The Cubs are supposedly cursed because of a goat named Murphy was not allowed to remain at Game 4 of the 1945 World Series. Now another goat named Murphy in another World Series Game 4 has helped to doom the 2015 Mets.
Murphy was not the only goat, though. There are a lot of different names for groups of goats, such as herd and flock, but I'm going with tribe, because last night, all we needed was for Jeff Probst to say that the tribe has spoken, because the Mets are not going to be the sole survivor this year.
But while Bill Buckner was far from the only goat in 1986, his error on a ground ball was the lasting image, and Murphy is probably doomed to the same fate. The image of Tyler Clippard walking two batters is just not as compelling. And neither is Terry Collins not going to the mound to take out Clippard after the first walk. Or Collins not leaving Bartolo Colon in to become the bridge to Jeurys Familia. Or Familia waiting in the bullpen rather than coming in for a six-out save.
But there is a clip from after the game of Collins saying that using Familia for a meaningless inning Friday night in a 9-3 game affected his availability for a six-out save. This is unforgivable. On Friday, we were told that Familia thrived on regular work and it was good to get him back on the horse after he blew the save in Game 1. And now the story changes.
Just as bad is using Clippard in the eighth inning because that's his usual spot, and he was great at it in August. But Clippard has been terrible after that, with a regular-season 6.14 ERA with four homers in 14.2 innings in September and October. Now he's given up runs in three of his eight postseason appearances, and Collins still thinks of him as his primary setup man.
Familia earned his goat horns when he gave up the game-tying homer in Game 1 and now he has two blown saves in the World Series. But while he did give up two hits in the eighth to allow the winning and fifth runs to score, the bigger culprits in the disastrous eighth inning have to be Murphy, Clippard and Collins.
Our tribe of goats would not be complete without Yoenis Cespedes, who may need his own section on the lowlight reel. Cespedes failed to appear when he was introduced before his first World Series game, then promptly muffed a fly ball that resulted in an inside-the-park home run. Last night, Cespedes somehow kicked a fly ball across the outfield. (I heard a radio caller this morning say that Cespedes was a three-sport athlete - baseball, soccer and golf.) Then Cespedes capped off last night's debacle by being doubled off first after he thought Lucas Duda's liner would hit the grass.
Cespedes, Murphy and Clippard are all going to be free agents. At different times, it looked as if all three should be re-signed. Now it's goodbye, Clippard and most likely goodbye Cespedes, whose head does not always appear to be in the game. Granted, he is injured, though the circumstances of that injury are murky. But it just seems hard to commit long-term to him, especially at a huge salary.
We're still getting to know Cespedes, for better and worse, but we've known Murphy since 2008. You're not signing him for his fielding. But he's a good hitter, even if that home run streak was not typical, and if and when the Mets let Cespedes go, if they don't bring Murphy back they will need to find another second baseman who can hit. Howie Kendrick and, yes, Ben Zobrist are also free agents.
This has still been a great run and a great year. But it's a shame that the World Series has turned on errors by Murphy last night and David Wright in Game 1. The two Mets with the longest tenures. The two Mets whose numbers are worn by the most fans (according to my unscientific observations). It's not over till it's over, but it's getting late early out there. Let's go Mets.
Showing posts with label Daniel Murphy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel Murphy. Show all posts
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Monday, October 19, 2015
NLCS Mets-Cubs Game 2: Daniel Murphy and the One Hot Hitter Theory
So much for being Eeyore - I thought Game 2 was over in the first inning when the Mets scored three times off of Jake Arrieta, who had not allowed a first-inning run in his previous 25 starts. But Arrieta now had to contend with the October version of Daniel Murphy.
Before the playoffs, which scenario would seem less likely - Murphy homering off Arrieta, Clayton Kershaw (twice), Zack Greinke and Jon Lester in a span of seven playoff games, or Murphy being walked intentionally in favor of pitching to Yoenis Cespedes, which happened last night? And now people are starting to argue over who is more important to re-sign - Murphy or Cespedes.
(In the interest of keeping Eeyore banished for now, I am refraining from commenting on the Mets' likelihood of increasing payroll next season, though I did pause the 2016 season-ticket ad to try to determine which Mets depicted in the promotion are certain to actually be on the team next season.)
Cespedes has cooled off after his torrid few weeks and Lucas Duda has been ice cold after a couple of hot streaks of his own. But with the Mets' amazing starting pitching, which continued with Noah Syndergaard striking out nine and allowing one earned run in 5 2/3 innings, the Mets seem to need only one hot hitter to carry the lineup while the starting pitching does the rest.
Murphy isn't doing it all by himself - Curtis Granderson is hitting .357 in the postseason with 7 RBI and started the first-inning rally with a single. Juan Lagares has five hits in 11 at bats with five runs scored. But Murphy has been the difference maker, while Cespedes is now hitting .214 and Lucas Duda (.095) and David Wright (.087) are not even on the interstate.
If the Cubs do start pitching around Murphy, someone else will need to step up. Since this has been such a magical run, why not Wilmer Flores?
Obviously, anything can still happen (see Murphy, Daniel). But with the Mets up 2-0 and deGrom pitching Game 3, the magic certainly looks back. Let's Go Mets!
Before the playoffs, which scenario would seem less likely - Murphy homering off Arrieta, Clayton Kershaw (twice), Zack Greinke and Jon Lester in a span of seven playoff games, or Murphy being walked intentionally in favor of pitching to Yoenis Cespedes, which happened last night? And now people are starting to argue over who is more important to re-sign - Murphy or Cespedes.
(In the interest of keeping Eeyore banished for now, I am refraining from commenting on the Mets' likelihood of increasing payroll next season, though I did pause the 2016 season-ticket ad to try to determine which Mets depicted in the promotion are certain to actually be on the team next season.)
Cespedes has cooled off after his torrid few weeks and Lucas Duda has been ice cold after a couple of hot streaks of his own. But with the Mets' amazing starting pitching, which continued with Noah Syndergaard striking out nine and allowing one earned run in 5 2/3 innings, the Mets seem to need only one hot hitter to carry the lineup while the starting pitching does the rest.
Murphy isn't doing it all by himself - Curtis Granderson is hitting .357 in the postseason with 7 RBI and started the first-inning rally with a single. Juan Lagares has five hits in 11 at bats with five runs scored. But Murphy has been the difference maker, while Cespedes is now hitting .214 and Lucas Duda (.095) and David Wright (.087) are not even on the interstate.
