Archive for Jon Springer

Switzer? I Barely Even Know Her

So the Mets are rattling into MFYankee Stadium with the burden of a few disappointing losses and maybe a bigger loss in the starting rotation. Initally scheduled to pitch the opener tonight, John Maine was pushed back, then removed altogether, going onto the disabled list with shoulder fatigue and the promise that some rest will do him good.

The plan now is to have Livan Hernandez pitch Friday, promising but unproven Fernando Nieve to throw on Saturday, and recalling lefty Jon Switzer to take the place of Maine on the roster. We don’t know quite yet what number Switzer turns up in but we’d suggest 47 — which we gave away earlier this year to a lefty from Buffalo, Casey Fossum (remember him? I think he’s actually pitching in the MFYs’ system now). Anyway, Switzer’s a southpaw with a reputation for being hard on lefties, he may see some action this weekend.

I won’t need to remind anyone the Mets are not looking particularly threatening right now but that’s just going to make this whupping of the Yankees a little sweeter. Let’s Go Mets! Check in when you see what Swtizer’s wearing!

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METSTOCK

Please join me for pizza, beer and a one-of-a-kind discussion of the Mets next Thursday, June 18, as Two Boots Tavern on the Lower East Side hosts Metstock.

I’ll be discussing the Mets by the Numbers project and will have books on hand to sign and sell (I’ll even sign your pre-owned copy if you bring it along). Also scheduled to read will be Greg Prince, co-writer of the splendid Faith and Fear in Flushing blog and author of the fabulous new book of the same name, and Stanley Cohen, whose 1980s classic revisiting of the 1969 World Champions, A Magic Summer, was recently reprinted by Skyhorse Publishing.

I couldn’t recommend either of my co-presenters’ works any higher. Cohen’s book has long been a favorite of mine, and is updated with a new afterword by the author, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1969 World Champions. If you happened to have missed it the first time around, A Magic Summer tells the story of the ’69 Mets by way of the author’s visits with nearly all of the members of that historic team around the time of its 20-year anniversary. Faith and Fear in the meantime tells the “intense personal history” of the Met fan experience through the perspective of the ridiculously eloquent and perceptive Prince.

Two Boots specializes in Cajun-influenced pizza (the name refers to Lousiana and Italy, both boot-shaped) and its decor leaves little mystery as to the owner’s baseball loyalties. The big-screen TVs will be tuned to the Mets at Orioles game. Make your plans!

What: Metstock, 3 Hours of Pizza and Baseball

Where: Two Boots Tavern, 384 Grand St. near Norfolk, 212-228-8685

When: Thursday, June 18, 7-10 p.m.

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Fernandomania

Today the Mets recalled Fernando Nieve from AAA Buffalo to take the place of JJ Putz who finally stopped pretending there wasn’t something wrong with his arm. Nieve has reportedly been assigned No. 38. Nieve wore No. 50 in spring training, but that number went to Sean Green once Green decided he was unworthy of comparisons to Aaron Heilman(how right he was) and swapped in No. 48.

Not to say I told you so but we smelled trouble long before this Putz-Green-Heilman deal ever got done inasmuch as “addition by subtraction” is a concept that works great in opinion columns and talk radio but rarely on the baseball field. I’m not saying that time hadn’t come to swap away Heilman (not to mention Endy ChavezJoe SmithJason VargasMakiel Cleto,and Mike Carp) but seeing as we’re looking at a $9 million fat guy having elbow surgery, a righty specialist who’s already lost his job, and a reserve outfielder, this whole deal is looking pretty much like “subtraction by subtraction” so far.

Nieve by the way will be the third Fernando in uniform for the Mets, which has to be some kind of record.

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Brown Comes to Town

Quick note: Emil Brown, the veteran outfielder signed as AAA depth recently, was called up to the active roster today as Ramon Martinez hits the disabled list with a finger injury. Brown was assigned No. 29. That number was assigned to four different guys last year, though only three of them (Jorge SosaChris Aguila and Andy Phillips)  wore it in combat.

Alex Cora in the meantime was activated today as expected. He takes the place of cursed outfielder Angel Pagan who yesterday commenced with his customary, hot-streak-interrupting visit to the disabled list.

They’re really banged up right now.

