Archive for June 18th, 2009

The Mets have been coming together as a unit since Jose Reyes and others went down.

BY ANTHONY LAFAMAN
STACHE WRITER

In a way, you sort of have to be proud the way the Mets are playing these days. I mean, in all honesty, I can’t remember a time in which they had so many key injuries at once. Or even the tough losses that they clearly were able to put behind them. I mean did you see the Luis Castillo game? I say this with a little trepidation but I’m pretty sure this is a good thing for them.

To borrow a term from the misunderstood Art Howe, they battled or are battling, I should say. This has to bode well for their future in regards to team chemistry come September. September is the only thing that matters. It’s hard to ignore, even as a optimistic Met fan (oxymoron, I know) the facts are the facts.

The Mets haven’t exactly performed well in the past two September’s. And yes that’s an understatement. But, and hear me out, what if they are the one’s coming from behind (that’s what she said) this time. What if the Phillies have a two game lead in the late twenties of September?

I’ll give you two scenarios and you pick which one you’d consider. Mets are two games up on Sept. 25. That leaves six games left, a weekend series against Florida and then a three game set in Washington. Now flip the teams in the standings. Let’s say the Mets are two games back on the same date with the same schedule ahead of them. Would you take your chances that the Phillies losing two or more games to Milwaukee and Houston? I would.

Because it seems to me the Mets have a bit of a spunk in them that they lacked the past two years. It seems to me like the likes of Carlos Beltran and David Wright will have none of it come this September. Can Philly handle a standing lead late in the year? We know they play comeback kid damn well. That we know. Pressure free baseball is fun, especially in that bandbox. I’m more interested in how the Mets make the playoffs this year than them actually making the playoffs.

I know that makes little sense but I have an idea that the Wild Card team will be from the NL East. And I don’t want the Wild Card. I want what should have been ours the past two years. I want that division crown.

Gary Sheffield's addition has given the Mets a much needed power bat.

BY ZACHARY SCHULMAN
STACHE WRITER

I like to think of myself as a realist and an optimist when it comes to being a sports fan. Living and dying by the Mets is something I enjoy doing regardless of how little joy there is sometimes. I find myself when watching this team, that there are lots of things I like about it despite the current hard times.

Certainly the luxury of the three run homer is few and far between. Grinding out runs has become the modus operandi, whether it’d be bunching together hits, advancing runners, stealing bases, etc. This team has been doing things that Met fans haven’t seen with regularity the past couple of years.

The Mets lead the NL in hitting with a .279 team average and lead the NL with a team OBP of .359. As a trade off their power numbers are way down, ranking 28th in the bigs with 41 homers. I know this information is nothing new to us die hards and the team on the field is not going to change these numbers. But I am going to try and hopefully convince at least one person of the many bright sides of this current Mets teams.

Let’s start with a big culprit in Mets nation Dan Murphy: Murph already has 10 more games played from last year and 40 more ABs and with that only 2 more homers and 4 more RBI. He is also hitting .246.

Why am I not Armageddon on Mr. Murph? There are a few reasons. One admittedly being stubbornness. Murph was such a vital part of the team last year and he put up great numbers. I along with about everyone in the Mets front office thought this was not an aberration. Granted we all saw what Mike Jacobs did with the Mets in September of 2005. This production punched his ticket to being an everyday player and he has enjoyed moderate success.

Murph is a different kind of player than Jacobs and fits this team well. He is a gap to gap hitter which when polished will be perfect for Citi Field. He has shown a good glove as a novice first baseman, and he has proven to have a good eye at the plate. Yet the results have not shown themselves this year. Murph started the season playing out of position, he has flopped around in the batting order, and has not gotten every game ABs.

It is hard for a 25 year old hitter to adapt the big league pitching under these circumstances. I am not faulting Jerry for this as no one foresaw injuries to the core players and Jerry needs to think outside the box managing this team at present time. Let’s see if his three hits and an RBI last night result in a turnaround for Mr. Murph.

