Mets 2007 Spring Training thread

[davecrazy]

Since spring training is a few weeks old, good time to end the offseason thread and start a new one.

Home opener is April 9th against the Phillies.

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[davecrazy]

The Mets beat Clevland 6-5 today. Jose Reyes hit a two run homer off C.C. Sabathia.

Reyes has 3 homers, 7RBI, and is batting .375 so far this spring.

Notes

Mets INF Jose Valentin was a late scratch with a sore neck. "I fell asleep on the bus ride over and must have pinched something," said Valentin, who was being treated after the game. "It's not serious, but my neck and left shoulder feel heavy. Hopefully it's just a one-day thing." ...RHP Orlando Hernandez made 60 pitches in a simulated minor league game at the Mets' camp. El Duque had been sidelined with arthritis in his neck, then allowed five runs in the second inning of his first start, March 8. ... Green is focusing on keeping his hands lower in the hitting zone. He watched video on Monday and noticed his hands were creeping up. ... A 3-foot black snake that sent reporters scurrying in the press box. As the snake slithered across notebooks and laptop computers in the bottom of the fourth inning, fans stood up and laughed as they gazed into the press area. A grounds crew member accustomed to such occurrences at Chain of Lakes ballpark, was summoned. He grabbed the snake and released it in the parking area behind the complex.

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[FITM]

Bench Green, Start Milledge.

[MikeSLTJ23]

Bench Green, Start Milledge.

I don't know. I think Green's better off out there.

[Pennythetowelboy]

Bench Green, Start Milledge.

I second that.

[MSUJet85]

Bench Green, Start Milledge.

I third that

[statjeff22]

Bench Green, start the snake.

[3rdAnd15Draw]

Bench Green, start the snake.

It may be a defensive upgrade, at least.

[statjeff22]

It may be a defensive upgrade, at least.

I'll bet it goes 1st to 3rd just as fast, too.

[Rextasy]

Milledge is playing his way onto the roster and the starting lineup. There is no reason to play Green over Milledge, Milledge could be as bad as Green with potential to be much more. Same goes for Pelfrey over Park..

[hazmat]

Green was just a horrible trade. He's done, can't hit or field. I don't know what the scouts saw in him last year...

[FITM]

Milledge is playing his way onto the roster and the starting lineup. There is no reason to play Green over Milledge, Milledge could be as bad as Green with potential to be much more. Same goes for Pelfrey over Park..

Well there's a $9.5 million reason. Luckily, the Mets are only paying half of it.

[FITM]

Green was just a horrible trade. He's done, can't hit or field. I don't know what the scouts saw in him last year...

Edit: They gave up Evan MacLane for him. Nady was gone, they didn't want Milledge playing in RF yet and Endy was playing left off and on for Floyd.

[Boss Revis]

cant wait to get underway!!!

like 20 days left!

[MSUJet85]

Well there's a $9.5 million reason. Luckily, the Mets are only paying half of it.

Screw the money, he doesn't even know how to f*cking swing right now, put him on the bench, it is these type of excuses that made Reyes play out of position for a year, Ishii, the bad Zambrano, etc.

That and the Mets are only on the hook for 3.7 mil

[Dr. Christian Troy]

I still like Green on Opening Day. By Day 2, I may feel differently. Slumps happen, and better to have it happen October-March than April-September.

[MSUJet85]

Pelfrey for #5 starter!

[davecrazy]

Detroit beat the Mets 2-0 today.

John Maine was the starter. He went 4 innings, giving up a home run in the 1st. Pelfry went 4 innings, giving up six hits and one run. Pelfrey has a 1.00 ERA to date.

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Notes

Mets 2B Jose Valentin received treatment for his stiff neck and isn't sure when he'll play next. ... Mets first baseman Julio Franco (sore left wrist) said he may be available to play Thursday night against the Red Sox.

[davecrazy]

Mets beat Boston 4-1

Oliver Perez struck out 9 batters in 5 scoreless innings.

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Notes

Mets ace Pedro Martinez arrived in the fourth inning and watched from the dugout in street clothes. He laughed from the dugout steps in the seventh when rookie sidearm specialist Joe Smith threw a fastball behind Ramirez. The Mets cut six players, optioning pitching prospects Philip Humber, Jason Vargas, and Marcos Carvajal and outfield prospect Carlos Gomez to the minors while reassigning OF Ruben Sierra and C Jose A. Reyes to minor league camp. General manager Omar Minaya said Sierra did not indicate whether he would accept the reassignment, saying he wanted some time to think about it. With all the talk about the age and uncertainty of the Mets' rotation, the team could very well have three starters in their mid-20s should Perez, Mike Pelfrey, 23, and John Maine, 26, continue to pitch well this spring. Perez has an ERA of 3.86, while Pelfrey and Maine each have ERAs of 1.00. 2B Jose Valentin returned to the New York lineup after missing two games with a stiff neck and promptly hit an RBI single and later scored in the second inning. Smith continued to make strong case for a spot in the Mets' bullpen with another scoreless inning and two strikeouts. The Mets will send Tom Glavine to the mound Friday night against the Marlins in Jupiter.

[statjeff22]

It would certainly completely change the character of the team if Perez, Pelfrey, and Maine could be effective starters for the Mets. It also looks hopeful that Smith can step right into the Chad Bradford role.

