Up Along First

Morning Mets Links: July 25, 2012

Here are this morning’s Mets links:

• The Mets lost last night by a score of 5-2. R.A. Dickey was only alright. Combine that with only three hits on offense and you have a big problem. Even a dramatic late-inning home run by Jordany Valdespin couldn’t save them. (Post, Box Score)
• The Mets called up Matt Harvey and Manny Acosta yesterday, sending Pedro Beato and Lucas Duda back to Buffalo. (MetsBlog, MetsBlog)
• Frank Francisco suffered another setback earlier this week, but should be ready to go for the beginning of his rehab assignment today in Binghamton. (ESPN New York)
• After Ruben Tejada was spiked in the shin on Monday, he told Terry Collins he was ready to go last night. (MetsBlog)
• The Mets signed reliever Craig Hanson to a minor league deal yesterday. (MLB.com)
• The Mets finish off the series today with Jeremy Hefner going up against Stephen Strasburg. Oh boy… (MLB.com Preview) First pitch is at 12:10.

Original Article

Series Preview: Mets Head Home, Try To Stay Alive In Playoff Hunt Against Dodgers

The Mets begin another critical series tonight against the Dodgers at 7:10.

The Mets and Dodgers are both currently in the hunt for the second Wild Card spot, with the Dodgers currently ahead of the Mets by 1.5 games. The Mets need to take this series to not only keep up with the Braves, but also distance themselves with some of the other Wild Card contenders. There are currently five other teams withing seven games of the last playoff spot.

The Dodgers that we will see this weekend is a much different team than we saw before the All-Star break, when the Mets took three of four games in Los Angeles. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, Kemp was having a ridiculous April and May before going down with a hamstring problem, which has since flared up again. Ethier was also having a nice season, driving in 59 runs through 81 games. With both of these guys back, the Dodger lineup immediately goes from well below average, to pretty decent.

What’s kept the Dodgers in contention despite the absence of their two best hitters has been their pitching. Clayton Kershaw and Chris Capuano have continued their fantastic seasons. Capuano, who the Mets decided not to sign this past offseason, has a 2.75 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 118 innings pitched. The team’s 3.34 starter’s ERA is second in baseball.

The Dodger bullpen has also played a big role in keeping this team alive. The Dodger bullpen has a 3.13 ERA. Kenley Jansen has continued his dominance this season. He has a 2.04 ERA to go along with 16 saves this season. He also has 13.4 strikeouts per nine this year.

Hopefully the Mets can get on a bit of a roll here and make everyone forget the si-game losing streak.

Pitching Matchups:

Game 1- Tonight 7:10

Johan Santana (6-6, 3.59 ERA) vs. Aaron Harang (6-5, 3.53 ERA)

Game 2- Saturday 1:10

Miguel Batista (1-2, 4.33 ERA) vs. Chris Capuano (9-5, 2.75 ERA)

Game 3- Sunday 1:10

Jonathon Niese (7-4, 3.58 ERA) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (1-6, 4.33 ERA)

Notes:

• In 43 appearances this season, Kenley Jansen has allowed more than one hit only four times.
• Nathan Eovaldi has struggled of late. The 22 yea-old has a 7.17 ERA over his last four starts, including a start against the Dodgers on June 25 in which he gave up eight runs on ten hits. Eovaldi was ranked before the season as the 96th best prospect in baseball by Baseball America.
• David Wright has hit five homers this month and driven in 15 runs in just 13 games. He is hitting .340 with a .407 on-base percentage this month.
• Ruben Tejada has also had a great month, hitting .345. He has seven multi-hit games this month.

Original Article

Morning Links: 7.18.12

News:

• Source: Mets looking at Broxton- ESPN New York
• Mets seek pen help but view K-Rod and Huston Street as too pricey- CBS Sports
• Miguel Batista to start Saturday, not Harvey- MetsBlog.com
• Zack Wheeler will not pitch in MLB in 2012- MetsBlog.com
• Gee says he’s sympton-free, calls blocked artery ‘very scary’- New York Daily News
• Gee hopeful for 2012 return- ESPN New York
• Alderson: Bullpen help is focus as Deadline nears- MLB.com

Opinion:

