Why I've come around on Kobe

First of all, the guy said that if he played in college he would have wanted to play for Duke and Coach K. Then, when asked if he ever thought about whether he would have liked to play college hoops, he offered this response: "every March."

Then he comes out with this one, after he finally was ready to play for Team USA on the last national team:

"It always seemed like an injury would come up or something like that. My practice jersey, I hung it up in my room and just stared at it last night."

Kobe Bryant, excited about being able to play for the national team.

Gotta love it.

For a guy I hated as a rookie, I've got to admit it: Kobe has won me over.

The evidence continues to mount

"That was the most glaring baserunning error of the season, and there've been too many to count."

-Bob Ojeda on the 4th inning doubleplay resulting from one baserunner passing another

"Players coaches always get a great reception up front. One, two, or three years out, when the team underperforms and the players tell the manager to F off cause they can get away with it, there's going to be a lot less praise headed his way."

-Fredo, 9/11/08

Unfortunately for all of us, it seems to have taken less than one year to get to the "F-off" stage. One day after supposedly calling his star players Wright and Beltran out for bad baserunning decisions, the team comes back with an impossibly stupid, unfathomable, and "once in a generation" (per the FAN broadcast) baserunning error the very next night. You really seem to have your team's attention, Jer.

After a year of bizarre, non-performance based favoritism exhibited towards certain players, publicly undercutting other players in the press without addressing them in private, and generally making a circus ass-clown of yourself, I can't say it's all that surprising that the team could care less what you have to say.

Putz isThe Mets Are Broken

Well, we've hit it a bit earlier than in recent years, but the meltdown is upon us. Every time the Mutts have a winning streak to take first, they choke it right back with ridiculous injuries, poor playing, and meltdowns by their best players at the worst times. Wright's slump is of course perfectly timed with the injuries to Beltran, Delgado and Reyes. Santana has lost a bit of his dominance at the same time.

And the injuries and sickness keep on coming.

Silly me, I thought having the #1 payroll in NL for several years running would buy more than a 90 win team. This year, it might not even buy that.

Putz is broken

I'm not big on ripping guys right after a terrible performance. It's tough to make an even handed analysis right after someone's just defecated all over the cot, cost the Mets the game, and ruined your evening.

That said, the analysis is pretty easy in this case. Putz didn't just have a rough night. He's had several of them. His velocity and control have been erratic most of the year. There's no question he's not "right," as compared to how he was throwing the ball two seasons ago.

So what are the practical implications of this? Well, for one, I think it makes Parnell untouchable, unless you're bringing an 8th inning guy back for him.

For two, it makes you wonder what is going on with the Mets medical staff. These guys have to pass a medical before being signed and/or traded for, right? The list of injuries right now is off the chart: Beltran (knees), Church (hammy), Reyes (calf), and Pagan (groin) are all out with the type of lingering flexibility/strength issues that you would think could be addressed through conditioning.

For three, it makes you wonder about the manager. When you play a 162 game season, you're going to have to fight through injuries. No one on this team seems to have the desire to do so. They ask for days off, and say they can't go at the first sign of trouble. Could this be tied in to the same laissez-faire attitude that is evidenced by players--whether established stars, rookies in the first week of their big league career, or journeyman shortstop who presumably are a bad game away from needing to get a real job--NOT running out fair balls in the infield?

Possibly so.

Words to live by

"I'm not just trying to hit home runs. I'm just trying to get the guys in," said Sheffield, whose renown-batting eye also got him two walks.

If only the rest of the Mets had the same attitude.

Laziness begets laziness

Well, if your team has a leadership style and clubhouse personality that does not emphasize focus, discipline and running out every play, it will rub off.

Top prospect Fernando Martinez, playing his second big league game, failed to run out an infield popup that was dropped. The 20-year-old was booed his next time up.

I'm sorry, but if you're a 20-year-old with a chance to showcase your stuff in the bigs, how are you not playing your ass off? Unless you're already so cocky that you're a sure thing to make the roster someday. If I'm Manuel, you better believe I'm in F-Mart's face about this, and benching him. But I'm sure they'll take the opposite approach and coddle him, since they basically let the players run the team there.

Mets call up F Mart; Church and Reyes DL'd; trade for scrub SS

F Mart is 20 years old. His career so far:

2006: Rookie league/low A/hi A
2007: AA
2008: AA
2009: 41 games @ AAA
Called up, ~ 20 yrs, 7 months.