Jose Reyes got cut?!! :ohmy: :wink:

[FirstTimeCaller]

I was at the game last night and Perez looked awesome, his breaking stuff was breaking all over the place. A few moments of wildness but he overcame it. Looked very serious during warm ups as opposed to most guys (outside of Glavine) who seem to be very loosey goosey this time of year. Lot's of Sox fans in the crowd and extra security down the fould lines and in the stands prevented a lot of the fans from getting close to the players for pics and autographs which sucks because that is one of the appeals of coming to Spring training. Omar was working the crowd, walking around before and during the game saying hello to everybody. Reyes was safe on that steal to second base. Wish I saw more of Endy then just one pitch. Super Jow McEwing got a nice hand from both the Sox and Mets fans. Heading down to the game in Jupiter again tonight... will post pics when I get home


EDIT: Delgado was really giving it to big Papi and Manny for striking out so much. On Papi's third strike out he actually yelled at him from across the field and Papi stopped and I don't know what Delgado said but the whole Mets side started cracking up at him and Papi walked away shaking his head. Seems the Mets and Sox players get along well.

PS nice to see Hojo down at first base. Fans still love him.

[kbgreen]

Jose Reyes got cut?!! :ohmy: :wink:



Good thing we have two of them!:breakdance:

[JoeJet]

I will never watch another Met game again. Sending Jose Reyes down to learn how to catch is the worst thing I ever heard of in my life. Only in Mets Land.

[3rdAnd15Draw]

Interesting article about Manny Acta's philosophy To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.

It's a shame this guy got away as he clearly "gets it". I wonder how he felt when Willie was making some of his lame brained gut decisions.

[statjeff22]

Interesting article about Manny Acta's philosophy To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.

It's a shame this guy got away as he clearly "gets it". I wonder how he felt when Willie was making some of his lame brained gut decisions.

Wow, you know that times have changed when a major league manager has the guts to say this:

Bunting: "It's been proven to me that a guy at first base with no outs has a better chance to score than a guy at second base with one out. That has been proven to me with millions of at-bats. I don't like moving guys over from first to second unless the pitcher is up or it is real late in the game.

"I am telling you right now you are not going to see me bunting guys from first to second in the middle of the game or early unless it is the pitcher. We will pick spots. If we have a slow guy on the mound, and we know Logan can lay it down, we will pick those times."

[FrankTheTank]

I will never watch another Met game again. Sending Jose Reyes down to learn how to catch is the worst thing I ever heard of in my life. Only in Mets Land.

Wow I really hope you're joking.

[JoeJet]

I will never watch another Met game again. Sending Jose Reyes down to learn how to catch is the worst thing I ever heard of in my life. Only in Mets Land.

Yes. Joking. Just joshing on past Met mistakes like trading Scot Kazmir and -Kaz Matsui at shortstop and moving Jose Reyes to second (talk about joking!). But in serious mode, I did read today that the Mets will most probably have the BEST outfield in baseball in the minors this year to start at New Orleans.....Ben Johnson, Lastings Milledge, and Carlos Gomez. AND people talking about the Mets having an OLD starting pitching staff, but three of their starters with high-upside are under 26....John Maine, Oliver Perez, and Mike Pelfrey: AND I read yesterday, talk about potential Jim Duquette deals, when the Mets traded for Sandy Alomar Jr. to play second, one of the players they offered was Jose Reyes, but Baltimore did not feel they knew enough about Reyes to ask for him in the deal.

[ButtleMan]

I saw Tom Glavine in the Magic Kingdom today. I guess he had a day off.

[deviljets7]

I saw Tom Glavine in the Magic Kingdom today. I guess he had a day off.

from rotoworld
Tom Glavine pitched shutout ball for five innings Friday in his fourth start of the spring.
Glavine seems ready for his Opening Day start. He's allowed two runs and 11 hits in 14 innings this spring.

Maybe he should go to Disney before every start!

[MSUJet85]

Chan Ho, Sosa and Sele all got smoked yesterday, making Willie's choose pretty easy on Pelfrey. I just hope Willie's love for vets won't cloud his judgement (i.e. Zambrano, Ishii, and Lima)

[JoeJet]

the Mets will not need a fifth starter to at least two weeks into the regular season, I expect Pelfrey will start at New Orleans and then get recalled.

[FirstTimeCaller]

Some pics from my ST trip.

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[FirstTimeCaller]

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[FirstTimeCaller]

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[MisterMoss]

Those are some terrific pics FTC. Great Job

[FirstTimeCaller]

Thanks MM. I have about 500 more so I will go through them and pic out some of the good ones and post them up here for my friends at TGG. I just got home late last night so I haven't really had much time to process them yet.

[ShadeTree#55]

Rock on.

The ump is rocking out.

[statjeff22]

Rock on.

The ump is rocking out.

I see "Dancing With The Umps" in his future.

Nice pics, FTC.

[tcrock]

nice pics

am i the only Met fan gettin a baaadd feeling about this season? i mean I know it's only spring Training........but the pitching situation is getting more questionable every day...........and i just don't like all of the losses

[Rextasy]

nice pics

am i the only Met fan gettin a baaadd feeling about this season? i mean I know it's only spring Training........but the pitching situation is getting more questionable every day...........and i just don't like all of the losses
Quite the opposite for me, I have a great feeling about this year. Winning spring games means absolutely nothing and the pitching will be fine, possibly better than fine.

[tcrock]

Quite the opposite for me, I have a great feeling about this year. Winning spring games means absolutely nothing and the pitching will be fine, possibly better than fine.

glad to hear that.......maybe I'm just being pessimistic, but with el Duque and all of his problems, not a lot of faith in Perez, Pelfrey or Maine.........i mean their upside is huge, but i'm not counting on them being consistent.......and everytime I see Wagner this spring, he looks just like last year....not good, sanchez isn't going to be ready...and all of these guys they brought in as vets are gonna get axed (Park, Sele etc)......... i also think the Valentin thing at second is gonna bite us in the ass this year..see i'm setting the bar low, aiming to be pleasantly surprised!

