Adam Rubin updates us on a slew of moves the Mets made or are making or might possibly think of making at sometime.
1. Instead of Adam Bostick, as previously thought, Claudio Vargas will be called up to start tomorrow.
Well, this is interesting. Vargas isn't on the 40-man roster, so that means someone is getting booted off. My guess is Jorge Sosa, who will probably be demoted. Sosa has the ability to refuse demotion and become a free agent while still being paid his $2 million.
If that's the case, Vargas might stick with the Mets as their long man out of the bullpen. That's purely speculation, but it sort of makes sense.
2. Fernando Tatis might be coming up as well. This means either Luis Castillo or Angel Pagan won't be able to return as soon as they thought, and one of them will hit the DL. Update: Looks like Pagan.
Tatis has shown tons of pop in the minors, but his average is pretty low.
Update:
3. Joe Smith may have been pardoned and looks like he will stick with the team. Guess that makes "Poor Joe Smith" a moot post.
Sosa is really in trouble. And rightfully so.
5/13/08
New Mets song?
A guy by the name of Craig Haft e-mailed me with his new 8th inning song for the New York Mets.
Listen to the song here.
Hmm...I feel like I've heard this before. But where...
Yeah, that's the ticket.
If you like Craig's song, let him know. You can e-mail him at metssong@aim.com.
Yeah, that's the ticket.
If you like Craig's song, let him know. You can e-mail him at metssong@aim.com.
Poor Joe Smith
Ed. note: This entire post seems to be moot now.
After striking out the side on Monday night, the Mets rewarded Joe Smith with a demotion.
The Mets sent Smith back to the minors to make room for a spot starter for Wednesday's game, rather than pitch Johan Santana or Mike Pelfrey on short rest.
As I mentioned before, Adam Bostick was pulled from his start in AAA after three scoreless innings. According to Adam Rubin, Willie Collazo's name has also been tossed around.
Rubin also reports that after Wednesday's game, when the spot starter, whoever he is, is sent back to the minors, the Mets will activate Matt Wise from the disabled list.
Really, poor Joe Smith. He's probably been the best pitcher in the entire bullpen, aside from Billy Wagner. Just because he has options, and they don't owe his $2 million (Jorge Sosa), he gets demoted. Hopefully, the Mets realized their mistake and cut Sosa and eat the $2 mil.
They probably make that much off hot dog sales between the 3rd and 5th inning of a Wednesday night game anyway.
After striking out the side on Monday night, the Mets rewarded Joe Smith with a demotion.
The Mets sent Smith back to the minors to make room for a spot starter for Wednesday's game, rather than pitch Johan Santana or Mike Pelfrey on short rest.
As I mentioned before, Adam Bostick was pulled from his start in AAA after three scoreless innings. According to Adam Rubin, Willie Collazo's name has also been tossed around.
Rubin also reports that after Wednesday's game, when the spot starter, whoever he is, is sent back to the minors, the Mets will activate Matt Wise from the disabled list.
Really, poor Joe Smith. He's probably been the best pitcher in the entire bullpen, aside from Billy Wagner. Just because he has options, and they don't owe his $2 million (Jorge Sosa), he gets demoted. Hopefully, the Mets realized their mistake and cut Sosa and eat the $2 mil.
They probably make that much off hot dog sales between the 3rd and 5th inning of a Wednesday night game anyway.
Classless Nats
I'm usually not one to put a whole lot of stock into quotes as they are usually that same darn thing every time. "We just didn't hit." "Great pitching performance beat us." "I really felt it tonight." And so on and so forth.
Once in a while though, someone comes out and really says how then feel.
I present to you, Nelson Figueroa on the Nationals dugout antics, via Kevin Devaney:
Pay attention, Willie Randolph. There are faults with you, and I usually don't think they're glaring, but the lack of emotion, even to the press, is getting boring. Show some fire, just once, so I'll know you have it in you.
Round of applause to Figueroa for this quote and for calling out an entire team and it's staff. I like it. I smell a brawl tomorrow.
Once in a while though, someone comes out and really says how then feel.
I present to you, Nelson Figueroa on the Nationals dugout antics, via Kevin Devaney:
“They were cheerleading in the dugout like a bunch softball girls. I’m a professional just like anybody else, so I take huge offense to that. If that’s what a last-place team needs to do to fire themself up, so be it. I think they need to show a little more class and professionalism. They won tonight but, in the long run, they are still who they are.Amazing. Not only calling out the players, but the coaches too. It might have been a bit of frustration on Figueroa's part, as he got tagged for six runs (four earned) in only five innings, but it's good to see some emotion!
