The Mets released Valerio De Los Santos and Rocky Cherry signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox.
Carry on...nothing to see here...
3/25/09
Repairing John Maine
"Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology..."
While Dan Warthen won't exactly be rebuilding John Maine (retooling might be a better word), there was an emergency bullpen session and some changes have been made to Maine's delivery.
Warthen lengthened Maine's stride, among a few other things.
Joe Janish, of MetsToday.com and more recently web editor of BaseballDigest.com, has been a catcher for 30 years -- if there is someone to ask about pitching problems, he's your guy.
The three things Janish pointed out that Warthen changed are: Allowing the arm to “catch up” to the body, and time the release closer to the hip rotation / explosion, increase the amount of force applied to the ball, and shorten the distance between the release point and home plate.
Janish wrote:
While Dan Warthen won't exactly be rebuilding John Maine (retooling might be a better word), there was an emergency bullpen session and some changes have been made to Maine's delivery.
Warthen lengthened Maine's stride, among a few other things.
Joe Janish, of MetsToday.com and more recently web editor of BaseballDigest.com, has been a catcher for 30 years -- if there is someone to ask about pitching problems, he's your guy.
The three things Janish pointed out that Warthen changed are: Allowing the arm to “catch up” to the body, and time the release closer to the hip rotation / explosion, increase the amount of force applied to the ball, and shorten the distance between the release point and home plate.
Janish wrote:
By lengthening the stride, you also release the ball further away from the rubber, and decrease the distance the ball needs to go. Again, this is simple physics — by decreasing the distance, the batter has less time to react to the pitch — even if the velocity stays the same.Interesting. Hope it works.
Twitter Poll: How many Mets hats do you own?
I'm trying a new thing out here on the blog. I've fully embraced Twitter, and I'm going to be occasionally throwing out some questions or polls about the Mets on Twitter, and posting the responses here.
Last night, I asked: How many Mets hats do you own? Here are the responses...
Last night, I asked: How many Mets hats do you own? Here are the responses...
- @metgirl4ever said: 1 hat...but i have Mets jewelry, shirts, jersey, shot glasses, key fobs, & coffee mugs...does that compensate??
- @ByronBrewer said: 5
- @metschick said: 6: 3 blue, 1 pink (from Mother's Day), 1 black, and 1 orange visor.
- @dpcurrier said: Currently I think I have 5: 2 blue, 1 white/blue, 1 orange, 1 green
- @kerelcoop said: 3. All Blue, All Black, Black with the Blue Bill. And for extra measure a Brooklyn Cyclones hat :) All fitted.
- @jrobelen said: I have counted eight Met hats but they are scattered throughout the house. And probably some in luggage, equipment bags, etc.
- @Retire31 said: Overall, I think 6. 2 fitteds (one autographed, you know which one) and 4 adjustable ones.
- @samtpage said: 5, I think. Two have subway series patches. Only one still fits.
- @willrmc said: Too many. 5 I think. But only 2 in regular rotation.
- @Mike_Peters said: 5 Mets hats in my dorm: blue fitted, adj. blue, adj. black, Citifield/Dominos, blue/white. Total owned is over 20
- @Almodovar said: No more than 5...i believe
Follow me on Twitter to participate
in the next Twitter Poll!
in the next Twitter Poll!
3/24/09
K-Rod is a little grumpy
Francisco Rodriguez was back in camp today, and one of the beat writers asked him a fairly harmless question about the four-out save. K-Rod went a little cuckoo.
Here's how it went down, according to Steve Popper:
Here's how it went down, according to Steve Popper:
"Why should you tell me that I'm not ready to get back," K-Rod countered. "I think I put a lot of work into it. I prepared myself really good before every game. So I don't think it's going to take me 10 days or two months to get my energy back. It's going to be right back the next day.
"I don't know what you're honestly trying to tell me or what the point is you're trying to get at. A four-out save is like a three-out save. To me, it's the same. I know people have made a big deal about four-out saves. I want to have the same opportunity here, too. I don't know why it's such a big deal."
Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bullpen this morning.
Expanding on: Is Marlon Anderson obsolete?
Marlon Anderson had a miserable 2008 season. Due to injuries, he only tallied 151 plate appearances and came away with a .210 batting average.
