The Apple hasn't been too busy this year, except for today

BY MATTHEW FALKENBURY
ASSISTANT EDITOR

Throughout the first half of the 2009 season, we have seen Met after Met after Met go down to injury. On the final game before the All-Star Break, we got the biggest injury scare to date.

The Apple, the Ironman of the franchise since 1980 didn’t rise up to greet a Mets home run when, of all people, Fernando Tatis hit the second home run for the Mets in the bottom of the 7th, to give the Mets, at the time, a 9-3 lead. That homer would actually turn out to be a huge home run in the grand scheme of things after the Mets bullpen wasn’t very successful in the 8th and 9th innings.

Coming into the game today, the Mets hadn’t hit a home run since last week in Pittsburgh. That was 8 games and 81 innings coming into the bottom of the 7th, the longest streak in the Majors this season.

A quick history lesson shows that the Home Run Apple came out of a magic hat after every Mets home run at Shea Stadium. It was first installed in May 1980 as a symbol of a Mets slogan “The Magic Is Back!”.

The hat originally said “Mets Magic” in script but was changed in the mid 1980s to a simple “Home Run” in block capital letters. That apple was moved from Shea and placed in the Bunker known as the Bullpen Plaza and this new apple was put in Center at Citi Field.

The Apple takes 45 seconds for it to recharge and rise between appearances and must also have a mind of its own as well, considering even a large apple knows Schneider and Tatis homering is rare, let alone in the same inning.

The fans would take to chanting “We want Apple!” and “Apple, Apple, Apple” throughout the rest of the 7th inning, demanding its pure joy of seeing the apple rise, after witnessing Tatis not hit the ball on the ground to third or shortstop.

At the end of the 7th inning, the Apple would finally rise from its home to greet the fans, which would lead to a loud roar and a standing ovation from the Mets faithful, seeing what is a rare two game winning streak these days.

Overall, the Apple is a legend in Mets history and Mets fans and the team finally caught a break on the injury front. The Apple will not go on the 15-Day DL and will keep on going for another day.

Ramon has some pop, and the Mets know it.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

The Mets announced today that starting catcher Brian Schneider has been put on the 15-day disabled list with a strain in his back, and while an injury is never good news, this could be the opportunity that Ramon Castro needs to steal the job back. In case you were wondering, Omir Santos was called up to be Castro’s backup prior to Friday’s game against the Brewers.

Castro possesses more weapons than Schneider does. I guess that this injury could have been one thing that may have been hampering the Mets’ number one catcher, but his defense hasn’t been stellar. He is excellent in managing a young pitching staff, and that is where his value truly lies, but I think the Mets are sacrificing much in terms of offense when they put Schneider in there.

Think about it. I have been spoiled with offensively minded catchers ever. While I was growing up, my idol went from being Todd Hundley to Mike Piazza. Hundley has the Mets’ single season homer record, and Piazza may be the best offensive player in Mets’ history. Either way, the first downturn came when the Mets switched over to Paul Lo’Duca, who hit for a high average and rarely struck out, but the change to Schneider has resulted in a lot more double plays and a lot more automatic outs. That is why Castro needs to be given a shot.

Last night, Castro proved his bat was worthy when he crushed a two-run homer to put the Mets back in the game. He is capable of that every time he comes up, and he should be given the chance to shine. Well Ramon…the time is now, and it is time for you to rise up, and seize the day.

Schneider's double play tendencies are a serious problem.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Despite the fact that it may not have been the most pretty of wins, the Mets should be happy that they were able to secure the victory last night to move to 4-4 on the season. There were some things to smile about, like the performance of Oliver Perez, and there were some things to frown about, like Daniel Murphy’s defense and Gary Sheffield’s bat. But this post is not going to go in depth on any of those things. This post is going to be 100 percent dedicated to Brian “Double Play” Schneider, who continues to act like a second pitcher in the lineup.