• Mets hot topic: Should Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler or Miguel Batista be 5th starter?- NJ.com
•  Matt Harvey or Miguel Batista?- Patrick Flood
• Mets Trade Rumors: Kelly Shoppach Would Be An Upgrade At Catcher- Amazin’ Avenue
• Jose Who? The Blossoming of Ruben Tejada- Daily Stache

Original Article

Morning Links: 7.8.12

[caption id=”” align=”aligncenter” width=”512”] DOMINATION[/caption]

News:

• Dillon Gee pitches NY Mets to 3-1 win over Chicago Cubs; Ike Davis and Jordany Valdespin power the offense- New York Daily News
• Mets’ Johan Santana will not miss a start after ankle injury- NJ.com
• Alderson plans to call up lefty reliever Edgin- New York Post
• Frank Francisco could begin rehab assignment on Wed.- MetsBlog.com
• Rotation now set for second half- ESPN New York
• Giancarlo Stanton to undergo knee surgery, out a month- HardballTalk.com

Opinion:

•  Valdespin brings excitement, passion to Mets- MLB.com
• Tejada Proving To Be A Core Player For The Mets- MetsMetized Online
• Stay Back- Collin McHugh- he’s a prospect in the Mets system that writes a fantastic blog about his experiences…

Original Article

Morning Links: 7.7.12

[caption id=”” align=”aligncenter” width=”286”] Roughed up last night at Citi Field[/caption]

News:

• Mets lose to Cubs, 8-7, as comeback attempt falls short- NJ.com
• Mets expect Bay back for Nationals series- New York Post
  
• Andres Torres is day-to-day with back pain- MetsBlog.com
• Ryan Dempster to start vs. Mets- ESPN Chigaco

Original Article

Morning News: Mets Sweep O’s, Injury News, Minor League Moves

Every morning, we’ll give you the top three stories from Mets-land, as well news and notes from around Major League Baseball. 

The Mets finished off their sweep of the Orioles last night by a score of 4-3. Dillon Gee got the start and tossed 7.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits. He also struck out nine and walked two.

David Wright had a big day at the plate, going 3-4 with an RBI and a run scored. He raised his batting average to .358. Scott Hairston was the only other Met to have multiple hits. He had two doubles and an RBI.

By the way, Frank Francisco almost blew it, allowing a run in the ninth. Thankfully, he made it out alive and so did the Mets.

With the win, the Mets are still three games behind the Nationals, who beat the Rays last night.

There was plenty of injury news yesterday. Here are the “highlights”:

• Lucas Duda sat yesterday with a tight hamstring.
• Ruben Tejada moveed up to Triple-A Buffalo and will continue his rehab there.
• Ramon Ramirez made his second rehab appearance with the St. Lucie Mets yesterday. He threw a scoreless inning. Ramirez will also move up to Buffalo.

The Mets made a flurry of minor league moves yesterday. St. Lucie third baseman Wilmer Flores was part of a four-player group who were promoted to Double-A Binghamton yesterday. Wilfredo Tovar, Francisco Pena, and pitcher Cory Mazzoni also got the call to Bingo.

Flores, who was recently named MVP of last Saturday’s 51st annual Florida State League All-Star game, is hitting .289 on the season with 10 home runs and 42 RBI.

To replace these four players on the roster, the Mets moved up Travis Taijeron, T.J. Rivera, Rafael Montero, and Jeff Walters from Savannah to Port St. Lucie.

Expect the Mets to also move players up from Brooklyn to Savannah later today.

In other baseball news- It’s official. Brandon Beachy will need Tommy John surgery. The right-hander saw Dr. James Andrews this week to get a second opinion. Beachy was 5-5 this season with a 2.00 ERA in 13 starts.

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will have groin surgery today, and will be out indefinitely. Tulowitzki hurt his groin on May 30, and had to pull himself from a rehab stint last week because of discomfort. He is hitting .278 this season with eight home runs and 27 RBI.

Roy Oswalt will make his debut for the Rangers on Friday against the Colorado Rockies. Oswalt, who hasn’t pitched this season, signed a one-year deal with the Rangers this spring.

Original Article

Morning News: Dickey Dominates, Tejada Plays In Minor League Game, Bay Has Collins Worried

The Mets beat the Orioles by a score of 5-0 last night. R.A. Dickey dominated once again, throwing his second straight one-hitter. He has thrown three complete games this month, two of them shutouts. He struck out a career-high 13 batters on the night, his sixth straight start with eight or more strikeouts. Dickey is slowly climbing towards the top of baseball’s strikeout leaderboard.  He is now 11-1 with a 2.00 ERA and 103 K’s.