If the Cubs do start pitching around Murphy, someone else will need to step up. Since this has been such a magical run, why not Wilmer Flores?
Obviously, anything can still happen (see Murphy, Daniel). But with the Mets up 2-0 and deGrom pitching Game 3, the magic certainly looks back. Let's Go Mets!
Friday, October 16, 2015
NLDS Mets-Dodgers Game 5 Wrapup: Daniel Murphy Dropkicks Dodgers
Daniel Murphy's usual walkup music is "Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys, and Murphy showed in Game 5 that if the Mets allow him to ship out after the season as expected, they will be making a big mistake. Thanks to Murphy, the Mets are shipping up to the NLCS.
I picked the Dodgers to win the series because I could not see how the Mets could win two out of four starts from Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. According to ESPN, the Dodgers were 19-0 going into last night when they scored at least two runs in a Greinke start. Last night, the Dodgers scored two runs. So how did they lose? Daniel Murphy and some Mets magic.
On the first play of the game, Curtis Granderson was called out at first base on a very close play. The Mets challenged the play and the call was overturned. Had the play not been challenged and overturned, Granderson would not have been able to score the first run on a double by, who else, Daniel Murphy.
Murphy's misadventures on the basepaths have become a running joke around the team (no pun intended). So it must be Mets magic that Murphy made the most heads-up baserunning play of the Mets season to enable the Mets to score their second run. With Murphy on first in the fourth inning, Lucas Duda walked. Murphy trotted to second as if nothing was amiss. But the shift had been on against Duda and Murphy saw that third base was not covered. So when Murphy reached second, he suddenly took off for third and made it easily. A really smart play by Murphy and a really dumb team miscue by the Dodgers. Because of Murphy's alertness, the Mets were able to score their second run on a sacrifice fly by Travis d'Arnaud.
The Dodgers missed their own chance for a clever play when right fielder Andre Ethier caught d'Arnaud's fly in foul territory. If Ethier had deliberately dropped it, Greinke might have been able to retire d'Arnaud for the second out without having a run score. With a great pitcher like Greinke, odds are he would have gotten d'Arnaud out anyway - Travis ended up hitting 3-for-19 in the series for a .158 batting average. As it stood, Michael Conforto followed d'Arnaud by hitting into a force play for the third out.
d'Arnaud also had a homer and four RBI in the series, and with Duda at first in addition to Murphy at third, dropping the ball could have backfired into a big inning. Also, the baseball gods were with the Mets last night, so maybe the Dodgers were doomed whatever they did. How else can you explain Murphy, not exactly Giancarlo Stanton, accounting for the Mets' third run with his third homer of the series, all off of either Greinke or Kershaw? Amazing!
The baseball gods were certainly looking over Terry Collins' shoulder when he left Jacob deGrom in through his difficult early innings, pinch-hit for deGrom in the seventh even though deGrom had finally settled into a groove and had thrown only 105 pitches, brought in Noah Syndergaard in the seventh even though he had warmed up four times, took out Syndergaard after only one inning even though Syndergard looked great, and turned to Jeurys Familia to get a six-out save for the first time in his career. Amazing!
If not for Murphy, this whole piece could have been about deGrom, who gave up four straight hits in the first inning and looked like he was on his way to another Met starter meltdown in a critical game. In another deciding game against the Dodgers, Game 7 of the NLCS in 1988, Ron Darling was knocked out in the second inning, giving up six runs (four earned) in one inning (he faced five batters in the second, retiring none of them). With Orel Hershiser on the mound, the game was over, and the Mets went on to lose, 6-0. Things looked similarly bleak early last night against Greinke.
In Game 6 against the Braves in the 1999 NLCS, with the Mets down 3 games to 2, Al Leiter did not retire a single batter, allowing five earned runs in 0 innings. The Mets came back to tie that game before they were eliminated in the eleventh inning when Kenny Rogers walked in the winning run.
Speaking of pitchers who won't be invited back to Met reunions, future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine closed out 2007 and his Met career by allowing seven earned runs in 1/3 inning as the Mets were eliminated on the final day of the regular season.
I dredge up these miserable memories only to emphasize how big-name veteran pitchers can fall apart in a critical game when deGrom, in his second season and first postseason appearance, was able to keep his team in the game. Darling, Leiter and Glavine all had World Series rings at the time of their meltdowns. They way deGrom battled last night, he could be on the way to his own World Series ring. We can only hope!
The Mets have only one day off before starting the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs, so I'm taking this day to continue celebrating before worrying about what comes next. Lets' Go Mets!
I picked the Dodgers to win the series because I could not see how the Mets could win two out of four starts from Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. According to ESPN, the Dodgers were 19-0 going into last night when they scored at least two runs in a Greinke start. Last night, the Dodgers scored two runs. So how did they lose? Daniel Murphy and some Mets magic.
On the first play of the game, Curtis Granderson was called out at first base on a very close play. The Mets challenged the play and the call was overturned. Had the play not been challenged and overturned, Granderson would not have been able to score the first run on a double by, who else, Daniel Murphy.
Murphy's misadventures on the basepaths have become a running joke around the team (no pun intended). So it must be Mets magic that Murphy made the most heads-up baserunning play of the Mets season to enable the Mets to score their second run. With Murphy on first in the fourth inning, Lucas Duda walked. Murphy trotted to second as if nothing was amiss. But the shift had been on against Duda and Murphy saw that third base was not covered. So when Murphy reached second, he suddenly took off for third and made it easily. A really smart play by Murphy and a really dumb team miscue by the Dodgers. Because of Murphy's alertness, the Mets were able to score their second run on a sacrifice fly by Travis d'Arnaud.
The Dodgers missed their own chance for a clever play when right fielder Andre Ethier caught d'Arnaud's fly in foul territory. If Ethier had deliberately dropped it, Greinke might have been able to retire d'Arnaud for the second out without having a run score. With a great pitcher like Greinke, odds are he would have gotten d'Arnaud out anyway - Travis ended up hitting 3-for-19 in the series for a .158 batting average. As it stood, Michael Conforto followed d'Arnaud by hitting into a force play for the third out.
d'Arnaud also had a homer and four RBI in the series, and with Duda at first in addition to Murphy at third, dropping the ball could have backfired into a big inning. Also, the baseball gods were with the Mets last night, so maybe the Dodgers were doomed whatever they did. How else can you explain Murphy, not exactly Giancarlo Stanton, accounting for the Mets' third run with his third homer of the series, all off of either Greinke or Kershaw? Amazing!
