Last night, when the Yankees actually acknowledged an Alex Rodriguez milestone (and didn't even edit it out in the YES rebroadcast!), I couldn't help but think of the sad fate of most recent Mets milestones. Jose Reyes winning the only batting title in Mets history is remembered for how he left the final game in the first inning. Johan Santana pitching the long-awaited first Mets' no-hitter can't be mentioned without noting how it basically ended Santana's career. Met fans don't have much to celebrate, so it's time for us to reclaim our milestones.
Sure, Reyes was no Ted Williams, who famously played a doubleheader on the final day of the 1941 season when he could have sat out and seen his .3996 batting average rounded up to .400. But remembering Reyes as a villain also makes the failure to re-sign him more palatable. Why should the Mets pay top dollar for an oft-injured, me-first player?
Here's why - with a real shortstop and leadoff hitter, the Mets would have a much stronger shot at the postseason. Think the Mets couldn't use the leadoff hitter for the team that's leading MLB in runs by a wide margin? Yes, Reyes has missed a lot of time this season as is often the case with him, but Toronto is 25-14 in games he's started and 12-18 when he has not played.
Last night, Wilmer Flores made yet another mistake at shortstop, taking so long to look the runner back at third that he failed to get the runner at first. Flores' bat may belong somewhere in the lineup, but does anyone besides Sandy Alderson see him as the longterm shortstop on a winning team built on pitching?
After Flores' miscue, Terry Collins pulled Jacob deGrom, though he was pitching a shutout and had thrown just 97 pitches. Sean Gilmartin allowed both runners to score on a double that gave the Braves a 2-1 win and deGrom an undeserved loss.
Collins still regrets allowing Santana to throw 134 pitches during his no-hitter, but even though he's only won three games since, Santana is glad to have his no-hitter and says that Collins has nothing to feel bad about:
"You can't say it was the right decision or the wrong decision," he
added. "Because you don't know. No doctor ever told me, 'Oh, if you
didn't throw so many pitches in this game or that game, your shoulder
would not have been hurt again.'"
If Santana can enjoy his no-hitter without regrets, I want to be able to as well.
Sometimes the Mets go too far when celebrating a milestone. Squawker Lisa and I were at Citi Field when Mariano Rivera got his 500th save in 2009, but I was too irritated by Francisco Rodriguez walking Mariano with the bases loaded to even mention the achievement in my blog entry. At the end of the season, the Mets sent Mariano the pitching rubber from that game along with a congratulatory letter from Omar Minaya and Jeff Wilpon.
As long as the Mets engage in shameless Yankee honoring, I hope they honor A-Rod's milestones, especially the ones the Yankees skip over, when the Yankees come to Citi Field in September.
It's interesting how A-Rod's homer milestones stopped being valuable when the Yankees decided that was the case. Steiner Sports is selling a framed autographed photo of A-Rod hitting number 600 for $554.99.
By comparison, if you want a framed photo of Bucky Dent's famed 1978 homer signed by both Dent and pitcher Mike Torrez, that will cost $169.99.
Showing posts with label Johan Santana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johan Santana. Show all posts
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Monday, August 6, 2012
We have our winners of the Johan Santana no-hitter DVDs!
The DVD includes the television broadcast of Santana's June 1 no-hitter over the St. Louis Cardinals as well as a special audio feature allowing fans to watch the television broadcast and listen to the Mets radio network announcers in English or Spanish.
The DVD is available online at the Mets' online shop and in the Mets Team Store.
We asked those entering the contest to tell us at what point during the game they first started to think that Santana might actually pitch the Mets' first no-hitter.
Here are the winners and their responses:
Taryn and I were doing laundry that night so I had to listen to the first two innings on the radio. We got back home in time for me to notice that both Santana and Adam Wainwright had not allowed a hit through two innings. When both pitchers got through three innings with neither team collecting a hit, that was when I first started thinking about the no-hitter for Santana. I said to myself, "Santana might have to throw a no-hitter to beat Wainwright tonight".
In the bottom of the fourth inning, David Wright broke up Wainwright's no-hitter and started a two-run rally. Once the Mets had the lead (and some hits), my full focus turned to Johan's attempt to make history. After the Cardinals went down in the fifth inning and still did not have a hit, Taryn decided she was going to go to the supermarket after the next inning. I decided I was going to stay home.
When Carlos Beltran didn't break up the no-hitter on the ball that kicked up chalk down the left field line, I really started to feel that I was watching something special. But Johan was already approaching 100 pitches and felt there was no chance Terry Collins would leave him in the game, especially considering his injury from the previous year.
As odd as it may seem, part of me wanted Johan to give up a hit because I didn't want the team's first no-hitter to be a combined effort. It wouldn't feel right to see a reliever celebrating the final out instead of a deserving starter. Notice how I assumed the Mets were going to throw the no-hitter there. I was getting very confident about it at that point.
That confidence grew in the seventh, when Mike Baxter made the play that will make him a Mets legend forever, a la Ron Swoboda for his World Series catch and Endy Chavez for his NLCS catch. After Johan had finished his seventh hitless inning, I called Taryn (who had left for the supermarket one inning earlier), telling her to rush back from the store because Johan was taking his no-hitter into the eighth. She made it back within a few minutes.
In the eighth, I kept thinking that I had been in attendance at Shea Stadium the last two times a Mets pitcher took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, but both Tom Glavine and John Maine fell four outs short of making history. When Santana got the first two outs of the inning, that was the one time I felt a lack of confidence. It was slight, but it was there. But then he induced a harmless infield pop-up that ended the inning. He was now only three outs away.
Only five weeks before, I had written a fairly lengthy piece on the Mets' lack of no-hitters, discussing interesting coincidences and anecdotes surrounding the topic. I then realized that piece might be rendered obsolete if Santana could get three more outs. I didn't mind that at all.
Taryn was sitting on the floor and I was sitting on the couch. Neither of us moved throughout the entire ninth inning. When Matt Holliday hit a first-pitch soft liner to center, Taryn thought for sure that the no-hitter was over. It wasn't. Andres Torres raced in and caught the ball in shallow center. Then Allen Craig hit a fly ball to left field. Although Kirk Nieuwenhuis took an odd circuitous route to it, he made the catch and Santana was one out away from baseball immortality.
David Freese came up and Santana threw him three consecutive balls. Although he had now thrown 131 pitches, I wasn't concerned with the pitch count. I knew that even if walked Freese, he wasn't going to be taken out of the game. It was his no-hitter. No one was going to share it with him.
Then came a called strike. Two strikes away. That was followed by a slow topper down the third base line. As soon as Freese hit it, I thought of Paul Hoover hitting a 30-foot swinging bunt that ended John Maine's no-hitter in 2007. That ball stayed fair. This one went foul. Santana was now one strike away from the moment all Mets fans had been waiting for from the first time they said "Let's go Mets".
Taryn was twiddling on her phone on the floor. I was practically hyperventilating on the couch. Then Santana looked in, got the sign from Josh Thole and fired away. Swing and a miss! He had done it! The no-hitter was complete! I immediately leaped off the couch and into Taryn's arms, jumping up and down in place a la Billy Wagner and Paul LoDuca after the Mets had clinched the NL East title in 2006. The tears were flowing. Most of them were mine. (I'm not ashamed to admit it.)
As Gary Cohen said on the air, "it has happened". And it did. Johan Santana had finally gotten the monkey off the team's back. The Mets finally had their first no-hitter. No longer did we have to keep track of the number of games the team had played without a no-hitter. (It was at 8,019 before Game No. 8,020 ended the no-hit drought.) After two innings, I first started thinking about it. By the time the Mets took the lead in the fourth inning, I really started thinking about it. By the seventh inning, I knew Santana was going to get it. Two innings later, he did.
It was a moment I'll never forget (as you can see by this detailed recap of it). I'm sure it's a moment all Mets fans will never forget.
Thanks for holding this contest, allowing me to share one of my greatest memories as a Mets fan. Let's go Mets!
Ed
New York, New York
Being in Nashville, I don't usually get to see the Mets play, so I live vicariously through what I can get from MLB At Bat & Twitter.
I was having a catch-up evening with an old acquaintance, and I checked my twitter feed between our dinner and trek for coffee.
Keith Olbermann was the one whose tweets caught my eye that night. I think he first mentioned it in the 5th. Then the 6th came, and once the Beltran thing happened, I dared to believe. We got the bounce that we usually didn't, the call that goes against us (see: R.A.'s 1 hitter that came after) went for us, and we had a chance.
We got our coffee and sat outside in a part of town called Hillsboro Village. Across from the coffee place is a sports bar. While eavesdropping on some Vandy students debating anarchy and government, a familiar hat logo caught my eye. One random TV in the sports bar across the street was showing the Mets game instead of the NBA.
We hightailed it across the street, found the game set, stood around as inconspicuously as possible, and watched it finish. 30 years of waiting, and I actually got to see it. So sweet!
Jillian
Nashville
Honestly, I was at my grade school reunion and was not watching the game. When the news came over my smartphone, the Met fans present had quite the celebration.
Kevin
New York, New York
I thought it was going to be a no-hitter after it ended.
David
Boulder, Colorado
When I first started thinking Johan might pitch a no-hitter?
When I read about it on the MLB website the next day...
Brian
Nottingham, UK
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Win a DVD of Johan Santana pitching Mets' first no-hitter!
The DVD includes the television broadcast of Santana's June 1 no-hitter over the St. Louis Cardinals as well as a special audio feature allowing fans to watch the television broadcast and listen to the Mets radio network announcers in English or Spanish.
The DVD is available online at http://shop.mlb.com/product/
If you'd like to win a copy of BASEBALL’S GREATEST GAMES: NEW YORK METS FIRST NO-HITTER, email us at subwaysquawkers@gmail.com and tell us at what point during the game you first started to think that Santana might actually pitch the Mets' first no-hitter.
Please include your name and mailing address in the email and put "NO-HAN" in the subject line. Five entries will be chosen at random.