He showed up to spring training 17 pounds lighter in an attempt to show his dedication to the team and help improve his play. In 34 at bats so far this spring, Anderson has hit .265 with three RBIs and one run scored.
Anderson, in regards to time in the field, will likely only serve as a backup first baseman. At the plate, he'll be the Mets go-to guy for pinch hitting duties. That is, if he makes the team.
With Nick Evans and Fernando Tatis, flashing the glove at first base, along with Jeremy Reed, it seems Anderson has more competition than he anticipated. Is it worth it to the Mets to keep on a second string backup purely for pinch hitting duties?
As his playing time diminishes, due to either ability or injuries, Anderson's batting average drops.
I asked the Twitter-audience a simple question: Is Marlon Anderson obsolete? Here's what I got...
With players able to fill his role on the field, the Mets may be able to sacrifice his "pinch hitting abilities" in favor of someone else.
He showed up to spring training 17 pounds lighter in an attempt to show his dedication to the team and help improve his play. In 34 at bats so far this spring, Anderson has hit .265 with three RBIs and one run scored.
Anderson, in regards to time in the field, will likely only serve as a backup first baseman. At the plate, he'll be the Mets go-to guy for pinch hitting duties. That is, if he makes the team.
With Nick Evans and Fernando Tatis, flashing the glove at first base, along with Jeremy Reed, it seems Anderson has more competition than he anticipated. Is it worth it to the Mets to keep on a second string backup purely for pinch hitting duties?
| Year | As Starter (H/PA) | As Sub/PH | Total |
| 2008 | .221 (17/82) | .197 (12/69) | .210 (29/151) |
| 2007 | .304 (14/53) | .286 (14/53) | .295 (28/106) |
| 2006 | .317 (64/224) | .247 (19/88) | .287 (83/312) |
| 2005 | .251 (42/180) | .294 (20/80) | .264 (62/260) |
As his playing time diminishes, due to either ability or injuries, Anderson's batting average drops.
I asked the Twitter-audience a simple question: Is Marlon Anderson obsolete? Here's what I got...
- @letsgoduke: let me put it this way: yes. nick evans instead!
- @fscker: i hate to say, yes
- @samtpage: Marlon Anderson sucks, if that's what you mean.
With players able to fill his role on the field, the Mets may be able to sacrifice his "pinch hitting abilities" in favor of someone else.
Garcia assigned to minor league camp
OK, Mets...just make the announcement already. Livan Hernandez is the No. 5 starter, but they haven't said it yet.
Freddy Garcia has be assigned to minor league camp, and contrary to previous reports Garcia will stick with the team.
Assistant GM John Ricco had this to say, as quoted by Peter Botte:
Freddy Garcia has be assigned to minor league camp, and contrary to previous reports Garcia will stick with the team.
Assistant GM John Ricco had this to say, as quoted by Peter Botte:
"He still has a ways to go," Ricco said, "but I'm glad he's going to stay with us and try to work things out."Garcia must know he's looked rough this spring. I'm sure we'll see him on the Mets sometime this summer.
Random thoughts and questions
I have a lot of thoughts running through my head right now, so I'll just leave them here for you to pick apart, answer or ponder.
- Is Marlon Anderson obselete? With enough younger guys on the bench, is there any reason to carry him on the team?
- Is John Maine actually healthy?
- Who is going to make the bullpen?
- Is Daniel Murphy really all that? Have I been sipping the kool aid?
- Who will be the first major injury? Who will fill in for that injury?
- Why is the bullpen called the bullpen?
- How will Citi Field play?
- Is the Mets rotation set up correctly (Santana, Pelfrey, Perez, Maine, Hernandez(?))?
- Where do I stand between new age stats and the tried and true ones?
- Will Nick Evans get a shot with the Mets this year?
- Who will be the first young arm to impact the team in '09?
- Is Jerry Manuel the coach this team needs, or is he still basking in the afterglow of Willie Randolph's firing?
- Will Luis Castillo get run out of town? Is Alex Cora a competent backup?
- Will Carlos Delgado play like he's gunning for another contract?
3/23/09
Murphy makes top 10 list
Buster Olney broke down the top 10 players to watch in MLB this year, and the Mets own Daniel Murphy ranked in at No. 3.