[statjeff22]

nice pics

am i the only Met fan gettin a baaadd feeling about this season? i mean I know it's only spring Training........but the pitching situation is getting more questionable every day...........and i just don't like all of the losses

I don't really care about spring training, but my impression is that the pitching is getting clearer, not more questionable - Glavine, Pelfrey, and Maine have all pitched very well, and Perez has also looked pretty good. I had absolutely no expectations ragarding Park and Sele, and Burgos was always a project. And, of course, they have Pedro coming back in August.
Other than Sosa as long reliever, I really don't see what all of the angst is about - any team that is counting on top pitching from their #5 starter is in my mind kidding themselves.

I will be surprised if the Mets run away from the division again this year, but I will also be surprised if they are not there in the mix at the end of the season.

[MSUJet85]

Yes I think it is a good sign that the players that are crap show their colors now instead of in April. We came into this spring training with a real foggy picture of who will be in our rotation, now it is crystal clear. Last year, Pelfrey had problems with his secondary pitches, now he has a slider to compliment his fastball. People worried about Perez after the 1st ST game ever since he has been progressively more dominant. Glavine and Maine has been great and we replaced a submariner with a sidearmer who has shown upside in Smith. I think the doom and gloom talk is premature, sure this is a gamble, but this could also payoff big time.

[Boss Revis]

Glavine
Hernandez
Maine
Perez
Adkins (gone for Pelfrey April 15th)
Sosa
Burgos
Smith
Heilman
Feliciano
Schoenweis
Wagner

LoDuca
Delgado
Valentin
Reyes
Wright
Alou
Beltran
Green
Castro
Franco
Easley
Newhan
Chavez

something like that.. need Newhan and Easley I think because they can play both OF and IF, while Ben Johnson can only play the OF.

I wish Franco would become a coach only.

[MSUJet85]

FIVE ALIVE
PELFREY HAS GOOD SHOT AT ROTATION
By MARK HALE
SPEED DEMON: Jose Reyes steals second base as Dodger second baseman Ramon Martinez comes up with the ball during the first inning of last night's 6-2 Met victory. Reyes was 3-for-3 with three stolen bases.
SPEED DEMON: Jose Reyes steals second base as Dodger second baseman Ramon Martinez comes up with the ball during the first inning of last night's 6-2 Met victory. Reyes was 3-for-3 with three stolen bases.
PrintEmailDigg ItStory Bottom

March 22, 2007 -- VERO BEACH, Fla. - Paul Lo Duca said he believes Mike Pelfrey's trail to being an elite pitcher might not be a very long one.

"He's very, very close to being really dominant," the Mets catcher said yesterday. "I think he's on his way."

Players who caught, faced and watched Pelfrey during the Mets' 6-1 victory over the Orioles Tuesday night at Tradition Field all complimented the 23-year-old right-hander's performance. Pelfrey issued a one-run, five-inning effort against the Orioles.

Pelfrey, the Mets' top pitching prospect, has become the leading contender for the fifth spot in the rotation. Pelfrey, a former No. 1 draft pick, has given up two earned runs in 14 innings in his four outings this spring.

One major-league team executive, who watched Pelfrey pitch Tuesday, said he could have a solid season. "He's got more than enough stuff. He could be Jered Weaver of last year."

That would be a major achievement for Pelfrey. Weaver - Jeff's younger brother and the Angels' 24-year-old right-hander - went 11-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 19 starts for Los Angeles last season. Weaver was drafted one year before Pelfrey.

"You like everything you see about him," the executive said of Pelfrey.

The Orioles certainly seemed impressed. Carlos Delgado, playing first base in the game while Pelfrey was on the mound, said when a couple Baltimore hitters reached first base, they told Delgado good things about Pelfrey. Delgado said, "I think Aubrey Huff said that he threw hard and his ball had like late life." Delgado said Huff's praise was unprompted.

Pelfrey has issued one walk this spring, and Tuesday he didn't walk anybody. He gave up seven hits and has given up 17 hits in his 14 innings, striking out three.

The executive said he was impressed with Pelfrey's performance and disposition after he put Orioles on base. Despite putting two runners on in the third and fifth, Pelfrey didn't give up a run. His only run allowed came in the first inning on two hits.

The main question with Pelfrey is if he is ready to be a 30-start pitcher on a contending team after making four major-league starts last season.

"That's always one of those questions that I'm sure the Mets are asking themselves," said one National League team official who saw Pelfrey Tuesday night. "But the only way to find out is to let him go do it."

Pelfrey hit 94 mph, and his slider and changeup are at the point, according to Lo Duca, "where he can throw 'em for a strike when he wants to."

The catcher said Pelfrey's changeup has improved. "[He] has made unbelievable strides from what it was last year."

This article makes me giddy :up:

[MSUJet85]

Mets RHP Duaner Sanchez threw from a mound this morning, but was forced to stop his session early, after just 11 pitches, before leaving for the trainer’s room.

ugh.......

[jetsfan119]

ugh.......

Well...since this was written pretty early in the morning...


At least he was on time!

[KleckoNamathToon]

Forgive me if this has been covered, but I'm just now turning my attention back to baseball. How do you guys think the pen will shape up this year? There are lots of new faces, so do think it will still be a strength like last year? Thanks

[MSUJet85]

Good news for Carlos Delgado -- and the Mets. The first baseman just left to catch a flight to Puerto Rico for the birth of the couple's first child. That should give him plenty of time to return for the April 1 opener in St. Louis, which happened to the original due date. Delgado had said earlier that he would leave the team to be with his wife, Betzaida, even if the regular season already had begun.