Gary Sheffield has definitely had a resurgence with the Mets. While it is uncertain how much of this is attributed to him being able to DH and rest his ailing leg, one thing is certain, he is tied for the team lead in homers. Sheff has brought an edge to this team they haven’t had in a while.

Along with the feisty K-Rod and the crafty Alex Cora, the Mets have a vibe that their young players can feed off of. Sheff goes out and continues to have solid plate appearances for the Amazins and brings a little depth to their depleted lineup. If and when Delgado gets back this season, the Mets will start to do some damage to the Citi Field Bleachers.

Lastly, this current injury bug has pinpointed a vital argument for the Mets organization and fans alike. With all the talk of breaking up the Core and starting anew, one thing is obvious, THIS TEAM NEEDS JOSE REYES ON THE FIELD. His absence is profound on this team. He is the leadoff hitter and shortstop. He is a run producer and a huge threat on the base paths. He brings a dynamic to this team that frightens opposing players. This is life without Reyes temporarily, think about life without Reyes permanently.

I am not going to constantly complain about the current Mets. I have done that my whole life. We see on a daily basis the players we have. I, and thousands of others, have to deal with it until changes are made. In the meantime, I will continue to dig deep and look for positives on this team. Call me delusional, call me a die hard Mets fan.

Would Juan Pierre fit on the Mets?

BY DANIEL SIEGEL
STACHE WRITER

Before the return of Alex Cora, the Mets lineup looked more like the Binghamton Mets than the New York Mets. Follow that up with losing 4 of 6 to the Phillies and Yankees and fans are knocking down Omar’s door with cries of making a deal.

Everyone is in agreement that Omar has to make a deal but many he has many different things staring him in the face. First, everyone in the league knows Omar needs to make a deal so he isn’t likely to find any bargins. Also, only seven teams in the majors are not within six games of the wild card. Rumors are swirling around of who may or may not be on the block but the truth is Omar’s only move is to wait.

The longer Omar holds out, the more things will clear up as far as who will and will not be on the block. There is no coincidence that will Omar waits things out in the trade market, Jerry Manuel is preaching patience with Daniel Murphy and Fernando Martinez as long as the team stays afloat.

The problem that lies ahead for Omar and the Mets is there won’t be enough of the big guys to fill their needs. We’d like to see Omar get another starter to go along with an outfielder or first baseman that can bring power. But really how many people will be out there?

The ideas of a Jake Peavy or Roy Oswalt or even Cliff Lee coming here I think are extreme longshots. Adam Dunn might be not be as available as some think and don’t think the Nationals will send him inside the division for cheap just because they’re 20 games back. Matt Holliday has been the big name thrown around for the Mets but his numbers (.275/8/38) are very compatible to a name we heard over the winter that may still be available in Jermaine Dye (.271/15/39).

Omar really has two plays once the trade market clears up. He can go grab one big guy, whoever it may be, and see if that’s enough to get this team through because its probably all he’ll be able to get. Omar could also try and think economically here and try and fill holes with not the most glamorous of names but guys that can fill some holes.

If Cleveland is really has Mark DeRosa on the block as much as its rumored, I think Omar should be all over him. DeRosa was a steal for the Indians when they got him over the winter and all the guy has done is hit for them. DeRosa could come over and play first until Delgado comes back and then shift to the outfield. He may be the most expensive of my suggestions but he won’t command as much as the bigger names rumored around.

Boston is shopping Brad Penny with John Smoltz returning next week. We know Penny’s track record with injuries and postseason let downs but its a shot Omar has to take. The price shouldn’t be overly huge for Penny and will anyone really argue is Penny is a better fit than Tim Redding? An added incentive could be that the Mets getting Penny would prevent the Phillies from getting him who also are looking for pitching help.

Luis Castillo has had a nice year but his days of leading off are far removed and Alex Cora is not a leadoff hitter. With no timetable for Jose Reyes return, the Mets could use a natural leadoff hitter which leads me to Juan Pierre. This might be a longshot but hear me out. Pierre has been on fire over the last month and a half but with Manny coming back in a couple of weeks, Joe Torre has already said Pierre is the odd-man out. Pierre has mentioned on a few occasions his displeasure for part-time play and he’s a guy who can leadoff and get on base with Reyes out and slide in and bat second when he gets back. He doesn’t add any power but he will get on base in front of Beltran and Wright.