The situation was typical like it always is. Runners on first and second with nobody out. Sheffield is at the plate working a good at-bat. On deck is Schneider, so Sheffield feels like the number eight hitter, because Schneider is as sure an out as there is in baseball. Once in a while he gets a hit, and once in a while it snows in Florida. Those are two things that are extremely rare. After Sheffield was eventually struck out on a heater, we all knew what was coming. I was so sure of it that I took my in between innings bathroom break as he was walking up to the plate. Surely enough, he didn’t disappoint me. He grounded into that 4-6-3 double play like it was his job. It makes me wonder. Is his defense really worth the drawbacks that come with his bat?

Ramon Castro is the superior hitter of the two, and I don’t think any knowledgeable Mets’ fan will argue otherwise. Castro has some pop, and he can be an impact hitter. His problem has always been staying healthy, but seeing as he reported to camp slimmer in 2009, Castro’s health issues may be behind him, which could mean that Schneider may be playing to keep his job, which he isn’t doing too much to protect. Sure, he’s good at blocking balls and throwing guys out, but Castro isn’t a slouch. I think Manuel should start working Ramon into the lineup more often to see how the cards play out. What’s the worst that can happen? He does just as bad as Schneider? One thing is for sure. When it comes to the bat, Ramon can’t be any worse.

Beltran's big RBI single got things going.

BY: GREG BARRA
STACHE WRITER

It wasn’t pretty how the Mets scored most of their runs tonight but hey, it got them the big W. We saw the Mr. Hyde in Oliver Perez tonight which was nice to see after his first Dr. Jackal performance against the Reds. We also saw Gary Sheffield get his first start in right field for Ryan Church and Gary wasn’t that sharp at the plate but he looked decent in the field.

However, there is one thing that is really bothering me early in this 2009 season. It’s the amount of strikeouts that David Wright has thus far. He went down twice tonight on strikes and that’s 11 strikeouts in only 8 games. It’s a bit worry some to watch your best hitter go down on strikes that many times. Even with all these punch outs Wright is still hitting .323 with 1 homer and 4 rbi’s.

Another thing that is really getting under my skin is the amount of double plays Brian Schneider has hit into. It seems as if every time he’s up with a man on, you can count on a double play. It’s like clockwork. These things will clear up (I hope) but for now it’s a nice win and boy do I love hearing Takin’ Care of Business once again.

Oh, and for everyone who was wondering the Mets are now a half game back of those fighting Phils.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Brian Schneider has been sidelined for a little bit of time due to pain in back of his right knee, and both he and the team are saying it’s a common thing for this point in the spring, but to be honest with you, I am not so sure.

Schneider, who turned 32 in November, has always been known for his defensive prowess. The Mets showed confidence in him by not signing Pudge, who ended up with Houston, and now Schneider is going to carry the bulk of the workload. We all know that Ramon Castro doesn’t have the durability to get the job done every day.

If Schneider could hit even .280 and hit 15 homers, he would be a solid fit for the lineup, but the fact of the matter is, he does not. Ramon Castro still is valuable because he can hit the ball over the wall in any given situation. If only the Mets can merge the two together and have that player be durable, they would be set.

Hopefully, this knee injury isn’t a big deal, and the Mets will be able to move forward. Because if Schneider is down for any length of time, Ramon Castro will truly be the man behind the plate, and I am not a believer.

BY ADAM KRAMER
STACHE WRITER

Okay, the leadoff spot has been debated already and no clear answer has been established just yet. Hey, it’s early! One thing that has been decided by skipper Jerry Manuel however, is the fact that young lefty Daniel Murphy will soon become the Mets’ everyday left fielder. And so the lineup debate continues.

Ladies and gents your 2009 New York Mets opening day lineup… (In my opinion of course)

1. Jose Reyes
2. Carlos Beltran
3. Daniel Murphy
4. David Wright
5. Carlos Delgado
6. Ryan Church
7. Brian Schneider
8. Luis Castillo

To me, this makes the most sense. The two things that stand out are without a doubt your two and three-hitters. Beltran’s high OBP (.376 in ‘08) is exactly what the team needs to compensate for Reyes’ good, but not jaw-dropping OBP. He hit in the two-hole some last year and saw pretty good success. He has the speed, his legs are healthier than a year ago, and hopefully he can be more of a threat on the bases once again.

