Manuel’s Musing

“It's been that kind of year for us. It's been that kind of year.”

-Jerry Manuel on 2009

(Boy, he sounds so defeated.)

Lineup for Game 148

A game between two pitiful teams.  It should be fun.

Here’s the lineup…

1. Angel Pagan – LF
2. Luis Castillo – 2B
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Carlos Beltran – CF
5. Daniel Murphy – 1B
6. Jeff Francoeur – RF
7. Brian Schneider – C
8. Wilson Valdez – SS
9. Mike Pelfrey - RHP

Twitter Poll: Do you still watch the Mets?

The Mets stink.  I mean, they’re just downright bad.  I go into each game expecting a loss and just waiting to find out which way they’ll manage to do it.

But I was wondering if I was alone in still watching this team, so I asked my Twitter followers, “Do you still watch the Mets? And…um…why?”

Here are some responses…

Lou_Bolkovic said: HELL NO - have not watched a game in a month and gave three games worth of tix to kids I know who have not been to Citi Field

ericcwu said: Nope =( Bought a Xbox a month ago when I knew the season was done. Haven't watched a game since but still follow the team.

BlueAndOrange said: Yes.. Because the season isn't over yet.

DoLLaAz said: Yes, when there isn't too much on my plate. Since I'm a fan and thats what true fans do; None of that fairweather BS.

RyanFingAwesome said: of course i do. just because theyre not winning doesnt mean theyre not playing.

mtmcq said: Because I know once this season is over, the term "finding ways to lose" will be obsolete. The '09 Mets will find every way.

cvelardi said: I haven't watched a game in a month. No offense to Pagan, Sullivan, Hernandez.. but they're no Beltran, Reyes, Delgado..

msschneid said: i havent in 2 weeks. turned it on Wed night and after seein Murph NEVER will again (well till April)

bosco86 said: Yes i still watch but mostly to see how bad Jerry and his crew can screw up!

gwong said: I haven't gone out of my way to watch them the past few weeks. I will watch Sunday since I'll be there - damn 15-game plan.

julierubes said: Yes, but it hasn't been nightly b/c of other things. I still watch b/c I'm still a fan and I want to see how the games go.

kdoster said: I still would if I could. Hoping for a win everytime...

metsgrrl said: you know the answer to that already. why? because i keep looking for some sign. of what, i am not entirely sure.

tyronem said: I watched the Mets last night so I could fall asleep.

fullnelson said: Yes I'll still watch Mets 'cause I want to and I'm fan

RobinBoyWonders said: Because I want to be able to say I saw most of the stuff on the 09 blooper reel

elZi said: I still watch, because I'm still a fan of the team.

dtmfr said: still watch the Mets. And while it's still for love of the game, it's more like seeing a comedy movie rather than a drama.

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Manuel’s Musing

“If you don't have those pieces in place, it's difficult to do anything, and do anything well and do it consistently.”

-Jerry Manuel on 2009

Parnell to the pen

Bobby Parnell is heading back to the bullpen for the rest of the season, according to Jerry Manuel.

Parnell, who was long slated for Winter Ball as a starting pitcher, will still start in the off-season.

This is so strange.  The season is in the tank and Parnell is going to start anyway, why not let him pitch?  Sure, he might give you only four innings or so as a starter, but that’s four innings that he won’t normally get.

That is, unless, he’ll be slated for lots of innings out of the bullpen.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

More Sterling Award winners

Here are the top players from each team in the Mets minor league system…

2009 STERLING AWARD WINNERS

BUFFALO (AAA) OF THE INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE: JESUS FELICIANO (OF)

Height: 5-11      Weight: 174      Bats: Left  Throws: Left            Born: 6/6/79     Resides:Bayamon, PR                       Obtained: Signed as a free agent (2/07) Signing Scout: LA Dodgers (1997)

Feliciano finished fifth in the International League with a .311 batting average and led the IL with 154 hits. The 6-0, 174-pound outfielder scored 57 runs, collected 30 doubles, one triple, one home run, 41 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 130 games for the Bisons. Feliciano, 30, became just the eighth Bisons player in the modern era to reach the 150-hit plateau.

