Author: Chris Lee (email me at hookedonbball99@yahoo.com if you have questions/ comments)
LATEST TEAM INFO:
Record: 26-22, 1st NL East
Rotation:
Al Leiter continues to prove age is not a factor on his game. With a 5-3 record, and a low 2.32 ERA, he is truly the ace of the Mets pitching staff. Although Al had some shaky beginnings, but is dominant in the middle innings and will give six to seven well-pitched innings day in and day out.
Pedro Astacio has filled the No. 2 starter role pitching very consistenly, and with control. In 9 starts, Astacio is posting a 6-2 record, along with an impressive 2.49 ERA, and 51 Ks. The Mets made the right choice signing him in the offseason.
Steve Trachsel is not pitching bad either, but the offense has not yet began to produce while he is on the mound. A most recent example: Against Philadelphia, Steve pitched 6 scoreless innings, but the offense did not drive in a single run. Like I have emphasised before-he must recieve sufficent run support to do well.
Recently, Jeff D'Amico performances on the mound have gone quite well, espically for a No.5 starter. Earlier this week, Jeff pitched a 2-hitter against Los Angeles and japanese rookie Kazuhisa Ishii. Then, against the Phillies he breezed though the 7th, but got rocked late for 3 earned runs. He pitched well enough for a win, but once again the offense could not back D'Amico up.
Bullpen:
The Mets bullpen have really done a good job at cleaning up, and getting out of jams created by the starting pitchers. Through the first 47 games, Mets relivers have stranding 78.4% of inherited baserunners(second in the majors-behind the Dodgers).
Scott Strickland has been impressive since he came over from the Expos, and lefty David Weathers has made a strong statement working 20 games already, and only allowing a slim 5 earned runs. Also, an intresting fact-lefty Mark Guthrie has retired 16 of the 17 lefthanders he has faced.
Before Friday's game, the Mets organization called up lefty Bobby Jones from AAA Norfolk, and demoted Mark Corey, who took the loss on May 13 against the Dodgers. The team also learned that Kane Davis, who was already on the 15-day disabled list becasue of a lower back strain, will be out for an extended period after suffering a partial tear to the flexor tendon in his right elbow. Team physician, Andrew Rokito, and GM Steve Phillips don't believe surgery is nedded.
John Franco joined the club Friday afternoon after a long absence due to Tommy John surgery on May 14.
Infield:
After struggling, Bobby Valentine has been sitting Mo Vaughn on the bench, only to appear in pinch-hitting situation. Mo has also been studying tapes, and trying to improve on his swing.
Roberto Alomar and Mike Piazza are also having their hitting woes, both batting a miserable .254 through yesterday. Edgardo Alfonzo, however, continues to make some noise in the middle of the Mets lineup, hitting .323 overall, .394 with runners in scoring position, and posting a .428 on-base percentage. The problem is, the Mets batting in front of him in the order have not got on base, which results in only 12 RBI for Fonzi so far.
Outfield:
Since being called up from AAA, Timo Perez has hit the ball extremely well, collecting 26 hits in 87 at-bats. Perez's speed, defensive ability, and batting should give him a chance for a starting job.
Jeromy Burnitz's positive attitude finally pays off. "I come to practice everyday, take some extra swings, and hope that something good happens in the game.", he said after hitting a 2-run homer and laying down his first bunt in 4 years to help the Mets win 5-4 over the Marlins in extra innings. Hopefully, his optimistic outlook will bring him out of a slump.
Bobby V gave Roger Cendeno a few days to improve his batting stance and has responded by going 10 for 22. He has retained his leadoff spot.
Recent Games:
May 23-New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies (Attendance 26,405)
Steve Traschel, Scott Strickland, and Armando Benitez combine to shut out the Phillies 1-0 at Verterans Stadium. Mark Johnson drives Joe McEwing home in the 9th off Jose Mesa to win it.
W-Scott Strickland (3-2) L-Jose Mesa (1-4) SV- Armando Benitez (9)
May 24-Florida Marlins at New York Mets (Attendance 37,699)
Jeromy Burnitz hits his first homer in three weeks to force the game to extra innings, and then succesfully completes a his sacrifice bunt in four years in the 10th inning to advance runners. In that same inning, Vic Darensbourg would walk four batters in the 10th, including Jay Payton who had the game winning RBI. Mets win 5-4 in 10 innings.