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Castaway

The controversy of the Mets’ catching situation seemed almost too easily resolved as Ramon Castro was traded to the White Sox on the same night that Omir Stantos drove in both Mets runs, including the walkoff gamewinner, and Brian Schneider returned to the dugout for the first time in weeks.

Castro, the meaty backup who’d been a reserve forMike PiazzaPaul LoDuca and Schneider, and who provided a buttload of big moments for the Mets, was swapped for Lance Broadway, a tall 25-year-old one-time prospect.Castro leaves as the longest-serving No. 11 since Tim Teufel (1986-91). Despite ranking sixth in games played among Met 11s, Castro has more home runs and RBI than every Met 11 except Teufel and all-time leader Wayne Garrett.

Broadway — who just has to appear in New York at some point —  is assigned for now to the starting rotation at AAA Buffalo. He was wearing No. 41 in the White Sox bullpen before the trade.

Good luck to Castro, who despite frustrating the Mets with injuries and a seeming unwilliness to take over starting duties when the team needed him, at his best was probably a better hitter than Santos will ever be. But, Santos certainly has been the man for this season, and the next few months will probably be pretty close anyway.

 

Home runs by guys who wore 11 *
1. Wayne Garrett 55
2. Tim Teufel 36
3. Ramon Castro 33
4 (tie). Duke Snider, Lenny Randle 7
6. Gene Woodling 5
7. Dick Schofeild 4
8 (tie). Ed Bouchee, Roy McMillan, Kelvin Chapman 3

*-Only HRs hit while wearing No. 11 count 

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For You and Me, for Liberty

26So the Mets today went ahead and called up Fernando Martinez from Buffalo and started the 20-year-old in right field against the Nationals. He was issued No. 26 — a number Met fans of my generation will probably always associate with Dave Kingman. Some commenters have already speculated that won’t be a long-term placement, given Ramon Martinez had a one-game appearance in 26 only a week ago, and I suppose I wouldn’t be surprised at some point for a change. I get a single-digit or teens feel from him. But we’ll see.

He was recalled to take the place of Ryan Church, now an unhappy resident of the disabled list. He’s joined there by Jose Reyes whose absense — along with Ramon Martinez‘s shaky credentials as a capable backup — prommpted the Mets to make a deal with the Indians for their AAA shortstop, Wilson Valdez, once they agreed on the number of balls that make up a bag. Valdez was issued No. 4.

The Mets went and won handily, getting an RBI groundout from Fartinez, a three-run homer fromGary Sheffield, doubles from Ramon Martinez and Omir Santos, and a complete-game from Livan Hernandez. None of these men were in even the wildest imaginations of Met fans as recently as March.

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Fartinez Alert

Never too late, as far as I’m concerned, to vote in the poll predicting Fernando Martinez‘s uniform number. Although the watch was a false alarm last year, with martinez destroying it in AAA Buffalo and Ryan Church the latest Met to be suffering injury (the NY Daily News reports a trip to the disabled list is under consideration, especially while Carlos Beltran nurses a sore knee) it’s possible we could see “Fartinez” as soon as this evening.

Martinez is wearing No. 3 in Buffalo (Alex Cora occupies it here) and had 67 in spring training. The poll — pretty much neglected for months — showed some support for No. 8 perhaps as a backlash for the Mets seeming reluctance to re-issue since Gary Carter‘s election to the Hall of Fame along with Carter’s gauche politicking for the managing job.

Hey, how about that Omir Santos?

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Around the Horn

Keith Olbermann appears to have received our information on near-Met Wilbur Huckle. In his latest post, Keith quotes the article we posted and reveals that the roster obtained by his photographer friend includes Huckle’s name written in pencil and identified as wearing No. 24 — a jersey that would have been available in September of 1963. He also follows up with details of the New Breed’s push for Huckle’s presidential candidacy in 1964. A shout-out for MBTN and Jason? Nope.

Reader Edward in the meantime reminds us that Darryl Strawberry and a pitcher — he cannot recall who — were similarly invited to spend time with the 1982 Mets at season’s end.

* * * * * *

Keith’s blog has been added to the “Good at Baseball” links to the left. To the Mets links, I’ve added those of beat writers Adam Rubin of the Daily News and David Lennon of Newsday — two guys who work incredibly hard so that other bloggers have links to aggregate every day. The print press is getting killed and the Internet is a great thing but to me there’s nothing like getting my hands all inky with the Snooze every morning. At 50 cents a day it’s an ideal commute killer and a bargain too. Read the papers.