You have until Monday, August 6 at 5 p.m. to enter the contest. Good luck (and let's hope the Mets win another game by then!).
Friday, July 13, 2012
Playoffs look premature for Mets
I enjoyed the Mets' first half, but let's keep it in perspective. The 2010 team had a better record at the All-Star break. The 2010 Mets were 48-40 and the 2012 Mets are 46-40. The 2010 Mets were in second place, four games behind the Braves. The 2012 Mets are in third place, 4 1/2 games behind the Nationals and half a game behind the Braves.
The 2010 Mets were one of six teams within two games of each other for the wild card lead, while the 2012 Mets are one of five teams within a half-game of each other for the wild card lead.
The main thing the 2012 Mets have over the 2010 team is that there are now two wild cards.
The current Met team has more overachievers than underachievers. R.A. Dickey went 12-1 with a 2.40 ERA in the first half. Johan Santana has been healthy and productive. Even Chris Young has made it through six starts, after only making it through four in each of the last two seasons.
David Wright is hitting .351 with a 1.004 OPS. Scott Hairston has 12 homers in 185 at bats. Is it reasonable to assume that all five players will continue to produce at this level?
Ike Davis leads the underachievers, and more was expected of Jon Niese as well. Ruben Tejada missed several weeks. Andres Torres is hitting .201.The bullpen has been mostly a nightmare. Davis has started turning it around and Tejada has been great since returning, so there's hope for more from this group.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis was overachieving for awhile, but now he's underachieving. Daniel Murphy has also been up and down, but is now about where you'd expect at .295. I no longer qualify Jason Bay as an underachiever. I hope he is healthy for his sake, but don't see him helping the Mets.
This team looked likely to regress even before Dillon Gee got hurt. But now there's no way around it. The Mets only won 7 of Gee's 17 starts, so the regression might not be so bad, but it's hard to imagine them improving in the fifth rotation spot. By all accounts, Matt Harvey is not ready, so bringing him up soon could backfire for this season and for the future. The Mets already rushed Jennry Mejia up and we see how that worked out.
There's certainly a better feeling around the Mets than there has been in awhile. So far at least, losing Jose Reyes has not been as bad as I feared. Reyes and the Marlins are struggling. Ruben Tejada is hitting .325 and fielding well. I'm not saying Tejada has fully replaced Reyes, but it could be worse, say Torres (.201 batting average, 26 runs, 9 steals, 20 RBI, 1 homer) for Angel Pagan (now hitting .284 with 38 runs, 15 steals, 33 RBI and 5 homers).
And while it's great to have Zack Wheeler in the system for the future, the 2012 Mets outfield could certainly use 2012 All-Star Carlos Beltran.
Ultimately, the Beltran for Wheeler trade underscores the fact that the Mets are being built for the future, not the immediate present. I hope the future is not too far off for the Mets. But it doesn't look as if it is in 2012.
The 2010 Mets were one of six teams within two games of each other for the wild card lead, while the 2012 Mets are one of five teams within a half-game of each other for the wild card lead.
The main thing the 2012 Mets have over the 2010 team is that there are now two wild cards.
The current Met team has more overachievers than underachievers. R.A. Dickey went 12-1 with a 2.40 ERA in the first half. Johan Santana has been healthy and productive. Even Chris Young has made it through six starts, after only making it through four in each of the last two seasons.
David Wright is hitting .351 with a 1.004 OPS. Scott Hairston has 12 homers in 185 at bats. Is it reasonable to assume that all five players will continue to produce at this level?
Ike Davis leads the underachievers, and more was expected of Jon Niese as well. Ruben Tejada missed several weeks. Andres Torres is hitting .201.The bullpen has been mostly a nightmare. Davis has started turning it around and Tejada has been great since returning, so there's hope for more from this group.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis was overachieving for awhile, but now he's underachieving. Daniel Murphy has also been up and down, but is now about where you'd expect at .295. I no longer qualify Jason Bay as an underachiever. I hope he is healthy for his sake, but don't see him helping the Mets.
This team looked likely to regress even before Dillon Gee got hurt. But now there's no way around it. The Mets only won 7 of Gee's 17 starts, so the regression might not be so bad, but it's hard to imagine them improving in the fifth rotation spot. By all accounts, Matt Harvey is not ready, so bringing him up soon could backfire for this season and for the future. The Mets already rushed Jennry Mejia up and we see how that worked out.
There's certainly a better feeling around the Mets than there has been in awhile. So far at least, losing Jose Reyes has not been as bad as I feared. Reyes and the Marlins are struggling. Ruben Tejada is hitting .325 and fielding well. I'm not saying Tejada has fully replaced Reyes, but it could be worse, say Torres (.201 batting average, 26 runs, 9 steals, 20 RBI, 1 homer) for Angel Pagan (now hitting .284 with 38 runs, 15 steals, 33 RBI and 5 homers).
And while it's great to have Zack Wheeler in the system for the future, the 2012 Mets outfield could certainly use 2012 All-Star Carlos Beltran.
Ultimately, the Beltran for Wheeler trade underscores the fact that the Mets are being built for the future, not the immediate present. I hope the future is not too far off for the Mets. But it doesn't look as if it is in 2012.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Subway Series Game 1: Forgettable night for Mets
There was only one positive thing about attending another Met game with Squawker Lisa that ended in a shambles for my team. Lisa spent two innings on a long, slow-moving drink line because she wanted to check out the Malibu party deck and got back to our seats in the top of the sixth. She looked at the scoreboard and said, "Holy bleep, it's still a no-hitter!" On the next pitch, Omar Quintanilla broke it up. Looks like I'm not the only jinx for a change.
But don't feel bad about not realizing it was a no-hitter, Lisa. Mariners pitcher Tom Wilhelmsen was on the mound when Seattle completed a six-pitcher no-hitter last night, and he didn't realize it until the Mariners catcher told him. The Mariners' catcher, by the way, was some guy named Jesus Montero. But I thought he couldn't catch, much less call a no-hitter with six different pitchers?
If there had to be a no-hitter last night, at least it wasn't in the Bronx. Hiroki Kuroda made it look like it could happen. And if it hadn't been for an error by Derek Jeter, he would have been working on a perfect game. (Imagine if Kuroda had pitched a no-hitter that would have been a perfecto if not for an error by Jeter on a routine grounder.)
When Josh Thole comes back to the lineup, the Mets pitched a no-hitter.
When Jason Bay came back to the lineup, the Mets were nearly no-hit.
As for Johan Santana, we'll always have the no-hitter. Santana actually had a better game than he did in the Bronx in 2009, when he gave up nine earned runs in three innings. At least he was said to be rusty from too much rest rather than hurting from the 134 pitches. Santana's ERA in three games at the new Yankee Stadium is now 12.21.
I had no idea that Ryota Igarashi was pitching in the majors, much less for the Yankees. In 82 MLB games, Igarashi has an ERA of 6.21. And they say Brian Cashman doesn't know pitching.
But don't feel bad about not realizing it was a no-hitter, Lisa. Mariners pitcher Tom Wilhelmsen was on the mound when Seattle completed a six-pitcher no-hitter last night, and he didn't realize it until the Mariners catcher told him. The Mariners' catcher, by the way, was some guy named Jesus Montero. But I thought he couldn't catch, much less call a no-hitter with six different pitchers?
If there had to be a no-hitter last night, at least it wasn't in the Bronx. Hiroki Kuroda made it look like it could happen. And if it hadn't been for an error by Derek Jeter, he would have been working on a perfect game. (Imagine if Kuroda had pitched a no-hitter that would have been a perfecto if not for an error by Jeter on a routine grounder.)
When Josh Thole comes back to the lineup, the Mets pitched a no-hitter.
When Jason Bay came back to the lineup, the Mets were nearly no-hit.
As for Johan Santana, we'll always have the no-hitter. Santana actually had a better game than he did in the Bronx in 2009, when he gave up nine earned runs in three innings. At least he was said to be rusty from too much rest rather than hurting from the 134 pitches. Santana's ERA in three games at the new Yankee Stadium is now 12.21.
I had no idea that Ryota Igarashi was pitching in the majors, much less for the Yankees. In 82 MLB games, Igarashi has an ERA of 6.21. And they say Brian Cashman doesn't know pitching.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Yeah, baby, believe it! Johan Santana pitches a no-hitter for the Mets!
Finally! I am happy for Squawker Jon and his fellow Mets fans that their franchise finally has a no-hitter. And I'm especially glad it was Johan Santana, one of the game's great pitchers. I even got a little teary-eyed watching it, and I have no heart!
However, this means that much like I helpfully reminded Red Sox friends about 1918 before the 2004 ALCS, I now have one less thing to mock Jon about. You see, every single time an MLB pitcher has taken a no-hitter into the eighth or ninth, I always am sure to tell Squawker Jon that the Mets never had a no-hitter. You know, in case he forgot!
Like when Justin Verlander nearly had his third no-hitter a few weeks ago. I informed Jon about how those no-hitters were more than his franchise ever had. I also have helpfully teased him over the years about how many ex-Mets have hurled no-hitters, making sure to remind him about how Dwight Gooden and David Cone did it as Yankees!
But last night was a little different. I watched the last three innings of Johan Santana's no-hitter instead of the Yankee game, as soon as Jon called me in the sixth to tell me what was what. Jon feared that Terry Collins may pull Santana even if he were pitching a no-hitter, due to the high pitch count. I told him flat-out that there was no way that Santana was going to allow that to happen. After all, this wasn't some rookie on the mound. It was Johan Santana! I just couldn't see any way that Santana was going to willingly leave the game. There would have been blood on the mound!
All teasing and trash talk aside, I really wanted Santana and the Mets to finally get that no-hitter, even if it means less ammunition when it comes to mocking my Met fan blogging partner. Until last night, the most historic thing to happen at CitiField was when Mariano Rivera got his 500th save on Mets' turf, a game Jon and I were at, and an event I love to remind Jon about, especially when K-Rod walked Mariano!
