A Mets player has finally executed a successful Hit-and-Run!!
Congrats to Ambiorix Burgos on this landmark accomplishment. And we hope to see him when he gets out of the clink in 20 or 30 years with good behavior.
And I thought Brian Bannister had a down year.
Showing posts with label Los Mets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Mets. Show all posts
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Fixing The Mets & Yankees! With Grit and Hustle!!!
Apparently the hot topic after both New York baseball teams failed to make the playoffs, is how to fix their rosters. I know it's the hot topic, because yesterday, I found like 600 articles about it. I really think the heads of sports in New York told all their writers on Tuesday to write something about this. And I don't think the journalists were cool with the idea, because none of them seemed to put even a slight bit of thought into the process. Here are the three we're going to deal with... all at once... because they're all stupid, and all similar:
Daily News's Bill Madden on the Yankees
Daily News's John Harper on the Mets
Newsday's Ken Davidoff on Both!!
We'll start with Bill Madden, who's usually a pretty smart guy, but very clearly lays an egg this time out.
Madden suggests the following:
Trade Robinson Cano and Phil Hughes to Colorado for Matt Holliday.
Sign Orlando Hudson to replace Cano at Second Base.
Don't sign Mark Teixeira.
Play Jorge Posada at First Base.
Sign Greg Zaun to back up Jose Molina at catcher.
Trade for David DeJesus (from Kansas City), specifically because he batted .419 with runners in scoring position this year.
Dump Bobby Abreu, trade Hideki Matsui, and DH Johnny Damon.
Avoid CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett.
Sign Derek Lowe, "who, at 35, has suddenly taken on the look of an ace."
Sign Oliver Perez to "crazy money for (a) middle-of-the-rotation starter."
Robinson Cano is going to be 26 next year. He's a career .303/.335/.468 hitter at second base, and has decent, developing power. Defensively, he's better than adequate, and his games totals for the last 2 years are 159 and 160, so he's pretty durable.
Phil Hughes is going to be 23 next year, and was considered to be the best pitching prospect in baseball a couple of years ago. He got hurt last year, and hurt again this year. When he came back from his injury, he looked good. It seems a bit early to give up on the kid to me.
In return for this, you're going to get Matt Holliday. He's sick good... at Coors field (.357/.423/.645 at Coors for his career). However... on the road he turns into Hideki Matsui. Yup, on the road, Holliday is .280/.348/.455 for his career. So if Holliday comes to the Yankees, how many games per year is he going to play at Coors Field? Probably none... so is this really a good idea? I don't fucking think so Bill Madden. Did you bother to look at Holliday's home/away splits? No, you didn't.
Orlando Hudson is going to look for somebody to overpay him. He's a great defensive second baseman, but a pretty average hitter(.282/.346/.433, OPS+ 99). He's a downgrade from Cano (career OPS+ 110). And in 6 full seasons, he's played 142, 135, 131, 157, 139, and 107 games. So with one exception, he misses at least 20 games a year, every year. And he's going to be 31. I'm going to say no to Orlando Hudson. This is a stupid idea.
Mark Teixeira hit .308/.410/.552 this year, with 33 homers and 41 doubles. He's sick fucking good no matter where he plays. And he's a good first baseman. And you don't want him why?
Instead, you want Posada... who's played 130 innings of First Base in his 14-year career? And you want to replace his offensive production behind the plate with Jose Molina (career OPS+ 62) and Greg Zaun (career OPS+ 90)? Isn't the fact that the Yankees got NOTHING offensively from the Catcher position part of what doomed them this year? You want to do that... AGAIN?
I like David DeJesus. He's a Bronx guy. He's also appeared in 96, 122, 119, 157 and 135 games in his career. He doesn't stay on the field. And he's pretty much an average hitter. Melky Cabrera can probably give you the production that DeJesus will. Unless you believe that DeJesus is going to hit .419 with RSIP every year... in which case, you're a moron and I can't help you. And also, statistics now hate you for manipulating them in this horrible way. I hope you're happy.
Derek Lowe did not look like "an ace" this year. He went 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA and a 1.133 WHIP. He had a 136 ERA+, which is good... until you consider that he pitches for the Dodgers, in the NL West. The NL West is the worst division in baseball, and more specifically, the worst HITTING division in baseball. You want to move him over to the BEST hitting division in baseball? And you expect him to duplicate these results? Oh... and he's going to be 36... and looking for a 3-year contract? How good do you expect him to be at 39?
