Saturday, April 9, 2011

Opening Day ruined by Inadequate Ballplaying

The New York Mets came home to New York to play against the Washington nationals at Citi Field. After suffering two horrible losses to the Phillies, the Mets had an aggravating loss to the Nationals. Who is to blame? The whole team frankly. Yesterday should have been a great day. Opening day at Citi Field, with an easy win against Washington. But no. With a combination of bad calls and and an inability to get the job done, the Mets once again piss us off. I don't really know what to say.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Young leads Mets to major win in Philly

When the NY Mets came into last night's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, everyone assumed that it would be a slaughter. There was a slaughter, but it was by Chris Young and the Mets.

Young had an amazing performance last night in Philly. Pitching 5 1/3 innings he had seven strikeouts, four walks and just one run. Young also the began the run of great offense in the third inning. He open up the third inning with a single and scored off of David Wright's RBI double. Young then brought in the last run of the inning with a single. For the whole game Chris Young had three hits. No Mets pitcher has had three hits in a game since Tom Glavine in 2005. Besides the one run, it was an absolutely stellar performance.

Chris Young was not alone in this butt whooping. David Wright had his 15th career 4 hit game, which ranks second in the Mets franchise history, under Jose Reyes (19). Last night Wright had four hits, two runs and a stolen base.  I am calling Wright 'Captain Reliable', because he always is the player you can count on. The entire line-up, except Nickeas was able to get a hit and get on base. Both Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan were able to get on base twice. In the first inning they were able to execute a perfect double steal. A thing of beauty.

I'm not going to get all amped up and start singing praises and make plans for the playoffs due to this win. It is nice that the Mets went in to Philadelphia, not intimidated by their rivals and beat their butts good. Suck it Philly.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Mets overcome blown save with win in the tenth

David Wright and the rest of the New York Mets were definitely a little more determined to go home with a win last night against the Florida Marlins. After giving up two runs in the first inning and blowing the save in the ninth, the Mets still came out of there with a victory.

Jon Niese gave up two runs in the first inning to Omar Infante and Hanley Ramirez. Surprisingly that is all the noise the Marlins made until the ninth inning. Wright made play of noise in the fourth inning with a solo home-run. Carlos Beltran was able to score of off a double by Ike Davis. Chin-lung Hu was able to cross home plate with some assistance from his teammates to give the Mets the lead. Fransisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez came to the mound anxious to take down the Marlins and give the Mets the win. Too bad that didn't happen. Rodriguez gave up a run to Brett Hayes, tying the game.

So the Mets came out in the tenth with a sense of ferocity. They came out swinging. Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan were able to get on base with singles. David Wright brought Reyes home with a single, giving the Mets the lead again. Willie Harris doubled to right field, giving Pagan and Wright the chance to score. Blaine Boyer came out, giving up one run, but earning the save.

The desire the Mets showed last night to win the first game of the season was very comforting. I just hope they can keep it up.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Here We Go

During Spring Training I was suffering a condition that many NY Mets fans fall victim to, a naive sense of optimism. I was washed away in the wave of hope that came with GM Sandy Alderson and Manager Terry Collins coming aboard. The team seemed motivated and determined not repeat the sins of the past. Carlos Beltran seemed healthier, Jose Reyes was full of spunk, and Jason Bay got over his concussion. I was even patient with the pitching squad building up their strength and speed. Then as we got closer to the beginning of the season the cynicism kicked in. Now I hope that we win at least 80 games. This is the curse of the Mets fan. We all want to be loyal excited fans wishing for the best, but really all we do is hope the team doesn't suck to bad.

Last night, in sunny Miami, was the start of the 2011 season for the New York Mets and the Florida Marlins. With Johan Santana out for the first half of the season, it is up to Mike Pelfrey to take the helm. Unfortunately Pelfrey faced off against the Marlin's star pitcher Josh Johnson.

I am not going to put all the blame on Pelfrey, or compare Pelfrey and Johnson as pitchers. That would be unfair. Pelfrey did load the bases in the fourth inning and give up a grand slam. So I am mad at him for that fiasco. The question I have is what happened to the rest of the team during the game? Johnson pitched a no-hitter for six innings. There was a spark of action from Carlos Beltran and Willie Harris in the seventh, but nothing I would get  super excited about. The Mets just were unable to make anything happen against a pitcher who could actually throw in the mid 90s.

It was only the first game. As David Wright said, "It is what it is: a loss. Let's move on." So all I have to say about tonight's game is, go out there and kick some ass.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Some Positives Seen In Loss Against Braves

It was a tough battle in Florida against rivals the Atlanta Braves. Derek Lowe held the Mets down for three score-less innings. He then kicked dirt in their face by scoring in the third inning. Pitchers Scott Proctor and Cory Gearrin were also able to keep the Mets from scoring. 38 year old Chipper Jones hit a two run homer off of Dillon Gee to help give the Braves the win.


Now you may be asking, "What can be positive about that?"


