Archive for Jon Springer

Galaxy .500

August 26, 2010 Uncategorized One comment

Had a good time despite the disappointing result at the Mets game last night, and even as I continued scratching my head wondering why they continue to start Ruben Tejada over Luis Castillo at second base, even as Jeff Francoeur continues to get the starts in right field. Anyone else find this difficult to reconcile? Sure Castillo has limited value, but he’s clearly better at this point in his career than Tejada, whose mistakes in the field are even blunting his advantages in quickness and range. Meantime, Francoeur, who unlike Castillo has no commitment from the club to keep him around for another season, gets the kid gloves despite having been a major drain on the offense since June. I just don’t get it.

The Mets however did accomplish something last night. When Jose Reyes bounced to first with the bases loaded and ended the game, the Mets fell to 63-63, marking their 11th contiguous point at .500 — that is, alternating wins and losses at a game above or below .500 — breaking the old record of 10 such contiguous points set in 2005. The Mets in other words have been 53-53, 54-54, 55-55, and so on up to their current mark of 63-63. Amazin’.

They still have some work to do to catch the 2005 team for most overall points at .500: That team had 27 separate .500 marks. But at 19 .500s already, the 2010 Mets right now are in third place all time and have 18 more shots for historic mediocrity ahead of them.

And you thought there was noting left to play for.

The below chart ranks Mets teams by the number of times their record was .500 . Thanks to the Post’s Mike Vaccaro for inspiring the research.

Five-hundrliest seasons, in order:

1. 2005 (27)

2. 2002 (20)

3. 2010 (19)*

4. 1970 (18)

5. 2004 (15)

6. 2008 (14)

7. 1976 (13)

8. 1994 (11)

9. 1990 (8)

10. 1971(7)

1987 (7)

2009 (7)

13. 1973 (6)

1975 (6)

1992 (6)

1993 (6)

2000 (6)

18. 1977 (5)

1980 (5)

1989 (5)

21. 1969 (4)

1982 (4)

1999 (4)

2003 (4)

25. 1968 (3)

1984 (3)

1988 (3)

2001 (3)

29. 1966 (2)

1967 (2)

1972 (2)

1974 (2)

1978 (2)

1979 (2)

1981 (2)

1986 (2)

1996 (2)

1997 (2)

1998 (2)

39. 1983 (1)

1991 (1)

1995 (1)

2006 (1)

 

43. 1962 (0)

1963 (0)

1964 (0)

1965 (0)

2007 (0)

 

*- Still active (barely)

  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • StumbleUpon

The Airing of Greivances

August 19, 2010 Uncategorized No comments

Well, it’s good to see the Mets determined to do something about the Frankie Rodriguez situation and with a little luck, these last weeks of the year might demonstrate just how little creativity, imagination and good sense they’d showed when making that deal in the first place. Not for nothing but the post-Rodriguez bullpen hasn’t given up a run in 13.1 innings.

That doesn’t mean they’re necessarily going anywhere. Their offense is a much tougher fix — always has been — and it’s probably buried them in a deeper hole than they’ll ever hit out of. To that end, they welcomed Rod Barajas back to the roster today and sent Fernando Martinez back to Buffalo. Jerry seemed unable to commit to the kid anyhow, and surely Barajas will only take playing time from Josh Thole, at least until its evident there’s no shot with this group. Too bad. In the end it was relying so heavily on veterans with questionable offensive track records that killed 2010.

To get you updated, Pat Misch was recalled and Raul Valdes sent down; Ryota Igarashi went down when Rodriguez returned from his two days in the penalty box but was back up upon the revelation of his injury and subsequent assignment to the restricted list. I have no idea (nor any opinion) on how the grieveance hearing ought to go, but applaud the Mets for taking a stance here, if only to save themselves from Omar’s folly and the big lie of the Brand Name Closer. And if they don’t prevail, they’ll have gotten what they deserved.

  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • StumbleUpon

Bush

August 12, 2010 Uncategorized One comment

Frankie Rodriguez is a jerk and makes me ashamed to be a Mets fan, and if the Mets knew what’s best for them, they’d use this revolting incident as the opportunity it is to void that terrible contract he has and reassign the No. 75 jersey to a bush leaguer, not a guy who only acts like one.

With the help of an easily reached game-finished incentive next year, the
Mets would be on the hook for $29 million over the next two seasons for Rodriguez. Even if he didn’t beat people up every so often, that’s an awful lot for what’s essentially a luxury that’s barely made a difference in the security of leads. I’ve said it before, but Brand Name Closers are about the worst investment a team can make and Omar’s been burned on every one he’s chased so far. That Rodriguez is so far down the list of Omar’s mistakes is surely an indictment of his reign: So is the fact that the team hasn’t won two games in a row since late June, and continues to be led by a manger with no authority or game strategy. What a mess!