Oliver Perez was 10-7 this year with a 4.22 ERA and a 1.402 WHIP. In the NL East, those numbers are pretty god-awful. Yes, he has potential and a live arm. We've always known that. He also walked a career-high 105 guys this year. ONE. HUNDRED. AND. FIVE. WALKS. No thanks.
Next up, John Harper on the Mets (Don't worry, it gets easier):
Be open to trading David Wright or Jose Reyes.
Don't pick up Delgado's Option.
Play Daniel Murphy at First Base.
Dump Luis Castillo.
Sign Orlando Hudson.
Sign Raul Ibanez.
Dump Pedro and Oliver Perez.
Sign Derek Lowe.
Trade for JJ Putz (from Seattle).
Trading David Wright or Jose Reyes would be the dumbest imaginable thing the Mets could do. They'll never get equal value for either of their young, cheap superkids. And why make a trade if it doesn't improve your team in ANY WAY?
Carlos Delgado sucked for 4 months. And then he turned into Barry Bonds circa 2002 for 2 months. You want to let him walk? You don't think they should pick up the option, and then look to trade him, the way the Yankees did with Gary Sheffield? That way they can get something in return for him?
Daniel Murphy at First Base.... hmm....why could this possibly be a bad idea? Maybe because the entirity of his major league experience consists of 130 at bats in August and September? You really want to entrust one of the cornerstones of your offense to a 23-year old who's cup of coffee impressed you? Good luck with that.
You're dumping Luis Castillo because he's expensive, injury-proned and he can't hit, which caused the fans to hate him. And you're paying his salary so a team will take him. And then you want to sign Orlando Hudson... who's going to be expensive... and is injury-proned... and who doesn't hit that much either? So let me get this straight... you're dumping 2008 Luis Castillo... and signing 2009 Luis Castillo?
Raul Ibanez is 37. Didn't the Mets start 2007 and 2008 with Moises Alou? Because he's old... but he's a great hitter when he's healthy? Was he ever healthy? Yeah, Ibanez is a solid hitter, and I'm sure he's a wonderful guy. If you're the Mets... and you fielded the oldest team in baseball in 2008, shouldn't you be trying to get a little younger?
Derek Lowe: See Above. What's with these people and Derek Lowe?
JJ Putz rocks. He's a good relief pitcher/closer. I like him. Who do the Mets give up, to get him? He's cheap and good, and I'm guessing the Mariners will get better offers than "Fernando Martinez."
Last up, Ken Davidoff (again, most of his suggestions are the same):
Mets
Sign Francisco Rodriguez and Darren Oliver.
Dump Ayala, Heilman, Sanchez and Schoeneweis.
Dump Castillo. Give Second Base to Daniel Murphy.
Dump Pedro.
Don't sign Manny Ramirez. Get Juan Rivera and Fernando Tatis instead.
Don't sign Damaso Marte or trade for Huston Street.
Look for more guys like Brian Stokes.
Sign Wes Helms, because he hit a homer in the last game.
Sign Oliver Perez, Jon Garland or Derek Lowe.
Yankees
Get Derek Lowe for $15M a year.
Guilt Pettitte into returning for $10M.
Melky, Damon and Brett Gardner share Centerfield in 2009.
Keep Cano, unless you can trade him for Matt Cain or Jake Peavy.
Don't sign CC Sabathia or AJ Burnett.
Don't re-sign Giambi.
Sign Casey Blake to play First Base.
You want to pay $20 Million a year for Francisco Rodriguez? While you're still paying $10+ Million for Billy Wagner? So you're going to spend $30 Million on the 9th inning? That's fucking madness. Do I need to explain why?
Darren Oliver is 38. That's scary-old to sign a pitcher. And he's a lefty specialist. The Mets already have a lefty specialist named Pedro Feliciano, who's 6 years younger and better against Lefties. The manager just needs to understand that Feliciano shouldn't pitch to righties. Ever.
Castillo -> David Murphy: See above.
Manny: .332/.430/.601, 36 2B, 37 HR.
Juan Rivera: .246/.282/.438, 13 2B, 12 HR.
Fernando Tatis: Old. Flukey.
Huston Street: Closer, 24 years old, career ERA+ 148.
Brian Stokes: 28 years old, career ERA+ 78, released by Tampa Bay.