Well, second baseman Josh Turner, who is battling to earn a spot as the Mets official second baseman, ended the Mets hitless streak by hitting a single off of Anthony Varvaro in the sixth inning. He also hit an RBI double in the seventh. After being hitless in his first nine at-bats, this was a good performance for Turner. This may even improve his chances of beating out Brad Emaus and Daniel Murphy for the second baseman spot.


Despite giving up two runs and four hits to the Braves, Mike Pelfrey is optimistic about how he's doing during spring training. "I felt good," Pelfrey said. "The ball came out better. I made some good pitches. My sinker was better today." For the remainder of time in the Grapefruit League season, he plans to tighten up his pitches. Compared to this time last year, Pelfrey does look better. With enough hard work, he should be ready for opening day on April 1st.


So in spite of some losses, The Mets players are working hard to prove they have what it takes. They have the heart. they just need to tune up the talent.







Saturday, March 5, 2011

Pitching is in spotlight in game vs. St. Louis

NY Mets pitchers Oliver Perez and Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez had everyone's attention during the Mets 3-0 victory over the St. Loius Cardinals. Their combined three scoreless innings helped New York to grab the win.

Perez came into the game with a disappointing performance that allowed 4 runs hanging over his head. Taking a step in the right direction, Perez only allowed two hits and had no walks. His fastballs were in the 80's range, which isn't quite enough to hold down opponents. Perez mostly faced St. Louis' minor leaguers. He is going to have to improve a bunch more before the season. Even then, Collins will probably keep him on the bullpen bench, and not in regular rotation competition.

Francisco Rodriguez's journey is a little different. He is battling to deal with his inner demons and earn his teammates and fans respect. Right now he is going to anger management classes three times a week. K-Rod says it is helping give him a new outlook on life. From an outsider's point of view, that is hard to see. As fans we are going to judge him on his pitching. Rodriguez had a good scoreless inning against the Cardinals. Now he just needs to consistently keep having good performances on the mound. And stay out of the news.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Beltran gives center field to Pagan for good of team

Spring training has officially began. This prelude to the season is where teams work out the kinks and players battle for spots on the roster. Now is also when management figures out exactly the roles the big contract players will take for the year.


One issue that has finally been settled is who is going to play center field. For the past few years the position was held by five time All-star and 3 time golden glove winner Carlos Beltran. After some debate, Carlos decided that due to the uncertainty of how healthy his knee is, that he would shift over to right field. Youngster Angel Pagan will play center field this year.


"In my heart, i still feel I can play center field." said Beltran on Monday "But at the same time, this is not about Carlos. This is about the team."


Angel Pagan took over his role of center fielder Monday night against the Washington Nationals. He had a rocky start while losing an Ian Desmond fly ball in the first inning in the sun. Pagan misplayed it into a triple causing the first run of the game. In the bottom half of the first inning Angel redeemed himself by hitting a solo home-run off of Nationals starter Chad Gaudin.


So what does the future really hold for Carlos Beltran? He will make his Grapefruit League debut next week in the designated hitter position. Beltran will be using this month to strengthen his legs so he is ready to play on Opening Day. Due to the injuries of the past couple of years, people have their doubts about how well Beltran will perform. Last season, he missed the first half of the season and the last five games due to problems in his knee. With this being the last season of his contract, being traded seems inevitable. The most likely scenario is Beltran being picked up by an American League team to play DH. Carlos Beltran and his agent Scott Boras say this is not an option, but we shall see. 


Personally I am rooting for Carlos. I hope he silences all the naysayers with the best performance of his career.



Sunday, February 6, 2011

Financial Woes May Be Doom For Mets

Being a Mets fan isn't easy. The team takes us on a constant roller-coaster ride every season. Now that we're coming upon the beginning of spring training, we fans have something new to worry about. 

The owners of the Amazin' New York Mets, Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, are involved in a lawsuit due to their involvement with the infamous Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme. It is reported that the pair made $300 million off of the scheme and might have to pay up to $1 billion dollars to those who got swindled.

To raise some money Fred Wilpon has decided to sell 25% of the franchise. Which is a lot easier said than done. You can't just put an ad in craigslist and give a part of the Mets to the first interested buyer. Who ever buys into the organization must be approved by the MLB and must appeal to fans. Also Fred Wilpon has stated that he does not want to give up any control of the team. With all these factors involved, many believe that the chance of Wilpon and Katz accomplishing their goal is going to be difficult if not impossible. 

So what does this mean for the New York Mets? Well, if some big name celebrity doesn't come around with some cash, Wilpon and Katz are going to have to come up with another strategy. This also puts them at risk at losing the whole franchise. All of this is similar to what happened with the Texas Rangers in 2009. Tom Hicks, the previous owner, also tried to find investors when he was low on cash, with the same stipulations. Over the year, Hicks was forced to sell the team to Pittsburgh lawyer Chuck Greenberg and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz may be in the same boat. As fans we may not be as lucky as getting someone who cares about the Mets as much as Nolan Ryan does about the Rangers.

So now I'm worried how the Mets will do in 2011 and who is going to run the team in 2012. Oh the life of a New York Mets fan.