Archive for the ‘Mike Barrett’ Category

David Wright's barehanded catch will not soon be forgotten.

BY MIKE BARRETT
STACHE WRITER

After some time off from writing, I was inspired to make a return tonight by the remarkable defensive play performed by Daniel Murphy. After thinking long and hard about all the Mets baseball I have watched, I have narrowed down what I believe are the 5 greatest defensive plays of my lifetime as a Mets fan. Please feel free to add or comment as I am sure there are some that I have missed or forgotten.

5. Carlos Beltran, July 8, 2007- While visiting the Houston Astros, Beltran robbed Luke Scott with an amazing catch running up the hill in centerfield at Minute Maid Park, which turned out to be a game saving catch.

4. Daniel Murphy, July 8, 2009- Two years to the day of Beltrans catch, Murphy made us all double take by making an NBA style no look behind the back throw to Bobby Parnell to get Mark Loretta at first. Without question one of the top plays of this season and definitely a bright spot in some otherwise dark times.

3. David Wright, August 9, 2005- Who needs a glove? Wrights barehanded catch going into leftfield has been the staple of his defensive career and is a regular among most defensive highlight reels.

2. Endy Chavez, Game 7 NLCS 2006- Everyone remembers where they were for this catch. Simply amazing. Though the Mets would lose Game 7, Endy Chavez will forever be remembered for his remarkable catch to rob Scott Rolen of a two run homerun by leaping over the wall, then landing to make the throw back to the infield to turn the double play.

1. Rey Ordonez, Opening Day 1996- In a play that prompted best fielding shortstop of all time, Ozzie Smith, to say that “Ordonez is definitely the second coming of me,” Ordonez made a remarkable relay throw home from the outfield while on his knees. It was his first major league game and sign of things to come as he would win three gold gloves with the Mets and leave the team with a highlight reel full of remarkable plays.

Omar Minaya has a lot to think about over the next few weeks.

BY MIKE BARRETT
STACHE WRITER

Everyone around the majors know the Mets need to make a move to help their team. Everyone knows the Mets want to make a move. So what is stopping Omar from going out and getting another frontline starter or big bat? It could be the fact that while injuries are pressing the need for a trade, injuries are also hindering from making a trade.

The Mets need to make a trade for another pitcher. It is unknown what Ollie Perez will give if and when he comes back, John Maine is a question mark yet again, and you cant expect Livan Hernandez to be this good for the rest of the year. So why not pull the trigger on a legit number two starter to put behind Johan Santana? Well, the reason is there are no pitchers available right now for it.

Jake Peavy? He may miss the rest of the season due to his ankle surgery. Erik Bedard? Just went on the DL with shoulder problems. Ben Sheets? He may become available soon but looks like he is headed for Texas.

So that leaves the best options as Roy Oswalt, who probably wont be moved by an Astros team that is notorious for second half surges, Brad Penny who isn’t a number two starter though could do well in pitcher friendly Citi Field, and Jarrod Washburn, who should just be ignored.

Enticing isn’t it?

So with the pitching market looking thin, it seems the best option for the Mets will be to find a big bat. Adam Dunn could be that man, but he has a habit of making Daniel Murphy looking like Willie Mays on the defensive side of things, so his ability to produce runs may be offset by his ability to give them back. As stated by me before, Carlos Lee would be the man I would prefer but again eh plays for the aforementioned Astros.

Matt Holliday? He would cost a fortune and Billy Beane looks happy to keep him and let him walk after this season and receive a boatload of draft picks for him. Adrian Gonzalez may be had and would be arguably the next big thing in New York, but the Mets probably don’t have enough to get him and adding him would present a logjam at first base should Carlos Delgado come back.

So with the trade deadline a month away, it will be interesting to see how the injuries around baseball affect a team riddled by injuries in the New York Mets. Making a trade just for the sake of it wont help, but then again all your primary targets being on the DL with your stars doesn’t either. That being said, I do know one thing.

I am glad I am not Omar Minaya right now.

David Wright has made a couple of big errors in 2009.

BY MIKE BARRETT
STACHE WRITER

As cliché as it may be, the old motto that the best offense is a good defense is something the New York Mets should attempt to take to heart. Most notably David Wright.