Wes Helms: .243/.299/.347 (OPS+ 72). But go ahead and sign him because he knocked you out of the playoffs. Maybe in 2009 you can miss the playoffs because of the hits he DOESN'T get.
Perez/Lowe: See above.
Jon Garland: 90 strikeouts this year. 98 strikeouts last year. Career ERA+ 103. Although I'd probably take him over Lowe or Perez.
And now for the Yankees:
Lowe: See above again. These guys fucking love Derek Lowe.
Andy Pettitte sucked balls this year. And he knows it. You wouldn't have to "guilt him" into taking $10 Million dollars to pitch next season. He'd probably suck Hank Steinbrenner's cock for that contract offer right now.
Johnny Damon breaks down in CF. Melky was awful. And Gardner can't hit. And that's your plan? That seems sound enough.
So you're going to keep Robinson Cano unless someone offers you Jake Peavy or Matt Cain for him? In other words... you're going to keep Robinson Cano. Good, I agree with you. But for the record, nobody would ever be drunk or stupid enough to offer Peavy or Cain for him.
AJ Burnett's won/lost record this year is going to land him a big contract. And it shouldn't, because he wasn't that great, truth be told. I agree that the Yankees should stay away from him. But why in the blue FUCK shouldn't they go after CC Sabathia? Did you watch any baseball games this year? Or last year? How about in 2006? Did you watch baseball then? Have you ever actually watched a baseball game, dude? Yeah, he's thrown a ton of innings. Yeah, he might break down. After passing on Santana for the same reasons, the Yankees CAN FUCKING NOT afford to let Sabathia get away. It's not about trading talent this time. It's just money. The Yankees can afford the salary whether Sabathia gets hurt or not. This is a no-brainer for anyone who isn't on the payroll of Derek Lowe.
Casey Blake at First Base? You do realize that Giambi spends more time on the basepaths than Casey Blake, right? And he hits more home runs? And defensively, it's probably a wash, since Blake's only played 105 games at First Base in his career? I'll say this again... how about if the Yankees go after Mark Teixeira... who's good defensively, and hits more than Casey Blake and Jason Giambi combined?
I'm going to sleep. Yes, it's 12:41 in the afternoon. But I'm exhausted now. Later.
Daily News's Bill Madden on the Yankees
Daily News's John Harper on the Mets
Newsday's Ken Davidoff on Both!!
We'll start with Bill Madden, who's usually a pretty smart guy, but very clearly lays an egg this time out.
Madden suggests the following:
Trade Robinson Cano and Phil Hughes to Colorado for Matt Holliday.
Sign Orlando Hudson to replace Cano at Second Base.
Don't sign Mark Teixeira.
Play Jorge Posada at First Base.
Sign Greg Zaun to back up Jose Molina at catcher.
Trade for David DeJesus (from Kansas City), specifically because he batted .419 with runners in scoring position this year.
Dump Bobby Abreu, trade Hideki Matsui, and DH Johnny Damon.
Avoid CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett.
Sign Derek Lowe, "who, at 35, has suddenly taken on the look of an ace."
Sign Oliver Perez to "crazy money for (a) middle-of-the-rotation starter."
Robinson Cano is going to be 26 next year. He's a career .303/.335/.468 hitter at second base, and has decent, developing power. Defensively, he's better than adequate, and his games totals for the last 2 years are 159 and 160, so he's pretty durable.
Phil Hughes is going to be 23 next year, and was considered to be the best pitching prospect in baseball a couple of years ago. He got hurt last year, and hurt again this year. When he came back from his injury, he looked good. It seems a bit early to give up on the kid to me.
In return for this, you're going to get Matt Holliday. He's sick good... at Coors field (.357/.423/.645 at Coors for his career). However... on the road he turns into Hideki Matsui. Yup, on the road, Holliday is .280/.348/.455 for his career. So if Holliday comes to the Yankees, how many games per year is he going to play at Coors Field? Probably none... so is this really a good idea? I don't fucking think so Bill Madden. Did you bother to look at Holliday's home/away splits? No, you didn't.
Orlando Hudson is going to look for somebody to overpay him. He's a great defensive second baseman, but a pretty average hitter(.282/.346/.433, OPS+ 99). He's a downgrade from Cano (career OPS+ 110). And in 6 full seasons, he's played 142, 135, 131, 157, 139, and 107 games. So with one exception, he misses at least 20 games a year, every year. And he's going to be 31. I'm going to say no to Orlando Hudson. This is a stupid idea.