Sliding Murphy into the three-hole is the ideal solution to balance out what still is an abundance of lefty bats. Three out of your last four hitters are lefty with Castillo being a switch hitter and a more natural hitter from the left side. By doing this you break up Murphy and Delgado with right-hander David Wright.

The sweet swinging 23-year-old is ready for this. By all accounts, he’s looked fabulous through the early part of spring training and Jerry Manuel seems to already expect big things from the next great homegrown Met. Every moment I look for a spring training update, it seems Matthew Cerrone on Metsblog is reporting that Murphy is in the batting cage taking more swings. You have to love it.

Both Reyes and Wright were thrown into the fire as young “can’t miss prospects”, and each turned out to be a superb talent. Watching Murphy’s approach at the plate tells me he’s ready to be included in this conversation and he belongs in the heart of the order. He will also have big, established bats all around him so he’ll see plenty of good pitches to hit.

Keeping our/his expectations grounded however is key. If Murphy is able to bat .285, hit 15-20 homers, and drive in 75-90 runs, would there be a better 1-5 in the majors?

Jerry is looking for a spark, someone ready to add another element to this lineup, and perhaps hitting Murphy right in the thick of things is just what this team needs.

Let’s see what the kid can do.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

When you look at the 2009 Mets, not much glares out at you in terms of being a better team than last season. The Mets had some problems to address, and they addressed them to an extent. In this article, I plan to take a look into the Mets’ grades by position.

C Brian Schneider and Ramon Castro- D

Schneider was brought to the Mets for his defense, and while he did make some stellar picks, his caught stealing percentage was very disappointing. Pitchers succeeded much more when Ramon Castro was behind the plate, therefore defeating the purpose of his acquisition. Castro’s problem is that he can’t seem to elude the injury bug. The Mets don’t think he will last for a full season, and they have been willing to accept an offer for Shrek. I think they would be wise to either keep him or bring about Ivan Rodriguez on a minor league deal and give him a shot.

1B Carlos Delgado- B

Delgado had an MVP-like second half last season. He was the Delgado of old, and I almost wanted to put a Blue Jays helmet on him to see if he would repeat his MVP season. For a guy that people were calling for the release of in May, he certainly earned a spot on the 2009 squad, although it will most likely be his last season wearing the orange and blue.

2B Luis Castillo- D+

Like many Mets fans, I have always been a big fan of Orlando Hudson, and the idea of him hitting behind Jose Reyes in the two hole is music to my ears, but Luis Castillo is preventing that from happening. The Mets gave the old yeller a four year contract, and they are paying for it. Hudson had made it known that he would like to come to the Mets, but it looks like he is going to be making his home out West instead. Castillo is certainly going to have the microscope focused on him this season.

3B David Wright- A

There is no arguing that Wright is already one of the best third basemen in baseball. I have some issue with the fact that he has won two straight gold glove awards, but he is a stellar player none the less. The scary thing is that he hasn’t yet hit his ceiling. If he focuses more on routine ground balls and levels out his swing, David has the potential to be a .330 35 homers 125 RBI guy every season. That is the kind of guy that he is capable of being.

SS Jose Reyes- A

A lot of people give Reyes problems because he is over exuberant with his chants and escapades in the dugout. All I can say to that is wait until you see what K-Rod is like. Reyes provides decent power with extra base ability to go along with above average defense. Combine that with his stellar speed, and you have one of the most exciting players in the game. There are very few players I would trade him for. The only two I can think of off the top of my head are Hanley Ramirez or Albert Pujols.

LF Daniel Murphy/Fernando Tatis- B-

Although I found myself aboard the Manny train for a while, his antics really may not be worth it. All the time, I believed that Manny was going to either end up with the Dodgers or the Giants. He was made for California. And Dodgers fans could certainly put up with him for the six innings that they stay for. Murphy showed some real promise at the plate last season, and Tatis will be a solid compliment against lefties. Don’t forget. Nick Evans will be waiting in the wings if Tatis struggles.