Congrats Delgado!

[Green Lantern]

Just finished "The Bad Guys Won" by Jeff Pearleman...someone mentioned it here a while back. Best sports book I ever read! From the infamous flight from Houston back to New York after the NLCS to tickertape....absolutely the most fascinating story of equal parts debauchery and glory you'll ever read. Truly the end of an era when personalities were NOT manufactured. If these guys were alive in the 17th Century they'd have been sailing a pirate ship called "The F*** You, We're Great"
Definitely gets you pumped on the threshold of a new season.

[17a_tailgater]

i think we should have hernandez sit till april 15th
go glavine maine perez pelfrey until we need a 5th starter.

[MSUJet85]

Glavine
Hernandez
Maine
Perez
Pelfrey

Sele
Smith
Heilman
Feliciano
Schoenweis
Wagner

LoDuca
Delgado
Valentin
Reyes
Wright
Alou
Beltran
Green/Milledge

Castro
Franco
Easley
Newhan
Chavez


My predicted lineup, I think that Green and Milledge is going to begin the season in a platoon

[MSUJet85]

Smith, Sele to join Park in bullpen
Korean righty would rather start; Pelfrey likely No. 5 starter
By Marty Noble / MLB.com

No official announcement has been made, but manager Willie Randolph said Chan Ho Park would pitch in relief, at least to start the season. (Bob Jordan/AP)

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The Mets' 2007 bullpen, likely to be a state of flux into the summer, on Saturday appears to have a semblance of definition for the first time. With the first game of the season slightly more than a week away, the club has decided to use Chan Ho Park, a starter by trade, in short relief and to carry rookie Joe Smith and veteran Aaron Sele on the season-opening roster.

At the same time, the plans for Park and Sele almost certify Mike Pelfrey as the No. 5 starting pitcher -- behind Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, John Maine and Oliver Perez.

The Mets' bullpen seemingly would have Billy Wagner closing, Aaron Heilman and possibly Park as the respective eighth- and seventh-inning setup relievers, Scott Schoeneweis and Pedro Feliciano as left-handed specialists, Smith as a right-handed specialist and Sele as the long reliever.

Nothing has been "etched in stone," manager Willie Randolph said on Saturday, and no official announcement regarding the pitching staff has been made. General manager Omar Minaya would not even acknowledge that Maine or Perez is in the rotation.

What Randolph did say is, "Right now, [Park] is going to be in the bullpen," and that Park, Smith and Sele can pitch in long or short relief.

But players became aware Saturday morning of specific plans made in a meeting of manager, general manager, coaches and instructors on Friday night. And those plans, the players said, include using Park and Smith in short relief and Sele in long relief, and they exclude relievers Ambiorix Burgos and Jorge Sosa.

And a person with first-hand knowledge of club's intent regarding the bullpen said late Saturday "nothing is defined," but characterized the specific plans for Park, Smith and Sele as "in the ballpark."

The first phase of the plan was implemented during the Mets' home exhibition against the Orioles when Park, to his surprise and anger, was removed after pitching three flawless innings in a start and told his subsequent assignment would be as a reliever on Monday.

Park, Randolph and pitching coach Rick Peterson met in Randolph's office after the Mets' 2-1 loss to the Orioles that included another impressive performance by Smith. Minaya, after a subsequent meeting with Randolph, Peterson and owner Fred Wilpon, said Park had told the club he would do what's best for the team. The general manager acknowledged Park wasn't comfortable with the plan and said that was "understandable."

Before meeting with his manager and pitching coach, Park said, "Obviously, if they ask me to be a reliever, I'm unhappy," and "If they ask me to be a reliever the whole year, I'll have to think about it."

And a person who was in the clubhouse directly after Park's surprise removal from the game said the 33-year-old Korean pitcher was "really ticked off" about not being told of the plan before his start. Whether his anger had subsided after his meeting was unclear. Park declined to speak with reporters a second time and left the complex.

Randolph said he intends to use Park in as many as three of the Mets' final six exhibition games to allow him to adjust to the role. The manager didn't say Park would definitely be in the bullpen, but another person familiar with the manager's thinking said, "This isn't an experiment, because we know what we want to do."

Park made four relief appearances -- and 30 starts -- with the Padres in 2005 and '06. All but one of his other 45 relief appearances came in 1994, '95 and '96, with the Dodgers. He also pitched in relief against the Cardinals in the National League Division Series last season.

Minaya noted Park had pitched effectively in relief for Korea in the World Baseball Classic last year. Quite effectively, actually -- one five-inning start and three relief appearances in which he totaled five innings. He allowed no runs and seven hits and struck out eight in the 10 innings.

"To be honest, I feel more comfortable as a starter. That's who I am," Park said. "Yes, I have experience as a reliever and I had success. But I signed here looking for a job as a starter. That's for sure."

Park acknowledged he had one poor performance -- he had made three starts, pitched 9 1/3 innings and produced an 8.86 ERA before Saturday -- and said, "I feel much better now ... I'm sure I'm going to have a great season as a starter."

A need to use Park in a role mostly unfamiliar to him -- and to carry a rookie in Smith -- has developed because neither Duaner Sanchez nor Juan Padilla has recovered fully from his surgery and because Burgos and Sosa, birds of a feather because of their potential, velocity and lack of precision, have not pitched effectively in exhibition games. At one point early in Spring Training, a member of the staff said Sanchez, the incumbent reliever, was expected to begin the season on the active roster and that Burgos, a trade acquisition, would "have to pitch himself off the team." He has done that, evidently.