Ike Davis also came up big last night, hitting his first career grand slam in the sixth inning off Orioles starer Jake Arrieta. Arrieta pitched seven innings, and allowed four runs on six hits and struck out four. He now has a league-leading nine losses on the year.

Jordanny Valdespin also collected two hits on the night.

The Mets are now four games behind Washington for the NL East lead.

Ruben Tejada began another rehab stint last night, this time with Port St. Lucie. Tejada played all nine innings at shortstop, and went 1-for-5 at the plate with a double and a run scored. He also struck out once.

The Mets will likely take it slow with Tejada, who has suffered multiple setbacks since injuring his right quad in early May. Before getting hurt, he was hitting .305 in 27 games.

Jason Bay met with doctors yesterday and will have a follow-up appointment today. Bay crashed into the Citi Field wall on Friday and suffered a concussion.

According to the Daily News, Bay has Terry Collins worried. It is also still unclear how much time Bay will miss. He missed 63 games in 2010 with a concussion he suffered crashing into the wall at Dodger Stadium.

In other baseball news, Braves ace Brandon Beachy has a torn ligament in his throwing arm and may miss the remainder of the season. He was pulled early from his last start and quickly placed on the DL. Beachy is 5-5 with a 2.00 ERA in 2012.

Giants ace Matt Cain, probably the only one even close to Dickey in the Cy Young Award race, pitched last night, getting the win against the Angels. He tossed five innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He improved to 9-2 with the win.

Lastly, the jury in the Roger Clemens perjury case found him not guilty on all charges.

Original Article

Notes: Tejada, Hamels, Werth

Here are a few notes…

——- Ruben Tejada was placed on the Disabled list yesterday, and was replaced on the roster by Jordanny Valdespin. Tejada has a strained right quad muscle, which he hurt while falling into first base. He also apparently hurt his eye on the play. From ESPNNewYork.com:

Tejada had a significant cut on his left cheek Monday, but there are no current concerns about vision issues or a concussion. He said he fell as a result of the quadriceps injury — not the opposite, that awkwardly falling caused him to be injured.
“The MRI yesterday confirmed the initial diagnosis of a right quad strain,” assistant GM John Ricco said. “He was feeling a little bit better today, but still feeling something in the quad, which confirmed what the MRI showed.”
Ricco added that the organization considered keeping Tejada active but not in the lineup for five days or so, but decided the DL was prudent given how much season remains.

[caption id=”” align=”alignright” width=”320” caption=”(Photo Courtesy of Michael Baron)”][/caption]

It’s sad to see a young guy go on the DL like this in such a freak incident, especially a player who has been playing so well. In 27 games, Tejada was hitting .305 with a .362 on-base percentage. He has also scored 14 runs and driven in eight.

Tejada has shown great strides at the plate this season, hitting a ton of extra-base hits. He had 15 doubles in 97 games last season. This year, he already has ten. Hopefully, as the Mets have insisted, Tejada is alright and will be ready to go in two weeks.

———Yesterday, Cole Hamels of the Phillies was suspended five games for admitting that he intentionally hit Nationals phenom Bryce Harper in the first inning of Sunday night’s Phillies-Nationals game on ESPN.

For those who don’t know, Hamels came out after the game saying he intentionally hit the 19 year-old outfielder, claiming to be welcoming him to the big leagues.

Now, for Hamels to admit this is arrogant and just plain stupid. Admitting that he hit Harper on purpose won’t help anyone. In fact, it almost guarantees a suspension. Why would anyone want that? Of course, Hamels didn’t and it was probably a heat-of-the-moment thing, you have to check yourself before going there. I have no problem with Hamels hitting Harper, because well, that’s part of baseball. Pitchers hit batters for all kinds of reasons- rivalry, retalliation, or as Hamels did, “welcoming someone.” The admitting of the intent to hit Harper was what I had a problem with. What good can possibly come out of that? At least the Phillies might lose one more game because of it…

——— Another notable thing happened in Sunday night’s game. Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth broke his wrist in an awful-looking play in the outfield. Werth dove for a pop fly, with his left hand getting caught on the ground. It was bent really far back. What was even worse was him having to get up, retrieve the ball, and throw it back into the infield.