Not all that disimilar to:

1980: Rookie league
1981: High A
1982: AA
1983: 16 games @ AAA
Called up, ~ 21 yrs, 3 months.

Of course, the major difference being that, in their final full years of minor league ball at the AA level, F Mart had an OPS of .772 (.287/8/43), compared to a 1.021 (.283/34/97) for Darryl.

Also, F Mart hit a wall his first year at AA. Darryl was (substantially) better each year in the minors, even though the competition was getting tougher.

BTW, here's the scrub we got from the Tribe for cash.

From the NYPost Mets Blog

Link

1. Omar Minaya needs to go find a shortstop, and that has as much to do with Alex Cora as Jose ReyesJose Reyes . Cora is going to be disabled until about the All-Star break. That means even if Reyes came back healthy from his now recurring calf problems than Ramon Martinez would be the backup shortstop. That is not adequate, especially when you consider that Reyes' injury has been, well, recurring. And especially now that the chances of Reyes winding up on the DL have increased. Martinez has not started more than 27 games at short since 2004. The chances he will hold up physically or defensively - at age 36 - if he is asked to play regularly in Reyes' absence are not good.

Suddenly, signing two closers

doesn't seem so retarded:

According to his Twitter feed, Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post reports, Francisco Rodriguez collapsed outside the visitors clubhouse at Fenway Park due to back spasms and EMTs have been called to assist.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Jerry Manuel said Rodriguez was unavailable for tonight’s game after experiencing back spasms during batting practice.

Of course, I sure do hope Putz figures himself out, b/c right now he looks shakier than a 2006 investment in subprime loans.

So SHK,

how was that video review on Santos' HR for marital harmony?

The NY Post nails Jerry on all talk, no action

"That has been the theme of Jerry Manuel's mantra from day one of spring training: We are not gonna leave anything to chance. We are gonna pay attention to every detail." -- MetsNew York Mets play-by-play man Gary Cohen

Well, somebody's not paying attention.

The Mets -- who can't stop talking about how every, single game is important; haven't you seen the past two years? -- arguably have given away eight possible victories already this season because they don't pay attention to details.

"I think we have lacked some things in the area of focus and the intangibles in baserunning and defense," Manuel admitted to Mike Francesa on WFAN this week.

THEN WHY ISN'T ANYTHING BEING DONE ABOUT IT?!?!

Not much I can add. Read the whole column here.

Bottom Line

Barring a major trade, to pick up: (1) a solid #2 pitcher, and (2) a contact hitter who actually understands how to drive runs in instead of meekly continuing to strand them, this team will not make the playoffs this year. Period.

This team is exactly the same as those of the last 3 seasons, and past performance is a perfect indicator of future results.

This team has the absolute wrong mentality and wrong skills, and it starts at the top with the Wilpons and Omar, down through Manuel and into the players.

Winning streaks like those last week don't excite me, because I know the harsh truth that this team will simply revert to mediocrity the following week, without fail.

And so far Putz has looked exactly like that. I will never understand going after two closers when the team had so many other gaping holes to fill, although I guess in Omar's mind those gaps do not exist.

Leave it to the Gangsta

To take a sensible move that should've been made a week ago--namely, end the Murphy experiment in LF and move him to 1B--and muck it up by making it all about Jerry. He could have tried to manage expectations, and insulated Murph from some of the pressure: e.g., "we're not asking Daniel to take over a new position and be an All Star. We need his stick in the lineup, and now we need someone to fill in part-time at first for a few weeks, and he came up as an infielder. It'll be a challenge for him but I know he'll give us the best he can in a pinch."

Instead, what do we get from the Gangsta? "I don't know about this kid. If he can't get the job done at first, I'll cut him. I'm a gangsta, ya know. Go ask Willie."

From Marty Noble's blog:

Indecisive Jerry struck again Wednesday in Los Angeles, when the Mets manager revealed that he is planning on starting Murphy for at least four straight games at first base -- beginning tonight. That comes after Manuel planned on using Murphy at first base in San Francisco, ultimately opting against it, then saying that it might be some time before Murphy plays there. But at least now we know.

Here's Your Answer, Fredo

Apparently Murphy gets pulled because Manuel has no confidence in him. Or many of the other players, for that matter. Call me crazy, but this doesn't seem like the type of public undermining that the players will respond to. Way to build up the confidence of your team, Jerry.

"I need to find (out) if he [Murphy] can be a first baseman," Manuel told host Mike Francesa. "I really don't know, I'll be honest with you."...