Ryota Igarashi was recalled to the Mets Thursday while Rodriguez cools off on the restricted list, expect more roster changes Saturday when the Mets have to decide on a starter to oppose Roy Halladay. Buffalo lefty Pat Misch is a possibility and gained plenty of experience playing for a lousy second-half Mets team last season. His No. 48 jersey has yet to be reassigned.

  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • StumbleUpon

Spoiling the Ending

August 8, 2010 Uncategorized One comment

Ruben Tejada didn’t look ready to be an everyday player during the Mets’ initial slide into irrelevancy so I found it rather odd that he was the guy they called for when things got really desperate this week. Not that I disagreed with kicking Alex Cora off the bus: For all he contributed prior to his injuries last year, he hasn’t been good for more than a year and certainly hadn’t earned the approaching second year vest in his overpriced contract, so a release was called for. Consider him, along with Castillo, Jeff Francoeur and Oliver Perez (and Jason Bay?), as what they’ll recall when Omar Minaya is gently kicked upstairs after the year is out. But, wasn’t Justin Turner available?

Meantime, Jesus Feliciano was demoted and Fernando Martinez returned. If Fartinez can take a few starts from Francouer … or Carlos Beltran … or Bay … well, maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing to get another look at, since whoever’s in charge nest year will have some big decisions to make in the outfield. Martinez is back in 26 and Tejada in 11, by the way.

And while another radical slump from David Wright sure isn’t helping things, Jerry Manuel’s managing of this team remains woefully counterproductive, and, I think, contributes to that frightened offense. He’ll vamoose as well after this year ends and we now know how it will.

  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • StumbleUpon

The Dead Line

July 31, 2010 Uncategorized One comment

35They’re still capable of looking like they might make a run but losing 20 of their last 30 and everything to the godforsaken Diamondbacks smells a lot like the Mets are going to fall short this season. With only hours remaining until the trade deadline I’d be strongly tempted to see what Pedro Feliciano and Frankie Rodriguez would bring back on the trade market, not that I’d expect that kind of vision from Omar (or that another team could be convinced that the $29 million Rodriguez has coming to him is even a fraction of what he’s worth). It might be different were the Mets able to start that run I’ve been talking about for weeks now, but they just haven’t, and I’m afraid it’s over.

The only new personnel so far is Jesus Feliciano, returning to take the place of Jason Bay, who went to the disabled list with a concussion. The Mets also on Friday traded AAA first baseman Mike Jacobs to Toronto for a Player To Be Named Later: It’s hard to believe Jacobs was the opening-day first baseman on this team.

  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • StumbleUpon

Hessman, Yes, Ma’am

July 26, 2010 Uncategorized One comment

66The Mets are about to start playing again Tuesday and Jeff Francoeur, Ollie Perez and Luis Castillo are still a part of the team, and Howard Johnson and Dan Warthen are still coaches. So much of that seemed unlikely after the Mets meekly limped off the field in Los Angeles Sunday, losers of 9 of 11 games on their post-All Star Break West Coast run (and deserving losers of 10 of them!).

Supportive posts right here amid all the fan bloodlust took a lot out of me. When they finally won on Friday I’d convinced myself it was the start of the turnaround I’d been predicting all week. So when they threw up that awful dud on Saturday, I was just so unprepared. Unacceptable! And for the first time this year I felt myself moving to that realm of fandom where I want the Mets to get what they deserve and not what I want for them. It was a dark moment, for sure, and rewarded with another spiceless loss on Sunday.

So here we are back home again, and the Mets are apparently going out there by refusing to bow to fan bloodlust again: God bless ’em, I don’t know how or why most times. And the only change appears to be Minor League Masher Mike Hessman recalled for the injured Rod Barajas. Unclear just now what number they outfit Hessman in; though he wore 66 this spring and for whatever reason it strikes me as appropriate now. Nothing wrong with a freaky right-handed masher on the bench.

  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • StumbleUpon

Whitey, Bay and Fernando

July 24, 2010 Uncategorized No comments

I fell asleep halfway through but for the first time in weeks the Mets didn’t, earning a win behind some great defensive plays and a clutch hit by of all people, Jason Bay. And just like that, they look prepared to win a few games again (as long as they can resist bunting as much as they did last night).
I was kind of saddened to hear the team designated Fernando Nieve for assignment, even though I’m sure he’ll land safely in Buffalo. But if you need an example of what’s wrong with how Jerry Manuel uses the bullpen, here’s your guy. Forced onto the team as a result of having no minor-league options, Nieve was used in the Mets’ first four games, six of their first eight, and 9 of their first 13, a completely unsustainable pace. In all he made 24 appearances with one or no days rest. He was used in short relief and long relief, in close games winning, blowouts losing, and even got a start. Predictably, his effectiveness wobbled under the workload and he went from a 100-game pace to a forgotten man in an instant, which seems a waste of a young guy with a good repertoire if some control issues. Manny Acosta was recalled from Buffalo to take his place and outfitted in the same No. 36 he wore earlier this year.
Former Met coach and director of player development, Casey Stengel disciple, and Cardinal-managing nemesis Whitey Herzog will be enshrined in Cooperstown this weekend. Richard Sandomir of the Times has a nice article today focusing on Herzog’s Mets career, quoting Keith Hernandez, Ralph Kiner … and me.