* * * * * *

Helmet... from hellThe Mets appear to have shut down their online survey on their uniforms — hopefully not before you, like me, submitted a few dozen responses. Don’t think I’ve come across anyone who’s a big fan of the black anymore but I sense the hatred among the prototypes in the survey was strongest for the vest which, I’m just gonna say, I don’t think is so bad provided you’re resigned to the inevitability of an alternate, which I am.

But you know what I really hate and they didn’t even ask about? Those two-tone helmets. My, they’re awful.

Anyway, I’d give a week’s pay to be the guy to summarize the survey findings for Jeff.

 

* * * * * *

We weren’t even finished with the press events around the Mets by the Numbers book last spring when my co-writer Matt Silverman was at work on two new projects. One was Cubs by the Numbers (I know, right?) done with the same editor at Skyhorse and with Kasey Ignarskiwho’d been tracking Cubs numbers for at least as long as I’d been doing Mets numbers here (also Al Yellon, at the Bleed Cubbie Blue blog). If you happen to have a friend who’s a Cubs fan, consider buying them this as a gift.

The other project was a daring diary style book with none other than Keith Hernandez which Matthew was doing via phone interviews and transcribed notes all summer long, never knowing how the narrative would turn out. It became Shea Goodbye, recently published by Triumph.

 * * * * * *

I’ve added Ramon Martinez to the list of Mets who’ve worn three numbers as published on theJeff McKnight page. Now can we get rid of the guy already?

 

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Almost as Strange as Batting Him 6th, but Not Quite

I didn’t notice this until his last turn at bat, but Ramon Martinez yesterday was wearing No. 6, and not the No. 26 he wore in his hasty ’09 debut on Monday.

6I remember thinking that the 26 jersey looked baggy on him, so that may be one reason, but interesting all the same since it’s yet another issuance of No. 6 — the most frequently dealt in Mets history now with 38 different players. I’m convinced No. 6 is one of those jerseys they carry around on the road for just this situation.

I immediately went to write this up on the site when I saw it — noting then that a few visitors had already pointed it out — when Martinez hit into a double play that ruined my mood and made me want to murder Jerry Manuel for having not pulled one of those sudden late-inning pinch-hit calls he’s becoming famous for screwing up.

Really, Jerry. And batting him sixth?

Anyhow, that now makes three numbers already for Martinez (2226 and 6). I can’t remember off-hand which was the last Met to switch numbers in his second game (and the database is a few jigowatts short of querying for that fact) but it’s happened before several times. Tom Hall in1975 in debuted in 42 and had 19 the next night.

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I’ll Be Sittin’ When the Evenin’ Comes

Watching the Met debut of Tim Redding, who tonight will become the 860th Met of all-time.

Redding will be suited up in No. 44 — which belonged to four different guys last year, none of whom I could have told you had I not just looked it up myself, I don’t think. If you’re interested in making a guess in the comments section, go ahead, I won’t say who they are.

Redding’s accompanying lineup is a little goofy — a continuation of the stuff we saw last night where Fernando Tatis played short and Jerry Manuel, once again, made a baffling pinch-hitting call that blew up his face with the game on the line. Yet, Angel Pagan starts tonight in left while Daniel Murphy and Ryan “Doghouse” Church once again sit.

The shortstop is Ramon Martinez, called up because of a thumb injury to Alex Cora who is going onto the DL today too and Jose Reyes is still unavailable (Mackey Shillstone?). You might remember Martinez as the only Met who could buy a hit in the last week of the season last yea. He was wearing No. 22 then but with that jersey since reassigned to JJ Putz, we’ll have to wait and see what he turns up in. (Updated: He’s wearing No. 26)

Seems like only a moment ago I was praising the flexibility of this roster but this is about as stretched out as I’d like to go right now. Carlos Delgado, you may have heard, is on his way to the operating room and I can’t imagine he reappears until August or so.

Redding’s recall, by the way, meant another demotion for Nelson Figueroa — who came and went without an appearance — and a continuing tour for Ken Takahashi.

Right you are, Ken.

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