The baseball gods were certainly looking over Terry Collins' shoulder when he left Jacob deGrom in through his difficult early innings, pinch-hit for deGrom in the seventh even though deGrom had finally settled into a groove and had thrown only 105 pitches, brought in Noah Syndergaard in the seventh even though he had warmed up four times, took out Syndergaard after only one inning even though Syndergard looked great, and turned to Jeurys Familia to get a six-out save for the first time in his career. Amazing!
If not for Murphy, this whole piece could have been about deGrom, who gave up four straight hits in the first inning and looked like he was on his way to another Met starter meltdown in a critical game. In another deciding game against the Dodgers, Game 7 of the NLCS in 1988, Ron Darling was knocked out in the second inning, giving up six runs (four earned) in one inning (he faced five batters in the second, retiring none of them). With Orel Hershiser on the mound, the game was over, and the Mets went on to lose, 6-0. Things looked similarly bleak early last night against Greinke.
In Game 6 against the Braves in the 1999 NLCS, with the Mets down 3 games to 2, Al Leiter did not retire a single batter, allowing five earned runs in 0 innings. The Mets came back to tie that game before they were eliminated in the eleventh inning when Kenny Rogers walked in the winning run.
Speaking of pitchers who won't be invited back to Met reunions, future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine closed out 2007 and his Met career by allowing seven earned runs in 1/3 inning as the Mets were eliminated on the final day of the regular season.
I dredge up these miserable memories only to emphasize how big-name veteran pitchers can fall apart in a critical game when deGrom, in his second season and first postseason appearance, was able to keep his team in the game. Darling, Leiter and Glavine all had World Series rings at the time of their meltdowns. They way deGrom battled last night, he could be on the way to his own World Series ring. We can only hope!
The Mets have only one day off before starting the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs, so I'm taking this day to continue celebrating before worrying about what comes next. Lets' Go Mets!
Saturday, October 10, 2015
NLDS Mets-Dodgers Game 1: Dummy Baseball
Yesterday, I drew some flak from fellow Met fans for picking the Dodgers to win the series. I did so on the basis of L.A.'s seemingly unbeatable combination of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. I failed to consider two things: 1) Jacob deGrom might outpitch Kershaw, and 2) the Dodger manager is Don Mattingly.
Matt Harvey (Dark Knight) and Noah Syndergaard (Thor) have superhero nicknames. deGrom has a promotional garden gnome that was given out in a game that Squawker Lisa and I attended in May. But while deGrom has an unassuming public persona compared to Syndergaard and especially Harvey, he has quietly continued to blow away expectations - and on the biggest stages.
deGrom made his major-league debut during the 2014 Subway Series. Rafael Montero had made his major-league debut against the Yankees the night before. Montero was considered the main prospect at the time, while deGrom was pretty much a fill-in. deGrom pitched seven innings of one-run ball in his debut and ended up being NL Rookie of the Year.
When deGrom made the All-Star team this year, he struck out the side on ten pitches.
So when deGrom struck out six in the first two innings, it should have been no surprise. But 13 strikeouts and no runs? Only four other pitchers have ever done that in their postseason debut.
The box score will show that Kershaw was charged with three earned runs in yet another postseason loss. But Kershaw was blowing away the Mets for most of the game. In fact, it was the first postseason game ever in which both starters had at least 11 strikeouts. If not for the Daniel Murphy home run, it would have been a scoreless tie in the seventh when Kershaw walked the bases loaded, bringing David Wright to the plate with two outs and putting Mattingly on the spot.
It was deja vu all over again. In last year's NLDS Game 1, Kershaw was also great through six innings, before faltering in the seventh. Mattingly did not take him out until after the Cardinals had gotten six hits and five runs.
Mattingly may have been too slow with his hook last year, but he was too quick last night, pulling Kershaw for Pedro Baez, who gave up a two-run single to Wright that turned out to be the margin of victory.
Mattingly learned the wrong lesson from 2014. Maybe Kershaw was tiring, but he had not given up a bunch of hits. He had not given up any hits in the seventh, just walks. In fact, he had not given up a hit to a righthanded hitter all night. Sure, Wright might have gotten the same hit off of Kershaw, but it's more likely that the worst-case scenario would have been another walk, which would have been bad for the Dodgers but not as bad as a two-run single. And then nobody would argue with taking Kershaw out.
While Kershaw left after 113 pitches, Terry Collins let deGrom hit for himself in the seventh when he bunted and kept deGrom in for 121 pitches and seven innings. When Tyler Clippard stumbled in the eighth, it only showed how right Collins was to get seven innings out of the dominant deGrom.
Yes, Mattingly had a tough choice. But he's choosing between the best pitcher on the planet and Pedro Baez, who just happens to be the same pitcher Mattingly used to relieve Kershaw in last year's NLDS Game 1. And how did Baez do last year? He walked the first batter he faced, then gave up a home run to the second. The Dodgers lost the game by one run. So Mattingly goes to this guy in the same spot this year? Dummy Baseball.
*
There's been a lot of talk about how David Wright has waited nine long years to get back to the postseason, and he was certainly one of the heroes last night, but Daniel Murphy is in his eighth season as a Met and had never even been to the postseason until last night, when all he did in his debut was to homer off of Kershaw for the only run in the first six innings for either team.
If there's any doubt that the Mets have some magic going this season, the defensively-challenged Murphy was moved to first base as the Mets fortified their defense in the late innings and Murphy made a great play there in the ninth.
*
deGrom's unflappability and Murphy's intensity were not just a winning combination in Game 1, but in the postgame interviews as well, when deGrom pulled a prank on Murphy.
Matt Harvey (Dark Knight) and Noah Syndergaard (Thor) have superhero nicknames. deGrom has a promotional garden gnome that was given out in a game that Squawker Lisa and I attended in May. But while deGrom has an unassuming public persona compared to Syndergaard and especially Harvey, he has quietly continued to blow away expectations - and on the biggest stages.
deGrom made his major-league debut during the 2014 Subway Series. Rafael Montero had made his major-league debut against the Yankees the night before. Montero was considered the main prospect at the time, while deGrom was pretty much a fill-in. deGrom pitched seven innings of one-run ball in his debut and ended up being NL Rookie of the Year.
When deGrom made the All-Star team this year, he struck out the side on ten pitches.
So when deGrom struck out six in the first two innings, it should have been no surprise. But 13 strikeouts and no runs? Only four other pitchers have ever done that in their postseason debut.