Now the Mets have their own no-hitter, on their own field. Good for them. Now I will have to find something else to mock Squawker Jon about!
Now the Mets have their own no-hitter, on their own field. Good for them. Now I will have to find something else to mock Squawker Jon about!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
I've waited my whole life for a Met no-hitter
When I was growing up, I was obsessive about not missing a Met game, not just because I was a big fan, but because I didn't want to miss the first no-hitter. I had been fortunate enough to attend Tom Seaver's "imperfect game" that was broken up by Jimmy Qualls, and while I was too young to fully appreciate what nearly happened, it helped make me look forward to when the Mets would produce a no-hitter.
In the mid-70s, when the Mets were good, but not great, a no-hitter was something to look forward to. And why not? The Mets of course had Seaver, who would take two other no-hitters into the ninth, but they also had strong pitchers such as Jon Matlack and Jerry Koosman. They played in a pitcher's park.
Instead, it turned into the Mets' version of 1918 or 1940, only unlike the Red Sox or Rangers, there was no "not since..." to mark - it had never happened. In recent years - the Mets haven't even come that close - no no-hitters entering the ninth since Seaver in 1975. It looked so hopeless that if you had asked me before the game what the Mets would do first - pitch a no-hitter or win a World Series, I would have gone with the latter, and it's not as if I expect a title anytime soon.
As for who might be most likely to pitch one on the current team, a few years ago, I might have said Oliver Perez, who did have flashes of brilliance at one time. But that goes to show just how cursed the Mets had been in this area.
I would not have guessed Johan Santana. I was just glad he was back pitching at all.
Whenever I hear a no-hitter is going on, I call Squawker Lisa, but never before the ninth. Tonight, however, I called her after the sixth. I just had a feeling. Maybe it was because Carlos Beltran's ball that hit the third-base line chalk was called foul. Santana seemed in control. His biggest hurdle seemed to be the pitch count.
When Mike Baxter crashed into the wall in the seventh, it looked like another omen. In the eighth and ninth, it seemed that no out was routine. Maybe they were bloops, but fielders had to run to catch them, and avoid running into overeager fill-in shortstop Omar Quintanilla.
By the ninth, I thought Johan was going to do it. But I'm glad he got David Freese out and did not have to face Yadier Molina one more time.
And I'm glad that Beltran's ball down the line was called foul, not just because I'm glad Santana got the no-hitter, but because I didn't want Beltran to be the one who broke it up. I thought Beltran was very underrated as a Met and I didn't want Met fans to have something else to criticize him for. I'm glad he got a good reception tonight.
Squawker Lisa likes to tease me about Dwight Gooden and David Cone going on to pitch no-hitters for the Yankees. I was irritated about Gooden at the time, though after Johan became the first pitcher to have a no-hitter after missing the previous season, I have more appreciation for what Gooden accomplished. I was happy for Cone. As with Johan, Cone had come back from serious injury. Lisa reminded me how Cone was pulled after seven no-hit innings in his first game back in 1996 after his aneurysm.
By the way, Lisa, do you remember who started for the Expos against Cone when he pitched the perfect game? A young pitcher named Javier Vazquez.
As I rooted for Johan to complete the elusive no-hitter, I fully appreciated the grim look on Terry Collins' face. This franchise has not had much luck with injuries in recent years and they pushed their luck with Johan tonight.
But as the magnitude of what Johan did sinks in, I have no doubt that Collins made the right decision. I hope I still feel that way in a few days when we find out how Johan is recovering from his 134-pitch outing. Right now, though, I am still having a little trouble believing that, after 8,020 games, the Mets finally have a no-hitter!
***
Just added my keywords for the blog entry. "Mets" and "Johan Santana" were of course already in the label list. This entry marks the first use of the keyword "no-hitter."
***
On Saturday afternoon, I will be participating in a "Progressive Game Blog" run by the United Cardinal Bloggers. Mets and Cardinals blogs will take turns writing about the game and about their teams in general. I will be covering the first inning along with the Cardinals blog Pitchers Hit Eighth.
In the mid-70s, when the Mets were good, but not great, a no-hitter was something to look forward to. And why not? The Mets of course had Seaver, who would take two other no-hitters into the ninth, but they also had strong pitchers such as Jon Matlack and Jerry Koosman. They played in a pitcher's park.
Instead, it turned into the Mets' version of 1918 or 1940, only unlike the Red Sox or Rangers, there was no "not since..." to mark - it had never happened. In recent years - the Mets haven't even come that close - no no-hitters entering the ninth since Seaver in 1975. It looked so hopeless that if you had asked me before the game what the Mets would do first - pitch a no-hitter or win a World Series, I would have gone with the latter, and it's not as if I expect a title anytime soon.
As for who might be most likely to pitch one on the current team, a few years ago, I might have said Oliver Perez, who did have flashes of brilliance at one time. But that goes to show just how cursed the Mets had been in this area.
I would not have guessed Johan Santana. I was just glad he was back pitching at all.
Whenever I hear a no-hitter is going on, I call Squawker Lisa, but never before the ninth. Tonight, however, I called her after the sixth. I just had a feeling. Maybe it was because Carlos Beltran's ball that hit the third-base line chalk was called foul. Santana seemed in control. His biggest hurdle seemed to be the pitch count.
When Mike Baxter crashed into the wall in the seventh, it looked like another omen. In the eighth and ninth, it seemed that no out was routine. Maybe they were bloops, but fielders had to run to catch them, and avoid running into overeager fill-in shortstop Omar Quintanilla.
By the ninth, I thought Johan was going to do it. But I'm glad he got David Freese out and did not have to face Yadier Molina one more time.
And I'm glad that Beltran's ball down the line was called foul, not just because I'm glad Santana got the no-hitter, but because I didn't want Beltran to be the one who broke it up. I thought Beltran was very underrated as a Met and I didn't want Met fans to have something else to criticize him for. I'm glad he got a good reception tonight.
Squawker Lisa likes to tease me about Dwight Gooden and David Cone going on to pitch no-hitters for the Yankees. I was irritated about Gooden at the time, though after Johan became the first pitcher to have a no-hitter after missing the previous season, I have more appreciation for what Gooden accomplished. I was happy for Cone. As with Johan, Cone had come back from serious injury. Lisa reminded me how Cone was pulled after seven no-hit innings in his first game back in 1996 after his aneurysm.
By the way, Lisa, do you remember who started for the Expos against Cone when he pitched the perfect game? A young pitcher named Javier Vazquez.
As I rooted for Johan to complete the elusive no-hitter, I fully appreciated the grim look on Terry Collins' face. This franchise has not had much luck with injuries in recent years and they pushed their luck with Johan tonight.
But as the magnitude of what Johan did sinks in, I have no doubt that Collins made the right decision. I hope I still feel that way in a few days when we find out how Johan is recovering from his 134-pitch outing. Right now, though, I am still having a little trouble believing that, after 8,020 games, the Mets finally have a no-hitter!
***
Just added my keywords for the blog entry. "Mets" and "Johan Santana" were of course already in the label list. This entry marks the first use of the keyword "no-hitter."
***
On Saturday afternoon, I will be participating in a "Progressive Game Blog" run by the United Cardinal Bloggers. Mets and Cardinals blogs will take turns writing about the game and about their teams in general. I will be covering the first inning along with the Cardinals blog Pitchers Hit Eighth.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Opening Day: The more things change...
It was great to see Johan Santana's successful return from a serious injury, combining with the revamped bullpen to shut out the Braves on Opening Day. But the Mets can't get through a day without several reminders of their numerous problems.
With two on and two out in the fifth inning, the Mets had their first scoring opportunity. It was time to pinch hit for Santana, who was going to come out anyway. So the Mets sent up...
Mike Baxter.
The Mets' unwillingness to spend the little it takes to have a major-league bench might be the most frustrating thing about their financial issues. If you don't have productive stars, you can't win. If you don't have depth, you can't compete.
Do the Mets expect to not have any injuries? That idea went out the window in the seventh, when Andres Torres pulled up lame while chasing Tyler Pastornicky's triple. Now I have to learn how to spell Nieuwenhuis.
This franchise desperately needs to restore its credibility. But it doesn't help to trumpet sellling out Citi Field on Opening Day with the largest crowd in the ballpark's history, not when every story about the game mentions the patches of empty seats, which were clearly visible on TV.
Even the much-maligned Mets medical staff offered its own bit of self-promotion, touting Santana's successful surgery and recovery. Yes, it's great to see Santana back out there, even if he may never be the Santana of old. But Santana had reduced velocity and barely made it through the fifth inning. It may not yet be time to start celebrating.
At least, however, the Mets are over .500, tied for first and have a better record than the Yankees. So I'm going to enjoy it while I can.
With two on and two out in the fifth inning, the Mets had their first scoring opportunity. It was time to pinch hit for Santana, who was going to come out anyway. So the Mets sent up...
Mike Baxter.
The Mets' unwillingness to spend the little it takes to have a major-league bench might be the most frustrating thing about their financial issues. If you don't have productive stars, you can't win. If you don't have depth, you can't compete.
Do the Mets expect to not have any injuries? That idea went out the window in the seventh, when Andres Torres pulled up lame while chasing Tyler Pastornicky's triple. Now I have to learn how to spell Nieuwenhuis.
This franchise desperately needs to restore its credibility. But it doesn't help to trumpet sellling out Citi Field on Opening Day with the largest crowd in the ballpark's history, not when every story about the game mentions the patches of empty seats, which were clearly visible on TV.
Even the much-maligned Mets medical staff offered its own bit of self-promotion, touting Santana's successful surgery and recovery. Yes, it's great to see Santana back out there, even if he may never be the Santana of old. But Santana had reduced velocity and barely made it through the fifth inning. It may not yet be time to start celebrating.