Moreover, Smith's performance has dispelled much of the concern about his lack of experience and pushed him past Sosa and Burgos in the Mets' eyes. Smith, who turned 23 on Thursday, had pitched merely 32 2/3 innings -- all last summer, after his selection in the third round of the First-Year Player Draft -- as a professional before Spring Training. But he has impressed the staff at almost every turn.

Smith pitched the fourth inning against the Orioles on Saturday, allowing a leadoff hit and striking out two. A left-handed hitter, Adam Stern, was responsible for the hit. And left-handed hitters often are nemeses for right-handed, sub-sidearm pitchers like Smith. But after retiring right-handed-hitting Chris Gomez, Smith struck out two left-handed hitters -- Nick Markakis swinging and Aubrey Huff looking with fastballs.

"I had real good movement today," Smith said.

And his catcher, Paul Lo Duca, didn't argue.

I don't like the idea of experimenting with Park while being stuck with Shawn Green after 2 weeks :mad:

Although I do like that Smith and Pelfrey earned their spots

[3rdAnd15Draw]

Let's hope the "possibly Park as the respective eighth- and seventh-inning setup relievers" is merely speculation on Marty's part and what the Mets really intend is Park as the garbage time seldom used reliever.

At least the Mets don't seem inclined to shoehorn their two terrible relief acquistions into the bullpen, which is something to be thankful for, I guess. Of course they could've just, you know, not acquired them in the first place. It is sort of troubling that the Mets regard Chan Ho Park as a better option then Sanchez.

[MSUJet85]

Let's hope the "possibly Park as the respective eighth- and seventh-inning setup relievers" is merely speculation on Marty's part and what the Mets really intend is Park as the garbage time seldom used reliever.

At least the Mets don't seem inclined to shoehorn their two terrible relief acquistions into the bullpen, which is something to be thankful for, I guess. Of course they could've just, you know, not acquired them in the first place. It is sort of troubling that the Mets regard Chan Ho Park as a better option then Sanchez.

Sanchez is behind schedule, he won't realistically be an option until at least late April/early May

[Learn To Swim]

I hope you're not calling Burgos a "terrible relief acquisition". He's only 22 with outstanding ability. Not his fault KC rushed him to the majors after only 12 innings in AA when his secondary pitches clearly weren't ML-ready.

Give the guy some time in AAA. He'll get better.

[MSUJet85]

I hope you're not calling Burgos a "terrible relief acquisition". He's only 22 with outstanding ability. Not his fault KC rushed him to the majors after only 12 innings in AA when his secondary pitches clearly weren't ML-ready.

Give the guy some time in AAA. He'll get better.

He is a younger, wilder Jorge Julio who can throw 100 mph but have no idea where it is going, basically a AAA project for us right now

[3rdAnd15Draw]

I hope you're not calling Burgos a "terrible relief acquisition". He's only 22 with outstanding ability. Not his fault KC rushed him to the majors after only 12 innings in AA when his secondary pitches clearly weren't ML-ready.

Give the guy some time in AAA. He'll get better.

Here's a Royals POV on Burgos

He blew 12 saves last year, but that doesn't even begin to describe the agony of watching him pitch. Tom Burgmeier, the old Royals bullpen coach, used to talk about one of his pitchers who had outrageous stuff -- every single time Burgie watched the guy flounder around on the mound he had the same thought: "You stupid son of a b***h, I would have KILLED to have your stuff."

That's the feeling Burgos inspires. You would have killed to have his arm. Instead you have to watch him shake off fastballs because he's in love with his splitter, you have to watch him throw fastballs high and outside and get into 3-1 counts, then you have to watch him groove thigh-high fastballs over the heart of the plate that hitters tattoo into the bleachers (the guy gave up 16 bombs in 73 innings last year ... and every single one of them, it seemed, cost the Royals a game). He wasn't a bad pitcher. He was an insult to pitching.

Burgos may work out, he may not but at this point he's pretty terrible which is what I was trying to get across.

[Learn To Swim]

Great news for the Royals that the best they can do about their talented young pitchers is whine about how they aren't succeeding with tremendous talent.

That's why he's in the minors right now. Maybe we can actually coach him, instead of over promoting him and basically telling him to wing it out there.

[3rdAnd15Draw]

Great news for the Royals that the best they can do about their talented young pitchers is whine about how they aren't succeeding with tremendous talent.

That's why he's in the minors right now. Maybe we can actually coach him, instead of over promoting him and basically telling him to wing it out there.

Everything I've read about Burgos suggests that the quality of his secondary pitches isn't the issue, rather that he's in love with his fastball and doesn't want to throw anything else. I've got to believe that the Royals tried to address this and were unable to for whatever reason. Maybe their coaches are incompetant. Maybe Burgos is an idiot. As I said, we'll find out.

[Learn To Swim]

Everything I've read about Burgos suggests that the quality of his secondary pitches isn't the issue, rather that he's in love with his fastball and doesn't want to throw anything else. I've got to believe that the Royals tried to address this and were unable to for whatever reason. Maybe their coaches are incompetant. Maybe Burgos is an idiot. As I said, we'll find out.I dunno, everything I've read says he doesn't throw the fastball enough, and instead relies too much on a splitter that he can't control.

[3rdAnd15Draw]

I dunno, everything I've read says he doesn't throw the fastball enough, and instead relies too much on a splitter that he can't control.