Mark Teixeira hit .308/.410/.552 this year, with 33 homers and 41 doubles. He's sick fucking good no matter where he plays. And he's a good first baseman. And you don't want him why?
Instead, you want Posada... who's played 130 innings of First Base in his 14-year career? And you want to replace his offensive production behind the plate with Jose Molina (career OPS+ 62) and Greg Zaun (career OPS+ 90)? Isn't the fact that the Yankees got NOTHING offensively from the Catcher position part of what doomed them this year? You want to do that... AGAIN?
I like David DeJesus. He's a Bronx guy. He's also appeared in 96, 122, 119, 157 and 135 games in his career. He doesn't stay on the field. And he's pretty much an average hitter. Melky Cabrera can probably give you the production that DeJesus will. Unless you believe that DeJesus is going to hit .419 with RSIP every year... in which case, you're a moron and I can't help you. And also, statistics now hate you for manipulating them in this horrible way. I hope you're happy.
Derek Lowe did not look like "an ace" this year. He went 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA and a 1.133 WHIP. He had a 136 ERA+, which is good... until you consider that he pitches for the Dodgers, in the NL West. The NL West is the worst division in baseball, and more specifically, the worst HITTING division in baseball. You want to move him over to the BEST hitting division in baseball? And you expect him to duplicate these results? Oh... and he's going to be 36... and looking for a 3-year contract? How good do you expect him to be at 39?
Oliver Perez was 10-7 this year with a 4.22 ERA and a 1.402 WHIP. In the NL East, those numbers are pretty god-awful. Yes, he has potential and a live arm. We've always known that. He also walked a career-high 105 guys this year. ONE. HUNDRED. AND. FIVE. WALKS. No thanks.
Next up, John Harper on the Mets (Don't worry, it gets easier):
Be open to trading David Wright or Jose Reyes.
Don't pick up Delgado's Option.
Play Daniel Murphy at First Base.
Dump Luis Castillo.
Sign Orlando Hudson.
Sign Raul Ibanez.
Dump Pedro and Oliver Perez.
Sign Derek Lowe.
Trade for JJ Putz (from Seattle).
Trading David Wright or Jose Reyes would be the dumbest imaginable thing the Mets could do. They'll never get equal value for either of their young, cheap superkids. And why make a trade if it doesn't improve your team in ANY WAY?
Carlos Delgado sucked for 4 months. And then he turned into Barry Bonds circa 2002 for 2 months. You want to let him walk? You don't think they should pick up the option, and then look to trade him, the way the Yankees did with Gary Sheffield? That way they can get something in return for him?
Daniel Murphy at First Base.... hmm....why could this possibly be a bad idea? Maybe because the entirity of his major league experience consists of 130 at bats in August and September? You really want to entrust one of the cornerstones of your offense to a 23-year old who's cup of coffee impressed you? Good luck with that.
You're dumping Luis Castillo because he's expensive, injury-proned and he can't hit, which caused the fans to hate him. And you're paying his salary so a team will take him. And then you want to sign Orlando Hudson... who's going to be expensive... and is injury-proned... and who doesn't hit that much either? So let me get this straight... you're dumping 2008 Luis Castillo... and signing 2009 Luis Castillo?
Raul Ibanez is 37. Didn't the Mets start 2007 and 2008 with Moises Alou? Because he's old... but he's a great hitter when he's healthy? Was he ever healthy? Yeah, Ibanez is a solid hitter, and I'm sure he's a wonderful guy. If you're the Mets... and you fielded the oldest team in baseball in 2008, shouldn't you be trying to get a little younger?
Derek Lowe: See Above. What's with these people and Derek Lowe?
JJ Putz rocks. He's a good relief pitcher/closer. I like him. Who do the Mets give up, to get him? He's cheap and good, and I'm guessing the Mariners will get better offers than "Fernando Martinez."
Last up, Ken Davidoff (again, most of his suggestions are the same):
Mets
Sign Francisco Rodriguez and Darren Oliver.
Dump Ayala, Heilman, Sanchez and Schoeneweis.
Dump Castillo. Give Second Base to Daniel Murphy.
Dump Pedro.
Don't sign Manny Ramirez. Get Juan Rivera and Fernando Tatis instead.
Don't sign Damaso Marte or trade for Huston Street.
Look for more guys like Brian Stokes.