W-Scott Strickland (4-2) L- Vic Darensbourg (1-1)
LOCAL PERSPECTIVE
Fans, including myself, seem particuarly worried about Mike Piazza, Reberto Alomar, and Jereomy Burnitz's batting troubles. Many have pointed out that the organization paid big dollars for those players to produce, and are complaining that they are not playing at acceptable stardards. I totally agree. However, I have an answer to those concerners. Piazza is having a tough time off the field facing rumors about his sexuality, and could be the cause for his troubles at the plate. On the other hand, Alomar is getting familiar with National League pitchers, and is making a tough transition from the American League. Once he settles in, look for Robby to make some contributions.
LOCAL REPORTER
Coming soon......
INJURIES
John Valentin was allowed to take some supervised soft-toss swings on Friday after being on the DL since May 14 with a partial tear of his rotator cuff.
Kane Davis will be out for an extended period because of a partial tear to the flexor tendon inside his right elbow. Davis was already on the 15-day DL after suffering a lower back strain during a rehab assignment for AAA Norfolk. Surgery is not necessary.
ON THE FARM
AAA Norfolk
3B Ty Wigginton, who was hitting .373 with 3 homers and 20 RBI in 134 at-bats with the Tides, was recently called up to take the place of John Valentin. He has not yet gotten a major league hit in three attempts.
Catcher Jason Phillips continues to impress me. Phillips is batting .300, along with 5 homers and 31 RBI in 35 games, and a .515 slugging percentage. Could hebe a future replacement for Piazza?
RHP Starter Tyler Walker leads the Norfolk starting rotation with a 4-2 record, 2.67 ERA, and 40 strikeouts in ten starts. Walker would be ideal in emergency spot starts, we'll see if the Mets give this youngster a shot.
AA Binghampton
RHP Reliever Saul Rivera,a 24 year old rookie, has put up some amazing numbers coming out of the pen. In 18.2 innings pitched, Rivera has compiled a 1-0 record, 0.96 ERA, 13 SOs, and a .117 opponent batting average. Expect Saul to move up through the Mets organization fairly quickly and efficently.
A Port St. Lucie
Infielder Craig Brazell has tore the cover off the ball in single- A action down in Florida. Brazell is batting .306 with 6 homers and 40 RBI in 47 games played. And the amazing this is that he's only 22 years of age!
A Brooklyn
After being rated as one of the Met's top 5 minor league prospects last season by experts, OF Frank Corr makes some more noise in short-season New York Penn League ball. Corr is currently batting .302 and leads the Cyclones in homers(13), RBI(46), and slugging percentage(.594) in 61 games played.
"Extremely fast, fast on the basepaths, not much power, but a good contact hitter" These are some words used to describe speedster outfielder Angel Pagan. Pagan is batting .315 with 15 runs batted in, 75 hits, and an amazing 30 stolen basses, which leads the Penn league. Angel is often compared to rookies Timo Perez, and Jason Tyner, who have both been raised in the Mets farm system.
A Capital City
Catcher Justin Huber has put up some incredible batting statistics in Columbia, SC. Huber is batting .348 with 10 homers, 47 RBI, 96 total bases, and a unreal .619 slugging percentage. Justin leads the team in five statistical categories.
QUICK VIEW
Add:
Timo Perez- he could be valuable in deep leagues if your team is struggling with speed, and batting average.
Jeff D'Amico- If he has not been claimed, pick him up immidealty. Case closed.
Hold:
Reberto Alomar
Mike Piazza
Jeromy Burnitz
Mo Vaughn
Must I say why?
Authors: Chris Lee, Max Dworin
Latest Team Info: Currently 10-6, 1st NL East
The Mets have gotten off to a very favorable start, on top of the NL East, here’s why:
Pitching: Mets starters have been pitching lights out ball, and consistently too. Led by Al Leiter, who has a 0.38 ERA so far, the staff has compiled a 7-3 record, with an ERA below 3. Relievers have also done a nice job closing out games. The questions are: Can they keep it up? and Will the offensive provide some run support?