Now the already struggling Nationals offense will be without one of their best hitters. This will only put more pressure on Bryce Harper to perform.

Original Article

Series Preview: Banged-Up Mets Head to Philly

Tonight, the Mets begin a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

[caption id=”” align=”alignright” width=”168” caption=”(Photo Courtesy of Michael Baron)”][/caption]

The Mets play the Phillies, who, up until this point, have been unable to get on any kind of a roll. Many thought before the season that due to the injuries to Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, as well as the age of Jimmy Rollins, their offense would struggle but no one thought it would be this bad. The Phils are in the bottom third in baseball in runs scored, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Catcher Carlos Ruiz has been their best hitter, which is a little odd considering he is a career number seven or eight hitter.

The decent pitching the Phillies have has been the only thing keeping them alive. Despite Cliff Lee (eho will return on Wednesday) hitting the DL, the Phillies’ staff is in the top ten in baseball in quality starts, WHIP, and ERA. Cole Hamels has been stellar, but luckily will not face the Mets in this series.

Here are the pitching matchups for the series:

Game 1- Tonight 7:05

Jon Niese- Niese finally had a bad start in his last outing in Houston. He went only three innings, but that was due to a desparation pinch-hitting move that Terry Collins made in the fourth inning. Niese allowed five earned on six hits in the start.

Roy Halladay- At 35 years old, Halladay is still going strong this season. He is 3-2 with a 3.40 ERA and a 1.110 WHIP. He is averaging about seven innings per outing this year.

Game 2- Tuesday 7:05

Miguel Batista- Here we go with Miguel Batista. The 41 year-old has been awful this year, but somehow got the nod from Terry Collins to join the rotation in place of Chris Schwinden. Batista is 0-1 with a 6.92 ERA this year.

Joe Blanton- You would think that you would have an easy go of it against a team’s fifth starter. That’s not the case with Blanton. He threw a shutout against the Braves in his last start, and has been looking good on the mound thus far in 2012.

Game 3- Wednesday 7:05

Dillon Gee- Gee pitched well on Friday against the D-Backs, tossing six innings of two-run ball. He also walked three and struck out six.

Cliff Lee- Lee, who has been suffering from a strained left oblique, will come off the DL on Wednesday to face the Mets in his first start since April 19. In three starts this year, Lee is 0-1 with a 1.96 ERA.

More notes

— Ruben Tejada left yesterday’s game with a strained right quad. Tejada hit the DL today and will be replaced on the roster by Jordanny Valdespin.

— Even with Valdespin in the big leagues, we will probably not see much of him. Terry Colins has expressed his liking for Justin Turner. Turner, not Valdespin, will likely get the majority of the playing time at shortstop. I’m not the biggest fan of having Valdespin ride the bench in the majors. I’d much rather have him getting playing time in Buffalo, developing. For those of you wondering, the rule that states a player cannot be recalled until ten days after they were sent down does not apply if they are replacing an injured player.

— Ike Davis is hitless in his last four games, going 0-11, which brings his batting average down to .168. Ike has shown signs of coming back to life, only to return to struggling.

—Daniel Murphy, on the other hand, had a great series against Arizona. Murphy was 7-12 in the three games, and had two RBI. It’s great to see that maybe Murphy’s fantastic run at the plate last year may not have been a fluke. Terry Collins has moved him up in the lineup in place of Ike Davis.

—Tonight’s and Wednesday’s pitching matchups should be pretty interesting to watch. Both Niese and Gee have pitched well this season. Their ERA’s don’t quite say that, but each of them had one bad outing that basically ruined their ERAs. Other than that, they have pitched well this season. Of course, they will both be going up against two of Philly’s aces, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee.

—Jonathon Paplebon has been great so far for the Phillies, saving nine games and pitching to a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings pitched. Just something to look out for if any of these games are close.

Original Article

Series Preview: First Place Mets Host Nationals at Citi Field

[caption id=”attachment_1781” align=”aligncenter” width=”439” caption=”PELFREY-GEE-SANTANA- The rotation for this week’s series against the Nationals at Citi Field.”][/caption]

After sweeping the Braves over the weekend, the Mets will look to the Nationals to be their next victims as they start a three-game series in Citi Field tonight at 7:10.