At least, however, the Mets are over .500, tied for first and have a better record than the Yankees. So I'm going to enjoy it while I can.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Joel Sherman has Mets' marketing critique backwards
The Post's Joel Sherman lays out the Mets' likely offseason strategy to sell 2011 tickets as follows:
1) Hire a new general manager and manager...
2) Systematically leak how great Johan Santana, Jason Bay, Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes are doing physically over the winter...
3) Oversell the one positive from the 2010 season: the rookie class/breakout components...
Sherman's piece mostly focuses on a critique of the third item, arguing that popular new players such as Ike Davis should not be untouchable for marketing purposes if trading them will help the team. But if the Mets really want to avoid alienating their fans for a change, they should change their thinking regarding item #2 - and stop encouraging unrealistic expectations when it comes to injuries.
In January, Met fans were surprised and disappointed to learn that Carlos Beltran was undergoing knee surgery. Even worse, he might not be ready for the start of the season. Throughout the preseason and the first part of the regular season, reports kept changing as to when Beltran would return - late April, mid-May, maybe even the All-Star break.
As time went on, the story evolved to when Beltran would be able to resume "baseball activities." Media and fans became frustrated with Beltran's lack of progress. Those fans who believe that Beltran is less likely to play through injuries had new ammunition.
When Beltran finally returned after the All-Star break, manager Jerry Manuel raised expectations by putting Beltran back in centerfield and batting him cleanup despite the fact that Beltran was clearly not ready for either.
The Mets were 48-40 when Beltran returned to the lineup. Since then, they have gone 22-33. The Mets' collapse is far from all Beltran's fault. But it would have been better for both the team and Beltran if the Mets had said from the start that he probably wouldn't be back before the All-Star break, and once he returned, he was not going to be 100%.
Met fans have been burned so many times waiting for players to return from injury that the biggest marketing mistake the Mets can make is to try to burn them again by touting a quick return of Johan Santana.
Already we are hearing conflicting reports about when Santana will start "throwing" and when he will start "pitching" and when he will finally return. The truth is that nobody knows, and the main thing that nobody knows is how effective Santana will be when he returns.
The Mets' position should be that they hope to have Santana back by the All-Star break. From what has been reported, that is probably optimistic, especially having Santana back at full strength. But such a position tells fans and media right up front that the Mets are planning to play a significant portion of 2011 without Santana.
Rather than raise the fans expectations only to disappoint them yet again, the Mets will be obliged to come up with a plan B - competing without their ace.
No one is more of a competitor on the Mets than Santana, but if the Mets start fudging his return date, they run the risk of making Santana look like yet another Met who can't quite make it back on the field.
Of course, the new GM will have to do a better job than Omar Minaya of coming up with a plan B. Minaya's initial replacement for Beltran in the outfield rotation was Gary Matthews Jr. When Daniel Murphy, then the starting first baseman, got hurt in spring training, Minaya and Jerry Manuel's initial plan B was Mike Jacobs.
As for trading the young players, I agree with Sherman that nobody should be untouchable. But it's one thing for the Mets to realize that Davis is no Jason Heyward - there's still no point in trading him unless the other team still buys into the hype. Otherwise, you end up with a deal along the lines of once-hyped Lastings Milledge for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider.
Says Sherman about Davis:
What do you think will be his best year, something like .275 with 30 homers? That is good. But it probably never makes him one of the 10 best first basemen in the game.
Yes, but .275 and 30 homers would make him the cleanup hitter on the Mets. And most of the players that Sherman suggests as stopgap alternatives for Davis have no shot at 30 homers. Lyle Overbay has hit more than 20 homers just once - and his career high is 22. Adam LaRoche hit more than 30 homers once, back in 2006. And both Overbay and LaRoche have generally played in ballparks far more homer-friendly than Citi Field.
Hubie Brooks was once a popular young player, but it made sense to trade him when the Mets had a chance to get Gary Carter before the 1985 season. But unless the Mets get an offer they really can't refuse, I would hold on to the young players. Better to oversell the young players than the seriously injured veterans.
1) Hire a new general manager and manager...
2) Systematically leak how great Johan Santana, Jason Bay, Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes are doing physically over the winter...
3) Oversell the one positive from the 2010 season: the rookie class/breakout components...
Sherman's piece mostly focuses on a critique of the third item, arguing that popular new players such as Ike Davis should not be untouchable for marketing purposes if trading them will help the team. But if the Mets really want to avoid alienating their fans for a change, they should change their thinking regarding item #2 - and stop encouraging unrealistic expectations when it comes to injuries.
In January, Met fans were surprised and disappointed to learn that Carlos Beltran was undergoing knee surgery. Even worse, he might not be ready for the start of the season. Throughout the preseason and the first part of the regular season, reports kept changing as to when Beltran would return - late April, mid-May, maybe even the All-Star break.
As time went on, the story evolved to when Beltran would be able to resume "baseball activities." Media and fans became frustrated with Beltran's lack of progress. Those fans who believe that Beltran is less likely to play through injuries had new ammunition.
When Beltran finally returned after the All-Star break, manager Jerry Manuel raised expectations by putting Beltran back in centerfield and batting him cleanup despite the fact that Beltran was clearly not ready for either.
The Mets were 48-40 when Beltran returned to the lineup. Since then, they have gone 22-33. The Mets' collapse is far from all Beltran's fault. But it would have been better for both the team and Beltran if the Mets had said from the start that he probably wouldn't be back before the All-Star break, and once he returned, he was not going to be 100%.
Met fans have been burned so many times waiting for players to return from injury that the biggest marketing mistake the Mets can make is to try to burn them again by touting a quick return of Johan Santana.
Already we are hearing conflicting reports about when Santana will start "throwing" and when he will start "pitching" and when he will finally return. The truth is that nobody knows, and the main thing that nobody knows is how effective Santana will be when he returns.
The Mets' position should be that they hope to have Santana back by the All-Star break. From what has been reported, that is probably optimistic, especially having Santana back at full strength. But such a position tells fans and media right up front that the Mets are planning to play a significant portion of 2011 without Santana.
Rather than raise the fans expectations only to disappoint them yet again, the Mets will be obliged to come up with a plan B - competing without their ace.
No one is more of a competitor on the Mets than Santana, but if the Mets start fudging his return date, they run the risk of making Santana look like yet another Met who can't quite make it back on the field.
Of course, the new GM will have to do a better job than Omar Minaya of coming up with a plan B. Minaya's initial replacement for Beltran in the outfield rotation was Gary Matthews Jr. When Daniel Murphy, then the starting first baseman, got hurt in spring training, Minaya and Jerry Manuel's initial plan B was Mike Jacobs.
As for trading the young players, I agree with Sherman that nobody should be untouchable. But it's one thing for the Mets to realize that Davis is no Jason Heyward - there's still no point in trading him unless the other team still buys into the hype. Otherwise, you end up with a deal along the lines of once-hyped Lastings Milledge for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider.
Says Sherman about Davis:
What do you think will be his best year, something like .275 with 30 homers? That is good. But it probably never makes him one of the 10 best first basemen in the game.
Yes, but .275 and 30 homers would make him the cleanup hitter on the Mets. And most of the players that Sherman suggests as stopgap alternatives for Davis have no shot at 30 homers. Lyle Overbay has hit more than 20 homers just once - and his career high is 22. Adam LaRoche hit more than 30 homers once, back in 2006. And both Overbay and LaRoche have generally played in ballparks far more homer-friendly than Citi Field.
Hubie Brooks was once a popular young player, but it made sense to trade him when the Mets had a chance to get Gary Carter before the 1985 season. But unless the Mets get an offer they really can't refuse, I would hold on to the young players. Better to oversell the young players than the seriously injured veterans.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The real reason Jerry Manuel visited Johan Santana on the mound in the ninth?
After Johan Santana completed his 3-0 shutout of the Reds last night, Jerry Manuel claimed that he only visited the mound in the ninth to see how Santana was feeling. From Metsblog:
Santana said, 'I want to finish it,' Manuel said, 'OK,' and, 'That was that.'
Santana's been on the Mets for 2 1/2 years and has built a reputation as someone as competitive as anyone else on the team. And Manuel still felt the need to ask him how he felt?
What did he expect Santana to say - "Better take me out, Skip. K-Rod needs his regular work"?
Manuel even admitted after the game that he would have been that much more reluctant to remove Santana since the last batter had reached on an error (by Jason Bay).
So why did Manuel bother to come out to the mound? Was he just messing with the crowd, getting them to boo when he approached the mound, then cheer when he left Johan in?
Or was Manuel starting to do his usual managing by the book, but resisting the urge to make the usual knee-jerk decision and making the right move for this game?
After Bay's error, Johnny Gomes was coming up as the tying run. Following Gomes was Drew Stubbs. Two righty hitters with power. Stubbs had just hit three homers in a game on Sunday. Going by the book would mean taking out Santana and bringing in your righty closer.
Fortunately for Santana and the Mets, Manuel threw away the book in the ninth inning last night.
*
On June 21, I wrote that it was "Way too soon to bury Johan Santana." Santana had one more lousy start after that, then has allowed only one run in 16 innings over his last two starts. I'm glad to see that Santana is looking like he can pull off one of his second-half surges.
But June 21 was also just after I wore my new Mike Pelfrey shirt to his game at Yankee Stadium. Back then, Pelfrey was looking like the ace of the staff and a sure All-Star, with an ERA of 2.39. Now that ERA is exactly one run higher at 3.39.
Squawker Lisa wore an "In Joba We Trust" shirt to that game, and Chamberlain has been struggling as well. Could it be that our Subway Series shirts are cursed? What do you think, Lisa, should we bury our shirts at Yankee Stadium next to the David Ortiz jersey?
Santana said, 'I want to finish it,' Manuel said, 'OK,' and, 'That was that.'
Santana's been on the Mets for 2 1/2 years and has built a reputation as someone as competitive as anyone else on the team. And Manuel still felt the need to ask him how he felt?
What did he expect Santana to say - "Better take me out, Skip. K-Rod needs his regular work"?
