Archive for the ‘Nick Evans’ Category

BY SCOTT ILOWITE
STACHE WRITER

This afternoon RA Dickey and the Mets beat Livan Hernandez and the Nats 3-2. The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the 3rd inning after RA Dickey helped himself with a single and Angel Pagan followed with one of his own. With the two of them on, Luis Hernandez hit a liner to centerfield that kinda knuckled away from that sukka Nyjer Morgan in centerfield, allowing RA to score. Carlos Beltran followed up with a sac fly to give the Mets the 2-0 lead.

In the 5th inning with Mike Morse aboard on a single, RA served up a meatball that didn’t exactly knuckle to Wilson Ramos, and he deposited it over the centerfield wall to knot the score up at 2.

In an amazing managerial maneuver, Jerry Manuel made a real gangsta move and pinch hit for Dickey after only 88 pitches in the top of the 7th inning. With 1 out and 2 on, Nick Evans was called upon. Evans shattered his bat and hit one past Adam Dunn for an RBI double. Thole came around to score and gave the Mets a 3-2 lead. Read the rest of this entry »

BY MATT ESPOSITO
STACHE WRITER

It has been brought up on multiple occasions this year. What exactly is Nick Evans up to these days?

He was once a relatively highly touted prospect in the minors for the Mets, and his respect, or usefulness rather, has seemed to diminish. However, he hasn’t let the rain on his parade bring down his performance. But now, Evans might have a new meaning to the organization.

Evans has developed into a first baseman, after he had been experimented with in the outfield by the Mets over the last couple of years.

This is the problem for Evans chances at making it with the Mets. His road to the Majors is blocked by top prospect Ike Davis, whose maturity and power have secured him a much deserved spot in the lineup every day. And there is absolutely no room in the Mets outfield and even bench at this point.
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FRANK GRAY
STACHE WRITER

The city of Chicago has seen its share of hard times. In 1871, they had a massive fire that lasted for days. It destroyed everything in it’s wake. The city rebuilt though and once again became a prominent destination in the United States. Both economically and competitively.

They have had sports teams struggle in mediocrity and succeed to the heights of their profession. Among their teams, are the Bears who have such a storied history in the NFL, that it speaks for itself.

The Bulls, who have won multiple NBA championships and were the dynasty of the 90′s. Most recently, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, the most prized trophy in the NHL, just a week ago.

Both the White Sox and the Cubs have tasted success as well, although the White Sox remain the only one of the two teams to win a World Series in the past century. These days, despite all that success, the city is preparing for another fire of sorts, a fire sale. Both of the baseball teams are mired in over-sized contracts for players and underachievement as a team.

Both the Cubs and the White Sox have openly discussed the possibility of trades for several players on each of the teams. This rebuilding stage for these teams has led to other players wanting to be traded. The uproar has and will create a domino effect within the next month as the trade deadline looms closer to us all.
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FRANK GRAY
STACHE WRITER

A few years ago, the New York Mets had a sensational and up and coming player in their minor league system. That player is Nick Evans. In January, www.minorleagueball.com published a list of the best prospects in the Mets system. Bleacher Report’s Matt Esposito wrote a wonderful breakdown of it. However, Evans was not on that list.

In the 2008 season, he was brought up with much fanfare. In the 50 games he played in that season, he hit two home runs. Not very impressive, but for a rookie and for only having limited at bats (109), that’s not too bad. He was used more as a bench player and so 28 hits in 50 games is not terrible for a player used in a limited capacity.

Players like Fernando Tatis are allowed to stay on the major league roster with far less production. Not that I’m picking solely on Tatis, but there are players who have been on the major league roster this season who have been just as unproductive for the Mets as Evans was as a rookie in his 50 games.
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BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Recently, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to conduct an email-based interview with MLB.COM writer Jonathan Mayo. Many people know him around baseball circles for his expertise with the youngsters in baseball, and since the Mets’ minor league system has been so scrutinized over the past couple of years, I thought we could get a “State of the Union”, so to speak. So without further adieu, enjoy.

Daily Stache: If you compare the Mets to the rest of the league, how would they stack up in terms of their minor league system?

Jonathan Mayo: They’d still land near the bottom. As was evident when there wasn’t a whole lot to come up to replace the many injured big-leaguers, they’re particularly weak at the top of the system. There are some interesting young arms from international scouting efforts and Ike Davis looks legit, but there’s still not much there.
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BY AARON YORKE
STACHE WRITER

With football season fast approaching and the Mets fading even faster, it is easy for fans to completely forget about New York’s National League squad once the calendar turns to September. However, if you’re like me and laughing at Jets fans isn’t enough to help you get over another painful Mets season, there are at least the September call ups to looks forward to.