Supposedly he threw his fastball 75% of the time last year, 85% of the time on the first pitch. As with most of these types of pitchers I'd suspect command overall was the issue. If he's not getting his fastball over consistently then no one is going to be biting on the splitter.

[MSUJet85]

02:39 PM - Buzz: Duaner May Need Surgery, Again

...posted by Matthew Cerrone...

…the word from shea is that Duaner Sanchez may have pulled another ligament in his surgically-repaired shoulder, and will most certainly need to have surgery, for the second time in six months…in other words, it will be a long while before we see him back on the mound at shea…wow, what a disaster…i’m speechless…


I am going to be sick

[statjeff22]

I am going to be sick

This is the first real bad news of the spring. That drunk driver in Miami has definitely had a long-term effect on the team (although if Perez comes around it's not entirely a negative effect).

[MSUJet85]

At his blog for the Daily News, citing a ‘source,’ Adam Rubin reports that Sanchez will have surgery, adding, “Sanchez heard a pop while throwing on the mound Thursday.”
Damn this sucks

[3rdAnd15Draw]

sanchez = el noodler

[ShadeTree#55]

With Smith and Shoenwiz(sp) I am not to concerned. Mota becomes a big factor though.

[Dr. Christian Troy]

Bump in the road, not end of of the world.

[3rdAnd15Draw]

With Smith and Shoenwiz(sp) I am not to concerned. Mota becomes a big factor though.

I don't think either of these guys is intended to make up for or replace Sanchez. Sanchez is a pretty valuable reliever, but I don't think the Mets were counting on him too much coming off the injury, so this isn't as bad as if he had been healthy last year and this came out of nowhere.

[MParty7441]

Sanchez out at least 4 months.

[Carl Spacklers Grass]

Sanchez out until August?
Mota gone for the first 50 games?

I love the Mets, but I think we gotta forget about that "Best Bullpen in the NL" tag we had from last season.

Is it me or does it seem like Aaron Heilman is going to have to be the guy who pulls this bullpen together. He's has a vastly under rated and under appreciated arm. I'm willing to forget the home run to Yadier Molina

I don't want to sound alarmist or pessimistic, but as Mets fans, we might have to accept .500 baseball until August and then hope our pitching staff will get healthy at the right time. With such a great offense and mediocre pitching, we might turn into the Texas Rangers of the NL

[Learn To Swim]

Heilman was the guy who had to pull the bullpen together after the trade deadline last season, too. And he did a damn good job. I have confidence.

[Cakes]

Schoeneweis should be good. The bullpen this year was going to be about Wagner, Heilman, Schoeneweis, and the roid guy. So I'm not crying about Sanchez.

[3rdAnd15Draw]

Sanchez out until August?
Mota gone for the first 50 games?

I love the Mets, but I think we gotta forget about that "Best Bullpen in the NL" tag we had from last season.

Is it me or does it seem like Aaron Heilman is going to have to be the guy who pulls this bullpen together. He's has a vastly under rated and under appreciated arm. I'm willing to forget the home run to Yadier Molina

I don't want to sound alarmist or pessimistic, but as Mets fans, we might have to accept .500 baseball until August and then hope our pitching staff will get healthy at the right time. With such a great offense and mediocre pitching, we might turn into the Texas Rangers of the NL

They need one out of the group of Park, Sosa and Burgos to not completely suck at least until steroid boy comes back. It could happen. No one was talking about how great the Mets bullpen was going into last year, Bradford, Feliciano and Oliver all had great years basically out of nowhere.

[Yisman]

This Sanchez crap is ridiculous. Extremely immature guy, and it's really hurting the bullpen.

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[FirstTimeCaller]

Some more pics from around Spring Training.

[MSUJet85]

Awesome pics FTC!

[FirstTimeCaller]

Thanks man. I hope you guys enjoy the scenes of spring.

[statjeff22]

I don't think either of these guys is intended to make up for or replace Sanchez. Sanchez is a pretty valuable reliever, but I don't think the Mets were counting on him too much coming off the injury, so this isn't as bad as if he had been healthy last year and this came out of nowhere.

I sure hope that they weren't counting on him. It's easy to forget that Sanchez was actually only really good for less than 1/5 of the season. On May 5 he had pitched 21 innings in 15 appearances, had an ERA of 0.00, and was of course a major reason for the Mets' 20-9 start (in fact, the Mets were 13-2 in the games in which he appeared). After that, through July 28 he had an ERA of 4.19 in 34 appearances, giving up at least one earned run in more than 1/4 of his appearances (the Mets lost 6 of those 9 games). After he got hurt, the Mets played better than they had with him after May 5, in part because of Heilman, of course.

[3rdAnd15Draw]

I sure hope that they weren't counting on him. It's easy to forget that Sanchez was actually only really good for less than 1/5 of the season. On May 5 he had pitched 21 innings in 15 appearances, had an ERA of 0.00, and was of course a major reason for the Mets' 20-9 start (in fact, the Mets were 13-2 in the games in which he appeared). After that, through July 28 he had an ERA of 4.19 in 34 appearances, giving up at least one earned run in more than 1/4 of his appearances (the Mets lost 6 of those 9 games). After he got hurt, the Mets played better than they had with him after May 5, in part because of Heilman, of course.

He did have a pretty rough patch there in May and June but it looked like he was coming out of it in July. He had the one bad outing against the Reds but other then that didn't give up any runs, while his walk and hit totals were down and strikeouts up.

Also, even throughout his struggles he was consistently great against RHB last year, they had a sub .500 OPS against him when he went down.