The more I read about the young guy, the more I'm excited to see him on the team for a full year. He's like the second coming of David Wright, just with less pop. And who would deny another David Wright?
3. Daniel Murphy, Mets: Everybody who sees his at-bats walks away thinking they've just seen one of the most savvy young hitters in the sport.Pretty high praise for Murphy.
The more I read about the young guy, the more I'm excited to see him on the team for a full year. He's like the second coming of David Wright, just with less pop. And who would deny another David Wright?
Is it time to worry about John Maine?
John Maine, coming back from shoulder surgery that cost him part of the 2008 season, is currently sporting a 10.38 ERA in 13 innings of work.
Some days he's confident about the pitches he was throwing, other days he complains that his pitches were missing and he doesn't know what's wrong. It must be disheartening for a pitcher to go out there and hit all your spots one day and miss them all the next.
Mets officials are also starting to take note.
According to Steve Popper, Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel met for 10 minutes after Maine's five run drubbing on Saturday.
Popper quoted Manuel as saying: "I though the ball was coming out of his hand better than at any time this spring," he said. "His command just needs to be a little better."
Maine, on the other hand, had this to say: "I"m trying to keep things in perspective," he said. "I'm working on things right now. Even though the numbers weren't there, it seems two or three pitches could've made a difference. Ball are dropping in."
You can count me in the growing group of fans that are worried about John Maine. He's the No. 4 starter, but he just can't seem to find his groove after the surgery. Maine has a very bright future in front of him if he can stay healthy and re-find his pitches.
Update - 10:21 p.m.: Here's an update from camp, via David Lennon:
Some days he's confident about the pitches he was throwing, other days he complains that his pitches were missing and he doesn't know what's wrong. It must be disheartening for a pitcher to go out there and hit all your spots one day and miss them all the next.
Mets officials are also starting to take note.
According to Steve Popper, Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel met for 10 minutes after Maine's five run drubbing on Saturday.
Popper quoted Manuel as saying: "I though the ball was coming out of his hand better than at any time this spring," he said. "His command just needs to be a little better."
Maine, on the other hand, had this to say: "I"m trying to keep things in perspective," he said. "I'm working on things right now. Even though the numbers weren't there, it seems two or three pitches could've made a difference. Ball are dropping in."
You can count me in the growing group of fans that are worried about John Maine. He's the No. 4 starter, but he just can't seem to find his groove after the surgery. Maine has a very bright future in front of him if he can stay healthy and re-find his pitches.
Update - 10:21 p.m.: Here's an update from camp, via David Lennon:
Maine threw roughly 50 pitches in the bullpen under Warthen's supervision and both were pleased with the session. He added about another eight inches to his stride, changed the grip on his slider and overall simplified his delivery. Warthen believes that Maine had been "babying" his arm and shoulder since the surgery. Now, with the longer stride, he should have more velocity on his pitches and better command.
"That's still a golden arm," Warthen said.
3/22/09
Lineup coming into view
It's been confirmed that the Jose Reyes experiment is over, and when the regular season begins, he will be batting lead off for the New York Mets. That leads to the next question, who's going to be batting behind Reyes?
Adam Rubin is reporting that the young Daniel Murphy will be the patient hitter the Mets tab to hit behind Reyes.
In 131 at bats last season, Murphy posted a .313 batting average and a .397 on base percentage, highest among first year players.
This bumps last year's No. 2 hitter, Luis Castillo, down to 8th in the order. This weakens the bottom of the order, but obviously strengthens the top of it.
Here's how a lineup might look with Murphy in left field:
Adam Rubin is reporting that the young Daniel Murphy will be the patient hitter the Mets tab to hit behind Reyes.
In 131 at bats last season, Murphy posted a .313 batting average and a .397 on base percentage, highest among first year players.
This bumps last year's No. 2 hitter, Luis Castillo, down to 8th in the order. This weakens the bottom of the order, but obviously strengthens the top of it.
Here's how a lineup might look with Murphy in left field:
- Jose Reyes -- S
- Daniel Murphy -- L
- Carlos Beltran -- S
- Carlos Delgado -- L
- David Wright -- R
- Ryan Church -- L
- Brian Schneider -- L
- Luis Castillo -- S
- Pitcher
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