Thanks to Adam Rubin, we know we can expect Josh Thole to make his MLB debut this season. Eddie Kunz and Nick Evans should be accompanying him in major league encore appearances. If you like following prospects as much as I do, you should be excited about seeing Thole’s first attempt at hitting major league pitching.

The 22 year old catcher has been making noise in AA Binghamton all season thanks to his .328 batting average and great plate discipline. It’s not every day you find such a young player who strikes out more often than he walks.

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BY MATTHEW JAKL
STACHE WRITER

I know. It is hard to watch the Mets. Painful at times. Mental errors, injuries, and bats that seem to be afraid of the ball have the number in the L column growing faster than the national debt. And I know. The Mets are 10 games back, looking down only at the lowly Natinals. And I know. Those boys in Flushing have broken our hearts the past two years with last day loses; keeping Mets fans watching the post season with apathy and the players watching from their couch.

With that said, how it can it get worse?
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BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Last year, Nick Evans was this unbelievable story. He burst onto the scene against Colorado with a three double game, and many people thought the Mets had found the diamond in the rough in their farm system. But as the case usually is with this team and their “overhyped” prospects, Evans hit a wall.

After failing to make the team in the Spring, Evans spiraled out of control, and he couldn’t hit his way out of a paper bag. It got so bad that he was sent down to extended spring training to try to get his game back.

During this time, people like Delgado and Reyes were dropping like flies, and because Evans was free falling, Daniel Murphy was given the shot at first base. Fernando Tatis saw some at-bats that he clearly hasn’t deserved, and the Mets have made due, so to speak.

The guy who was a spark during his first couple of games with the Mets seemed to be yesterday’s news. Last year, his overall line was rather ordinary, as he hit .257 with two homers in only 109 at-bats. In almost half of that kind of exposure this year, Evans had his for a .250 clip, but he has struck out more than 25 percent of the time.
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BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Last night, while the Mets were engaged in battle with the Dodgers, I continually found myself enraged. It wasn’t because of the usual reasons, like the Mets screwing up their fundamentals or a pitcher not being able to throw a strike. It was the guys who are supposed to be acting impartial who were driving me nuts.

That’s right. I am talking about Wally Bell and the whole motley crew.

The umpiring needs to be consistent. I am sick and tired of watching one game to see an umpire have a strike zone the size of a thimble, and then I watch the next to see Wally Bell and his strike zone in which someone can drive a bus through.

There were two such occasions in which I wanted to have some unkind words with Mr. Bell last night. First, we had Gary Sheffield up, and Russel Martin clearly set up off of the outside corner. The ball drifted into the mit of Martin, and Sheffield was called out on strikes, which of course was much to his shagrin.

Later in the game, Nick Evans was at the dish at a pivotal point. The bases were loaded, and a 3-2 pitch was at least six inches outside. But the Dodgers were of course saved by the Bell and his monstrous strike zone. That could’ve been a difference changer.

There have also been plenty of out/safe calls blown at some point this year, and it is really beginning to get despicable. When the announcers spend a good five minutes talking about the umpiring, you know something is seriously wrong, unless they are talking about Tim McClelland and the fact that he’s been umpiring since Lincoln was assassinated.

The umpires need to look in the mirror and get their stuff together. Whether it is the strike zone or the bases that they are responsible for, they need to get their calls right so that their presence doesn’t impact the games eventual destiny.

Let the players be responsible for their own fate…not the umpires.

BY ZACHARY SCHULMAN
STACHE WRITER

Certainly the Mets play has not been the caliber that it should be. Several factors have contributed to this, a large one being injuries. Seeing outfielders fall flat on their face and the ball being thrown around like a pickup stick ball game only add to the misery.

The Mets toy with emotions worse than a jealous high school girlfriend. Today Mike Pelfrey went out and pitched what is to date the Mets most important win of the season. Every game from here on out has that title to it until the injuries start to heal.

The good news is that the Phillies have not been playing that splendidly either and as of writing have a two game lead on the Mets. The Mets have a winnable game tomorrow against Pittsburgh and then being a crucial three game set with the arch rival Phillies.

The Mets are undermanned, but the Phillies don’t play well at home. So if the Mets can survive until the All Star break by being within two games of the division lead then things will be looking up.

With that said, I am more and more convinced that Omar should NOT make a deal. The price would be way too high and now is the time to evaluate the talent within the organization. Players like Dan Murphy, Nick Evans, and Fernando Martinez are all gaining valuable experience regardless of how successful or successful they are.

I think Murphy will have a spot on this team next year with the near certainty of Delgado not being re-signed. Evans has shown that there can be some pop in his bat. Martinez can field and is no doubt the center fielder of the future. His hitting needs a little more seasoning.

These are the troops for the next 10 games. Jerry will mix and match his lineup to keep people fresh, try and generate power, and try to win games. Whoever steps out onto the field in the coming weeks has to do their best to keep the ship from sinking and hang in there.