Recently, Pete Walker was called up by the Mets to replace reliever Tyler Yates, who replaced the injured Komiyama. Walker was 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 2 starts with AAA Norfolk. As for Komiyama, he was placed on the 15 day DL with a cut on his middle finger. Komiyama apparently cut his finger while opening his garage door.
Infield: The Mets lead the major leagues in errors. Most of them have come from the infield, surprising when there are two gold glovers in Ordonez, and Alomar, and a very descent fielder in Alfonzo. When Bobby Valentine was asked about Ordonez’s 3 error game earlier, he said, “I have never seen him play this badly, and probably never will again.”
On the positive side, Alfonzo has been hitting the ball extremely well to start off, Edgardo is batting .364 with 20 hits in 55 AB, along with 5 RBI in 16 games played. Also, Alomar, and Piazza has finally began to produce like they were expected too. Mo is expected to return soon.
Outfield: After being called up from Norfolk, Timo Perez has made a large contribution to the team. Filling in for Cedeno, Timo is batting .296, collecting 8 hits in 27 AB. He has made some nice defensive stops in the field. Perez’s timely hitting, and speed should earn him a semi-starting job. Tony Torasco was also called up from AAA, replacing McKay Christensen. Tony has not yet collected a hit in 5 at-bats.
Burnitz, who has a reputation for being a power hitter, is living up to those standards. He has hit 4 homers so far. He’ll strike out a lot, and hurt your fantasy team’s batting average, but if you lack homers, and RBI, make sure you slot him into the lineup.
Cedeno, who has sat out for a few games, is still trying hard to fit in the Mets lineup. With his speed, stealing bases is no problem, but getting on base has been. Don’t give up on him too soon!
Local Perspective: Obviously, many fans are concerned about the errors being committed. Fans have called up local sports talk shows discussing these issues. Here’s a quick answer to those problems: It’s only 16 games into the season, with 2 gold glovers, and Mo Vaughn returning soon, everything should be OK. Jay Payton’s poor hitting has also been the subjects of discussions. Bobby V will most likely put in Timo Perez for Payton to give him some time to work on his swing.
Local Reporter:
It is just a joke. All the errors that the Mets are making is a joke. As of April 19, the Mets had committed 21 errors, 8 of them belonging to Gold- Glove shortstop Rey Ordonez. The year he won the Gold- Glove, Rey committed only 4 errors, so this is a real shock. Even Gold- Glove second basemen Roberto Alomar is having trouble, having committed 3 errors through 17 games. This is inexcusable, the Mets cannot be committing sometimes 2 or 3 errors or game, hitting or not, they will get nowhere that way. They cannot be a championship team making so many careless mistakes. I only have one explanation, not excuse, but explanation for this. I heard on the Mets radio station, WFAN 660, that the dirt at Shea is different this year at second and short. The ball bounces about knee high at short and it bounces shoulder high down the lines, but c’mon Rey, get used to it and same goes for you Robbie, get used to it, you guys are defensive geniuses! It is also not just at home, it happens on the road to, well hopefully Rey Ordonez’ new glove (he cut up his original glove this year with doctors’ scissors), will help him out, or maybe his bright yellow hair might change all the Mets defensive woes.
-Max Dworin
Injuries:
John Franco-The team captain slowly continues to recover from surgery on his left elbow. Franco pitched in the bullpen yesterday, and will pitch again in two days. By extending his bullpen sessions, and pitching more often, Franco should be ready to rejoin the Mets by mid May. Manager Bobby Valentine said,"Franco will be ready whenever nature allows; there is no timetable for his return"
Mo Vaughn- Mo is also making steady progress. Vaughn says he would be ready to come off the disabled list in a few days, or sooner. The slugging first baseman was sidelined with a broken bone in his hand, when he was hit by Pirate pitcher Jimmy Anderson earlier this season.
Satoru Komiyama- Komiyama was recently placed on the 15-day DL. He cut his middle finger while opening his garage door.
On the Farm: Look out for AAA Norfolk hurler, Mike Basick. The former Indian’s minor league pitcher of the year has been disappointing so far at AAA, with a 7.94 ERA, and a 0-1 ERA, but espect him to make an impact when rosters are expanded. Catcher Jason Phillips has beenvery impressive, hitting .326 with 1 homer and 10 RBI. Keep an eye on him. P John Bale, P Dicky Gonzalez, and OF McKay Christensen are also worth a glance at.