Manuel even admitted after the game that he would have been that much more reluctant to remove Santana since the last batter had reached on an error (by Jason Bay).
So why did Manuel bother to come out to the mound? Was he just messing with the crowd, getting them to boo when he approached the mound, then cheer when he left Johan in?
Or was Manuel starting to do his usual managing by the book, but resisting the urge to make the usual knee-jerk decision and making the right move for this game?
After Bay's error, Johnny Gomes was coming up as the tying run. Following Gomes was Drew Stubbs. Two righty hitters with power. Stubbs had just hit three homers in a game on Sunday. Going by the book would mean taking out Santana and bringing in your righty closer.
Fortunately for Santana and the Mets, Manuel threw away the book in the ninth inning last night.
*
On June 21, I wrote that it was "Way too soon to bury Johan Santana." Santana had one more lousy start after that, then has allowed only one run in 16 innings over his last two starts. I'm glad to see that Santana is looking like he can pull off one of his second-half surges.
But June 21 was also just after I wore my new Mike Pelfrey shirt to his game at Yankee Stadium. Back then, Pelfrey was looking like the ace of the staff and a sure All-Star, with an ERA of 2.39. Now that ERA is exactly one run higher at 3.39.
Squawker Lisa wore an "In Joba We Trust" shirt to that game, and Chamberlain has been struggling as well. Could it be that our Subway Series shirts are cursed? What do you think, Lisa, should we bury our shirts at Yankee Stadium next to the David Ortiz jersey?
Monday, June 21, 2010
Way too soon to bury Johan Santana
Johan Santana's velocity is down and he's not the pitcher he was a few years ago. But he's still pitched well this season, and the Post's Kevin Kernan has no business pointing to Santana's won-loss record to argue that he's no longer an ace:
Santana has four games this year in which he has pitched at least seven innings and given up no earned runs - and only ended up with a no-decision. Think about that - four games, 29 innings (he went eight innings in one of the games) NO runs and NO wins. If Santana had won three of those games, he would have eight wins, just like Sabathia and Johnson.
Santana's 3.31 ERA and 1.22 WHIP are good numbers, but not quite ace material. But they compare favorably with the numbers so far for two-time defending Cy Young Tim Lincecum (3.11 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) and Braves phenom Tommy Hanson (3.38 ERA, 1.22 WHIP).
Santana's numbers are actually pretty good, with one big exception - strikeouts. Santana is striking out only 5.69 batters per nine innings, down from 7.9 in each of his first two seasons in New York, and way down from 9.7 in his last season in Minnesota. Lincecum's 2010 K/9 is 10.29, Hanson's is 9.36 and Sabathia's is 7.36.
In April, Santana struck out 28 in 30 1/3 innings - an ace pace. In May, he struck out 26 in 41 innings, a more mixed result. But in June, Santana has only struck out 8 in 26 2/3 innings, while also walking 12.
Santana had a great month in April but has been mediocre in June, for overall good results. It's way too early to dismiss him for the year, much less for his career.
Will Santana end up being worth his contract? Probably not. But most long-term pitching contracts work out a lot worse than Santana's has so far. In fact, you don't have to look any farther than the two other starting pitchers the Mets gave big contracts to in the last few years in the last few years - Pedro Martinez and Oliver Perez.
Something to think about when debating over whether to mortgage the farm system to rent Cliff Lee.
[CC] Sabathia moved to 8-3. Florida's Josh Johnson upped his record to 8-2 with a 1.80 ERA. Those are ace numbers. If Santana (5-4) and the offense came through yesterday, the Mets would have produced an 8-1 road trip.
Santana has four games this year in which he has pitched at least seven innings and given up no earned runs - and only ended up with a no-decision. Think about that - four games, 29 innings (he went eight innings in one of the games) NO runs and NO wins. If Santana had won three of those games, he would have eight wins, just like Sabathia and Johnson.
Santana's 3.31 ERA and 1.22 WHIP are good numbers, but not quite ace material. But they compare favorably with the numbers so far for two-time defending Cy Young Tim Lincecum (3.11 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) and Braves phenom Tommy Hanson (3.38 ERA, 1.22 WHIP).
Santana's numbers are actually pretty good, with one big exception - strikeouts. Santana is striking out only 5.69 batters per nine innings, down from 7.9 in each of his first two seasons in New York, and way down from 9.7 in his last season in Minnesota. Lincecum's 2010 K/9 is 10.29, Hanson's is 9.36 and Sabathia's is 7.36.
In April, Santana struck out 28 in 30 1/3 innings - an ace pace. In May, he struck out 26 in 41 innings, a more mixed result. But in June, Santana has only struck out 8 in 26 2/3 innings, while also walking 12.
Santana had a great month in April but has been mediocre in June, for overall good results. It's way too early to dismiss him for the year, much less for his career.
Will Santana end up being worth his contract? Probably not. But most long-term pitching contracts work out a lot worse than Santana's has so far. In fact, you don't have to look any farther than the two other starting pitchers the Mets gave big contracts to in the last few years in the last few years - Pedro Martinez and Oliver Perez.
Something to think about when debating over whether to mortgage the farm system to rent Cliff Lee.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Mets optimism not just pie in the sky
In yesterday's entry, I predicted that the Rod Barajas walk-off was just the beginning of more good things to come. I ended by suggesting that the Mets need to have some pies on hand for future walkoffs. Little did I suspect that a pie would be needed only about 18 hours later.
Then again, maybe the Mets were still not finished creating those walkoff pies, considering how little shaving cream or whatever Alex Cora used actually got on Henry Blanco when Cora got to him as Blanco was finishing his postgame interview.
As great as two walkoffs in a row are, and by two different catchers, in front of would-be Met Bengie Molina (out today with an injury), the best news was that Johan Santana was back in form. Maybe it still wasn't quite vintage Santana, but it wasn't 10-runs and a dazed look, either. With Mike Pelfrey's performance Friday, the Mets once again have a top of the rotation.
***
Squawker Lisa, today is the fortieth anniversary of Willis Reed hobbling onto the court to inspire the Knicks to win their first championship. I'm sure you're looking forward to that day sometime down the road when Nick Johnson hobbles onto the field (even though it's his wrist that got hurt, he'll probably be hobbling anyway) to inspire his teammates.
Then again, maybe the Mets were still not finished creating those walkoff pies, considering how little shaving cream or whatever Alex Cora used actually got on Henry Blanco when Cora got to him as Blanco was finishing his postgame interview.
As great as two walkoffs in a row are, and by two different catchers, in front of would-be Met Bengie Molina (out today with an injury), the best news was that Johan Santana was back in form. Maybe it still wasn't quite vintage Santana, but it wasn't 10-runs and a dazed look, either. With Mike Pelfrey's performance Friday, the Mets once again have a top of the rotation.
***
Squawker Lisa, today is the fortieth anniversary of Willis Reed hobbling onto the court to inspire the Knicks to win their first championship. I'm sure you're looking forward to that day sometime down the road when Nick Johnson hobbles onto the field (even though it's his wrist that got hurt, he'll probably be hobbling anyway) to inspire his teammates.
Monday, May 3, 2010
State of the Mets like Johan Santana's ERA
The capper for an awful evening came at the end of the game when the newest member of ESPN's wretched announcing team, onetime Met Orel Hershiser, started talking about how the Mets "can feel good about themselves" because "they're back in the race." Joe Morgan echoed Hershiser's bizarre comments, then added that special Morgan touch: "They know they can deal with the Phillies later on."
Later on when? 2011? The Mets spent the last two weeks regaining credibility, looked like a contender Friday night with a 9-1 win over the Phillies, then threw it all away on Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, the Phillies put rising star Mike Pelfrey in his place. But Pelfrey was due for an off-day. And even after getting shelled, his overall year is still good enough that his ERA is 2.40.
Santana, though, had his worst day ever. His ERA jumped from 2.08 to 4.50. When Santana had his previous worst day, last June against the Yankees, a few weeks later he was headed for surgery.
As far as we know, Santana is physically fine. And he was having a very good year before tonight. But now Santana has two bad games out of five. Games in which he has given up grand slams.
Hershiser and Morgan think the Mets can feel good about themselves when Santana walks 47-year-old Jamie Moyer with the bases loaded? Last year, Francisco Rodriguez walked Mariano Rivera, then 39, with the bases full. Somewhere, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz are each assuming a stance with a bat resting on his shoulder.
Scoring ten off Santana and six off Pelfrey would be grisly no matter how the runs were scored, but it's that much worse when the big homer each day is from my least-favorite Phillie, Shane Victorino.
To think that I was ripping Manuel a week ago for not originally having Santana scheduled to pitch against the Phillies. That's why the Mets got him. Instead, they might as well have thrown Oliver Perez out there as originally planned the way things worked out.
I criticized Manuel because I thought he was not treating the Phillies series as big games. So he pitches Santana, but then decides to sit Ike Davis and Angel Pagan for Fernando Tatis and Gary Matthews Jr.
The Davis move actually had some merit (aside from removing from the lineup the player whose addition sparked the great homestand). Tatis was 8-for-22 lifetime against Moyer for a .364 average. Moyer had held lefties to a .214 batting average this year going into the game. Tatis did hit a double off Moyer tonight.
Matthews also had success against Moyer, going 7-for-23 (.304) with two homers. But he had not faced Moyer since 2006, when he went 3-for-8. 2006 was Matthews' best year, when he hit .313 with 19 HR, 79 RBI and 102 runs. Matthews is not that player anymore, so it doesn't really matter how he hit Moyer than.
Matthews entered the game batting .156. It's not as if he's particularly good against lefties, against whom he is hitting .167.
So not only does Manuel start Matthews, he bats him leadoff.
After going 0-for-4 tonight, Matthews is now hitting .139.
Matthews should not be starting a big game. Ideally, he wouldn't start any game.