David Wright comes in hot for the Mets tonight. David has driven in a run in each of the first three games of the season. At this point, his rib injury seems far behind him. Yesterday, he continued that, reaching base three times, including two walks.

Speaking of yesterday, the Mets finished off a three-game sweep of the Braves by a score of 7-5. Jonathon Niese had a no-hitter through six, but Freddie Freeman broke it up on a right field single. The Braves scored four in the seventh, but the Met offense was just too good. Lead by 4-5 Ruben Tejada, the Mets scored seven runs on 11 hits to beat Atlanta, with Frank Francisco earning the save once again, pitching a perfect ninth.

The Nationals, meanwhile, took on the Cubs and almost came back to win it in the ninth, but just fell short. Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija threw 8.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out eight. He was relieved by Cubs closer Carlos Marmol, who got Xavier Nady to fly out and end the game. The Nats fell to 2-1, but earned the series win.

Here are your starters for the series:

Game 1- Tonight at 7:10:

• Mike Pelfrey- Mets- Mike is coming off an awful 7-13 season in which he posted an abysmal 4.74 ERA, which is much better than how he pitched. He almost lost his job in Spring Training, but was saved by two nice starts. He hopes (for his future’s sake) that he continues and pitches well tonight.
• Edwin Jackson- Nationals- In the Nats’ second biggest move of the winter, they acquired starter Edwin Jackson, signing him via free agency. Jackson 12-9 with a 3.79 ERA between the White Sox and Cardinals last season. He helped the Cardinals in their playoff run last year, and made three postseason starts.

Game 2- Tuesday at 7:10:

• Dillon Gee- Mets- Gee will look to capture some of that first half magic from last season, when he was the last undefeated starter in baseball at 7-0, and a Rookie of the Year favorite. Now, after a second half to forget, Gee will look to start his first full season with a set role with a bang against the Nationals on Tuesday.
• Ross Detwiler- Nationals- Detwiler beat out John Lannon for the last spot in the Washington rotation after going 1-1 in seven games this spring. Last season, Detwiler started 10 games, going 4-5 with a 3.00 ERA.

Game 3- Wednesday at 1:10:

• Johan Santana- Mets-  Johan will make his second start of the year Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field. In his Opening Day start against the Braves, Santana pitched five scoreless innings, allowing only two hits.
• Stephen Strasburg- Nationals- Strasburg will make his second career start against the Amazin’s. The first came back in 2010, when he tossed five innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five.

The Mets were 8-10 against the Nationals last season.

Original Article

Double guest post: Tim Horodyski gives his take on Ruben Tejada and Pedro Beato!

Mets writer Tim Horodyski submitted two guest posts, which you can always do by filling out the “Contact” form on the site. Click read more to read Tim’s articles.

Ruben Tejada the Next New York Superstar?

Written by Tim Horodyski

When does a young ballplayer turn from an up and coming prospect to an established major league talent?   The answer various base on the player.  Has Ruben Tejada shaken off the label of prospect?  The answer is yes, Tejada has become a major league talent.   The Panama born Tejada has done it in a very unusual way.

Ruben Tejada was not the ideal prospect.  He was signed by the Mets at age 17.  He was thrust into the major leagues at age 20.  Tejada isn’t known for his control of the strike zone, nor will he ever be a power hitter.  He doesn’t bring the energy of Jose Reyes or the flashiness of Texas Rangers shortstop, Elvis Andrus. The thing he brings to the table is a sense of calmness and confidence that many young players do not posses. The future superstar has progressed well at the major league level.

In two major league seasons Tejada had racked up 544 at bats.  In those at bats he is hitting .256 with an on base percentage (OBP) of .338.   He has one home run and 53 runs batted in (RBI).  Those numbers do not jump off the page and yell out superstar; however you must look deeper at his body of work.

In 2010 he posted a dismal .213 batting average and an OBP of .305 in 255 plate appearances; which lead fans to think he was a fringe player that would never fully develop into a major league star.  After being sent down to the minor leagues he continued to work hard.  He continued to get stronger physically and mentally.   Tejada has always had great baseball instincts; which is one of the reasons why the Mets have rushed his development.  He worked hard on his offense, working to have more quality at bats. His recent ability to make contact and hit line drives is a sign that his bat speed has improved along with his ability to read pitches. This makes him a much better offensive choice for the Mets.

