Mets Fans Forever

Mets News

Author: Will Sommer (owner)

Accorrding to MetsBlog.com 1B/OF Andy Phillips has been Designated for Assignement, to make room for Tony Armas Jr. who will be making a start on Tuesday.

That took a while. I'm truly upset, I mean we never even saw Phillips at first base, and he scored the Mets only run tonight. Phillips will be missed!

Stats

Author: Will Sommer (owner)

Well, I did some research on the Mets bullpen when coming in the middle of innings, and coming in the beginning of an inning. Here's what I found. Keep in mind that this is until 6/18. This doesn't count the inherited runners score.

• When the bullpen is coming into the middle of an inning they give up runs 31% of the time. Remember this doesn't count inherited runners score. And as you know the Mets bullpen has had trouble getting outs, and keeping runners on base. This could be better, a lot better. 31% of the time is down right bad. Remember they're only getting one or two outs.

• When the bullpen enters the game in a beginning of the inning runners score 34% of the time. This surprised me that more runners have scored in a new inning, but again keep in mind that when the bullpen enters in a middle of an inning I didn't count inherited runners.

News

Author: Will Sommer (owner)

Over at Adam Rubin's blog Surfing the Mets Rubin says that Tony Armas Jr. will make a start Tuesday at St. Louis. If he will be called up that mean Carlos Muniz's most recent call-up will be very short.

Rubin also writes that Mets top prospect Fernando Martinez will be joining AA Binghamton on Friday.

Game Preview 6/25

Author: Will Sommer (owner)

The Mets try to avoid the sweep tonight at home starting at 7:10 PM against the worst team in the majors, the Mariners. You can see the game on SNY, or if your in the car, listen to it on WFAN.

Pitchers:

John Maine;(7-5, 3.78 ERA) is coming off a good start, 6 IP 6 H 2 R 2 ER 3 BB 6 SO. Looks to be the stopper.

Miguel Batista; (3-9. 6.26 ERA) has been very bad this year. This is first start since June 7th which was against the Red Sox. Let's hope that the Mets could get a hit off of Batista, and win a game.

Lineup:

Jose Reyes SS
Luis Castillo 2B
David Wright 3B
Carlos Beltran CF
Carlos Delgado 1B
Fernando Tatis RF
Marlon Anderson LF
Brian Schneider C
John Maine RHP

If the Mets get swept by the Mariners, I don't know what I'm going to do or say. Let's hope they win, and if they lose, please don't lose by 11.

A Letter

Author: Al Castrillon

 

An Open Letter to Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel

Dear Omar and Jerry,

I know that you are really trying to salvage our season but as a long time Mets fan, I have a few suggestions that may help.   I also understand that since I am such a well known and highly regarded writer (laugh here), you may be a bit hesitant to implement any of my suggestions to avoid uncomfortable attribution.  Let me be the first to say “It’s okay” I don’t mind.  I am rich beyond my wildest dreams (laugh again) and do not need any fame (laugh for the last time).   So relax and here goes.

1. Release or at least   demote Carlos Delgado. I know you are fond of him Mr. Minaya.      You recruited him heavily when he decided to leave Toronto only to be   beaten by Florida.  Then you traded among others Mike Jacobs to   acquire him and his heavily back loaded contract.  He did very   well his first year, tailed off in his second year and is having a miserable   third year.  Demote him to a platoon with a righty specialist whose   name isn’t Damion Easley.  Damion is a great utility man but   giving him more than 200 at bats is sheer lunacy.  Find someone   either in the minors or trade wire that can fill this void.
2. STOP GETTING OLD,   recycled players for their “experience.  Live a little. Try some   youth.  The Mets current average age is 30.7.   Fernando Tatis,   Endy Chavez, Trot Nixon, Damion Easley, Robinson Cancel, Raul Casanova   and Marlon Anderson are getting too many at bats.   Many of   the guys mentioned above were released from other teams, which means   they should not play everyday.   
3. Stop accepting mediocrity.    Delgado drags the team down; do something.  Perez has been awful,   do something.  The bull pen has been terrible, do something.    It’s halfway through the season and many of the guys that are playing   terrible now played a major role in last year’s collapse.  Hold   people accountable.  When Willie was fired there was a small bounce   but watching the last two games shows that the team is still business   as usual.
4. Enough with the   excuses.  Oh we have had a lot of injuries.  Oh the schedule.   Oh woe is me!! Whose bright idea was to re-sign a 40 yr old left fielder   with a history of injuries?  Who was the genius behind the 4yr   contract to a second baseman who can barely walk?  A pitcher who   is 40 something with a bad foot (Hernandez)?  How about doing nothing   (Matt Wise?) to upgrade the bullpen except waiting for Sanchez to come   back? 

Nothing

Author: Pete Spaziano
 
That's was the Mets gave the fans on Tuesday night in their 11-0 loss.

Absolutely nothing. Oh but wait, maybe I'm being a bit to hasty!

They gave us heaps of incompetence at the plate and on the mound!

Oliver Perez supplied another sloppy inconsistant effort, allowing 6 runs, 5 earned, in 5 innings, giving up 7 hits and a walk.