The box score will show that Kershaw was charged with three earned runs in yet another postseason loss. But Kershaw was blowing away the Mets for most of the game. In fact, it was the first postseason game ever in which both starters had at least 11 strikeouts. If not for the Daniel Murphy home run, it would have been a scoreless tie in the seventh when Kershaw walked the bases loaded, bringing David Wright to the plate with two outs and putting Mattingly on the spot.
It was deja vu all over again. In last year's NLDS Game 1, Kershaw was also great through six innings, before faltering in the seventh. Mattingly did not take him out until after the Cardinals had gotten six hits and five runs.
Mattingly may have been too slow with his hook last year, but he was too quick last night, pulling Kershaw for Pedro Baez, who gave up a two-run single to Wright that turned out to be the margin of victory.
Mattingly learned the wrong lesson from 2014. Maybe Kershaw was tiring, but he had not given up a bunch of hits. He had not given up any hits in the seventh, just walks. In fact, he had not given up a hit to a righthanded hitter all night. Sure, Wright might have gotten the same hit off of Kershaw, but it's more likely that the worst-case scenario would have been another walk, which would have been bad for the Dodgers but not as bad as a two-run single. And then nobody would argue with taking Kershaw out.
While Kershaw left after 113 pitches, Terry Collins let deGrom hit for himself in the seventh when he bunted and kept deGrom in for 121 pitches and seven innings. When Tyler Clippard stumbled in the eighth, it only showed how right Collins was to get seven innings out of the dominant deGrom.
Yes, Mattingly had a tough choice. But he's choosing between the best pitcher on the planet and Pedro Baez, who just happens to be the same pitcher Mattingly used to relieve Kershaw in last year's NLDS Game 1. And how did Baez do last year? He walked the first batter he faced, then gave up a home run to the second. The Dodgers lost the game by one run. So Mattingly goes to this guy in the same spot this year? Dummy Baseball.
*
There's been a lot of talk about how David Wright has waited nine long years to get back to the postseason, and he was certainly one of the heroes last night, but Daniel Murphy is in his eighth season as a Met and had never even been to the postseason until last night, when all he did in his debut was to homer off of Kershaw for the only run in the first six innings for either team.
If there's any doubt that the Mets have some magic going this season, the defensively-challenged Murphy was moved to first base as the Mets fortified their defense in the late innings and Murphy made a great play there in the ninth.
*
deGrom's unflappability and Murphy's intensity were not just a winning combination in Game 1, but in the postgame interviews as well, when deGrom pulled a prank on Murphy.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
When the light at the end of the tunnel is Bartolo Colon
How is it that the Mets' free-agent signings indicate they are spending again? The payroll currently projects to $83 million, which would be lower than last season. And the Mets' next offseason goals appear to be dumping Ike Davis and perhaps Daniel Murphy because they are arbitration-eligible.
The Mets need bullpen depth, especially with Bobby Parnell still recovering from herniated disk surgery, but they let LaTroy Hawkins go because they didn't want to pay a 41-year-old $2.5 million. And yet they are willing to give Bartolo Colon, who turns 41 in May, $20 million.
The signings of Curtis Granderson, Chris Young and Colon would be a lot more exciting if the Mets were actually adding pieces, but they still appear to be treading water. If trading Davis and/or Murphy can improve the club, great, but Davis has much more upside than Lucas Duda and Murphy is a career .290 hitter. The Mets hit .237 as a team in 2013 and new additions Granderson and Young both hit below that last season. Even if they both manage to hit homers in Citi Field, it will be nice to have someone on base.
On the plus side, the signing of Colon shows that the Mets are not simply writing off 2014, but are willing to make a short-term investment to strengthen the rotation in Matt Harvey's absence. Signing Granderson does offer hope that the team will have hitting for the next two or there years, and if they are lucky, four years.
Young is a gamble. Billy Beane's front office is as smart as any in MLB, and they elected to let both Young and Colon go.
When Granderson joined the Mets, he said that people tell him that true New Yorkers are Met fans. I'm not even sure what a "true New Yorker" is. I'm a native, and I've always been a Met fan, but one could argue that the hordes of people who come to New York because that is where they want to be are equally true New Yorkers as those of us who never left.
What is less debatable is that a true New York team is willing to spend money, since New York is the biggest of the big markets. As New York fans, including Met fans, know all too well, spending money does not always translate into victories or even good teams. But Met fans also know that the last time the team ramped up its spending, they won 97 games and made it to Game 7 of the NLCS in 2006.
If the remainder of the offseason does not result in an increased payroll, let's hope it at least does not consist mostly of salary dumps.
The Mets need bullpen depth, especially with Bobby Parnell still recovering from herniated disk surgery, but they let LaTroy Hawkins go because they didn't want to pay a 41-year-old $2.5 million. And yet they are willing to give Bartolo Colon, who turns 41 in May, $20 million.
The signings of Curtis Granderson, Chris Young and Colon would be a lot more exciting if the Mets were actually adding pieces, but they still appear to be treading water. If trading Davis and/or Murphy can improve the club, great, but Davis has much more upside than Lucas Duda and Murphy is a career .290 hitter. The Mets hit .237 as a team in 2013 and new additions Granderson and Young both hit below that last season. Even if they both manage to hit homers in Citi Field, it will be nice to have someone on base.
On the plus side, the signing of Colon shows that the Mets are not simply writing off 2014, but are willing to make a short-term investment to strengthen the rotation in Matt Harvey's absence. Signing Granderson does offer hope that the team will have hitting for the next two or there years, and if they are lucky, four years.
Young is a gamble. Billy Beane's front office is as smart as any in MLB, and they elected to let both Young and Colon go.
When Granderson joined the Mets, he said that people tell him that true New Yorkers are Met fans. I'm not even sure what a "true New Yorker" is. I'm a native, and I've always been a Met fan, but one could argue that the hordes of people who come to New York because that is where they want to be are equally true New Yorkers as those of us who never left.
What is less debatable is that a true New York team is willing to spend money, since New York is the biggest of the big markets. As New York fans, including Met fans, know all too well, spending money does not always translate into victories or even good teams. But Met fans also know that the last time the team ramped up its spending, they won 97 games and made it to Game 7 of the NLCS in 2006.
If the remainder of the offseason does not result in an increased payroll, let's hope it at least does not consist mostly of salary dumps.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sports Illustrated MLB preview jinxes Mets on first day
Yesterday, I wrote that the Mets would avoid the Sports Illustrated jinx this year. In 2009, SI picked the Mets to win the World Series, but this year's prediction was for fourth place.