BINGHAMTON (AA) EASTERN LEAGUE: JOSH THOLE (C)

Height: 6-1       Weight: 205      Bats: Left  Throws: Right          Born: 10/28/86    Resides: Breese, IL                       Obtained:Mets’ 13^th round pick in 2005  Signing Scout:Quincy Boyd

Thole finished second in the Eastern League with a .328 batting average and was third in the EL with a .395 on-base percentage. At the time of his promotion to New York – on September 1^st – he was fourth in the Eastern League with a 30.2 (20-86) caught stealing percentage. Thole, 22, was named to the Eastern League mid-season All-Star Game but did not play due to a dislocated left thumb that kept him out of action from June 30^th-July 18^th. Thole scored 48 runs, had 29 doubles, two triples, one home run, 46 RBI and eight stolen bases in 103 games with Binghamton.

ST. LUCIE (A) FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE: KIRK NIEUWENHUIS (OF)

Height: 6-3       Weight: 178      Bats: Left  Throws: Right          Born: 8/7/87     Resides:San Dimas, CA                     Obtained: Mets’ third round pick in 2008             Signing Scout:Fred Mazuca

Nieuwenhuis hit .274 (132-482) with 91 runs scored, 35 doubles, five triples, 16 home runs, 71 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 123 games with St. Lucie. Nieuwenhuis, 22, was named to the Florida State League All-Star team and ranked among the team leaders in batting average, home runs and RBI.  His 16 home runs ranked him second on the team and third in the FSL.  Niewenhuis also finished the season as the FSL leader in doubles, slugging percentage, extra-base hits, and runs scored. He batted .406 (13-32) with eight runs scored, three doubles, one home run and three RBI in eight games with Binghamton at the end of the year. Niewenhuis ranked 10^th in all of minor league baseball with 99 runs scored.

SAVANNAH (A) SOUTH ATLANTIC LEAGUE: ROBERT CARSON (LHP)

Height: 6-4       Weight: 230      Bats: Left  Throws: Left            Born: 1/23/89     Resides:Hattiesburg, MS                      Obtained: Mets’ 14^th round pick in 2007 Signing Scout: Benny Latino

Carson went 8-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 25 starts for Savannah. He hurled two complete games with one shutout. In 131.2 innings, he allowed 139 hits, 68 runs, 47 earned, with 45 walks and 90 strikeouts. Carson, 20, was named to the South Atlantic League All-Star team. He twirled a 9.0 inning, three hit shutout with eight strikeouts at Lexington on July 11^th earning SAL Pitcher of the Week honors.

BROOKLYN (A) NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE: MARK COHOON (LHP)

Height: 6-2       Weight: 195      Bats: Left  Throws: Left            Born: 9/15/87     Resides:Buleson, TX                    Obtained: Mets’ 12^thround pick in 2008    Signing Scouts: Ray Corbett

The lefthander led the New York-Penn League with nine wins, and ranked sixth with a 2.15 ERA en route to being named to the NYPL All-Star team.  He started the All-Star Game as well as Game One of the playoffs for Brooklyn. Opponents hit .210 against Cohoon, and he surrendered just 18 extra-base hits, while facing 356 batters.  Mark’s nine wins tied a Cyclones’ franchise record, and his 92.0 innings established a new club record.  Cohoon, 22, pitched 6.0 or more innings in 12 of his 14 starts, and allowed two earned runs or less 10 times.

KINGSPORT (R) APPALACHIAN LEAGUE: JEFF FLAGG (1B)

Height: 6-6       Weight: 246      Bats: Right  Throws: Right        Born: 11/7/85     Resides:Jacksonville, FL                    Obtained: Mets’ 27^th round pick in 2008 Signing Scouts: Benny Latino

Flagg led the Kingsport Mets in batting average (.301), home runs (10) and RBI (59) and was second on the team in runs scored (47) in his second professional season out of Mississippi State University.  His 10 home runs also ranked second in the Appalachian League, while his 59 RBI were tops in the league.  Flagg, 23, had 17 multi-hit games in 57 starts for Kingsport while hitting .364 (47-129) with runners on base. 

