamblers at the games, the lobbies of the hotels where they stayed or in the taverns where they drank.
And they talked about such rumors all the time, including, Cicotte said, on a long train ride from Chicago to the East Coast.
“The ball players were talking about somebody trying to fix the National League ball players or something like that,” Cicotte is quoted as saying in the deposition.
“Well anyway there was some talk about them offering $10,000 or something to throw the Cubs in the Boston Series,” he said. “Somebody made a crack about getting money, if we got into the Series, to throw the Series.”
Cicotte apparently likes the sound of $10,000 because that is what he said somebody left in his hotel room for his role in the fix of the 1919 Series. He died in 1969.
Whether any of this is true is unknown, but an author who wrote about the 1918 Series after examining the deposition and other material said not only was such a fix possible, it was understandable.
“They didn’t make much money,” said Sean Deveney, a reporter with The Sporting News whose book, “The Original Curse,” said a fix by the Cubs was likely. “They had the incentive to do something like that.”
Both the Cubs and the Red Sox were upset that the teams’ owners were not paying their fair share of the World Series receipts, Deveney said. Before one Series game in Boston, the two squads refused to come on the field until the owners paid them what they were promised.
“The owners said no,” Deveney said.
Deveney said the players quickly understood that they could not win a public relations battle by refusing to play a game during World War I, not in a ball park filled with soldiers. So they played.
So did the Cubs throw the Series? No great hitter suddenly forgot how to hit, and the Cubs pitchers were terrific, finishing the Series with an astonishing 1.04 ERA.
Still, “there were definitely some suspicious plays,” Deveney said, and most of them involved outfielder Max Flack.
In the fourth game, Flack was picked off not once, but twice. Flack turned a catchable fly ball in the sixth and final game into an error that allowed two runs to score in the Red Sox’s 2-1 win.
And there was the time Babe Ruth came to the plate for the Red Sox — a pitcher at the time, but emerging as one of the game’s best hitters — and the Cubs’ pitcher, Lefty Tyler, saw that Flack was not playing deep enough in right field.
“He waved him back and Flack just stood there,” Deveney said. “Sure enough, Babe hit one over his head” for a triple that scored two runs.
Later in the game, Cubs pitcher Phil Douglas came in the game long enough to field a grounder and throw the ball over the first baseman’s head, allowing the decisive run to score in the Red Sox’s 3-2 win.
A few years later, Douglas was banned from baseball for what the papers called “treachery” after proposing that another team in the pennant race pay him to leave the team and “go fishing.”
All six games in the 1918 Cubs-Red Sox Series were close — Boston never won a game by more than a run — and it would only take a dropped ball here or a badly thrown ball there to turn victory into defeat.
“It didn’t take much to throw a game,” Deveney said. “It really didn’t.”
If there is a record of a baseball official asking Cicotte a single question about the 1918 World Series, Deveney doesn’t know about it.
“Baseball didn’t want to investigate,” he said. “They wanted to make it all about the Black Sox and say, ‘OK, gambling’s gone.'”
And what if the Cubs — a team that hasn’t won a World Series in 103 years, blaming the curse of a goat and the glove of a fan named Steve Bartman along the way — had actually won back in 1918?
“It would have bumped the curse up a decade,” joked Alter. “We could be looking at a century [without winning a World Series] seven years from now.”
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
You Gotta Believe
With the Mets at 4-9, and their pitching struggling, the future doesn’t look very bright. But, I wouldn’t rule the Mets out just yet. I’ve had to convince myself that the Mets can do it, but I really do think they can. Yes, they can, but it won’t be easy.
The Mets have to first figure out a way to get their bullpen in order. When you lose three of four games to the Rockies by one run, you know that they pitching is at fault, considering the offensive numbers that were put up. Is it sending someone down that will solve the problem?
The two pitchers that have looked the worst are Bobby Parnell and Taylor Buchholz. I have been getting somewhat fed up with Bobby, because he just cannot get people out, and he doesn’t deserve to be here. Pat Misch needs to be here. He deserved to make the team.
Dillon Gee may be called up to pitch in Chris Young’s place, as he is still suffering from sore ribs as a result of rib tendinitis. I like Gee, I think he could be successful, as he was last year.
This is the problem that the Mets have to watch out for, keeping the pitching healthy. I think that it is going to be important to go out an acquire someone, to help keep the Mets in it. If they could acquire one or two guys, then get Bay back, they could definitely win some ballgames.
Another thing the Mets have got in their favor is that their schedule is not a back breaker. They play the Braves three times in the next two days, and then have another day off. This could help out the bullpen’s stamina. The Braves are also struggling right now, so the Mets should try to take advantage. On Tuesday, they are back home to play the Astros and D-Backs, then they go to play the Nats.