CF Carlos Beltran- A

When you think bad thoughts that go along with Beltran’s name, what comes into your mind? Yeah? Me too. It’s Adam Wainwright’s curveball that froze him in game seven of the 2006 NLCS. Beltran has been one of the most consistent Mets since his arrival. Although his average won’t blow you away, he hits for power and knows how to drive in runs in the middle of the order. He also may quietly be the best center fielder in the game, and he knows how to gun it with the best of them. My nickname for Mr. Milk Dud is Mr. Consistent. He is the opposite of a box of chocolates. You always know what you are going to get.

RF Ryan Church- C+

Who knows what we are going to get out of Ryan? I don’t even think he knows. You read all of these stories about how he’s motivated and about how he is going to prove Mike Francesca wrong, but how do we know that? He plays a solid defense and is an above average hitter, but one bump in the head and it could all go downhill from there. I have a scenario in my head that has Church being injured and Tatis and Valentin splitting Right Field every day. Does that sound better than Bobby Abreu? I don’t think so. I think this position is going to come back to haunt us.

SP Santana, Pelfrey, Maine, Perez, Garcia- B

The Mets addressed their issues with the rotation this off season, but they did so with some question marks. You see John Maine saying that he is pain free. But we need to wait a few weeks and see how he feels then. Will he be a guy that can throw 200 plus innings? I am just not so sure. Garcia is another one who needs to prove himself to me. If he is the Garcia of old, the Mets will have got themselves the steal of the offseason. Oliver Perez is streaky, but I trust him, and Pelfrey and Santana are the top two at the rotation. Big Pelf just needs to stay away from mouthpieces and Rick Peterson.

RP- K-Rod, Putz, Green, Sanchez, Stokes, Feliciano, Redding- A-

I think Omar exceeded expectations by nabbing both K-Rod and Putz, but he has let the Mets down by not getting that second lefty for the pen. What are the Mets going to do when they face the Phillies down the stretch? Are Howard, Jenkins, Utley, Ibanez, Rollins and Victorino going to face a right handed pitcher? I sure hope not. This bullpen is going to be a huge factor over whether or not this team is successful.

Overall- B

I think the Mets are a good team, but the Phillies are better. When push comes to shove, I think the Mets will contend for the wild card, but we may be looking at a third straight season of playoffless baseball for the New York Mets.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

A short time ago, Omar Minaya was working the phones and Mets fans were calling for the Mets to acquire a bonafide ace. Johan Santana was a topic of conversation, ands all evidence pointed to the Yankees landing him with a package of prospects including Phil Hughes. Reporters questioned Minaya to see why the Mets weren’t in on it and he said the following. “We did speak with the Twins regarding Johan Santana, but we were not a good match for what they needed.” Shortly thereafter, the Mets trade Philip Hulber, Deolis Guerrera, Kevin Mulvey and Carlos Gomez for Santana, and the Mets had their ace they were looking for.

So, how is this relevant? Well, Omar says he is done, and now, multiple reports have Ramon Castro being on the block. Apparently, the Mets are comfortable with Robinson Cancel being Brian Schneider’s full time backup. I do not agree with that sentiment. Castro is set to earn $2.5 million in the final year of his contract, and I think he might garner some trade interest. The market for catchers is bare to say the least, and Castro has some pop. But, what would the Mets be looking for in return?

I don’t think it is second base. The Mets are ready to go with Luis Castillo, unless something is going on that we don’t know about. I could see a right handed outfielder being a possibility. I wish Matt Murton was coming here. I have always liked him. Too bad he was dealt to Colorado for a bag of balls today. Another possibility is a southpaw for the pen. the Mets are looking for a situational left hander, and a trade may net them someone. The final option is shedding his money for a prospect, which might be the smartest thing for the long haul.

I don’t think Omar is done just yet.

BY GREG BARRA
STACHE WRITER

With the signing of Oliver Perez the Mets have done all they could to tighten up their pitching staff. Omar Minaya has done a terrific job to fill the holes which caused the Mets to trip with the finish line in sight for the second straight year. Adding the likes of J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez will make it tough for any opponent to beat the Mets after the eighth inning. However, like Mike Ganci said the Mets have many other concerns to fill before the start of the season. The more ideas to this subject the better. Mike and I are avid Met fans it’s going to be interesting to compare our two stories.

