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.