For those of you who missed it, let me recap the events of last night. With the bases loaded for the Phillies, a chopper was hit to Wright who charged in, bobbled the ball and allowed a run to score and the runner to be safe at first. The Phillies went on to tie the game later in that inning. Now who am I to say that even if Wright makes that play and cuts down the runner at home for the force that the Phillies don’t come through to tie the game, but still it in my eyes was the turning point of that game.

Defense has been something the Mets have been lacking this season. It seems that in some of the more devastating losses the Mets have suffered this season, a mental lapse on defense can be found that contributed to that loss. This team, though it has great defensive players don’t get me wrong, is a far cry from the turn of the century Mets that brought the Mets to their last World Series.

And for those o you who don’t believe that great defense is a key for champions, it pains me to say just look at Jayson Werth. A great catch against David Wright saved the go ahead run from scoring in the bottom of the tenth and in turn, made it possible for Chase Utley’s solo shot in the top of the eleventh to be the game winner. That’s what championship ball clubs do, they are clutch on defense to make way for their offense.

So hopefully the Mets can take something from their hated counterparts for the series finale tonight, because the thought of losing two out of three to the Phillies at hoe before traveling to Yankee Stadium is something that every Mets fan should be concerned about.

Carlos Lee would add much needed power, but is he worth the dough?

BY MIKE BARRETT
STACHE WRITER

There is no secret to the Mets lack of a power bat. Ever since Carlos Delgado went down, the four spot has been filled by a mix of Gary Sheffield and David Wright. Gary Sheffield and his 40 years old legs have performed admirably but he isn’t the man he used to be. Wright has been hitting the ball, but only has three homeruns all year and is far to hot and cold to be the permanent for hitter. So where does the solution lie? It may be in the form of another Carlos.

Carlos Lee that is.

Lee is having a typical Carlos Lee year in Houston this season, sporting a .321 average, 10 home runs, and 38 runs batted in. Easy to expect from a man who has driven in over a 1000 runs in his career and has hit 291 home runs. He plays left field so thus filling a void that is in a state of disarray and can hold down the four spot without question for the next three years if need be.

There is one question though, will Lee’s numbers go down batting in the cavernous Citi Field? Lee has hit in every park he has played in so it shouldn’t be a problem. Besides the mere threat of Lee sandwiched between Carlos Beltran and Wright would strike fear into any pitcher in the majors. And when Delgado comes back later this year? Well it could mean the Mets cold have their own version of the three amigos down the order.

So what is it going to take to get el caballo? For one it is going to depend heavily on how the Astros play the next few weeks. If they go on one of their notorious mid to late season tears, Lee will stay put. If not, it will take a package centered around good young pitching that will still be cheap and likely a position player to replace Lee on the Astros side. Yet a package like that may be worth it, as Lee may be the man the Mets are looking for to bring a championship back to Queens.

So as the Mets start the toughest stretch of the season thus far, brighter days may be ahead if el caballo is in fact New York bound.

Omar Minaya has some serious decisions to make about the future of this team.

BY MIKE BARRETT
STACHE WRITER

Coming into this season, Mets GM Omar Minaya finally believed he had the team in place to bring the Mets to the World Series. He brought in arguably the leagues best closer in Francisco Rodriguez, former Seattle Mariners closer J.J. Putz to be the eighth inning set up man, and added some pitching depth with Tim Redding, Livan Hernandez and Freddy Garcia.

For the position players, Omar didn’t change much, believing the team that struggled mightily to produce in the clutch would improve this year. He would count on Carlos Delgado to continue his production of 2008, Daniel Murphy would be the hitting machine he looked to be, and David Wright and Jose Reyes would be consistent on the field.

Now, four days into June, it safe to say that aside from K-Rod, Omar’s plans have not panned out. Carlos Delgado is hurt along with Reyes, Garcia is released, J.J. Putz is the new Aaron Heilman, and Tim Redding is even worse.

Some great off season right?

With that being said and with half the team now hut or either sick, its time for Omar to show how he earned that extension and to prove he can be a top GM like he aims to be.

It’s time to shake things up a bit and make some moves.

The first move Omar should make is to find a place where Putz can close. There are teams out there searching for a closer and Putz has expressed desire to close, especially with his saying that he “doesn’t have his adrenaline for the eighth inning”. The way he is pitching though, it may be hard to find a suitor but that’s why Omar gets paid the big bucks. Besides, the way Bobby Parnell has pitched, the Mets may be better off getting rid of Putz and let Parnell have the eighth inning.