“Even for the manager and the coaching staff to let that stuff carry on, it’s truly unprofessional. That’s why they are who they are.”
Pay attention, Willie Randolph. There are faults with you, and I usually don't think they're glaring, but the lack of emotion, even to the press, is getting boring. Show some fire, just once, so I'll know you have it in you.
Round of applause to Figueroa for this quote and for calling out an entire team and it's staff. I like it. I smell a brawl tomorrow.
5/12/08
Game Recap: Nationals 10 -- Mets 4
I had tickets tonight, pretty glad I didn't go.
The Mets got trounced by the Nationals in the first game of a four game series, taking game one by a score of 10-4. Notch this up as another frustrating loss for the New York Mets. And cue the Willie Randolph haters..now!
Nelson Figueroa made the start for the Mets, and tallied only one scoreless inning out of five. Figueroa allowed one run in the second, third, and fourth. He then let up three in the fifth inning. Of the six runs he allowed, four were earned.
He struggled with the control, allowing five hits and walking five. Figueroa struck out four while on the bump. Figueroa walked in a run in the third.
He was just not very effective, at all. Usually he feeds off the energy at Shea, but it seemed pretty dead tonight. He needs a big crowd behind him. I hate to say it, but Figueroa's magic may be running out.
Jorge Sosa stunk, again. Sosa's line: 1 IP, 4 hits, 4 earned runs, 2 BB, 1 K.
Cut him. Now.
Duaner Sanchez pitched a scoreless and hitless inning, striking out one. Joe Smith and Billy Wagner both looked excellent as they both struck out the side in their respective innings.
Beautiful. I love Joe Smith. Let me make it easy, Mets. Cut Sosa, keep Smith. It's not too hard.
The Mets pounded out 12 hits, but only managed four runs. Odalis Perez threw 6 1-3 innings, scattering 11 hits and only allowing four runs.
The team got on the board early, scoring one in each of the first three innings. Carlos Beltran picked up an RBI single in the first, driving in David Wright. In the second, Damion Easley crushed a solo home run to deep center field to lead off the inning. Easley picked up another RBI, driving in Moises Alou from second with a single to right. Alou, who doubled earlier in the inning, had a nice headfirst slide to beat the tag at home.
And from there, they were held in check until the seventh inning. I thought this was going to be one of those crazy blowouts where they can't help but score, but I couldn't have been more wrong. They looked flat. Perez wasn't excellent, there was no need for them to shut down like that. And for the love of everything holy, don't blame Willie.
Wright went yard with no one on base in the seventh.
Yay.
Game Ball: Easley.
The Mets got trounced by the Nationals in the first game of a four game series, taking game one by a score of 10-4. Notch this up as another frustrating loss for the New York Mets. And cue the Willie Randolph haters..now!
Nelson Figueroa made the start for the Mets, and tallied only one scoreless inning out of five. Figueroa allowed one run in the second, third, and fourth. He then let up three in the fifth inning. Of the six runs he allowed, four were earned.
He struggled with the control, allowing five hits and walking five. Figueroa struck out four while on the bump. Figueroa walked in a run in the third.
He was just not very effective, at all. Usually he feeds off the energy at Shea, but it seemed pretty dead tonight. He needs a big crowd behind him. I hate to say it, but Figueroa's magic may be running out.
Jorge Sosa stunk, again. Sosa's line: 1 IP, 4 hits, 4 earned runs, 2 BB, 1 K.
Cut him. Now.
Duaner Sanchez pitched a scoreless and hitless inning, striking out one. Joe Smith and Billy Wagner both looked excellent as they both struck out the side in their respective innings.
Beautiful. I love Joe Smith. Let me make it easy, Mets. Cut Sosa, keep Smith. It's not too hard.
The Mets pounded out 12 hits, but only managed four runs. Odalis Perez threw 6 1-3 innings, scattering 11 hits and only allowing four runs.
The team got on the board early, scoring one in each of the first three innings. Carlos Beltran picked up an RBI single in the first, driving in David Wright. In the second, Damion Easley crushed a solo home run to deep center field to lead off the inning. Easley picked up another RBI, driving in Moises Alou from second with a single to right. Alou, who doubled earlier in the inning, had a nice headfirst slide to beat the tag at home.
And from there, they were held in check until the seventh inning. I thought this was going to be one of those crazy blowouts where they can't help but score, but I couldn't have been more wrong. They looked flat. Perez wasn't excellent, there was no need for them to shut down like that. And for the love of everything holy, don't blame Willie.
Wright went yard with no one on base in the seventh.
Yay.
Game Ball: Easley.