Sign Wes Helms, because he hit a homer in the last game.
Sign Oliver Perez, Jon Garland or Derek Lowe.
Yankees
Get Derek Lowe for $15M a year.
Guilt Pettitte into returning for $10M.
Melky, Damon and Brett Gardner share Centerfield in 2009.
Keep Cano, unless you can trade him for Matt Cain or Jake Peavy.
Don't sign CC Sabathia or AJ Burnett.
Don't re-sign Giambi.
Sign Casey Blake to play First Base.
You want to pay $20 Million a year for Francisco Rodriguez? While you're still paying $10+ Million for Billy Wagner? So you're going to spend $30 Million on the 9th inning? That's fucking madness. Do I need to explain why?
Darren Oliver is 38. That's scary-old to sign a pitcher. And he's a lefty specialist. The Mets already have a lefty specialist named Pedro Feliciano, who's 6 years younger and better against Lefties. The manager just needs to understand that Feliciano shouldn't pitch to righties. Ever.
Castillo -> David Murphy: See above.
Manny: .332/.430/.601, 36 2B, 37 HR.
Juan Rivera: .246/.282/.438, 13 2B, 12 HR.
Fernando Tatis: Old. Flukey.
Huston Street: Closer, 24 years old, career ERA+ 148.
Brian Stokes: 28 years old, career ERA+ 78, released by Tampa Bay.
Wes Helms: .243/.299/.347 (OPS+ 72). But go ahead and sign him because he knocked you out of the playoffs. Maybe in 2009 you can miss the playoffs because of the hits he DOESN'T get.
Perez/Lowe: See above.
Jon Garland: 90 strikeouts this year. 98 strikeouts last year. Career ERA+ 103. Although I'd probably take him over Lowe or Perez.
And now for the Yankees:
Lowe: See above again. These guys fucking love Derek Lowe.
Andy Pettitte sucked balls this year. And he knows it. You wouldn't have to "guilt him" into taking $10 Million dollars to pitch next season. He'd probably suck Hank Steinbrenner's cock for that contract offer right now.
Johnny Damon breaks down in CF. Melky was awful. And Gardner can't hit. And that's your plan? That seems sound enough.
So you're going to keep Robinson Cano unless someone offers you Jake Peavy or Matt Cain for him? In other words... you're going to keep Robinson Cano. Good, I agree with you. But for the record, nobody would ever be drunk or stupid enough to offer Peavy or Cain for him.
AJ Burnett's won/lost record this year is going to land him a big contract. And it shouldn't, because he wasn't that great, truth be told. I agree that the Yankees should stay away from him. But why in the blue FUCK shouldn't they go after CC Sabathia? Did you watch any baseball games this year? Or last year? How about in 2006? Did you watch baseball then? Have you ever actually watched a baseball game, dude? Yeah, he's thrown a ton of innings. Yeah, he might break down. After passing on Santana for the same reasons, the Yankees CAN FUCKING NOT afford to let Sabathia get away. It's not about trading talent this time. It's just money. The Yankees can afford the salary whether Sabathia gets hurt or not. This is a no-brainer for anyone who isn't on the payroll of Derek Lowe.
Casey Blake at First Base? You do realize that Giambi spends more time on the basepaths than Casey Blake, right? And he hits more home runs? And defensively, it's probably a wash, since Blake's only played 105 games at First Base in his career? I'll say this again... how about if the Yankees go after Mark Teixeira... who's good defensively, and hits more than Casey Blake and Jason Giambi combined?
I'm going to sleep. Yes, it's 12:41 in the afternoon. But I'm exhausted now. Later.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
OMG THE METS ARE CHOKING!!
I should probably preface this by, again, stating that I'm a Yankees fan and saying that, yes, my team does suck this year. Hughes and Kennedy were a big let-down, and injuries to Wang, Chamberlain, Posada, Matsui and A-Rod were too much to overcome. The statements that will follow, about the New York Mets, have nothing to do with me being a fan of the Yankees, and are offered only as honest analysis. With some satire. If these assertions piss you off, you really should get some thicker skin, or a helmet. Or maybe some orthodontic headgear. Or Fudgeboots! Okay, now I'm just being silly. But seriously, Fudgeboots! Think about it.
The New York Mets are not choking, and this is not a "repeat of September 2007" as many people are saying.
The New York Mets are just a bad baseball team. Yup, there it is. I said it.