One of Ruben’s best attributes is his glove.  Tejada has smoothness to his defensive game that few young players display and has the arm strength to turn the double play. In 2011 he was brought back to the major league level because of injuries on the Mets roster.  He played second base when Daniel Murphy tore his MCL.  Tejada later played his natural position of shortstop when Jose Reyes went on the disable list.

The then 21 year old Tejada made the most of his playing time in 96 games and 328 at bats he posted a .284 average and a .360 OBP. The last half of the season Tejada batted .299 with a .361 OBP, 11 extra base hits, 14 RBI and 12 runs scored in 160 plate appearances spanning 40 games.  This should make Mets fans happy.  He has impressed the Mets coaching staff, particularly his manager, Terry Collins.  Mets fans will indeed be looking forward to watching Tejada having an outstanding career in Flushing.  There is no doubt that Tejada will be making the Mets 50^th year anniversary season very fun to watch.

Whether playing second base or shortstop Tejada will be a fixture in the Mets infield for years to come.  To learn more about Ruben Tejada or the New York Mets please visit the Mets online at www.mets.com or www.losmets.com.  To learn more about the Mets 50^th year anniversary celebration plans please visit www.Mets50.com

The Curious Case of Pedro Beato

Written by Tim Horodyski

On October 27, 1986 the New York Mets defeated the Boston Red Sox to capture their second World Series title.  On that very same night down in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic a future major leaguer was born by the name of Pedro Beato.  So it only seems fitting that Beato pitch for the Mets as they celebrate their 50^th Anniversary.

Beato attended Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, New York.  During his junior year he had Tommy John surgery.  After coming back from the procedure with no ill effects, the Mets were interested in the right hander. This lead the Mets to draft him in the 2005 Major League draft in the 17^th round. In order to persuade him to sign with the team the Mets invited Beato to Shea Stadium to meet his idol Pedro Martinez. He resisted the temptation of being a teammate with the man he grew up idolizing, instead Beato choose to attend St. Petersburg College located in St. Petersburg, Florida.  Beato used his time at St. Petersburg College to hone his delivery and to work on his pitches.  In the 2006 draft the Baltimore Orioles selected Beato in the first round (32^nd overall).  This was due to the fact that his fastball can reach 97mph.  He can command the strike zone, and has good downward movement on his pitches.  The Orioles had drafted a pitcher with tremendous upside.  Going into the 2007 season, Beato was rated the 99th best prospect in baseball by Baseball America. He participated in the 2007 All-Star Futures Game.

In 2010 the Orioles left him off of their 40 man roster thus leaving any team to draft him during the Rule 5 draft.  The Mets took full advantage of Baltimore’s mistake by selecting him and making him a member of the organization.  On April 1, 2011 Beato made his major league debut, pitching two scoreless innings against the Florida Marlins.  The two scoreless innings started a Mets franchise record of 18.2 innings of scoreless baseball to start to start a career.  Jack DiLauro did not allow an earned run for 17.2 innings to open his major league career in 1969.  The good times continued to roll for Beato, when he earned his first major league win on April 27th throwing another two scoreless innings, this time against the Washington Nationals. The good times for Beato later ended.

On May 4^th the Mets placed Beato on the 15 day disable list due to right elbow tendinitis.   Beato would finish his first major league season with 67 innings pitched 39 strikeouts and a 4.30 earn run average (E.R.A).   One thing Mets fans want to keep in mind is that in 12 innings pitched against the Philadelphia Phillies he has a 1.50 era with 3 strikeouts.  These are good number considering the Phillies left handed heavy line up. With the recent bullpen additions the Mets have made, Beato may be the odd man out.  With Frank Franciso being the projected closer, Jon Rauch the clubs projected set-up man, and Tim Byrdak being the lefty specialist.  This leaves Beato without a role.  Sandy Alderson the Mets General Manager and Terry Collins the Mets Manager will have to decide the future of Pedro Beato before the season starts on April 5, 2012 when they host the Atlanta Braves.  Beato can be sent down to the minor leagues for a little more seasoning, or he can stay in the major leagues and continue to develop. He would be a great choice to give the ball to in the 7^th inning.