[statjeff22]

He did have a pretty rough patch there in May and June but it looked like he was coming out of it in July. He had the one bad outing against the Reds but other then that didn't give up any runs, while his walk and hit totals were down and strikeouts up.

Also, even throughout his struggles he was consistently great against RHB last year, they had a sub .500 OPS against him when he went down.

It is true that he wasn't bad in July other than the one game, but of course the other side of his success against RHB was that after May 5 he was quite poor against LHB.

I'm not trying to argue that the Mets are better off without him, but I think that his amazing start inflated the view of his actual season-long contributions. For all of the supposed worth of setup men, IMO it's still starters, closers, and hitters that make the big difference.

[3rdAnd15Draw]

It is true that he wasn't bad in July other than the one game, but of course the other side of his success against RHB was that after May 5 he was quite poor against LHB.

I'm not trying to argue that the Mets are better off without him, but I think that his amazing start inflated the view of his actual season-long contributions. For all of the supposed worth of setup men, IMO it's still starters, closers, and hitters that make the big difference.

Based on his previous 2 years he probably would've ended up somewhere in the 3's in ERA with 80+ IP. Certainly not nearly as valuable as Wagner but on a team where 6IP for a starter was a good night it's nice to have. Hopefully the young blood in the starting rotation this year will cause a little less reliance on the bullpen.

[KleckoNamathToon]

Thanks man. I hope you guys enjoy the scenes of spring.

Thanks for the photos. You got some great shots.

[MSUJet85]

If it wasn't said before, I'll say it now Adkins sucks

[MSUJet85]

Appearing on WFAN yesterday, Ed Coleman said he expects the Mets to carry Ambiorix Burgos, instead of Aaron Sele, when the team breaks camp this weekend.

According to Coleman, Burgos will essentially replace Duaner Sanchez, as the guy who can come in and strike a batter out.

Looks like Burgos = Julio except this will probably be permanent

[3rdAnd15Draw]

Burgos will essentially replace Duaner Sanchez, as the guy who can come in and strike a batter out.

translation: in situations where anything other then a strikeout is as good as a hit, we might think about using this guy. maybe.

[MSUJet85]

Ordonez on verge of making Mariners

By Geoff Baker

Seattle Times staff reporter
MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Infielder Rey Ordonez appears likely to make the Mariners' opening-day roster.

PEORIA, Ariz. -- A smiling Rey Ordonez insists he has done all he can to complete one of the more improbable sports comebacks in recent memory.

And the Mariners now appear ready to reward the 36-year-old infielder, out of baseball since 2004, with a spot on their opening day roster. The transformation of Ordonez, from a no-hope curiosity at the outset of camp to a guy looking like the team's backup infielder, took a giant step forward Wednesday when backup outfielder Jeremy Reed was optioned to Class AAA Tacoma.

The Mariners apparently are confident enough in the outfield skills of both Willie Bloomquist and Ben Broussard that they feel they can afford the luxury of carrying Ordonez's glove. With second baseman Jose Lopez still not at his defensive best, coming off a sprained ankle, the addition of Ordonez would give the Mariners both backup and late-game defensive insurance.

"For me, it's been a good camp," Ordonez said after Seattle's 11-8 win over the Texas Rangers at Peoria Stadium. "I haven't played for three years, so I think it went well. I feel good. I just needed a little more time to hit. But I feel good."

Joining Ordonez as another aging longshot to make the roster could be 35-year-old career minor-leaguer Jamie Burke, now the prime candidate to be the backup catcher after Rene Rivera was optioned to Class AA. Burke appears to have the job nailed down, but the team isn't announcing anything until the last minute, keeping options open should a trade materialize or a coveted player become available in late spring cuts.

The Mariners have yet to add Ordonez to the roster and also have third baseman Mike Morse still vying for a backup job. But the need for stability in the middle infield will be paramount this year, especially in the late innings, given the ground-ball tendencies of the bullpen staff.

Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said optioning Reed, the team's opening-day center fielder the past two years, was one of the harder decisions he has ever made. Reed effectively lost his job to an injury, having never regained his standing after breaking his thumb diving for a ball last July.

"With the ability Ben [Broussard] showed us to play both corner outfield positions," Hargrove said, "plus the versatility of Willie [Bloomquist] being able to play both the infield and outfield, it gave us the ability to carry an extra infielder, which we think will help this club."

Hargrove wouldn't give the nod just yet to Ordonez, who has displayed some of his 1990s wizardry in the field this spring.

"He's done a good job, as has Morse," Hargrove said. "I don't want to give anything away yet. It's not fair to anybody if I give anything away now."

Hargrove also wasn't announcing any further pitching moves, though the Wednesday optioning of lefty Eric O'Flaherty to Tacoma confirmed that struggling George Sherrill has indeed shown enough to head north. Brandon Morrow now seems destined to make the squad over Jon Huber, and it appears the team is also leaning toward keeping Rule 5 draft pick Sean White, a Mercer Island resident, as the bullpen's long reliever in place of Jake Woods.

The team apparently still has options on Woods, who would go to Class AAA. Seattle likely won't announce the pitching moves until the weekend.

Ordonez will also be holding his breath a little while longer. He last played in the majors with the Chicago Cubs in a 23-game stint in 2004 and hasn't had 35 or more games since 2002 with the Mets.

The Cuba native was nearly unnoticed when he arrived in the clubhouse here seven weeks ago, toting an old Mets duffel bag and with almost zero hope of making the squad. He had spent the past two years resting his body from nine seasons of major-league aches and pains, then played in Puerto Rico this past winter.