The Mets were 14-12 on May 1st. They were 28-27 on June 1st. And they were 41-42 on July 1st.
They got hot in July and August, going 36-18 over that stretch, and since September 1st, they're 9-9. The bottom line is that this is a .500 team. They got hot and overachieved for about a month and a half, and now they've reverted to being a .500 team. Why?
Well, lets start with the most glaring problem, that horrific fucking bullpen. Sure, the injury to Wagner hurts a lot, but even with him, this is a bad bullpen, especially since he's not exactly Mr. Clutch.
The outfield's pretty bad after Beltran. Second base is a mess. The Catcher position produces almost nothing. And especially now, with John Maine out of the rotation, there's not much beyond Santana.
So Mister Six... if this team is such utter shit, then why are the in the race for a playoff spot?
Is this the question you're dying to ask? Take a good look at the NL East. The Marlins were in the picture until recently. Yes, the Marlins... with their $0.47 payroll and roster full of AAA players. The Phillies are inconsistent as shit, and never seem to be playing to their potential.
And as for the Wild Card race... the NL West is pitifully bad, so no challenges are coming from there.
If anybody is pulling a "2007 Mets" this year, it's the Milwaukee Brewers, hence the fact that they're lagging in the Wild Card race.
The bottom line though, is that any way you slice it, this isn't a "choke" or "collapse" by the Mets if they miss the playoffs. This is a team that's not very good... overachieving for about 6 or 7 weeks, and at least making the season interesting for their fans.
Which is a lot more than the Yankees bothered to do this year.
The New York Mets are not choking, and this is not a "repeat of September 2007" as many people are saying.
The New York Mets are just a bad baseball team. Yup, there it is. I said it.
The Mets were 14-12 on May 1st. They were 28-27 on June 1st. And they were 41-42 on July 1st.
They got hot in July and August, going 36-18 over that stretch, and since September 1st, they're 9-9. The bottom line is that this is a .500 team. They got hot and overachieved for about a month and a half, and now they've reverted to being a .500 team. Why?
Well, lets start with the most glaring problem, that horrific fucking bullpen. Sure, the injury to Wagner hurts a lot, but even with him, this is a bad bullpen, especially since he's not exactly Mr. Clutch.
The outfield's pretty bad after Beltran. Second base is a mess. The Catcher position produces almost nothing. And especially now, with John Maine out of the rotation, there's not much beyond Santana.
So Mister Six... if this team is such utter shit, then why are the in the race for a playoff spot?
Is this the question you're dying to ask? Take a good look at the NL East. The Marlins were in the picture until recently. Yes, the Marlins... with their $0.47 payroll and roster full of AAA players. The Phillies are inconsistent as shit, and never seem to be playing to their potential.
And as for the Wild Card race... the NL West is pitifully bad, so no challenges are coming from there.
If anybody is pulling a "2007 Mets" this year, it's the Milwaukee Brewers, hence the fact that they're lagging in the Wild Card race.
The bottom line though, is that any way you slice it, this isn't a "choke" or "collapse" by the Mets if they miss the playoffs. This is a team that's not very good... overachieving for about 6 or 7 weeks, and at least making the season interesting for their fans.
Which is a lot more than the Yankees bothered to do this year.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Tribute to Mr. Jerry Manuel
Damn it feels good to be a gangsta! Thank God Jerry Manuel got a managerial job! And Thank God he got it close to home for me so I can laugh at the antics of this butt-fucking Finkelstein.
I really thought I was going to just bash Bill Simmons and Dusty Baker for the rest of their lives (or until they return to whatever planets they respectively come from.) But now there's Jerry.
He should cut Reyes every time he pops up a ball. Sort of an extreme version of Willie Mays Hayes doing push-ups!
Straight ball, I hit it very much!!! And for the record, no. Jesus Christ cannot hit a curveball. And that's a capital NO, just so we're clear!
Although Christ bangs hanging sliders like he's a Republican Senator and they're 12-year old Malaysian boys.
I really thought I was going to just bash Bill Simmons and Dusty Baker for the rest of their lives (or until they return to whatever planets they respectively come from.) But now there's Jerry.
He should cut Reyes every time he pops up a ball. Sort of an extreme version of Willie Mays Hayes doing push-ups!
Straight ball, I hit it very much!!! And for the record, no. Jesus Christ cannot hit a curveball. And that's a capital NO, just so we're clear!