But SI's MLB preview, which came out today, also featured a "player to watch" for each team. For the Mets, that player was Daniel Murphy.
Several hours after the new SI hit newsstands, Murphy was diagnosed with a sprained knee and is now out two to six weeks. With Ike Davis waiting in the wings, my friend David has already started calling Murphy Wally Pipp.
As far as I know, the other player featured on the Mets preview page, knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, had an uneventful day.
But SI's MLB preview, which came out today, also featured a "player to watch" for each team. For the Mets, that player was Daniel Murphy.
Several hours after the new SI hit newsstands, Murphy was diagnosed with a sprained knee and is now out two to six weeks. With Ike Davis waiting in the wings, my friend David has already started calling Murphy Wally Pipp.
As far as I know, the other player featured on the Mets preview page, knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, had an uneventful day.
Squawker Scoop: A look at Sports Illustrated's MLB Preview issue
Sports Illustrated picks the Philadelphia Phillies to beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series, saying that the Phillies "have the one element they’ve been missing for a quarter of a century: a big-time winner at the front of the rotation. That would be righthander Roy Halladay, obtained from Toronto in December, whose first trip to the playoffs should end with Philadelphia clinching its second World Series championship in three years."
SI picks the Yankees to win 100 games - and the AL East - but see them losing in the ALCS to the Rays. (No Red Sox in SI's playoff scenario!) Here's the logic:
The Yankees could muscle their way back to an October rematch with the Phils, but it would require the same off-the-charts good health and production from their older players that they received last year. That means the door is open in the American League for Tampa Bay, which has the deepest collection of young, versatile talent in the game.I agree that the Yankees had a lot of luck last year - and 15 walkoff wins - which is why I'm projecting them to win fewer games this year (my prediction for Heater Magazine was 95 games.) But I still think they'll win the World Series. At any rate, though, I'm relieved that SI didn't pick them, given the dreaded Sports Illustrated jinx! Don't believe in it? Look what happened to the Mets last year, after SI picked them to win the World Series!
In other Yankee news, the magazine lists Javier Vazquez as a player to watch, and writes:
Catcher Jorge Posada says Vazquez struggled in his first Yankees stint because a sore shoulder made his release point drop and pitches flatten. “After I left, I didn’t think I was coming back,” Vazquez says. “I really wanted to stay.”The magazine also has a nice little piece on Alfredo Aceves, praising his pitching and saying that the "Yankees should find a bigger role for him, either setting up Mariano Rivera as a multiple-inning reliever or as the fifth starter." Gee, I hope this article doesn't somehow jinx Ace; he's one of my faves!
Daniel Murphy is SI's Met player to watch, with hitting coach Howard Johnson saying that Murphy is "going to surprise a lot of people this year with some big numbers."
Sports Illustrated also thinks the Mets should take a chance on R.A. Dickey, the knuckleball pitcher. Me, I think the Mets ought to re-sign Pedro Martinez, the pitcher some would say is a knucklehead! But that's me - Pedro returning to Flushing would immediately give me something Mets-related to squawk about every five days.
Anyhow, Sports Illustrated's MLB Preview issue will be on newsstands today, and I'm sure there will be plenty of other stuff to rehash - and squawk about - in the issue. For one thing, I'm curious to read what they say about the Red Sox, and why they're ranked in third place. I have them getting the wild card in the predictions I did for the Baseball Bloggers Alliance - more on that soon.
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Daniel Murphy manages to combine Bill Buckner and Luis Castillo
The Mets endure another embarrassing walkoff loss on the same night the Yankees celebrate another walkoff win. And you wonder why I am bitter, Squawker Lisa?
For the second time this season, Francisco Rodriguez lost a game on an embarrassing error by his infield. But while the Castillo game was the nightmare ending of the year, if not the decade (I can still hear Squawker Lisa laughing), Wednesday night's debacle had more of those special features that have made this season such a nightmare:
Just three days ago, when the Mets were eliminated, I noted that it was appropriate that the game featured an injury and a baserunning blunder. And then I wrote:
With two outs and the winning run on second (and a runner on first), the Braves' Ryan Church, playing the role of Mookie Wilson, hits a grounder to first baseman Murphy. Since Daniel has already let the earlier ball go by him down the line, he mixes it up and boots this one up in the air.
The lead runner is rounding third, but if Murphy can just grab the ball when it comes down, he might be able to prevent the winning run for scoring.
Instead, the ball bounces off Murphy's glove a la the Castillo play and the winning run scores. Murphy should have gotten two errors on the play, but was only charged for one, his unlucky thirteenth error of the year.
Like most Met fans, I like Daniel Murphy and continue to root for him, but when you make what could have been three errors in the ninth and you are only hitting .258 with a .711 OPS, you might be part of the problem more than the solution.
For the second time this season, Francisco Rodriguez lost a game on an embarrassing error by his infield. But while the Castillo game was the nightmare ending of the year, if not the decade (I can still hear Squawker Lisa laughing), Wednesday night's debacle had more of those special features that have made this season such a nightmare:
- The starting pitcher was poor Bobby Parnell, who remains in the rotation even though he has consistently shown that he belongs back in the bullpen.
- The Mets got 16 hits, but only scored five runs.
- Daniel Murphy allowed the winning rally to start by letting a ball go by him down the line - even though he was guarding the line.
Just three days ago, when the Mets were eliminated, I noted that it was appropriate that the game featured an injury and a baserunning blunder. And then I wrote:
It might have been nice to throw in cringeworthy fielding play for old times' sake, but the fielding has actually been less of a problem since the first half of the season. Moving Daniel Murphy to first was a big part of that.Oops!
With two outs and the winning run on second (and a runner on first), the Braves' Ryan Church, playing the role of Mookie Wilson, hits a grounder to first baseman Murphy. Since Daniel has already let the earlier ball go by him down the line, he mixes it up and boots this one up in the air.
The lead runner is rounding third, but if Murphy can just grab the ball when it comes down, he might be able to prevent the winning run for scoring.
Instead, the ball bounces off Murphy's glove a la the Castillo play and the winning run scores. Murphy should have gotten two errors on the play, but was only charged for one, his unlucky thirteenth error of the year.