Lastly, one of the great things about the last couple of weeks was how the other teams were making the stupid mistakes for a change. Tonight, the Mets showed that they still had the capacity to be dumb when Rod Barajas did not realize how many outs there were and got thrown out at third. And then Morgan started claiming that Barajas actually thought he could make it to third on a ground ball hit in front of him as he took off from second.
There's the only bright spot from tonight - at least we don't have to hear the ESPN announcers do a Met game for three weeks.
Later on when? 2011? The Mets spent the last two weeks regaining credibility, looked like a contender Friday night with a 9-1 win over the Phillies, then threw it all away on Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, the Phillies put rising star Mike Pelfrey in his place. But Pelfrey was due for an off-day. And even after getting shelled, his overall year is still good enough that his ERA is 2.40.
Santana, though, had his worst day ever. His ERA jumped from 2.08 to 4.50. When Santana had his previous worst day, last June against the Yankees, a few weeks later he was headed for surgery.
As far as we know, Santana is physically fine. And he was having a very good year before tonight. But now Santana has two bad games out of five. Games in which he has given up grand slams.
Hershiser and Morgan think the Mets can feel good about themselves when Santana walks 47-year-old Jamie Moyer with the bases loaded? Last year, Francisco Rodriguez walked Mariano Rivera, then 39, with the bases full. Somewhere, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz are each assuming a stance with a bat resting on his shoulder.
Scoring ten off Santana and six off Pelfrey would be grisly no matter how the runs were scored, but it's that much worse when the big homer each day is from my least-favorite Phillie, Shane Victorino.
To think that I was ripping Manuel a week ago for not originally having Santana scheduled to pitch against the Phillies. That's why the Mets got him. Instead, they might as well have thrown Oliver Perez out there as originally planned the way things worked out.
I criticized Manuel because I thought he was not treating the Phillies series as big games. So he pitches Santana, but then decides to sit Ike Davis and Angel Pagan for Fernando Tatis and Gary Matthews Jr.
The Davis move actually had some merit (aside from removing from the lineup the player whose addition sparked the great homestand). Tatis was 8-for-22 lifetime against Moyer for a .364 average. Moyer had held lefties to a .214 batting average this year going into the game. Tatis did hit a double off Moyer tonight.
Matthews also had success against Moyer, going 7-for-23 (.304) with two homers. But he had not faced Moyer since 2006, when he went 3-for-8. 2006 was Matthews' best year, when he hit .313 with 19 HR, 79 RBI and 102 runs. Matthews is not that player anymore, so it doesn't really matter how he hit Moyer than.
Matthews entered the game batting .156. It's not as if he's particularly good against lefties, against whom he is hitting .167.
So not only does Manuel start Matthews, he bats him leadoff.
After going 0-for-4 tonight, Matthews is now hitting .139.
Matthews should not be starting a big game. Ideally, he wouldn't start any game.
Lastly, one of the great things about the last couple of weeks was how the other teams were making the stupid mistakes for a change. Tonight, the Mets showed that they still had the capacity to be dumb when Rod Barajas did not realize how many outs there were and got thrown out at third. And then Morgan started claiming that Barajas actually thought he could make it to third on a ground ball hit in front of him as he took off from second.
There's the only bright spot from tonight - at least we don't have to hear the ESPN announcers do a Met game for three weeks.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
How could Jerry Manuel plan to use Oliver Perez over Johan Santana against the Phillies?
The Mets are now a game out of first, with a big series against the Phillies coming up this weekend. Whom would you rather see pitch for the Mets on Sunday - staff ace Johan Santana or staff enigma Oliver Perez?
Before Monday's rainout, Jerry Manuel was going with Perez.
Using the same sort of rigid thinking that prompted Manuel to bat Mike Jacobs fourth because it was more important to have a lefty break up the righties than to have a major-leaguer hitting cleanup, the Met skipper did not want to skip anyone in the rotation, even with off days and pitchers of vastly different quality.
So Santana, scheduled to start Tuesday, was going to be passed over Sunday night because Thursday's off day would push back the whole rotation and make it Ollie's turn to pitch.
Monday's rainout means that both Ollie and Johan are pitching today, which gives Jerry the out to rework his rotation. Now it appears that Santana will pitch on Sunday against the first-place Phillies instead of Monday against the Reds.
But Santana always should have been pitching on Sunday. The only reason Manuel wanted Perez to face the Phillies was that he did not want Ollie to go six days between starts.
Perez has exceeded expectations so far with an ERA this season of 3.71, but his WHIP is 1.53 with the help of ten walks in 17 innings. It's not as if he's in such a groove that nobody should upset his routine.
The Yankees were willing to skip Phil Hughes until April 15, but Manuel won't skip Ollie?
Tony LaRussa managed the 20-inning game for the long haul. He did not appear to care if the Cardinals won the game because they are the heavy favorites in their division and LaRussa has no worries about losing his job.
The first week of May is way too early for a critical series, but Manuel can't pull a LaRussa this weekend against the Phillies, for his sake and for the team's sake.
Before Monday's rainout, Jerry Manuel was going with Perez.
Using the same sort of rigid thinking that prompted Manuel to bat Mike Jacobs fourth because it was more important to have a lefty break up the righties than to have a major-leaguer hitting cleanup, the Met skipper did not want to skip anyone in the rotation, even with off days and pitchers of vastly different quality.
So Santana, scheduled to start Tuesday, was going to be passed over Sunday night because Thursday's off day would push back the whole rotation and make it Ollie's turn to pitch.
Monday's rainout means that both Ollie and Johan are pitching today, which gives Jerry the out to rework his rotation. Now it appears that Santana will pitch on Sunday against the first-place Phillies instead of Monday against the Reds.
But Santana always should have been pitching on Sunday. The only reason Manuel wanted Perez to face the Phillies was that he did not want Ollie to go six days between starts.
Perez has exceeded expectations so far with an ERA this season of 3.71, but his WHIP is 1.53 with the help of ten walks in 17 innings. It's not as if he's in such a groove that nobody should upset his routine.
The Yankees were willing to skip Phil Hughes until April 15, but Manuel won't skip Ollie?
Tony LaRussa managed the 20-inning game for the long haul. He did not appear to care if the Cardinals won the game because they are the heavy favorites in their division and LaRussa has no worries about losing his job.
The first week of May is way too early for a critical series, but Manuel can't pull a LaRussa this weekend against the Phillies, for his sake and for the team's sake.
Friday, December 18, 2009
The 'Annie Hall' view of the Mets
The way people view the Mets this offseason reminds me of the joke in "Annie Hall" in which the old ladies at the Catskills resort complain that the food is terrible - and such small portions. The Mets are criticized for not spending enough - and for throwing away money on the wrong players.
The Post's Mike Vaccaro warns that Jason Bay could be the next Bobby Bonilla. The Record's Bob Klapisch thinks the Mets should trade Johan Santana. (Thanks to Andrew Vazzano of The 'Ropolitans for posting the Klapisch link.)
I agree with much of what Vaccaro has to say:
The Post's Mike Vaccaro warns that Jason Bay could be the next Bobby Bonilla. The Record's Bob Klapisch thinks the Mets should trade Johan Santana. (Thanks to Andrew Vazzano of The 'Ropolitans for posting the Klapisch link.)
I agree with much of what Vaccaro has to say:
How many times do you have to sign Kevin Appier and Bobby Bonilla before you recognize the difference between attracting the cream of a good free-agent class (see Sabathia, CC, and Teixeira, Mark) and the prettiest homecoming queens of Homely High?. . .
It is one thing for a team with resources, such as the Mets, to muscle up for Mike Piazza or Carlos Beltran or Frankie Rodriguez, seminal players whose coveted gifts demand top dollar; it is another to throw money at players who would be second-tier free agents in other winters.
The best news so far this offseason is that it wasn't the Mets who gave Randy Wolf $30M for three years. Joel Pineiro hopes to get an even more ludicrous contract. These over-30 pitchers have each come off one good season (not a great season, a good one) after years of injury and mediocrity.
The numbers currently being discussed for Bay are a lot more reasonable than Scott Boras comparing Matt Holliday to Teixeira.
Vaccaro thinks the Mets should avoid spending on Bay to save money for the great free-agent class of 2011. But there are no guarantees that any of those potential free agents are available, and if they are, that the Mets would be able to get them. Joe Mauer, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett would be of interest to every team willing to spend on free agents, starting with the Yankees.
Why shouldn't the Mets try to win now? Has everyone forgotten that this team won 89 games only a year ago? If everyone comes back healthy, the Mets still need a cleanup hitter to replace Carlos Delgado. And signing Bay helps the Mets not just now, but for the next few years, unlike Omar Minaya's signing of Moises Alou.
Just because the Phillies are clearly better on paper does not mean that the Mets should go into rebuilding mode, as Klapisch wants them to do. Does Klapisch want the Mets to become the Indians? How has trading CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee worked out for them? While it is too early to judge the prospects acquired in those deals, it is not too early to say that the Indians stink now and are likely to continue to stink for the next few seasons.
Klapisch, though, believes that every Met high-profile signing has been a failure:
Klapisch should realize that the big-money signings are what propelled and kept the Mets in contention. Santana was not an "experiment," but a great move for a team that a the time was one player away.
The problem is not pursuing high-profile free agents. It is having a lousy farm system, mediocre coaching that does not teach fundamentals and a questionable training and medical staff.
In "Annie Hall," Allen says that a relationship is like a shark - it must keep moving forward or it dies. Klapisch thinks it is time to kill the shark:
The Mets need to make like a shark and keep moving forward to return to contention in 2010.
The numbers currently being discussed for Bay are a lot more reasonable than Scott Boras comparing Matt Holliday to Teixeira.
Vaccaro thinks the Mets should avoid spending on Bay to save money for the great free-agent class of 2011. But there are no guarantees that any of those potential free agents are available, and if they are, that the Mets would be able to get them. Joe Mauer, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett would be of interest to every team willing to spend on free agents, starting with the Yankees.