Although Christ bangs hanging sliders like he's a Republican Senator and they're 12-year old Malaysian boys.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Next Stop! Dodger Blue!!!
So in case you haven't heard, Willie Randolph is no longer the Manager of the New York Mets. He lasted a while, he had some good times and alas, he's fired in the middle of the night, 3,000 miles from home, after a win.
They let this guy twist in the wind for a month and then shit-canned him in the farthest possible place from home. Seems like a pretty harsh set of circumstances for a guy who's really not to blame for how bad the Mets have been this year.
You probably realize that the Mets payroll this year is around $140 Million, but as a Yankee fan, I'll be the first person to tell you that when your team is doling out that much payroll, a LOT of it is going to guys who aren't giving you the sort of production you were getting when you signed them. And spending money's no guarantee of winning a fucking thing any more.
Delgado is a $16 Million-a-year dead body.
Moises Alou's making $7.5 Million... and he's played in 15 games.
Pedro's on the books for $11 Million.
El Duque's getting another $7 Million to be the Mets answer to Carl Pavano jokes.
People got caught up in the "collapse" or the idea that the Mets had a bad month last September. The fact of the matter is they're a poorly constructed team and it caught up to them.
Reliable hitters in the Mets Lineup: David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Ryan Church (DL)
Reliable arms in the Mets Rotation/Bullpen: Johan Santana, John Maine, Pedro Feliciano, Billy Wagner
Point is, Willie's the scapegoat because Omar Minaya failed to understand that a few of guys have overachieved for the last year or two (Oliver Perez, Jose Reyes) and a bunch more were going to decline dramatically or be hurt (Delgado, Castillo, Pedro, El Duque, Alou).
The bottom line is that the GM needs to get shit-canned along with the manager. And I think we all know that Willie's going to end up in Los Angeles, where he can resume his former job of sleeping on the bench next to Joe Torre.
They let this guy twist in the wind for a month and then shit-canned him in the farthest possible place from home. Seems like a pretty harsh set of circumstances for a guy who's really not to blame for how bad the Mets have been this year.
You probably realize that the Mets payroll this year is around $140 Million, but as a Yankee fan, I'll be the first person to tell you that when your team is doling out that much payroll, a LOT of it is going to guys who aren't giving you the sort of production you were getting when you signed them. And spending money's no guarantee of winning a fucking thing any more.
Delgado is a $16 Million-a-year dead body.
Moises Alou's making $7.5 Million... and he's played in 15 games.
Pedro's on the books for $11 Million.
El Duque's getting another $7 Million to be the Mets answer to Carl Pavano jokes.
People got caught up in the "collapse" or the idea that the Mets had a bad month last September. The fact of the matter is they're a poorly constructed team and it caught up to them.
Reliable hitters in the Mets Lineup: David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Ryan Church (DL)
Reliable arms in the Mets Rotation/Bullpen: Johan Santana, John Maine, Pedro Feliciano, Billy Wagner
Point is, Willie's the scapegoat because Omar Minaya failed to understand that a few of guys have overachieved for the last year or two (Oliver Perez, Jose Reyes) and a bunch more were going to decline dramatically or be hurt (Delgado, Castillo, Pedro, El Duque, Alou).
The bottom line is that the GM needs to get shit-canned along with the manager. And I think we all know that Willie's going to end up in Los Angeles, where he can resume his former job of sleeping on the bench next to Joe Torre.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Getcha Popcorn!! Mets Analysis!!!
Haha, I stole T.O.'s line! Getcha popcorn! This is actually terrific. Peter Botte at the Daily News did an article called "Ten Ways to Fix the Mets" today. Why is that terrific? Because I wanted to cover this situation, because I've got some ideas on how to fix the Mets too. So go read Pete's ideas if you want... but here are my ideas.
1) Jose Reyes: Here's the problem with Reyes. Teams have figured him out a little bit, and now it's time for him to adjust... except that he's not doing it. He's only 25 (and not related to Miguel Tejada) so this isn't an age/decline issue. It's that pitchers have learned that Reyes will chase the high ball and pop it up. On balls in the air, his speed is 100% negated. He needs to lay off and force them to come down, and then that average and OBP will likely jump another 20-30 points. Also, he needs to stop running every time he gets on base. I don't care how fast you are. If the pitcher and catcher KNOW you're going, they're going to catch you.