The Mets have a chance.
Remember Mets fans, You Gotta Believe!
Problems with the pitching
The Mets were rained out today in Atlanta, and this will result in them playing a double header tomorrow, starting at 4:10pm. D.J. Carrasco is set to pitch against Derek Lowe in the first game, while Big Pelf is gonna pitch against Jair Jurrjens in the second of the two.
This has disaster written all over it. Why? Because the Mets are going to play their second double header in three days. The bullpen is spent as it is, and with two games tomorrow, they’re destined to have more trouble. The Mets’ bullpen has been the worst in baseball so far, and their starters haven’t been much better.
It seems as though every time the Mets’ offense get the pitchers a lead, they give it right back in the following half inning, or later on. The Mets average five runs a game, which has to be good enough to win games. Frankly, I’m surprised the ‘pen and starters have been so bad. During the spring, they looked really promising. I guess they spent all of their out then. The only positives have been Pedro Beato and Jason Isringhausen.
Isringhausen was called up to the majors a few days ago, making his first Mets appearance since 1999. And, he has pitched well, though his time here has been brief to say the least. He has closed close to 300 games, so it appears as though he will be able to withstand pressure packed situations. The real question is, can he stay healthy?
Pedro Beato has been lights out every time he has come in, and I think, though it may be premature, Terry needs to take advantage of his talent and effectiveness lately.
I think it’s likely the Mets will call up Dillon Gee to pitch, which I’m happy about, considering Chris Young’s rib cage. They need to call up Pat Misch, to provide bullpen help and to get some outs, something the Mets’ bullpen can’t do as of now.
Take a chill pill
I have been reading other blogs about the Mets and articles about the Mets and yesterday’s game versus the Nationals in the Mets’ first home game of the 2011 season. A lot of people are worrying about the Mets’ ability to get runners over, strike outs in huge spots, and walks. They have been saying things along the lines of, “the Jerry Manuel era is back.”
These people need to take a chill pill. For God sake, it was only the seventh game of the year. And, you have got to realize there will be times where you can’t get the runs in. This is Terry Collins’ team. He has control and the faith of the team. I have have faith in that. With over ten new players, most of the team didn’t interact with Jerry while he was here. Besides, I don’t think it was all Jerry’s fault.
As for the walks, a knuckle baller was pitching last night, in fifty degree weather will moisture in the air. Of course R.A. Dickey was going to walk guys. What did you expect? It’s obvious that a knuckle baller is going to walk people. Not to mention, he ripped his right index finger’s nail practically in half. R.A. uses his fingernail to throw the knuckler.
People need to give this team a chance. They’re only two games back and are going to play in their eighth game today. In about a month, we’ll see where the team is and how the pitchers are. Maybe the need to get someone, I wouldn’t deny that. But, it takes time to feel a team out and to get a read on how Terry handles situations.
Manny retires and my ‘Hall of Shame’
Manny Ramirez retired today following Major League Baseball’s decision to suspend Manny for one hundered games after failing another drug test in Spring Training. Well, I guess its practically in stone now that he will never be enshrined in Cooperstown.
This sickens me. How stuck up can you be to fail a performance-enhancing drug test once before and then fail another one when you know they test you? I’ve never liked Manny, mainly because of his ‘Manny being Manny.’ I originally wanted him on the Mets when the Red Sox traded him, but now it’s good they didn’t.
Also, you must not care about baseball to take roids or drugs twice. Grow a brain and play clean.
Because of this event today involving Manny, I decided to come up with my own ‘Hall of Shame’ with steriod users, suspected users, and player not connected with steriods. Also, their are team front office personnel and people involved with the players on this list. Among the peopel I chose, two are in the Baseball Hall of Fame. And yes, I didn’t include everyone that deserved to be on the list. Any suggestions, let me know. Here are the ones that came to my mind immediately.
Non steriod users (players)
Pete Rose — Pete Rose was banned by Major League Baseball in 1989 for betting on baseball games, including games that Rose himself played in. Many think he is innocent, but if he is, then why did he accept the ban voluntarily. Some may say he was pressured to or just wanted the problem to go away, but if I were going to be banned, I would fight tooth and nail to keep my reputation clean. Why did Pete Rose fight tooth and nail on the field but then not off, I don’t know. In my book, their is no excuse for betting on baseball when you play, let alone betting on the games you play in. I’m not against baseball betting for non players, but for players it cannot happen, and you should be banned for life. I do not believe he should be reinstated. Shoeless Joe needs to be reinstated, and before Rose.