The next move is to find a true, power threat who can play the corner outfield spot everyday. Some one that can hit the long ball or at least strike some fear into pitches because the Mets can’t expect Gary Sheffield to keep his level of play up. There should be some outfielders that will be made available, and Omar needs to explore every possibility.

Last but certainly not least, Omar needs to find a pitcher to round out the rotation. Johan has been great as per the norm, Pelfrey and Maine have been decent, and Livan has been Livan. It’s safe to say that Ollie Perez will be a question mark the rest of the season, so a three starter is needed. My money is put on that Omar will look into Ben Sheets if he is healthy or, as mentioned earlier in the year, Aaron Harang, who could be made available by the Reds.

If June comes and goes and no moves are made, it is safe to say that the Mets season could be in jeopardy, as well as Omar’s job. I know its tough to blame someone not on the field, but this man choose to bring these players in for the most part. So if they cant get it done, it pretty much reflects the idea the Omar can’t get it done. So for now, while the Mets continue to field a team that looks like they belong in the College World Series, Met fans will have to sit and wait to see if Omar will field a team that can make all fans believe he is the general manager we want him to be.

Murphy's five RBI night was much needed.

BY MIKE BARRETT
STACHE WRITER

Wednesday night I had the pleasure off attending my first Met Game at Citi Field. Safe to say, it wasn’t’ just the stadium that was a great experience. So here we go, my observations and opinions of the Mets brand new home and last nights game.

First of all, the stadium is beautiful. Just as you walk onto the grounds you can already tell that this is first class place for baseball. The Jackie Robinson rotunda is quite a sight to behold and does a great job of honoring the man. Also the ability to walk around the stadium and check out all the new features is something everyone should take advantage of when they get to the stadium. My seats were in the promenade level, section 402. There was some obstruction looking into right field while sitting, but other than that, you could see the field perfectly.

Now lets get to the game.

Aside from it being my first Met’s game at the new field, it was also the first time I had the pleasure of seeing Johan Santana pitch in person and let me tell you, he alone is worth the price of admission. Though he wasn’t at his best, Johan still brings an electricity that can be felt throughout the game. What really made the game worthwhile aside from Johan was two plays centered two of the Mets young players, Daniel Murphy and Fernando Martinez. First, we will get to Murphy’s home run. From where I was sitting, which in regards to the home run, is above the subway sign and to the right on the other side of the foul pole., that ball definitely nicked the sign. So it was definitely was a good call by the umpires ruling it a home run.

Now for Martinez.

He needs to run out that ball. If this is a sign of things to come, it is a problem that needs to be addressed asap. This is where the Mets need that veteran presence to sit Martinez down and tell him that this isn’t how it’s done. However, benching him for the next game isn’t the solution. Martinez needs to play. He is the best option currently for the Mets at that position and needs a few games to get settled and get a few hits under his belt before Church gets back, so the team can get a gauge on whether or not he is ready.

So in all, it was a great game to be at and the stadium is nothing short of awesome. It will take some time for it to get that home feel that Shea used to have, but it wont be long before those feelings start flooding back.

Aubrey Huff is off to a good start, and he could be dangled for some young players.

BY MIKE BARRETT
STACHE WRITER

Coming into this season, much of the Mets success depended on whether Carlos Delgado could repeat his MVP like 2008 season. That chance took a severe blow since Delgado will now miss 10 weeks nursing his surgically repaired hip. The Mets now have a gaping hole at first that they hope to fill in with their bench, which in the long term, just will not cut it. It’s time for Omar Minaya to prove that he worth his extension he received last season and bring in someone who can play first and add some pop to the lineup.

That man happens to be Aubrey Huff.

This season, Huff is batting .237 with seven homeruns and 34 RBI for a below average Baltimore Orioles team. Being a free agent after this season, it is likely the Orioles would like to deal Huff for young players, rather than trying to resign him this off-season, where he could receive several good offers outside the Orioles price range.

Yet what is it going to take. The Orioles would likely want a young pitcher in a deal and a position player, so that could mean the Mets may have to part with Jon Niese and Daniel Murphy. However, the O’s could ask for more, seeing as the Mets could get rather desperate to fill their void at first base.

Seeing as Huff seems to be the most attractive first baseman the Mets could land, it should be interesting to see how Omar goes about the issue. The first base issue is one that needs to be resolved quickly though, as a Delgado-less Mets could see themselves get farther and farther behind in the race for the playoffs.