Whatever Pedro Beato’s role will be the 50^th Anniversary season of the New York Mets will be fun to watch.  To learn more about Pedro Beato or the rest of the Mets log on to www.mets.com or www.losmets.com.  The Mets have launched a special website dedicated to their 50^th season anniversary at www.mets50.com.  You can catch Mets games on SNY TV during the 2012 season.

Note from the author.

Author’s note:  I am the publisher of the on-line monthly magazine The 7 Train.  We can visit us at http://snack.to/fups7s5p.

I have been a lifelong fan of the game of baseball.  I root for the New York Mets.  Baseball has a deep meaning for me.  One of my earliest childhood memories is going to Opening Day 1987 at Shea Stadium with my father.  That was the day the Mets received their World Series rings.  Darryl Strawberry hit a three run home run to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2.  So it is a great honor to be coving the Mets for their 50th year anniversary, so let’s hope the Amazing Mets have a great season.  Let’s Go Mets!!!

To view Tim’s latest edition of his Mets magazine, click here.

Thanks to Tim for submitting his wonderful articles!

Original Article

What to make of Mike Pelfrey’s struggles, notes from camp

Mike Pelfrey was looking to bounce back from a rough first outing against the Miami Marlins today as he faced the St. Louis Cardinals in his second spring start. After allowing four runs on six hits in 2.2 innings, Mike struggled again.

4.1 IP, 6H, 4 ER, 2 HR,

That was Pelfrey’s line from today.

He clearly didn’t pitch well today (although two of those four runs came on homers, which of course, can be a little unpredictable). However, Mike did struggle with his sinker today. He couldn’t keep the ball down.

My major concern for Pelfrey this season is: will he pitch like Mike Pelfrey? If he does, the Mets are in trouble. But if he proves, finally, once and for all, that his magic from early 2010 is here to stay— the Mets will have a quality pitcher on their hands.

I don’t like to put much importance on spring games because pitchers have just got through their dead arm period and are still working to get ready for the season. Often times, they will have something that they need to work on going into a game, with the final score not really mattering. Let’s hope this is the case for Mike Pelfrey, as well as the Mets, who are 3-6-1 in Grapefruit League play.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Here are some notes from around camp:

• The Mets reportedly had interest in Nationals pitcher John Lannon, but passed because of his salary.
• The Mets lost today in Port St. Lucie to the Cardinals 7-1.
• The witness list for the Wilpon trial was released today. Fred Wilpon, Sandy Koufax, and Saul Katz are some of the interesting names on the list. The plaintiffs want Koufax barred from the trial, but he may end up testifying for his good ol’ pal Fred anyway.
• Ruben Tejada will not travel to Lakeland to play the Tigers on Wednesday. Tejada has been suffering from a groin strain.

Original Article

Morning News and Notes for 2/26

Here is some news from regarding the Mets organization

• The Mets sent someone to watch former Devil Rays ace Scott Kazmir pitch.. He didn’t impress.
• Matt Harvey threw live BP yesterday and apparently impressed everyone, according to Anthony DiComo of Mets.com. He has received nothing but praise this spring for his mechanics and movement on his pitches.
• The Mets officially announced their promotional schedule yesterday. Giveaways include: bobbleheads of former Mets Tom Seaver, Rust Staub, Keith Hernandez, Edgardo Alfonzo, and Mike Piazza. Other events include John Franco’s Met Hall of Fame induction on June 3, and Banner Day on May 27.
• Ruben Tejada will report to camp today and meet with manager Terry Collins to discuss why Terry is disappointed in him and Ruben’s epectations.
• The Mets will wear a patch on their uniforms this season to honor Gary “The Kid” Carter who died last week at 57.
• We are just 9 days away from the first Met spring training game against the Nationals. The Mets play 31 spring training games before the season opens on April 5.

Here are some interesting notes from around the web:

• Ed Leyro over at Studious Metsimus re-visits the history of the Mets right field position over their history and explains how Lucas Duda may break the trend.
• Ed Ryan of Mets Fever discusses who’s roster spot D.J. Carrasco could steal.
• A fan gives his take on the Met bobblehead giveaways.
• Matt Kauffman of RisingApple.com asks: Do the Mets want Jason Bay to fail?