Quick View:
Add:
Timo Perez- He could be very valuable in deep leagues. Timo gives your team some speed, and some run production every now and then. Perez wont start everyday, but make sure to put him in when he does.
Jeff D’Amico- As long as he stays healthy, and gets sufficient run support, D’Amico is a steal.
Hold:
Roger Cedeno- Off to a slow start, but have some faith in him. Place him on the bench for a while. Once he starts to hit, start him.
Drop:
Scott Strickland- He’s no longer closing, and doesn’t have much fantasy value, unless your league is playing with holds.
Latest Team Info:
Steve Phillips went trigger-happy this week, making 3 wavier claims and putting together two trades. First on March 27, Phillips picked up outfielder Chris Latham, and infielder Andy Tracy off waivers. Latham, previously with the Blue Jays, joined the Mets in training camp. Tracy, a former Expo, was sent down to AAA Norfolk. Then on April 3rd, McKay Christensen was claimed off waivers from the LA Dodgers. Christensen batted .327 with 1 homer and 7 RBI in 48 at-bats with the Dodgers last season. To make room for Christensen to join the team, Phillips dealt Gary Mathews Jr. to Baltimore for left handed pitching prospect John Bale. Mathews only hit .167 this spring. As for Bale, he split last season in the minors and with the Orioles. In the majors, he pitched 26.2 innings last season, and went 1-0 with a 3.04 ERA. Phillips didn't stop here, on April 6th, he sent pitchers Bruce Chen, Dicky Gonzalez and minor leaguer Luis Figuerora and a player to be named to Montreal in return for reliever Scott Strickland, and prospects Matt Watson and Luis Seibel. Strickland looked impressive last season, in 77 games he posted a 3.21 ERA.
Recent Games
April 5- Mets 9, Braves 3 at Turner Field. After some early inning jitters, Pedro Astacio pitched a pretty descent ball game. In 6 and 2/3 innings he allowed 3 runs, and 7 hits. He struck out 7 as well. Also, the Mets offense finally produced. Getting homers from Burnitz, and Piazza, and 13 hits overall. Including Edgardo Alfonzo's 3 hits in 5 AB. Albie Lopez took the loss for Atlanta.
April 3, Pirates 3, Mets 2 at Shea Stadium. Shawn Estes did not pitch badly in his first game, but he received no run support from the Mets supposedly stacked lineup. The only offense came from solo homers(Burnitz, and McEwing). Jimmy Anderson gets the win for Pittsburgh.
Upcoming Games
2 more big games at Atlanta.
Local Perspective
Many Mets fans have called up local sports talk radio station, WFAN, to express their concerns about the Mets starting rotation. Some of their questions may have been answered:
Is Leiter getting old, can he still perform well?
Leiter was good on opening day, 6 innings, and no earned runs. However, he did make an error. Bottom line: He should be fine this season.
Which Steve Traschel will we see, the one who was 1-6 with a 6 ERA in the first half of last season or the 9-3, 3 ERA in the second half?
In his first start Traschel didn't pitch bad, but he did not get any run support from the juiced Met offense. In order for him to have a successful year, the offense has to produce.
Are Estes and Astacio reliable starters?
Estes, like Traschel, needs to get run support, he didn't do too bad. His line: 7 IP, 3 ER, 7 hits.
After a rough first inning, Astacio pitched some great ball against the Braves. He managed to get in and out of jams. He should be a nice No. 4 starter this season.
Also, Mo Vaughn's defensive abilities have been questioned. Mo showed fans that he could play some D, he made some nice diving stops and snags.
Rumor Mill:
After this week, I wouldn't expect Steve Phillips to do too much, but you never know.
Hot Streak:
Edgardo Alfonzo has torn the cover of the ball this week! He is batting .500 this season, collecting 9 hits in 18 at-bats. A good bounce back from last season! Also, Burnitz has been on a roll lately, hitting a homer in each of his last two games. Overall, he is batting .308.
Injuries:
John Franco was put on the DL earlier this week. He is recovering from elbow surgery.
Quick View
Add: Pedro Astacio - He's not pitching at Coors Field anymore, rather at Shea-a pitchers ballpark.
Bruce Chen - Now that Chen has a chance to prove himself in Montreal as a starter
Drop: No one for now.