A-Rod sure knows what it feels like to be caught with PED's.

BY MIKE BARRETT
STACHE WRITER

During the winter, many Met fans were enamored with then free agent Manny Ramirez. I will admit flat out that I was one of them. I believed that he was exactly what the Mets needed with his offensive strengths and attitude that would have taken much of the media attention off of David Wright, Carlos Delgado, and the rest of the Mets. I firmly believed that he was the missing piece to a championship in Queens.

Today it was announced that Manny Ramirez would be suspended 50 games for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. Without question, Ramirez is the biggest name to be suspended for PED’s since the league began to ban offenders in 2003. The Dodgers and there place atop the NL west will take a huge blow with Manny now gone and could suffer a season ending setback.

So did the Mets dodge a bullet by not bringing Manny in?

As hard as it is for me to say, they did. Imagine the media circus that would have enveloped the Mets. Here was the one player the Mets needed, the man who would easily bring them to a World Series, gone for 50 games. Easily a loss that would send the Mets to the bottom of the NL East.

Thankfully, the Mets aren’t in that situation. They were content going into this season with Daniel Murphy as their man. While Murphy has been as a good as promised with the bat, he is no Manny Ramirez. However, he is also not a man who will spend 50 games on the sidelines for using steroids. So that’s one difference any Met fan should be thankful for.

Tin Man plays with more heart than the Mets do.

BY MIKE BARRETT
STACHE WRITER

Passion. It is something that every person has about one particular thing. Every person has that drive, that will, that sixth gear that pushes them to succeed. It is passion that has willed athletes to accomplish insurmountable goals when they have been told they didn’t have the talent to do so. Passion is what makes the 2009 New York Mets an anomaly.

They completely lack it.

There is just no fire in the Mets. It seems that they have become comfortable with losing close ball games, not driving in the tack on runs or any runs for that matter, and the “it’s just one game and we will get them next time” aspect of life. Something needs to be changed, and that change needs to happen soon.

Whether it is bringing in a player that brings so much needed grit, like a David Eckstein or a guy like Eric Byrnes, someone who leaves it all on the field and makes up what he lacks in talent with sprit and hustle. If no player is brought in, then the attitude needs to change and it starts with the so called captain of this team, David Wright. Wright is struggling right now, looking like a ghost of his former self. What needs to happen is Wright needs to light a fire. Next time he strikes out, break a bat in half. Take your anger out on the water coolers, Something to show the fans and the team that your are taking your struggles to heart instead of just going with the flow.

What I propose isn’t the most radical thought but is a reach. Fire Jerry Manuel and bring in the man who emulates passion, Bobby Valentine. Now don’t get me wrong, I like Jerry Manuel as a man and coach, but I don’t think he right for this team. But with Bobby Valentine back at the helm, he will find a way, no matter what it took to make the Mets play with some much needed passion. Hopefully, it doesn’t come to something as radical as that, but if this trend continues, something or someone has to go.

David made a ncie diving stop yesterday.

BY MIKE BARRETT
STACHE WRITER

Yes I know it is only April and there is still plenty of baseball to play, but I am going out on a limb that today needs to mark a turning point for the Mets. Last night the Mets got what they needed from Johan, as per usual. A strong start, some rest for a few bullpen guys, and most importantly a win to stop their losing skid. Not it’s time to build on it.

The first thing that needs to happen in today’s game is it needs to be a blowout win for the Mets. The offense is still struggling and the Nationals pitching staff is the perfect way to break out. 10 runs is a must today, not only to give this team some confidence, but to back starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey. Jose Reyes needs to get on and start running, as does Luis Castillo, who has been the Mets best player thus far. Beltran needs to repeat his birthday night performance in the three spot and Delgado has to have a big RBI day. Most importantly, David Wright needs to go perfect at the plate, to show he can go a game without striking out and to get the fans off his back.

Second, Mike Pelfrey needs to have a bounce back performance. He needs to be the Pelfrey of last summer, who showed he could be unhittable at times. Hopefully the skipped start last week is just what the doctor ordered and Pelfrey will be able to deliver to out some faith back in the Mets rotation behind Santana.

So, if this all happens today, the Mets could be well on their to turning their slow start around. After all, as the Mets should know, every game matters now matter what month it is.

In other news that should bring a smile to fans, Nelson Figueroa has agreed to come back to the Mets, according to Metsblog.com.