GULF COAST LEAGUE (R): JULIO CONCEPCION (OF)

Height: 6-4       Weight: 198      Bats: Right  Throws: Right        Born: 9/5/89     Resides:Santo Domingo, DR                       Obtained:Non-drafted free agent (3/07) Signing Scouts:Ramon Pena, Ismael Cruz, Sandi Rosario

Concepcion finished seventh in the Gulf Coast League with a .306 (49-160) batting average. He scored 21 runs, and collected four doubles, two triples, 12 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 45 games. Concepcion, 20, had at least one hit in 35 of his 45 games played and had a .354 on-base percentage.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE (R): ALEXANDER SANCHEZ (1B)

Height: 6-3       Weight: 200      Bats: Right  Throws: Right        Born: 11/28/90     Resides:Santo Domingo, DR                  Obtained: Non-drafted free agent (6/09) Signing Scouts:Ramon Pena, Ismael Cruz, Franklin Taveras

The 18-year-old first baseman finished the season tied for the Dominican Summer League lead with a .372 (71-191) batting average.  In 47 games with the DSL Mets, Sanchez drove in 42 runs, which was among the team leaders.  In 213 plate appearances, Sanchez struck out only 19 times and hit .432 (48-111) with three home runs and 25 RBI in 27 games during the month of July.   

VENEZUELAN SUMMER LEAGUE (R): ANDRES PEREZ (OF)

Height: 6-1       Weight: 180      Bats: Right  Throws: Right        Born: 7/5/89     Resides:San Cristobal, DR                  Obtained: Non-drafted free agent (8/07) Signing Scouts:Ramon Pena, Ismael Cruz, Marcelino Vallejo

Perez hit .311 (75-241) with 25 runs scored, 14 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 44 RBI in 67 games for the Venezuelan Mets. He posted a .356 on-base percentage and a .440 slugging percentage. Perez finished fourth in the League in RBI, batting .406 (28-69) with runners in scoring position.

Mets minor league Players of the Year announced

Isaac “Ike” Davis and Jeurys Familia have been named the Mets’ Sterling Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year respectively.

Davis, who split time between the advanced-A St. Lucie Mets and Double-A Binghamton, hit .298 / .381 / .524 with 20 home runs and 71 RBI.  Davis is currently on Team USA in the World Cup being played in Europe.

Familia made 23 starts for Single-A Savannah, going 10-6 with a 2.69 ERA and 1.157 WHIP.  Familia tossed 134 innings, striking out 109 and walking 46.

Adam Rubin ponders if Daniel Murphy will simply be a placeholder for Ike Davis, who will likely start the 2010 season with Triple-A Buffalo.

I’m all for it.  I hate how the team rushes players, but if the guy is showing talent, keep promoting him until he’s ready for the big leagues.

From The Comments: Mets need fire

This was posted in the comments of “Shades of Mookie” by ADV:

Agree about a lack of fundamentals - but they have had that for a few years so you have to blame it on the laid back Manuel.

I know you can't blame all the injuries on him, but you can blame the lack of preparedness and the lack of drive and emotion of this team on him. They need to get healthy, but when this team is on the field in 2010, they need swagger, they need bravado, they need fire, they need some damn fight in this team.

Bobby V anyone?

I know it won't happen because ownership is giving the manager and GM one more year since this one was a hospital stay and not a season.

So let's get a good, healthy first baseman and a left fielder who WANT to win and maybe can be emotional leaders in the club house. Because it sure isn't going to come from the manager or the existing 'core' players.

Manuel’s Musing

“I'd just like to see how he fits up there, see if that can kind of jump-start the machine.”

-Jerry Manuel on Josh Thole batting second

Shades of Mookie

Watching Daniel Murphy boot that ball brought something to mind…

“So the winning run is at second base, with two outs … Little roller up along first … Up in the air! Murphy boots it! Here comes Ross, and the Braves win it!”

I’m sure you all thought about that, too.  Right?

All we can do at this point is laugh.  I know I said that back when Luis Castillo dropped the ball, but this is a new low.

Every time I think the Mets have found every single way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, they come out with something like this.  It’s really unfathomable.  It is beyond fathom.

In a lost season, it would be nice to at least see some decent baseball. 

Sixteen hits and only five runs?  Not decent.

Seven hits and three walks in 3 1-3 innings for Bobby Parnell?  Far from decent.

The fact that Jerry Manuel pulled Parnell as if the Mets were trying to win?  Confusing.

Asking for a four-out save from K-Rod with the season in the tank?  Just…why?

So many questions, so little answers.

Man, 2009 can’t end quick enough.

There’s bad baseball and there’s really-terrible-just-awful-no-fundamental-miserable-downright-sad-looking baseball.  And the Mets are no doubt the latter.