Lastly, here is some general baseball news that you may have missed:

• Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard may have had a setback in his return from an ankle injury he suffered on the last play of the postseason in 2011. He will see a doctor next week.
• Giants righty Matt Cain is working on an extension with the Giants Cain is scheduled to hit the open market this winter as a free agent if a deal isn’t reached. The 27 year-old went 12-11 with a 2.88 ERA in 2011.
• Bobby Valentine has finally banned alcohol from the Red Sox clubhouse.

Let’s go Mets!

Original Article

Morning News and Notes for 2/25

Here is some news from regarding the Mets organization

• Shortstop Ruben Tejada is expected to arrive in camp today, according to  Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger. According to the article, Ruben and Daniel Murphy will be working together every day for all of spring training once Tejada arrives.
• McCullough also reported that the Mets will be pushing back Johan Santana’s first spring start from March 5 to March 6. No, this is no setback. The Mets had simply forgot to add his long-toss day into the schedule.
• Speaking of March 5, Chad Bray of the Wall Street Journal reported that a judge will make a decision on whether to bring the Picard-Wilpon suit to court by March 5.
• We are just 10 days away from the first Met spring training game against the Nationals. The Mets play 31 spring training games before the season opens on April 5.

Here are some interesting notes from around the web:

• Michael Baron of MetsBlog is continuing his series of Met interviews. This time, it was Josh Thole.
• Brian Journa of Mets 360 asks why the bullpen gets a bad rap and eplains why they shouldn’t.
• NeverForget60.com releases its top 10 Gary Carter moments.
• David Wright is “yearning” for a championship with the Mets.
• Sean Engel of the Daily Stache gives his take on who should have which number.

Lastly, here is some general baseball news that you may have missed:

• According to an ESPN “Source,”  says that the proposed expanded playoff system is likely to be put in place this season.
• If you didn’t catch Major League Baseball’s statement on the Braun situation, here it is. As Buster Olney explained today, Major League Baseball will likely change their system after this incident. Olney explained that there are three arbitrators, one who represents the union, one for the league, and one independent. The representatives for the union and league always vote for their sides, so it comes down to the arbitrator. This time, it didn’t go in their favor, and Bud Selig didn’t like it.
• Manny Ramirez reported to A’s camp today. The 39 year-old DH/outfielder will serve a 50-game suspension before he can play.
• Ryan Zimmerman wants a no-trade clause in an extension with the Washington Nationals. The two sides have been negotiating for a while now.

Original Article

Morning News and Notes for 2/24

Here is some news from regarding the Mets organization

• Ruben Tejada’s arrival to camp has been delayed by visa issues, despite the fact that the Mets arranged his working visa months in advance, and Terry Collins is upset about it.
• Jason Bay believes his two bad years are now behind him. Bay’s slugging percentage dropped from a career .519 before coming to the Mets, to just .386 with them.
• According to SNY’s Matt Dunn, Johan Santana is scheduled to throw another bullpen session on Sunday. Johan pitched a 32-pitch bullpen session yesterday, and a 29-pitch bullpen earlier this week, both of which went fine.  His first start of the spring is slated for  March 5 against the Nationals.
• We are just 10 days away from the first Met spring training game against the Nationals. The Mets play 31 spring training games before the season opens on April 5.

Here are some interesting notes from around the web:

• Michael Baron of MetsBlog interviewed Met infielder Daniel Murphy. Murphy is coming off a major knee injury he suffered last August.                                                                     MY TAKE: I really hope Murphy can gab the job and run with it. His bat is an enormous talent, and it’s sad to see something so valuable being wasted because the Mets can’t find a spot for him. 

• Jim Mancari of Mets Merized Online says: yes, this team IS better than the ‘62 Mets.
• Rob Patterson of Mets Fever explains why Scott Kazmir is a fit for the Mets.
• Carlos Beltran will pay for Jon Niese’s nose job…
• Happy birthday Bobby Bonilla!

Lastly, here is some general baseball news that you may have missed:

• Ryan Braun won his case with arbitrator and avoided a 50-game suspension. Braun, 28, was given the National League MVP award in November.
• Bobby Jenks told his gruesome encounter with a life-threatening back injury.
• Lastly, starting pitcher Roy Oswalt may be considering pulling a Roger Clemens by signing with a team mid-season. Everyone knows the first two months of the season are the most boring, right? No word yet on whether he plans to play his minor league comeback stars with his daughter’s T-ball league…

Original Article