The trade deadline is still about a month away and every morning Mets fans wake up and look to see if Omar has acted in the late night hours. Yet, Omar will sit and wait to see how things shape up and decide whether to go big or small in his moves.

Daniel Murphy is looking to get his game back, and the Mets need him.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

The Mets have been an interesting team to watch this year. Some games, they come out and look like an offensive powerhouse, and others, they look like the Long Island Ducks (no offense intended). Aside from David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Gary Sheffield, the offense has kind of been like a rotating door. And one spot that has been a bit of a problem would be the number six spot in the order.

The Mets have been dreadful in the number six hole, aside from the recently alotted Gary Sheffield. The guys who have been counted on since Carlos Delgado went down have been filling that spot, and they haven’t been holding up their end of the bargain. The number six spot in the order is only batting .219 with two homers and 21 runs, both of which are the lowest of any position in the lineup besides the pitcher’s spot.

The .294 on base percentage is also the worst in the lineup as well. So who is to blame?

First, there is Daniel Murphy. The guy who reminded Jerry Manuel of Tony Gwynn is batting .246 on the season, and he seems to be making rather anemic outs. Hopefully last night’s three-hit performance is a sign that he is busting out of this prolonged slump. He has played above average defense at first base, but something has changed with his approach at the plate. He used to be so patient, but now he seems to be making decisions quicker, and he is chasing a lot more bad pitches.

Hopefully this is just a stage that will help him grow and develop.

The other guy who has been tanking as of late is Fernando Tatis, who is down to .263 on the year. He was also the victim of some bad luck yesterday. With the bases loaded and Fernando Martinez due up against Mark Hendrickson, Manuel opted to go for the right handed Tatis. Fernando got ahead 2-0 in the count, and then he drove a grounder towards the middle, but Brian Roberts had him scouted perfectly and was able to start the 6-4-3 double play.

That’s just the kind of luck that he’s been having lately.

If the Mets are going to keep some sustained pressure on during this tough stretch going into the all star break, they are going to need some more production out of the number six spot in the order. Whether that is Tatis, Murphy or someone else, they need somebody to step up.

Cora has been a solid fill in while Jose Reyes has been on the shelf.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

When the Mets came into the season, Alex Cora was intended to be a role player. He was expected to give Luis Castillo some days off to rest his ailing knees, and he was also expected to give Jose Reyes the occasional day off to get a bit of rest.

Oh how the tides have turned.

Cora has been thrusted into a much more important role by Jerry Manuel when Jose Reyes went down. That, along with the loss of Delgado, seemed like it would be a crippling blow to the Mets’ chances of being competitive this year. But some guys have stepped up the void and done very well. Perhaps the most impressive story for me is Alex Cora.

When I tell you a guy is hitting .277, you may say that that isn’t all that special, and normally I would agree. But if you also count the fact that Cora’s OBP is .373, all while playing with a splint on his thumb, I think you have gotten a guy who can keep the team on its feet until the speedster gets back.

Cora sees a lot of pitches. In fact, Cora saw more than 30 pitches on Wednesday night. Although it didn’t translate into a win for the Mets, it gives the hitters behind him a chance to see what kind of stuff the pitcher has. Also, he rarely strikes out, which makes for a frustrating combination for pitchers to face. His OPS is the highest that it’s been since Cora was a Dodger back in 2004. He also is playing excellent defense, and he provides a toughness that seemed to be lacking before he got here.

We need to remember that this guy has seen the promise land before. He has won the World Series in Boston, and it is about time the players look to him as an inspirational leader. He doesn’t complain or speak to the media too much. He just does his job, and he is rarely recognized for doing the little things.

Guys like Cora are essential if you want to win, and if the Mets do make a run in 2009, remember the way he is playing right now.

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