Why shouldn't the Mets try to win now? Has everyone forgotten that this team won 89 games only a year ago? If everyone comes back healthy, the Mets still need a cleanup hitter to replace Carlos Delgado. And signing Bay helps the Mets not just now, but for the next few years, unlike Omar Minaya's signing of Moises Alou.
Just because the Phillies are clearly better on paper does not mean that the Mets should go into rebuilding mode, as Klapisch wants them to do. Does Klapisch want the Mets to become the Indians? How has trading CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee worked out for them? While it is too early to judge the prospects acquired in those deals, it is not too early to say that the Indians stink now and are likely to continue to stink for the next few seasons.
Klapisch, though, believes that every Met high-profile signing has been a failure:
Still, the Mets have to make peace with the idea that the Santana experiment has failed, just as the Carlos Beltran, Pedro Martinez and Billy Wagner gambles all turned to vapor. Yet, they continue to chase The Next Great Star as if this was 2006 and they were one player away from greatness.In 2008, Santana nearly pitched the Mets into the postseason. Beltran has been one of the best players in baseball for most of his Met contract. Pedro and Wagner were both All-Stars until they got hurt. Of all these contracts, the only one that could be considered a failure was the one for Pedro, who was only able to give the Mets 1 1/2 out of four years. Wagner was a top closer for more than 2 1/2 years out of his four-year deal. For a free-agent pitcher, that is a good percentage.
Klapisch should realize that the big-money signings are what propelled and kept the Mets in contention. Santana was not an "experiment," but a great move for a team that a the time was one player away.
The problem is not pursuing high-profile free agents. It is having a lousy farm system, mediocre coaching that does not teach fundamentals and a questionable training and medical staff.
In "Annie Hall," Allen says that a relationship is like a shark - it must keep moving forward or it dies. Klapisch thinks it is time to kill the shark:
It's true, dealing the franchise's best pitcher would be tantamount to surrender. But it would be at least be an honest admission to fans, who've grown weary of the all the disappointment.Yep, that's the way to please the fans. Just like in 1977, when the Mets traded Tom Seaver. What a relief to not have to worry about whether or not I would land postseason tickets.
The Mets need to make like a shark and keep moving forward to return to contention in 2010.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Trust no one: A Mets season from "The X-Files"
So the Mets' main return for Billy Wagner is a 26-year-old quadruple-A first baseman-outfielder named Chris Carter. Too bad the Mets didn't get the Chris Carter who created "The X-Files." Because the Mets' season has certainly turned into an X-Files episode. Something paranormal must be going on with this franchise.One of the best "X-Files" episodes was "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," starring the late Peter Boyle as a man who could foretell how people would die. The Mets need their own Clyde Bruckman - someone who can foretell how their players' seasons will come to an end.
Failing that, I would settle for a GM, manager, pitching coach or trainer who could foretell that their irreplaceable star pitcher might be jeopardizing his health by pitching with a troublesome elbow.
How everyone in the Mets hierarchy stood by and watched Johan Santana lose velocity and pitch himself into surgery - now that's an unexplained phenomenon worthy of Mulder and Scully.
The truth is out there - time to clean house.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Thankfully, the Yankees are no longer in the Red Hat Society
You know what I liked about last night's game, besides the Yankees pummeling the Twins into submission? The fact that the Yanks were back to wearing their regular blue caps, as opposed to the red ones.Yes, the red hats the Yanks wore on the Fourth of July and Memorial Day weekends are meant to honor the nation's veterans - proceeds from selling the caps go to a great cause, the Welcome Back Veterans organization. But the red is just way too jarring to see with the Yankees uniform.
The hats look great with red-based uniforms - the Red Sox, Cardinals, etc. With the Yankee pinstripes? Not so much.
My suggestion? That the red-based teams get to wear the red caps for this promotion, and the blue-based teams, like the Yankees, wear the Stars and Stripes blue cap that they did last season. The red is too much like - shudder - the Red Sox!
* * *
As for the Yankee game itself, our long national nightmare is over - Robinson Cano finally got a hit with runners in scoring position. CC Sabathia looked like CC again, and the Yanks drove in 10 runs without a homer.
However, I must admit to flipping to the Mets game to see Manny Ramirez, and to see him flip his equipment off and get ejected from the game. A Met fan on Facebook has already accused me of jinxing his Mets by saying I was rooting for them to beat Joe Torre's Dodgers!
The other big news of the night was the new Subway commerical, featuring CC Sabathia and Johan Santana. Too touchy-feely for my tastes!
You know, Subway missed a great opportunity for a commerical. Why not have Brian Bruney and Francisco Rodriguez together, talking over a meal?
What do you think? Leave us a comment!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The Mets have fallen and they can't get up
There was a play in last night's game that summed up the Mets' sorry season for me. And the scary thing is, it wasn't Fernando Martinez falling flat on his face while chasing a fly ball. It wasn't even the most destructive part of the at bat in which it took place.
Ryan Braun had already doubled to clear the bases and put the Brewers ahead, 4-2. The third run scored when when Alex Cora's relay throw got past Omir Santos. But Johan Santana was perfectly positioned behind Santos. And when Santana got to the ball, Braun had taken too wide a turn at third. A good throw by Santana would get Braun out.
The Mets' $137 million arm, known for pinpoint control, reared back and threw the ball over David Wright's head. The throw was airmailed so badly that it even got by Cora, who was in shallow left backing up Wright. Cora ended up flat on the ground after diving for the ball and Braun trotted home.
The Mets are lacking in fundamentals, yet Santana was in the right place to back up the throw home. Cora was in the right place for the relay and his throw would have gotten the third runner out had Santos held on. When Braun took too wide a turn at third, Santana alertly threw there.
So the Mets pretty much had their fundamentals down on the play - and it didn't matter.
Instead, one of the few remaining stars of the team heaves the ball past the two unofficial co-captains, Wright and Cora. And Cora is left sprawled on the ground just as Martinez was a couple of plays earlier.
The Mets have fallen and they can't get up. After four losses in a row, they send their stopper to the mound and Santana blows the game. Giving up a bases-clearing extra-base hit to Braun, one of the best hitters in baseball, is not a sin. Walking J.J. Hardy to load the bases for Braun is worse. And walking the pitcher earlier in the inning - a pitcher who has barely been in the majors - that's a sin.
When you walk the pitcher for the sixth time this year, give up the game-winning extra-base hit and throw the ball wildly to allow another run to score, you are the main reason your team lost. This was not the time for Santana to glare at the 20-year-old Martinez for missing the fly or start yelling at his teammates.
***
When Squawker Lisa is not reveling in the collapse of the Mets, she is celebrating a rare misstep by the Red Sox. Lisa's piece discusses the Red Sox blowing a 10-1 lead and, while recounting how several Red Sox players left the field when there were only two outs, references Milton Bradley tossing the ball into the stands with less that two outs.
Blowing a 10-1 lead? Throwing the ball into the stands before the end of the inning? The season is less than half over. Plenty of time for the Mets to add these humiliations to their growing list.
Ryan Braun had already doubled to clear the bases and put the Brewers ahead, 4-2. The third run scored when when Alex Cora's relay throw got past Omir Santos. But Johan Santana was perfectly positioned behind Santos. And when Santana got to the ball, Braun had taken too wide a turn at third. A good throw by Santana would get Braun out.
The Mets' $137 million arm, known for pinpoint control, reared back and threw the ball over David Wright's head. The throw was airmailed so badly that it even got by Cora, who was in shallow left backing up Wright. Cora ended up flat on the ground after diving for the ball and Braun trotted home.
The Mets are lacking in fundamentals, yet Santana was in the right place to back up the throw home. Cora was in the right place for the relay and his throw would have gotten the third runner out had Santos held on. When Braun took too wide a turn at third, Santana alertly threw there.
So the Mets pretty much had their fundamentals down on the play - and it didn't matter.
Instead, one of the few remaining stars of the team heaves the ball past the two unofficial co-captains, Wright and Cora. And Cora is left sprawled on the ground just as Martinez was a couple of plays earlier.
The Mets have fallen and they can't get up. After four losses in a row, they send their stopper to the mound and Santana blows the game. Giving up a bases-clearing extra-base hit to Braun, one of the best hitters in baseball, is not a sin. Walking J.J. Hardy to load the bases for Braun is worse. And walking the pitcher earlier in the inning - a pitcher who has barely been in the majors - that's a sin.
When you walk the pitcher for the sixth time this year, give up the game-winning extra-base hit and throw the ball wildly to allow another run to score, you are the main reason your team lost. This was not the time for Santana to glare at the 20-year-old Martinez for missing the fly or start yelling at his teammates.
***
When Squawker Lisa is not reveling in the collapse of the Mets, she is celebrating a rare misstep by the Red Sox. Lisa's piece discusses the Red Sox blowing a 10-1 lead and, while recounting how several Red Sox players left the field when there were only two outs, references Milton Bradley tossing the ball into the stands with less that two outs.
Blowing a 10-1 lead? Throwing the ball into the stands before the end of the inning? The season is less than half over. Plenty of time for the Mets to add these humiliations to their growing list.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Mets' sense of urgency lasts one day
Sunday's 15-0 loss to the Yankees was the game you expected the Mets to play following the crushing loss Friday night. Worst Subway Series blowout ever. Worst game ever by Mets' ace. Star closer confronts some guy on the Yankees - who is he again? Oh, right - the guy who's always on the DL.
I guess the "sense of urgency" Jerry Manuel said the Mets played with on Saturday had a short shelf life.
Here's the scariest thing about today's game. Going into the Subway Series, if you had said that the Mets would lose a game, 15-0, with Johan on the mound, I would have thought that it can't get any worse than that. Yet, according to It's Mets for Me, it was only the third worst loss of the week!
Included in It's Mets for Me's list of five worst losses of the year are the Castillo game and last Wednesday's loss to the Phillies in which the Mets knocked out Cole Hamels but miscues by David Wright and Carlos Beltran allowed the Phillies to tie the game, which they eventually won in extra innings off of Bobby Parnell.