Like most Met fans, I like Daniel Murphy and continue to root for him, but when you make what could have been three errors in the ninth and you are only hitting .258 with a .711 OPS, you might be part of the problem more than the solution.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Make Daniel Murphy lineup follies more fan-friendly
What does Daniel Murphy have to do to get a chance to stay in the lineup? Even after a great game on Wednesday night, he finds himself on the bench because Jerry Manuel keeps trying to recapture last year's magic with Fernando Tatis.
Manuel cannot use the Dodgers starting lefty Randy Wolf last night as an excuse. Murphy is hitting .281 this year against lefties, as opposed to .237 against righties.
Nobody is saying Murphy is the next Albert Pujols. But at least give him consistent playing time to give him a chance to show what he can do. Fernando Martinez got that opportunity, even when it was clear that he was not ready to stay in the majors.
As long as Manuel seems to be pulling lineups out of a hat, why not turn it into a fan event? Put the names of all of the possible first basemen and outfielders into a hat, and the first four pulled out get to start. Manuel can decide what positions they play and where they bat in the order - he is the manager, after all.
Or the Mets could turn the scoreboard truck race into a battle for playing time between Murphy, Tatis and Nick Evans.
I would suggest having the Mets do their own version of the Milwaukee sausage race, in which Murphy, Tatis and Evans race around the field in a battle to get in the lineup, but knowing this team, somebody would pull a hamstring.
Manuel cannot use the Dodgers starting lefty Randy Wolf last night as an excuse. Murphy is hitting .281 this year against lefties, as opposed to .237 against righties.
Nobody is saying Murphy is the next Albert Pujols. But at least give him consistent playing time to give him a chance to show what he can do. Fernando Martinez got that opportunity, even when it was clear that he was not ready to stay in the majors.
As long as Manuel seems to be pulling lineups out of a hat, why not turn it into a fan event? Put the names of all of the possible first basemen and outfielders into a hat, and the first four pulled out get to start. Manuel can decide what positions they play and where they bat in the order - he is the manager, after all.
Or the Mets could turn the scoreboard truck race into a battle for playing time between Murphy, Tatis and Nick Evans.
I would suggest having the Mets do their own version of the Milwaukee sausage race, in which Murphy, Tatis and Evans race around the field in a battle to get in the lineup, but knowing this team, somebody would pull a hamstring.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
ESPN no longer laughing at Daniel Murphy
A couple of days ago, ESPN offered up a montage of the worst plays of the Met season. Daniel Murphy came in for his share of abuse. After showing a clip of Murphy butchering a fly ball in St. Louis, the laughing ESPN announcers explained that was why Murphy was being tried out at first, as well as "the pine."
Well look who's laughing now! After his incredible behind-the-back flip Wednesday night, Murphy not only led ESPN's Web Gems as the play of the night, his play was mentioned as a candidate for play of the year!
Murphy has actually looked pretty good at first base for the most part, especially compared to some of the other Met fielders. Still, Murphy making the play of the year is about as unlikely as Oliver Perez being the stopper - against the team with the best record in baseball. Yet both things happened in the same night.
Since nothing comes easily for the Mets these days, they nearly blew a 5-2 lead, holding on to win, 5-4.
The last time the Mets won a game by more than one run was the 11-0 win over the Cardinals on June 24, 14 games ago. Since then, the Mets are 4-9. All four of the Met wins have been by one run. All nine of the Met losses have been by more than one run. In fact, seven of the nine losses have been by at least three runs, and four of those have been by at least five runs.
But while this win turned out to be another squeaker, it did offer up a play that will be shown over and over again. Best of all, it's one of the first times this season that such a play won't make Met fans cringe.
Well look who's laughing now! After his incredible behind-the-back flip Wednesday night, Murphy not only led ESPN's Web Gems as the play of the night, his play was mentioned as a candidate for play of the year!
Murphy has actually looked pretty good at first base for the most part, especially compared to some of the other Met fielders. Still, Murphy making the play of the year is about as unlikely as Oliver Perez being the stopper - against the team with the best record in baseball. Yet both things happened in the same night.
Since nothing comes easily for the Mets these days, they nearly blew a 5-2 lead, holding on to win, 5-4.
The last time the Mets won a game by more than one run was the 11-0 win over the Cardinals on June 24, 14 games ago. Since then, the Mets are 4-9. All four of the Met wins have been by one run. All nine of the Met losses have been by more than one run. In fact, seven of the nine losses have been by at least three runs, and four of those have been by at least five runs.
But while this win turned out to be another squeaker, it did offer up a play that will be shown over and over again. Best of all, it's one of the first times this season that such a play won't make Met fans cringe.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Why the Phillies are better than the Mets
There was a play in the eighth inning tonight that summed up the critical difference between the Mets and the Phillies. David Wright fielded a grounder from Shane Victorino and threw to first, where the ball bounced off of Daniel Murphy's glove and rolled several yards down the line into foul territory.
Even if Murphy had caught the ball cleanly, it probably would have been a hit; in fact, the play was ruled a hit. After Victorino was safe at first, he continued up the line a few strides, then stopped and started to walk back to first. And then he noticed something.
Nobody on the Mets was going after the ball.
After he couldn't handle the throw, Murphy dropped his head, presumably mad at himself for not making the play. By the time Murphy started going after the ball, Victorino was on his way to second base, which he made easily.
The score was 7-2 at the time, and the play had no bearing on the outcome of the game. But it said a lot about which team was better able to play smart fundamental baseball.
It was not the first mental lapse of the game for the Mets. Earlier, Fernando Tatis, installed at second base even though he has barely played it because he could supply more offense (Tatis is hitting .261 with three homers in 153 at bats), failed to cover second on a single by Jimmy Rollins, who alertly took second.
The Mets could have put on a fundamentals clinic tonight, and it wouldn't have done them any good with Livan Hernandez melting down and the Mets unable to put up much of a fight against retread Rodrigo Lopez.
There are two new disturbing trends with the Mets. It's one thing to struggle against the Sabathias and Gallardos. But in the span of four days, the Mets have been helpless against journeymen Lopez and Mike Burns.
Meanwhile, each member of the patchwork part of the Mets' rotation, Hernandez, Tim Redding and Fernando Nieve, has now failed to make it out of the fourth inning in his last start.
No pitching. No hitting. No fundamentals. Oh, and the Braves are now tied with the Mets for third and could pass them tomorrow.
Who would have thought that Fourth of July might mean fourth place.
Even if Murphy had caught the ball cleanly, it probably would have been a hit; in fact, the play was ruled a hit. After Victorino was safe at first, he continued up the line a few strides, then stopped and started to walk back to first. And then he noticed something.