Juan Marichal — I really debated about putting Juan on this list. But taking into account his beating Johnny Roseboro’s head in with a bat, that can’t happen. I personally really like Marichal. He was a great pitcher and people make mistakes. He is in the Hall of Fame, so the voters didn’t find this incident to be career changing. I don’t know, I may change my mind and take him off. But, this has got to be on of the worse fights I have heard of, or can remember hearing of.
Roberto Alomar — Roberto Alomar was inducted this past year into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The only reason I put him on here was for his incident with Home Plate Umpire John Hirschbeck. Alomar spat into the face of Hirschbeck after a bad call. For one, that cannot happen and I believe he should have gotten a MUCH larger than what he got. I find the other part of this confrontation worse. His comments about John’s sons illnesses and the death of one of his children. I read that Hirschbeck was physically restrained from confronting Alomar in the locker room. I wish Hirschbeck had gotten to him. Hirschbeck would have given Alomar what he deserved. Alomar has no place in the Hall of Fame in my book. Your actions and comments about the game should affect you the same as your play. Players need to be and are held to a higher standard. But, this also makes a case for Marichal not to be in the Hall, although Juan had a better career, or atleast I believe so. This is a very opinionated topic.
Fred McMullin, Eddie Cicotte, Happy Felsch, Buck Weaver, Swede Riseberg, and Chuck Gandil — These seven players were involved in the 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandel that left the Cincinnati Reds the world champs and these seven players thousands richer. Back in those days, players made far less for winning a World Series than they do now. And, most players didn’t make a ton of $$$. The money they were offered to ‘throw’ the series was far greater than the money they would have gotten from winning.
You can’t do this. This goes right along with Pete Rose. When you destroy the integrity of the game, you shouldn’t be allowed to play in it. As you notice, I didn’t include Shoeless Joe Jackson. I don’t believe Joe has anything to do with this. Yes, the players appearently left money on his hotel room bed, but from what I understand and read, he couldn’t have had anything to do with it. How could you fix a World Series when you hit .375 with 12 hits and hit a home run. He also had 6 RBI. It just doesn’t make much sense to me.
Joe Gedeon — I also didn’t know whether to add him. He was present at the scandel meetings. So, that was my reasoning for his being on the list. I do thank Joe for dying for our American freedoms in WWII.
Non steriod users (non players)
Marge Shott — Schott was banned from baseball for life by Bud Selig in the mid 1990’s for her outrageous comments and speech. Although she was reinstated, I put her on this list. She publically announced her hate for blacks and jews. She was also known for her simpathy for the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler. When you’re in public life and representing the game, you can’t be offending fans and players. For goodness sake, Bud Selig is Jewish. Not a good idea to make racist slurs about the commissioner of the sport you’re involved in.
Steriod Involvement (non players)
Brian McNamee — I put Brian on this list for his involvement with Roger Clemens and his injecting Clemens with ‘roids. Granted, he is helping Baseball and the Feds now, but he shouldn’t have done it in the first place.
Kirk Radomski — It always pains me to have a Mets person on the list, but you cannot ignore what he did. He helped to provide numerous players and people with steriods and almost single handedly fed the steriods era.
Steriod users (players)
Barry Bonds — Barry Bonds…must I say more. It’s obvious for any intense baseball fan that he is guilty in one form or another of steriod use. I mean, practically everyone else that was smashing homers during this time was using steriods. You don’t hit 73 home runs one year and never break 50 any other year. How can you explain that? Before steriod use, he was going to be a Hall of Famer. But, apparently Bonds wanted to be super human. There is a reason that no one had done this before and no one has done it since. Mark McGwire hit around the same amount and he used steriods, which I find hurts Bonds also. His truthfullness is also in question with his supposed lying in front of a grand jury. I’m not much for asterisks, so I don’t think they should place them in record books per say, atleast for now. But, I still consider Hammerin’ Hank the home run champion. Bonds is the most famous and suspected steroid user.
Mark McGwire — Mark McGwire recently announced his guilt in using steriods when he was named the St. Louis Cardinals’ hitting coach. I can’t forgive McGwire here. Strictly because he lied for years and years about his steriod use. When you lie over and over, you don’t deserve any simpathy. If you come clean and show you are truly sorry, then people will forgive you.
Roger Clemens — Don’t even get me started. He has constantly lied over and over about his steriod use. Brian McNamee has strong evidence against Clemens. Also, the bat throwing incident in the 2000 World Series appeared to be ‘roid rage. Why would he do that if he was in his right mind? Clemens was a great pitcher before and he tarnished his career with steriods. His wife was also known for using steriods.
These are just a few of my opinions on my ‘Hall of Shame’ class of 2011.
Put it in the Books! 