Manuel admitted the Mets may have to make a trade for a first baseman.

"I do know (Tatis) is an older player (34), he is not at the stage of his career where you can project (his performance)," Manuel said. "He's kind of in the evening of his career. Can people in the evening of their career play everyday? Some can, some can't."

Here

Errors, errors and more errors

This team's lack of discipline and focus is mind-numbing. We're #2 in errors and 2nd to last in field pct. If they had a stat to track baserunning stupidity I'm sure it would look even worse.

In almost every way the '09 season is shaping up to be the same as '06, '07 and '08. Other than K-rod I don't see any difference, and unfortunately K-rod can only help if we even make it to the 9th inning.

Da Gangsta' Might be a D-Bag, but...

...apparently he's the best.

The Mets are 76-55 since Manuel became manager, the best 131-game start by any of the 15 managers who lasted that long with the 48-year-old franchise.

On another note, I think I've finally pinpointed what I find most exasperating about the Mets. The stupid, lack-of-focus errors. They consistently make more mental errors than any team with as many supposed all-stars and high payroll. Between the stupid baserunning decisions and the dropped fly balls due to poor outfield communication they shoot themselves in the foot more than any other top team.

Food for thought

Since it's looking like Delgado may miss significant time (if not the season) and we still have a need for a stud pitcher, I would like to suggest a trade:

Jake Peavy and Adrian Gonzalez (who could be the permanent replacement instead of getting another fill-in type)

What would you be willing to give up?

I'd surrender Reyes, F-Mart, Parnell, Niese, and Maine. It looks like the Pods are weakest at 3B so it might take Wright to get it done (as opposed to Reyes).
Peavy is 28 and Gonzo is 27. They'd both be around a long time so I have no problem gutting the farm to lock up two premium positions with All-Stars.

On the other side, we could go after Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez (both turn 31 this year). Martinez can still catch but plays a lot of 1B (he could even be listed primarily as a 1B).

I think Lee and Martinez would come at a lesser cost but by how much?

The Gangsta is a big D Bag

Are you s-ing me? WTF?

Down two, with the bases loaded and one out in the 8th inning, and you pinch hit for Murphy with Angel Pagan?

Angel effing Pagan?

6-4-3.

Worstest News Yet

Mets have won 10 of 12.

Worser news from the bigs

Delgado could be gone for season, and Putz is apparently damaged goods. So says the Post.

Bad News from the Farm

According to the NY Post, Evans has taken a serious step back in his development.

Well played

Go ahead Mets, give yourselves a pat on the back. Good job all around. Way to stink it up for the best pitcher in baseball yet again.

A very special shout out to Jose. Your offense is atrocious, so the least you could do is not boot a slow roller up the middle that results in a 4 run inning instead of ending the inning.

Good thing we re-signed Ollie in the offseason instead of gambling on Lowe. Really dodged that bullet!

MLB '09

I hate everything that is Red Sox, but I have to say this is one funny commercial.

Get your new gear.

Murphy playing 1B

According to David Lennon at Newsday, who saw him fielding ground balls at the position the other day, "Murph looks much more comfortable at first base than leftfield."

Niese put in the rotation

According to Newsday, Ollie's on the DL, after an MRI revealed a more significant injury than previously thought.

Niese getting the start so that the 40-year old Japanese virgin rookie can stay in the pen and give us a second left-handed arm there.

Niese has been bad so far this year (ERA>6) at Buffalo, but is coming off one good start.

Can anyone say, TRADE VALUE? Showcasing Niese, excusing Perez.

Niese, Perez, and Reyes for Perralta and Lee?

I'm still waiting.

Enjoy it while you can

"That's what I do for a living," Santana said. "I enjoy pitching, regardless of who we're facing or when you're pitching. I think that's what I love. I'm always trying to do my best every time out there. Tonight was a great game, a great atmosphere."

Watching a master work. You don't get the chance too often. And the master has passion for his art. You can see it.

From Newsday:

Santana surrendered only two hits and trimmed his ERA from 1.10 to 0.91, the third lowest in Mets history through the first six starts of the season. David Cone had a 0.76 ERA in 1988 and Nolan Ryan a 0.77 in 1971.

I'm going to make a prediction

If we find someplace to stick Murph in the field, and therefore don't trade him, he's gonna win a batting title. Has a Met ever done so? If not, he's gonna be the first.

Oliver Perez

When being that bad means you must really have to work at it.