Figures
I had tickets tonight. I thought it was going to rain. I didn't go. And now it looks like they're going to play.
As Alanis Morisette would say, "It figures."
As Alanis Morisette would say, "It figures."
Castillo diagnosed with strained quad
Just as he was getting hot...
Luis Castillo will likely spend some time on the disabled list after pulling up while running into third with a triple in Sunday's game.
And MRI showed a strain in the muscle, which will likely put Castillo on the DL, possibly making some other moves easier for the Mets. If they game is still played tonight, which it looks like it will be, the Mets will need a spot starter for Wednesday's game.
If they put Castillo on the DL, and bring up Adam Bostick, as I mentioned before, and then activate Matt Wise after the game, everything seems to work out, though they will run without a bench player for some time.
This stinks. Just as the Mets got their starting lineup back and looked like they were starting to click as a team, one cog goes down. Here's to a speedy recovery and being able to pick up where you left off.
Luis Castillo will likely spend some time on the disabled list after pulling up while running into third with a triple in Sunday's game.
And MRI showed a strain in the muscle, which will likely put Castillo on the DL, possibly making some other moves easier for the Mets. If they game is still played tonight, which it looks like it will be, the Mets will need a spot starter for Wednesday's game.
If they put Castillo on the DL, and bring up Adam Bostick, as I mentioned before, and then activate Matt Wise after the game, everything seems to work out, though they will run without a bench player for some time.
This stinks. Just as the Mets got their starting lineup back and looked like they were starting to click as a team, one cog goes down. Here's to a speedy recovery and being able to pick up where you left off.
Is a win Willie's fault too?
After every Mets loss, without fail, I hear people clamoring for Willie Randolph to be handed a pink slip.
If these people subscribe to that theory, shouldn't every Mets win solidify his place in the dugout?
After pegging the Reds for 12 runs in the early game of the doubleheader on Saturday, Bronson Arroyo came out and pitched his best game in years. Is that the Mets, and specifically Willie's fault? No. It happens. Good teams will be shut down by good pitching from time to time.
I know it's easy to argue against that while looking at Arroyo's numbers this year, but he had everything working for him Saturday night and, as Gary Cohen says, good teams sometimes just have to tip their hat to a great pitching performance.
So after the Mets saw Oliver Perez pitch five great innings and one crappy one, a significant improvement from his last few starts, and the Mets take 2 out of 3, with the one loss coming during Arroyo's brilliance on the mound, where are people praising Willie?
What about Rick Peterson? Oliver looked a lot more in control, though he still walked four, as he struck out eight batters, and only allowed three hits. Shouldn't Peterson be getting a bit of praise for this performance?
I think some fans are inherently negative, and have learned to be negative through the bad years of the early 90's, and don't want to change. It's easy to have a sourpuss attitude and blast every little fallacy or flaw rather than praise the good (I know, because whenever I write papers, I always argue against the point, it's just easier that way).
So as the Mets just to 19-16, three games over .500, and move into a tie for second place behind the playing-over-their-heads Florida Marlins, maybe, just maybe, you can cut Willie Randolph and Rick Peterson some slack, as the team has looked pretty darn good over this past week, and it's only looking up from here.
If these people subscribe to that theory, shouldn't every Mets win solidify his place in the dugout?
After pegging the Reds for 12 runs in the early game of the doubleheader on Saturday, Bronson Arroyo came out and pitched his best game in years. Is that the Mets, and specifically Willie's fault? No. It happens. Good teams will be shut down by good pitching from time to time.
I know it's easy to argue against that while looking at Arroyo's numbers this year, but he had everything working for him Saturday night and, as Gary Cohen says, good teams sometimes just have to tip their hat to a great pitching performance.
So after the Mets saw Oliver Perez pitch five great innings and one crappy one, a significant improvement from his last few starts, and the Mets take 2 out of 3, with the one loss coming during Arroyo's brilliance on the mound, where are people praising Willie?
What about Rick Peterson? Oliver looked a lot more in control, though he still walked four, as he struck out eight batters, and only allowed three hits. Shouldn't Peterson be getting a bit of praise for this performance?
I think some fans are inherently negative, and have learned to be negative through the bad years of the early 90's, and don't want to change. It's easy to have a sourpuss attitude and blast every little fallacy or flaw rather than praise the good (I know, because whenever I write papers, I always argue against the point, it's just easier that way).
So as the Mets just to 19-16, three games over .500, and move into a tie for second place behind the playing-over-their-heads Florida Marlins, maybe, just maybe, you can cut Willie Randolph and Rick Peterson some slack, as the team has looked pretty darn good over this past week, and it's only looking up from here.
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