Brian Schneider only hit .250 with 38 RBI’s but that was pretty much expected. What wasn’t expected was the defensive inconsistency of the catcher which was his specialty. Ramon Castro would be a great alterative because of his big bat but he can’t stay healthy. The free agent market is not looking good to fix this problem. Ivan Rodriguez and Paul LoDuca are the only decent catchers who haven’t been signed yet and we can all but rule out LoDuca because of last year’s contract fiasco. With all this said it looks like the Mets are going to have to stick with their guns behind the plate. That brings us to second base where Luis Castillo eats up millions and millions of dollars to only bat .230.However we’ve been hearing things about Luis actually coming into camp in shape and ready to play but I’m still uneasy about him starting for this team. I believe that Daniel Murphy should get a shot at playing second base every day, but that is unlikely.

A replacement for Castillo would be slim because of the salary that Castillo will receive in 2009. For the Mets sake I hope Castillo works out this season because if he doesn’t they’re going to have to lean on bench players and younger guys to fill in the gap. Leftfield Is also probably going to stay the same unless someone wows Jerry Manuel in spring training. I’d love to see Daniel Murphy play every day and have Fernando Tatis fill in when Murphy is tired but it looks as if they will be platooning this year.

I don’t like the idea of adding Manny or Adam Dunn to the roster or many reasons. Manny wants a 3-4 year contract for at least 50 million, I don’t like investing that much time and money on a player pushing 40.He may be an excellent hitter but with all that you get “Manny being Manny” is it worth it? I don’t think so. Adam Dunn is really a no brainer. I’ll give you his 2009 line right now. BA. 260 HR. 35 RBIs 110 K’s 250. While it’s nice to have a guy hit 35 homers with 110 RBI’s the 250 strikeout basically cancel those numbers out. If you’re in a big spot in the ninth inning do you want Adam Dunn up? I don’t. He’s also a terrible outfielder; he really covers no ground out there. One person the Mets should sign is Will Ohman because the bullpen is in dire need of having another lefty arm.

Will Ohman had a solid 3.68 ERA and help lefties to a .200 batting average. If the Mets cannot bring in Ohman they should try to get Brian Shouse also a lefty specialist. He is 40 but if the Mets can sign him to a one year deal they should. They would be getting a guy who has a 2.81 era and holds lefties to a .180 batting average. The Mets are looking good as they are to make a serious run at a world series title but if they were to add a left hander in the ‘pen it would make their chance that much better.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Ivan Rodriguez is still on the market, and reports have him losing over 15 pounds and being ready to sign with a team. The problem is that no team seems ready to make a commitment to the 37-year old. His disappearing act once he arrived to the Yankees last season is fresh on every one’s minds, and that may be hurting his market, and that might be exactly what the Mets need to have the situation play right into their hands.

For his career, Pudge is a .301 hitter and he is closing in on 300 home runs. We can all agree that he is not the player that he was in his prime, but I am willing to go out of my way to make an argument that proves that he is a significant upgrade from either Ramon Castro or Brian Schneider. Let’s look at the current Mets first.

In just 143 at-bats in 2008, Ramon Castro batted just .245, with seven homers and 24 RBI. Also, 18 of 23 base stealers were successful against him during the campaign. For Schneider, he had 338 at-bats, in which he hit nine homers and drove in 38 runs,while batting .257. Also,42 of 63 stolen base attempts were successful against him. The combined numbers are as follows: 481 at-bats, .251, 16 homers and 62 RBI. Combined, they threw out 31 percent of base stealers.

In 2008, which was a down season, Pudge hit .276. He also averaged 21 homers and 87 RBI for his career. Here’s my solution. Pair him up with Schneider. Play the guy who is handling the pitchers the best. Remember, Omar Minaya has always liked Pudge, and there is no reason to think that a scenario that places him in Queens is impossible to imagine. And as for Ramon Castro, I would be willing to trade him for prospects, because he has proven to me that he cannot stay healthy for a full season.