1) Jose Reyes: Here's the problem with Reyes. Teams have figured him out a little bit, and now it's time for him to adjust... except that he's not doing it. He's only 25 (and not related to Miguel Tejada) so this isn't an age/decline issue. It's that pitchers have learned that Reyes will chase the high ball and pop it up. On balls in the air, his speed is 100% negated. He needs to lay off and force them to come down, and then that average and OBP will likely jump another 20-30 points. Also, he needs to stop running every time he gets on base. I don't care how fast you are. If the pitcher and catcher KNOW you're going, they're going to catch you.
2) Aaron Heilman: Heilman never wanted to be a bullpen guy but ended up there because he was a bust as a starter. His trade value is shit right now, he's nearing free agency and he's pitching like shit.
Send him down to AAA, bring up Carlos Muniz for now. Start the process of convering Heilman to a starter again and let him spend the next month or two beating up on AAA hitters, looking good. He wants to start, so the transition will probably amp him up. Tout his improvement and rumor him as the "Mets Rotation Fix" for the second half. In other words, hype him and build up his value. Then see what you can get for him via trade, whether its prospects to replenish the system (assuming the team is 10+ games back by then) or something to help now (> 10 games back).
3) Mike Pelfrey: Pelfrey was overrated from the start and 81 Ks in 143 IP over 3 years = not the power pitcher he was supposed to be. Why? Because there's no movement on his ball... but that's besides the point.
Again, send him down. Let him beat up on AAA hitters and improve his value. By the deadline, you send him to the Cincinatti Reds with a guy like Jon Niese (in the minors) or maybe even Aaron Heilman for Adam Dunn. The Reds want to move Dunn because they can't pay him. The Mets can, and he'd help their offense a LOT.
4) Carlos Delgado: People want to cut his time. Dumb. People want to cut him outright. Also dumb. He's in the last year of his contract, so there are teams that will be willing to take a shot that he comes out of his funk. It might cost some money, but it'll still be less money than it costs to keep or cut Delgado, and maybe you get something useful back. Like maybe Rob Quinlan from Anaheim. Or Ryan Garko from the Indians. Lyle Overbay from Toronto.
In other words, somebody who's a few years younger, who might actually be able to help, because Delgado couldn't suck more if he was a vacuum cleaner with an Iron Man's Arc Reactor powering him.
5) The Outfield: Beltran, Church, Alou, Endy Chavez, Marlon Anderson, Angel Pagan, Brady Clark, Nick Evans, Damion Easley, garbage, trash, garbage. If you make the Pelfrey/Heilman-for-Dunn trade that I suggested... now you've got Beltran, Dunn, Church, Alou in that mix. That's not so bad, especially with Church and Alou platooning and Dunn hitting 40 bombs a year. Every at bat that's taken by Chavez, Anderson, Pagan, Clark, Evans or Easley is another nail in the Mets 2008 coffin.
6) Rotation and Bullpen: Santana and Maine are givens. Claudio Vargas has been decent. Perez should be better than he's been. And hopefully the combination of Pedro and Duque can fill in the blanks. It's the 5-starter, if you can find majors-average innings here, you're okay.
In the pen, Wagner's as good as you're going to get for now (although he should be banned from doing radio shows, and ordered to shut the fuck up forever.) Smith, Feliciano and Schoeneweis are solid arms. Muniz can probably give you good innings out of the minors. Eddie Kunz might also be able to help out of the minors. And why not a guy like Robert Parnell out of the minors as a long-man? Again, it would be better than what's already there.
So to summarize:
- Reyes lays off the high stuff and stops running so much.
- Delgado + Cash for Quinlan/Overbay/Garko/someone with a pulse.
- Heilman + Pelfrey for Adam Dunn
- Church + Alou platooning in the OF with Dunn and Beltran
- Muniz + Kunz + maybe Parnell in the bullpen.
- Billy Wagner is not allowed to talk.
It can all be done within the next 2 months, and if the Mets are still within 7 or 8 games by the time it's all done, they might be able to mount a second-half charge at the overachieving Marlins and the still-sorta-shitty Phillies for the NL East.
I've done my best to be objective here, as I hate the Mets. My original suggestion for fixing them was going to be to disband them... but I tried to think like a GM. Feel free to comment your opinions. And just because I can...
And for the record, this vid was made by an alleged Mets fan... so I'm trying to be gentle with you guys. Scroll down and look at the ones the Cubs and White Sox got... heh.
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