Perez's ERA is now a wopping 5.29. This from a guy the Mets expected to win at least 15? Not happening. In fact, Perez will be lucky to stay in the rotation because Manager Jerry Manuel made no promises he's a lock to stay there in his post game press conference.

Tuesday night's game was the worst game I've seen by the Mets this year. What with Perez giving up run after run to the worst offensive team in the American League and the Mets lineup being shut out by R.A. Dickey and his 13.50 ERA in his last three games; all of them losses.

Manuel has promised a shakeup.

"Lineup changes, rotation changes, all kinds of changes" is what Manuel said when asked what he'd do to get the Mets on the right path.

I'm angry at the Mets. Their performance for the past year has been pathetic. It's hard not to be disgusted with this team.

This Mets team is bordering on unlikeable.

Who's to like? The choices are few. Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran seem to be the only two players who are not only busting their asses, but also getting the job done.

As for the rest, not so:

David Wright is inconsistant at bat and on the field.

Carlos Delgado just sucks at everything.

Luis Castillo looks like an old man at second base.

This team is really bad..really, really bad.

We can only hope that Manuel does something drastic.

I'm all for benching Delgado and Castillo for the rest of the year. I don't even care if it helps!

I'm just so sick of looking at those two players that losing without them is a step up.

This Mets team is so unlikeable right now it's hard to root for them. A change is needed on that field and it can't happen soon enough.

 

Is Johan Santana a true stopper?

 

Author: Pete Spaziano

The Mets signed Johan Santana to be the 'go-to' guy, the pitcher who will either keep a winning streak rolling on, or stop a losing streak with a dominant win.

Santana has lost nearly as many as he has won with his record of  7 – 6.

His game on Monday vs. the Seattle Mariners was disturbing.

Yes, he could have had more offensive support and yes, David Wright should have made that play at third that continued the inning.

However, what is Santana's excuse for allowing an American League pitcher to hit a grand slam? How could that happen to a stopper, an ace?

If this happened to Oliver Perez how forgiving would the Shea crowd be?

Santana gets a mini-pass but perhaps he shouldn't.

Perhaps, because of who he is, Santana should be held to a higher standard.

After Santana gave up that grand slam to Felix Hernandez I walked away from the game. The Mets took a left to the chin with one swing of the bat and never got up for the ten count.

We're left to wonder how different these Mets are without Wille Randolph. They've lost 2 of their last 3 games and are still hovering around .500.

Somewhere in New Jersey Willie has to be smiling a wry sarcastic smile.

Mets Lose 5-2

Author: Will Sommer (owner)

The Mariners beat the Mets tonight 5-1. Johan Santana threw 7 innings of 5 runs, but only 1 earned run ball. Here's how it happened. In the top of the second inning with two outs with two runners on David Wright blotched a grounder that would have ended the inning, but instead the bases were loaded. Still though, I thought Santana would get out of it because the pitcher, Felix Hernandez was up. Automatic out right? Wrong. Instead, a grand slam, and four un-earned runs cross home plate. How bad did David Wright feel?  Other than that un-warrented grand slam Santana did pretty well. He only gave up seven hits.

The Mets first run came on a wild pitch in the fifth. Carlos Beltran who scored the run did a great job hustling down the third base line to score a run. However I'm sure the M's are more worried about King Felix and his leg. Beltran spiked him with his cleats, and he was in severe pain.  He threw one  practice pitch and hobbled off the mound almost in tears.

In the ninth I thought the Mets were going to come back, and win this one. Carlos Beltran drove in Luis Castillo to pull within three.  But then Arthur Rhodes came in to face Carlos Delgado with two men on one out. Struck out Delgado, two outs. Then struck out Damion Easley to end the game. Mets lose 5-2. Let's go get 'em  tomorrow and win the next two games of the series. 

For a complete box score go to Mets.com

Game Preview 6/23

Author: Will Sommer (owner)

The Mets (37-37) are at home tonight to begin a three game series against the worst team in the majors, the Mariners (26-49) at 7:10 PM.

Pitchers:

Johan Santana; (7-5, 3.04 ERA) starts for the Mets. Last start against the Angels it wasn't his best. 6 IP 5 R 4 ER 2 BB 5 SO. I look for Santana to have a great start against a bad Mariners team.

Felix Hernandez; (6-4, 2.87 ERA) takes the hill for the Mariners. Hernandez is one of the few bright sports for the Mariners this season.

Lineup:

Jose Reyes, SS
Luis Castillo, 2B
David Wright, 3B
Carlos Beltran, CF
Carlos Delgado, 1B
Trot Nixon, LF
Ramon Castro, C
Endy Chavez, RF
Johan Santana, LHP

If your at home, watch the best broadcast team on SNY, or if you're in the car be sure to listen to the great Howie Rose on WFAN.

This is Jerry Manuel's home debut as the New York Mets manager. The Mets can easily take all three from the Mariners. In which case I would be able to say the Mets are on a hot streak, which I hope I can.

Go Mets!!!

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