The Mariners invited him to camp almost as a favor, to see whether he had anything left and perhaps acquire minor-league depth or trade bait. While he hit just .227, his range, smooth hands and the fluidity with which he turned double plays at second base and shortstop opened plenty of eyes.

"I got plenty of rest," Ordonez admitted with a laugh. "But it's not easy taking years off, especially from the major leagues. The hitting was the hardest part, getting back your timing and vision, but you've just got to try to hit the ball good. I'm trying the best I can."

And he feels he has left it all out on the field. That's why he claims his nerves won't get the better of him as Sunday's noon roster deadline approaches.

"I'll either stay here, or go to another team," he said with a shrug and another smile. "But I want to stay here."

Wow I don't know what to say :lol:

[statjeff22]

Wow I don't know what to say :lol:

How about "Well, that shows just how bad the Mariners really are"?

[3rdAnd15Draw]

Ordonez has to be one of the worst Mets in history. Not strictly for his "talent", but for the fact that the Mets saw fit to keep giving him 500+ PA's a year despite him being one of the worst hitters in recent memory.

Consider - he posted a negative VORP each of his 7 years with the Mets, and was the starting SS the entire time! His blow up at getting booed finally gave the Mets an excuse to get rid of him, at least.

[MSUJet85]

How about "Well, that shows just how bad the Mariners really are"?

That fits :rofl:

[asbcheeks]

I just got an email about a 2nd chance to buy OD tickets. I'm pumped, got pretty good seats too, Upper Box at right around 3rd base. Anyone else get lucky?

[MSUJet85]

Following today’s win over the Dodgers, Willie Randolph told reporters he will use the following rotation through the first week of the season…

Sunday: Tom Glavine at St. Louis
Monday: off day
Tuesday: Orlando Hernandez at St. Louis
Wednesday: John Maine at St. Louis
Thursday: off day
Friday: Oliver Perez in Atlanta
Saturday: Tom Glavine in Atlanta
Sunday: Orlando Hernandez in Atlanta
Monday: John Maine vs. Phillies, in home opener

[JoeJet]

do you guys really think Sanchez was really going to get something to eat at 2AM or a bj in south florida?

[MSUJet85]

The Mets recently announced that Ben Johnson and Anderson Hernadez have been sent to minor-league camp.

Also, the team announced that Aaron Sele and Joe Smith will be added to the team’s 25–man roster on opening day, leaving one slot in the bullpen available to either Ambiorix Burgos, Chan Ho Park or Jon Adkins.
Looks like Milledge will be on the roster for 2 weeks

[statjeff22]

Looks like Milledge will be on the roster for 2 weeks

Unless Green suddenly develops hitherto unseen ability, I think it will be for longer than that.

[MSUJet85]

Unless Green suddenly develops hitherto unseen ability, I think it will be for longer than that.

I hope for that, but I am sure Willie's loyalty for vets will win out, otherwise both Green and Franco have no part on our roster

[statjeff22]

I hope for that, but I am sure Willie's loyalty for vets will win out, otherwise both Green and Franco have no part on our roster

Call me an optimist, I guess, but at least as of today I'm thinking that the combination of high expectations and possibly suspect pitching will quickly lead Willie to put the best lineup out there he can. It was easy last year to be loyal when the Mets had a 10 game lead in July.

[3rdAnd15Draw]

What do you guys think about the possiblity of Wright batting 2nd? I like the idea, but I'm not sure if Willie isn't just teasing the fans with cryptic comments.

[MSUJet85]

What do you guys think about the possiblity of Wright batting 2nd? I like the idea, but I'm not sure if Willie isn't just teasing the fans with cryptic comments.

I'm intrigued about the idea but I doubt that change would be full time right now we'll probably only see it in certain situations, maybe in later years it will be more consistant

[MSUJet85]

Opening Day Roster

PITCHERS

Tom Glavine
Orlando Hernandez
John Maine
Oliver Perez
Billy Wagner
Aaron Heilman
Scott Schoeneweis
Pedro Feliciano
Aaron Sele
Joe Smith
Ambiorix Burgos

CATCHERS

Paul Lo Duca
Ramon Castro

INFIELDERS

Carlos Delgado
Jose Valentin
Jose Reyes
David Wright
Julio Franco
Damion Easley
David Newhan

OUTFIELDERS

Carlos Beltran
Moises Alou
Shawn Green
Endy Chavez
Lastings Milledge

[statjeff22]

What do you guys think about the possiblity of Wright batting 2nd? I like the idea, but I'm not sure if Willie isn't just teasing the fans with cryptic comments.

I'm all for it, as the idea of batting one of your best hitters fifth (the classic 3-4-5 "heart of the order") has been debunked quite convincingly. As long as you have a good hitter to bat fifth to protect Delgado, I believe that the Mets would score more runs with Wright batting second. It's always a good idea to get your best hitters as many at bats as possible.

[Rextasy]

I love the idea of Wright batting second. He has all the characteristics of a 2 hole hitter plus power. Alou will be a good 5 for the 5 spot and protecting Delgado when he is healthy and playing. Hopefully someone else can step up and fill in when the inevitable happens and Alou is hurt, Milledge is our best hope..

[davecrazy]

Anybody else not get their tickets in the mail yet?

I called the ticket office and they claimed they were having issues with their printer, but that they should arrive sometime this week.

[asbcheeks]

Anybody else not get their tickets in the mail yet?

I called the ticket office and they claimed they were having issues with their printer, but that they should arrive sometime this week.

Still waiting on my Sunday plan. I get a different story every time I call there, the most recent being last Tuesday when they said they were "guaranteed to arrive by the end of the week."