(The other three losses on the list are the five-error game in L.A. where Ryan Church missed third, the game Johan Santana lost after Daniel Murphy dropped a fly ball and the game in St. Louis where Beltran failed to slide. The Church game tops the list and I agree - while the Castillo game is the one that will be remembered a lot longer, the L.A. game was a total team meltdown and worthy of having the whole team compared to the '62 Mets, rather than just one player.
Today's wipeout doesn't even make the Top 5, though the blog says it could break into the Top 5 eventually.)
This list intrigues me for a couple of reasons.
It's only the middle of June and there are already so many really bad losses.
Two of the current top 5 took place in New York - and I was at both games.
And these two spectacularly bad losses that I had the misfortune to attend took place within a span of three days.
Squawker Lisa points out that my first choice for attending a game this weekend was today's game. I cleverly thought the Mets would have their best chance to win with Santana on the mound.
Would I rather have been at today's game than Friday's game? Friday's game was like having a really good meal and then, just as you were taking the last bite of dessert, you suddenly got food poisoning.
But I would still rather have gone Friday. Today's game was over in the fourth inning, but Lisa would have insisted on staying until the bitter end, long after every other Met fan at Yankee Stadium had fled the premises.
Hell, even Manuel managed to get himself tossed so he didn't have to stick around.
The day did have some bright spots. At least nobody got hurt. Most importantly, both Santana and Manuel say Santana is physically fine. Not that I believe anything anyone associated with the Mets says about injuries, but at least that's the story as of now.
Also, there were no plays that will end up on all the highlight reels, except maybe for Nick Swisher crashing into the auxiliary scoreboard and dislodging the panel reading "Mets."
Brian Stokes and Jon Switzer can both tell their grandchildren that they replaced Santana in a game and pitched just as well as Johan.
Brian Bruney apologized after the game for his comments about K-Rod. Now maybe this story can go away. Both the Mets and Yankees have far bigger things to worry about.
While the Yankees got the best of it this weekend, both teams ended the week against their main rivals with 2-4 records.
Besides, the Mets get a Subway Series rematch in two weeks, and I think they will do better - at least at the games I don't attend!
I guess the "sense of urgency" Jerry Manuel said the Mets played with on Saturday had a short shelf life.
Here's the scariest thing about today's game. Going into the Subway Series, if you had said that the Mets would lose a game, 15-0, with Johan on the mound, I would have thought that it can't get any worse than that. Yet, according to It's Mets for Me, it was only the third worst loss of the week!
Included in It's Mets for Me's list of five worst losses of the year are the Castillo game and last Wednesday's loss to the Phillies in which the Mets knocked out Cole Hamels but miscues by David Wright and Carlos Beltran allowed the Phillies to tie the game, which they eventually won in extra innings off of Bobby Parnell.
(The other three losses on the list are the five-error game in L.A. where Ryan Church missed third, the game Johan Santana lost after Daniel Murphy dropped a fly ball and the game in St. Louis where Beltran failed to slide. The Church game tops the list and I agree - while the Castillo game is the one that will be remembered a lot longer, the L.A. game was a total team meltdown and worthy of having the whole team compared to the '62 Mets, rather than just one player.
Today's wipeout doesn't even make the Top 5, though the blog says it could break into the Top 5 eventually.)
This list intrigues me for a couple of reasons.
It's only the middle of June and there are already so many really bad losses.
Two of the current top 5 took place in New York - and I was at both games.
And these two spectacularly bad losses that I had the misfortune to attend took place within a span of three days.
Squawker Lisa points out that my first choice for attending a game this weekend was today's game. I cleverly thought the Mets would have their best chance to win with Santana on the mound.
Would I rather have been at today's game than Friday's game? Friday's game was like having a really good meal and then, just as you were taking the last bite of dessert, you suddenly got food poisoning.
But I would still rather have gone Friday. Today's game was over in the fourth inning, but Lisa would have insisted on staying until the bitter end, long after every other Met fan at Yankee Stadium had fled the premises.
Hell, even Manuel managed to get himself tossed so he didn't have to stick around.
The day did have some bright spots. At least nobody got hurt. Most importantly, both Santana and Manuel say Santana is physically fine. Not that I believe anything anyone associated with the Mets says about injuries, but at least that's the story as of now.
Also, there were no plays that will end up on all the highlight reels, except maybe for Nick Swisher crashing into the auxiliary scoreboard and dislodging the panel reading "Mets."
Brian Stokes and Jon Switzer can both tell their grandchildren that they replaced Santana in a game and pitched just as well as Johan.
Brian Bruney apologized after the game for his comments about K-Rod. Now maybe this story can go away. Both the Mets and Yankees have far bigger things to worry about.
While the Yankees got the best of it this weekend, both teams ended the week against their main rivals with 2-4 records.
Besides, the Mets get a Subway Series rematch in two weeks, and I think they will do better - at least at the games I don't attend!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Johan Santana saves the day - with his bat
When Jerry Manuel came out to the mound in the eighth to remove Johan Santana, the Mets ace yelled at his manager, "I'm a man." Problem is, when Santana goes to the mound, the Mets expect more than a man - they expect a superman.
But Santana has been increasingly mortal his last few starts, and tonight he gave up four homers. And this was at Citi Field - imagine what will happen if Santana pitches like the on Sunday at Yankee Stadium.
But when Santana is on the mound, the Mets always seem to have a chance to win, even when he is not at his best. And tonight, when the Mets started having their usual mishaps on the basepaths, it was Santana the hitter who bailed them out.
In the fifth inning, Gary Sheffield was thrown out easily at second trying to stretch a single into a double. The next inning, with the Phillies now winning, 4-3, Fernando Tatis was out at the plate by a mile. Even though replays showed he was safe because the catcher did not have control of the ball, it was still dubious strategy. Had Tatis stayed put, there still would have been a man on third with only one out. Instead, there was only Ryan Church at first on the fielder's choice.
Two innings in a row, Jerry Manuel's team gambled and lost on the basepaths.
But this time, it did not cost them the game, thanks to Santana the hitter. After Omir Santos singled, moving Church to second, Santana came up to bunt and ended up swinging away butcher boy style and doubling, scoring Church. Even though the ball was hit toward the right field corner, Razor Shines actually held Santos at third. It was refreshing to see the Mets not run themselves out of a rally for a change. Santos went on to score when Alex Cora singled him home.
When Cora advanced to second on the throw, the Mets had runners on second and third with two outs and Carlos Beltran up. Beltran was walked intentionally to bring up the cleanup hitter. Sheffield did have a hot streak in May, but coming into this game he was 1 for 16, 3 for 24 and had one RBI since May 27. He should not be hitting cleanup.
Sheffield struck out to end the inning.
Santana last game up four homers in a game on July 23, 2007 at Toronto. Two of those homers were hit by Frank Thomas, who is now out of baseball. The Twins' second baseman in that game, Luis Castillo, made an error. Unlike tonight, Santana lost that game.
In Santana's remaining 12 starts in 2007, he allowed fewer than two runs only twice. In four games, he allowed four runs. After having an ERA of 2.75 before the All-Star break, Santana's ERA after the break was 4.04.
After tonight's game, Santana has now given up at least three runs in five straight games (in one game, one of the runs was unearned). So it could be time to worry about Santana.
Then again, his subpar second half in 2007 led some to wonder if the Mets were getting a pitcher starting to decline when they signed him for 2008.
Even after tonight, Santana's ERA is 2.39, so he is still having a great year overall.
But Santana is no higher than second on the list of sports figures who have yelled "I'm a man."
But Santana has been increasingly mortal his last few starts, and tonight he gave up four homers. And this was at Citi Field - imagine what will happen if Santana pitches like the on Sunday at Yankee Stadium.
But when Santana is on the mound, the Mets always seem to have a chance to win, even when he is not at his best. And tonight, when the Mets started having their usual mishaps on the basepaths, it was Santana the hitter who bailed them out.
In the fifth inning, Gary Sheffield was thrown out easily at second trying to stretch a single into a double. The next inning, with the Phillies now winning, 4-3, Fernando Tatis was out at the plate by a mile. Even though replays showed he was safe because the catcher did not have control of the ball, it was still dubious strategy. Had Tatis stayed put, there still would have been a man on third with only one out. Instead, there was only Ryan Church at first on the fielder's choice.
Two innings in a row, Jerry Manuel's team gambled and lost on the basepaths.
But this time, it did not cost them the game, thanks to Santana the hitter. After Omir Santos singled, moving Church to second, Santana came up to bunt and ended up swinging away butcher boy style and doubling, scoring Church. Even though the ball was hit toward the right field corner, Razor Shines actually held Santos at third. It was refreshing to see the Mets not run themselves out of a rally for a change. Santos went on to score when Alex Cora singled him home.
When Cora advanced to second on the throw, the Mets had runners on second and third with two outs and Carlos Beltran up. Beltran was walked intentionally to bring up the cleanup hitter. Sheffield did have a hot streak in May, but coming into this game he was 1 for 16, 3 for 24 and had one RBI since May 27. He should not be hitting cleanup.
Sheffield struck out to end the inning.
Santana last game up four homers in a game on July 23, 2007 at Toronto. Two of those homers were hit by Frank Thomas, who is now out of baseball. The Twins' second baseman in that game, Luis Castillo, made an error. Unlike tonight, Santana lost that game.
In Santana's remaining 12 starts in 2007, he allowed fewer than two runs only twice. In four games, he allowed four runs. After having an ERA of 2.75 before the All-Star break, Santana's ERA after the break was 4.04.
After tonight's game, Santana has now given up at least three runs in five straight games (in one game, one of the runs was unearned). So it could be time to worry about Santana.
Then again, his subpar second half in 2007 led some to wonder if the Mets were getting a pitcher starting to decline when they signed him for 2008.
Even after tonight, Santana's ERA is 2.39, so he is still having a great year overall.
But Santana is no higher than second on the list of sports figures who have yelled "I'm a man."
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