  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • StumbleUpon

Coming From Behind

July 22, 2010 Uncategorized One comment

The time to get panicky isn’t now but three weeks ago, when the seeds of another dreadful Met run were laid. I remain convinced despite the evidence that the rotten offense and lapses in concentration among the pitchers is more or less just what happens to this team, and that to this point, every one of those lulls has been answered with an even hotter run, and that the team as presently constituted — despite some versatility concerns — is as prepared to get on a hot streak as any group we’ve run out there.

So I’m not panicking that Oliver Perez is back, and I don’t believe the Mets will bleed chemistry now that Jeff Francoeur is on the bench (and/or the trading block). And even though I cried for the Mets to sack Jerry Manuel in May, it probably wouldn’t make much of a difference if they didn’t make that move until October. What they need now is a solid win or two, some support, and watch it go from there.

Wanna see an inspiring win? Check out the video highlights here (good stuff begins about 1 minute in, and doesn’t stop). Dig Claudell Washington wearing No. 15 with no nameplate! He’d been with the team for a week by then and they hadn’t yet gotten to it despite playing at home the whole time. Justin Turner by the way was demoted to make room for Perez.

  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • StumbleUpon

Any Minute Now

July 20, 2010 Uncategorized One comment

As bad as the Mets have been going, recently and no-so-recently — really, they’ve been awful since Puerto Rico — I’m convinced another hot streak could start any time now.

The reason is simple — they finally have the lineup they want out there most nights. Nobody cried when he limped off the field with a foot problem a few weeks back, but we’ve missed the modest contributions of Luis Castillo, who returned to the lineup last night in Phoenix. Ruben Tejada showed some good skills in Castillo’s absence, but was overmatched offensively and is back in AAA where he belongs. Jose Reyes in the meantime returned to the lineup and despite two shaky plays contributing to Pelfrey’s disaster, is obviously a huge part of the offense and will get going again.

I’m no fan of Jerry Manuel’s passive game-managing style, but he’s done a bold thing in benching Jeff Francoeur here. I’d have sworn the Mets had invested too much in marketing Francoeur to sit him, but it’s good to see the team recognize that Angel Pagan’s contributions trump good will with the writers. Next on Jerry’s to-do list ought to be the same solution for Rod Barajas: this will be trickier, but the fact that Josh Tholeis still on board with both Barajas and Blanco healthy enough to start again indicates it’s at least under consideration. Ideally Jerry could get by with 6 relievers instead of his customary 7 and use Thole freely.

The impending return of Oliver Perez in the meantime might not be a disaster if it gets Hisanori Takahashi out of the rotation for a while and allows the team to strengthen the bullpen. I’d be surprised if the Mets don’t move to acquire a reliever and a starter in the next few weeks anyway, so the pitching will remain fluid.

  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • StumbleUpon

Turner Broadcasting

July 16, 2010 Uncategorized No comments

2For the first time in 15 years, the Mets have a player wearing No. 2.

The team on Friday recalled infielder Justin Turner from Class AAA Buffalo and assigned him uni No. 2: A shirt that belonged to coaches Sandy Alomar and Gary Pettis, and manager Bobby Valentine, since 1995, when Damon Buford wore No. 2. The Mets were close to another issue of No. 2 this spring until Frank Catalanotto switched to No. 27 at the dawn of the season.

Who’s Justin Turner anyway? According to the Internet, he’s a righthanded-hitting middle infielder who, like Damon Buford, came to the Mets via Baltimore (We recalled the Damon Buford Story here earlier this year). The Mets claimed Turner on waivers in May of this year when the Orioles designated him for assignment while activating Brian Roberts. Turner, who had a cup of coffee with O’s last September wearing No. 83 (wow!), arrived in Baltimore via Cincinnati in theRamon Hernandez trade. He was a 7th round draft selection of the Reds in 2006.

As a second baseman in Buffalo, Turner was hitting .297/.342/.400 in 193 plate appearances. He was activated in favor of Nick Evans, who returns to AA Binghamton, in part because he provides better middle-infield depth with Jose Reyes unavailable for an undetermined period of time, and in part because Evans wears No. 6 and that’s what happens to those guys.

  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • StumbleUpon
« Older Entries   Recent Entries »