Nobody on the Mets was going after the ball.
After he couldn't handle the throw, Murphy dropped his head, presumably mad at himself for not making the play. By the time Murphy started going after the ball, Victorino was on his way to second base, which he made easily.
The score was 7-2 at the time, and the play had no bearing on the outcome of the game. But it said a lot about which team was better able to play smart fundamental baseball.
It was not the first mental lapse of the game for the Mets. Earlier, Fernando Tatis, installed at second base even though he has barely played it because he could supply more offense (Tatis is hitting .261 with three homers in 153 at bats), failed to cover second on a single by Jimmy Rollins, who alertly took second.
The Mets could have put on a fundamentals clinic tonight, and it wouldn't have done them any good with Livan Hernandez melting down and the Mets unable to put up much of a fight against retread Rodrigo Lopez.
There are two new disturbing trends with the Mets. It's one thing to struggle against the Sabathias and Gallardos. But in the span of four days, the Mets have been helpless against journeymen Lopez and Mike Burns.
Meanwhile, each member of the patchwork part of the Mets' rotation, Hernandez, Tim Redding and Fernando Nieve, has now failed to make it out of the fourth inning in his last start.
No pitching. No hitting. No fundamentals. Oh, and the Braves are now tied with the Mets for third and could pass them tomorrow.
Who would have thought that Fourth of July might mean fourth place.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Don't dropkick Murphy
Squawker Lisa, I'm happy for you that things are "Swishalicious" on your side of town, but over here, they are not even Churchalicious. Swept out of L.A. and now Jose Reyes might have to go on the DL. But at least Daniel Murphy aced his first game at first base.
On his first play, Murphy took his foot off the bag, but Juan Pierre would have been safe anyway. But after that, Murphy made a range of plays that any first baseman would be happy to make - going to his left, going to his right, and leaping to take a hit away.
So I think it was a little harsh of the Post to put Murphy on the back page with the headline UGH-LY! Yes, Murphy went 0-for-4 and did not get the job done in the five hole, but it was a lot more important for Murphy to show he could handle first base.
We know Murphy can hit. But before last night, we also knew that he could not field. That he would have to end up in the American League as a DH.
But last night, Murphy did not look merely adequate at first, but actually like he belonged there. It's still only one game, but the Mets are a whole lot better off being able to solve the first base problem internal than calling up the Indians or Nationals and saying, hi, we're desperate for Mark DeRosa or Nick Johnson. Please rip us off.
As for his hitting, Murphy's slump has now left him batting .263. He hit .324 in April and is hitting .174 in May. Murphy is probably not a .324 hitter, but he's also not a .174 hitter. Murphy has also been jerked in and out of the lineup and his struggles in the outfield are well-documented. Perhaps having a secure spot at first base will help him settle down at the plate.
It's also not fair to criticize Murphy for not driving runs in as the 5 hitter last night, since he is not a power hitter and ideally would not be batting fifth if the Mets had other options.
Like it or not, the hitless wonder Mets are now a team that must win on pitching and defense. It's frustrating to see the team score only six times in the four-game losing streak, but at least the pitching has held the opposition to only ten earned runs in those four games - along with two unearned runs.
One of the unearned runs came after Murphy dropped the fly ball in the first inning Tuesday night. The other came of course when Jeremy Reed threw wildly from first at the end of Monday night's debacle.
With Murphy out of left and installed at first, the Mets have potentially shored up both their weakest spots on defense - though now they may have to contend with the loss of Reyes.
IF Reyes goes on the DL, the Mets must think defense first. But Jerry Manuel can't burn Fernando Tatis as a pinch-hitter as he did last night, leaving Ramon Martinez to bat in the ninth. Ideally, Martinez won't be batting at all soon, but Manuel must start treating the shortstop spot as he does catcher, making sure to keep options open.
With pitching, defense and smarter managing, maybe the Mets can avoid another Fenway massacre.
*
Condolences to Scott Schoeneweis on the loss of his wife. What a sad story. Our thoughts are with Scott and his family.
On his first play, Murphy took his foot off the bag, but Juan Pierre would have been safe anyway. But after that, Murphy made a range of plays that any first baseman would be happy to make - going to his left, going to his right, and leaping to take a hit away.
So I think it was a little harsh of the Post to put Murphy on the back page with the headline UGH-LY! Yes, Murphy went 0-for-4 and did not get the job done in the five hole, but it was a lot more important for Murphy to show he could handle first base.
We know Murphy can hit. But before last night, we also knew that he could not field. That he would have to end up in the American League as a DH.
But last night, Murphy did not look merely adequate at first, but actually like he belonged there. It's still only one game, but the Mets are a whole lot better off being able to solve the first base problem internal than calling up the Indians or Nationals and saying, hi, we're desperate for Mark DeRosa or Nick Johnson. Please rip us off.
As for his hitting, Murphy's slump has now left him batting .263. He hit .324 in April and is hitting .174 in May. Murphy is probably not a .324 hitter, but he's also not a .174 hitter. Murphy has also been jerked in and out of the lineup and his struggles in the outfield are well-documented. Perhaps having a secure spot at first base will help him settle down at the plate.
It's also not fair to criticize Murphy for not driving runs in as the 5 hitter last night, since he is not a power hitter and ideally would not be batting fifth if the Mets had other options.
Like it or not, the hitless wonder Mets are now a team that must win on pitching and defense. It's frustrating to see the team score only six times in the four-game losing streak, but at least the pitching has held the opposition to only ten earned runs in those four games - along with two unearned runs.
One of the unearned runs came after Murphy dropped the fly ball in the first inning Tuesday night. The other came of course when Jeremy Reed threw wildly from first at the end of Monday night's debacle.
With Murphy out of left and installed at first, the Mets have potentially shored up both their weakest spots on defense - though now they may have to contend with the loss of Reyes.
IF Reyes goes on the DL, the Mets must think defense first. But Jerry Manuel can't burn Fernando Tatis as a pinch-hitter as he did last night, leaving Ramon Martinez to bat in the ninth. Ideally, Martinez won't be batting at all soon, but Manuel must start treating the shortstop spot as he does catcher, making sure to keep options open.
With pitching, defense and smarter managing, maybe the Mets can avoid another Fenway massacre.
*
Condolences to Scott Schoeneweis on the loss of his wife. What a sad story. Our thoughts are with Scott and his family.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The Murphy Shuffle
I went to the new Yankee Stadium tonight for the first time, and the best part of my evening was that I missed almost all of the Met game.
Squawker Lisa has suggested that the Mets bring back "The Curly Shuffle" to replace "Sweet Caroline" in the eighth inning. In the eighth inning of tonight's game, it seemed as if the Mets were trying to do their own version of the Three Stooges - Carlos Beltran failing to slide and being out at the plate followed by Daniel Murphy slipping and flailing as the ball sailed over his head.
All that was missing after the Murphy misadventure was for Beltran to come over, say "What's the matter with you?" and slap him in the head.
Murphy could then reply to Beltran, "You didn't slide," but Beltran could retort, "You were also out at the plate (slap), you also fell down in the fifth (slap) and you got picked off (slap)."
Unfortunately, there's not much funny about a 6-7 record and a team that has been mediocre so far, blowing yet another early big lead, this time 4-0.
In Oliver Perez' first full year with the Mets, his ERA was 3.56. In his second year, it was 4.22. Add those two and you get 7.78. After tonight's game, Perez' ERA is 7.80.
My number theorist friend David will be pleased to know that I somehow remember that, in a Fibonacci sequence, each number is the sum of the previous two numbers. If Perez' ERA becomes a Fibonacci sequence during his three-year deal, his ERAs for the next three years will be 7.78, 12.00, 19.78.
One more year in that sequence and Perez will be closing in on Chien-Ming Wang's current ERA of 34.50!
And now Omar Minaya has signed Wily Mo Pena, who hit .205 last year before being released by the worst team in baseball, the Nationals. Is this the best way to come to the Mets these days - hit for a pitiful average and get released? Is the outfield doomed to become this year's version of the rotation circus that featured the likes of Jose Lima?
Even the Murphy Shuffle would be better than that.
Squawker Lisa has suggested that the Mets bring back "The Curly Shuffle" to replace "Sweet Caroline" in the eighth inning. In the eighth inning of tonight's game, it seemed as if the Mets were trying to do their own version of the Three Stooges - Carlos Beltran failing to slide and being out at the plate followed by Daniel Murphy slipping and flailing as the ball sailed over his head.
All that was missing after the Murphy misadventure was for Beltran to come over, say "What's the matter with you?" and slap him in the head.
Murphy could then reply to Beltran, "You didn't slide," but Beltran could retort, "You were also out at the plate (slap), you also fell down in the fifth (slap) and you got picked off (slap)."
Unfortunately, there's not much funny about a 6-7 record and a team that has been mediocre so far, blowing yet another early big lead, this time 4-0.
In Oliver Perez' first full year with the Mets, his ERA was 3.56. In his second year, it was 4.22. Add those two and you get 7.78. After tonight's game, Perez' ERA is 7.80.
My number theorist friend David will be pleased to know that I somehow remember that, in a Fibonacci sequence, each number is the sum of the previous two numbers. If Perez' ERA becomes a Fibonacci sequence during his three-year deal, his ERAs for the next three years will be 7.78, 12.00, 19.78.
One more year in that sequence and Perez will be closing in on Chien-Ming Wang's current ERA of 34.50!
And now Omar Minaya has signed Wily Mo Pena, who hit .205 last year before being released by the worst team in baseball, the Nationals. Is this the best way to come to the Mets these days - hit for a pitiful average and get released? Is the outfield doomed to become this year's version of the rotation circus that featured the likes of Jose Lima?
Even the Murphy Shuffle would be better than that.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
If Johan wants to blame Murphy for loss, credit him for earlier win
On Opening Day, Daniel Murphy drove in both runs as the Mets beat the Reds, 2-1, giving Johan Santana the win.
Today, an error by Murphy ended up costing the Mets two runs, and the Mets lost to the Marlins, 2-1, wasting a brilliant effort by Santana.
After the game, Santana said:
"It was one mistake that he made... It cost us the whole ballgame, but it's part of the game. You've got to give credit to the other guy."
It was an ugly error and Santana's frustration is understandable. And if Murphy starts making errors like that on a regular basis, he won't be the fulltime left fielder for long.
But Santana shouldn't be throwing his teammate under the bus. And if you're going to give credit to the other pitcher, Josh Johnson, who also pitched a great game, don't forget that Murphy deserves credit for helping to win your previous start.
Besides, it is not necessarily the case that Murphy cost the Mets the game.
If Murphy had made the play, assuming everything else stayed the same, the Mets would have gone into the ninth inning tied, 0-0. When Carlos Delgado doubled with two outs, it would have put the go-ahead run on second, instead of bringing the tying run to the plate in Carlos Beltran.
The Marlins left Josh Johnson in to pitch to Beltran, who singled home Delgado. But had the game been 0-0, the Marlins might have changed pitchers, or pitched around Beltran, or both.
We'll never know, just as we'll never know if the Mets might have found another way to win had Murphy not driven home those runs on Opening Day.
What we do know is that it is great to see the Mets' ace in top form at the start of the season after the injury concerns of the spring. Top form on the mound, that is. Pointing fingers after the game, not so much.
Today, an error by Murphy ended up costing the Mets two runs, and the Mets lost to the Marlins, 2-1, wasting a brilliant effort by Santana.
After the game, Santana said:
"It was one mistake that he made... It cost us the whole ballgame, but it's part of the game. You've got to give credit to the other guy."
It was an ugly error and Santana's frustration is understandable. And if Murphy starts making errors like that on a regular basis, he won't be the fulltime left fielder for long.
But Santana shouldn't be throwing his teammate under the bus. And if you're going to give credit to the other pitcher, Josh Johnson, who also pitched a great game, don't forget that Murphy deserves credit for helping to win your previous start.
Besides, it is not necessarily the case that Murphy cost the Mets the game.
If Murphy had made the play, assuming everything else stayed the same, the Mets would have gone into the ninth inning tied, 0-0. When Carlos Delgado doubled with two outs, it would have put the go-ahead run on second, instead of bringing the tying run to the plate in Carlos Beltran.
The Marlins left Josh Johnson in to pitch to Beltran, who singled home Delgado. But had the game been 0-0, the Marlins might have changed pitchers, or pitched around Beltran, or both.
We'll never know, just as we'll never know if the Mets might have found another way to win had Murphy not driven home those runs on Opening Day.
What we do know is that it is great to see the Mets' ace in top form at the start of the season after the injury concerns of the spring. Top form on the mound, that is. Pointing fingers after the game, not so much.
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