Jon Springer – Page 48 – Mets by the Numbers

Put it in this Book

Sorry about the infrequent updates. Became convinced my enthusiasm at the tail end of the winning streak killed it and was scared to further mess it up. Now it seems hardly to matter. Tuesday’s gutwrenching loss almost assured a humiliation on Wednesday and the loss to injury of Pedro Beato didn’t help. The Mets real trouble however is the offense, with too little coming from the end of the lineup and less than that from the bench so far. It sure hasn’t helped that Jason Bay’s missed more time than we could afford to lose already (and it’s still early). His latest absence for paternity leave forced the recall of Lucas Duda, in whom Terry Collins (and Lucas Duda for that matter) has no faith.
Taking Beato’s place is lefty Mike O’Connor. I tried to look up some information on him and came across the image accompanying this post which seemed only too appropriate for the mess this franchise has become. It’s not just the gut-punchy losses. It’s the lifeless, charmless, two-thirds empty park they play in and the sense of doom around the finances of the owners, who’d be in financial trouble even without the looming lawsuit. It’s a fragile team prone to hangovers — and until Mike Pelfrey and RA Dickey turn it around — unable to generate a lot of momentum of their own. Maybe things improve upon the return of Bay and Angel Pagan this weekend. Maybe not.

O’Connor: Taking over the No. 50 most recently belonging to Sean Green. His next appearance will be his first in the majors since 2008 with the Nationals, the team that drafted him out of George Washington U in 2008.

Put it in the Books!

Just a note to say thanks for keeping me up-to-date while I was away, the roster changes have been noted and they sure seem to be working. At the risk of getting in the way of this little roll we’ve got going on here tonight’s game was about as inspiring a win as I can remember for the Mets in a few years at least and even though it’s very early, it’s great to see they have this in them.

For the record I’ve got Justin Turner in No. 2; and the Jasons: Pridie in 20 and Bay in 44: not to mention Isringhausen in 45. Brad Emaus who looked for a moment like he might have been Dan Uggla but instead played like Dan Ugly, gives up No. 4, while Angel Pagan and Bobby Parnell look to heal physically.

Dan Murphy?! My god.

We’re Number One

Super job by Dillon Gee and beleaguered manager Terry Collins on Sunday to stop an ugly losing streak. Seems like last weekend’s surprise series loss to Washington was so demoralizing it seemed combat against a superior opponent in the Rockies offered no choice but to succumb, hard at first, then increasingly easily. At some point it became less about admiring the Mets for hanging in there, and started to resemble something like a bare-knuckle beating. By the time they got to Atlanta of course Wright was in the throes of a patented three-whiffs-a-night slump. Things had to get worse before they had a chance to get better.

I’m on my way out of town, so you’ll have to enjoy this week’s action without any updates but I hope you can join me in support for a battle against Lou Gehrig’s Disease, which unfortunately has affected my sister Jen (that’s Jen above with her husband Chris and her three kids at Shea). ALS is a progressive nuerological disorder resulting in paralysis and eventually fatality. There is no known cause and no known cure. The Packard Center at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where Jen is getting treatment, is the country’s leading ALS research center and is supported entirely by contributions. There is no money in fighting rare disease!

The Fiesta 5K race in Baltimore May 7 is the Packard Center’s largest annual fundraising event. Some great old friends of Jen’s and myself — many comprising the Harborfields High cross country team half a lifetime ago — are getting together to run the race that day and would like your support. Here is my fundraising page — click “Support Jon” to make a contribution: Every little bit helps but let me know here if you’ve made a contribution and I’ll get you a copy of the Mets by the Numbers book. What a deal! Thanks!

It Came from the Bullpen

I was going to make a post today noting the significance of DJ Carrasco becoming not only the first starting pitcher in Mets history to take the mound wearing No. 77, but the pitcher with the highest uniform number ever to start a game for the Mets. Then I was reminded that tonight is Chuck Taylor Night, when ballplayers across the Majors gather to honor the contributions of the obscure Met hurler of 1972 by wearing his number 42.

Chuck Taylor? Not the guy the sneaker was named after but the righthander acquired from the Cardinals following the 1971 season in the Art Shamsky trade. Taylor came along with Jim Beauchamp, Harry Parker and minor league infielder Chip Coulter in exchange for Shamsky and Met minor leaguers Jim Bibby, Charlie Hudson and Rich Folkers. It was a typically terrible trade for the Mets, who within weeks would trade Nolan Ryan and a few more prospects to the Angels for Jim Fregosi. The New York Times described Taylor as the key player in the deal, noting that manager Gil Hodges was “impressed” with the 29-year-old who went 3-1 with a 3.55 ERA for St. Louis in 1971. “He will help us as a long and middle inning relief man,” Hodges told the Daily News.

Other than making an impression on me as a 6-year-old — for whatever reason, I clearly recall watching Chuck Taylor laboring on televison in a game the Mets were trailing by six runs, it’s probably the earliest memory I have as a fan — Taylor provided little help for the Mets, putting up an ugly 5.52 ERA with no decisions and two saves in 20 games before getting claimed by the Brewers on waivers that September. He’d later resurface as an effective late-inning reliever with Montreal. Bibby in the meantime had 13 years and 111 major league wins ahead of him, including a no-hitter.

So perhaps its fitting that Carrasco — like Taylor a veteran right-handed middle reliever whose acquisition is so far curious — takes the mound wearing 42 tonight. And Kenny Rogers’ record is safe.

You might recall we celebrated Ron Hodges Day at this time last year.

All the Duda Day

Never real encouraging when Alex Cora and Washington Nationals manage to win 2 of 3 on your opening homestand. I don’t want to kill Terry Collins yet, but seemed it was just common sense in a game you prepared to put away as tidily as possible to be sure the good hands people were on the field in the 8th. Instead, we saw Lucas Duda misjudge a fly ball to contribute to a rally to tie, and a worn-out bullpen eventually give it away in the 11th inning in a disheartening rubber-game loss.

We won’t even have the culprits around to boo tomorrow. The conspicuous ones anyway. Duda was optioned to Buffalo after the game and Blaine Boyer, whose relief work and ginger beard have been extremely shaggy since an inspired drive to make the squad this spring, was designated for assignment. Will someone claim him? He’s leading his team in saves after all. In their place are two returning relief pitchers: Ryota Igarashi and Jason Isringhausen. This arrangement will give the Mets 13 pitchers and is expected to last until Jason Bay returns.

Let’s hope Bay brings some offense with him, because despite a few high-scoring games the Met offense has been largely dysfunctional and could use some more power. In the meantime it will be interesting to see whether Isringhausen arrives wearing 44 or 45. As discussed below, the former has more equity for Izzy than for Bay although it belongs to Bay. Considering his rotten luck, this looks like a great opportunity for Bay to garner some goodwill and change his luck.

Always Go Hard

Thanks to commenter Shorty for the tip in the below thread recognizing that Blaine Boyer on Saturday earned the first save in Mets history by a player wearing No. 23. That’s just the kind of useless fact we’ll need plenty of to get us though the 2011 season. Here’s another: Willie Harris, who might be the Mets MVP if the season ended today, appears to be the first player in Mets history who had his uni number pre-tattooed.

As you can see in these photos, Willie has the No. 22 prominently (and permanently) displayed on his right forearm. If I had to guess, I’d say he got this ink while a member of the Braves in 2007: Harris moved onto Washington in 2008 as a free agent: The Nats initially issued Harris No. 1, but he changed back to 22 in 2009 (Brian Sanches wore 22 for the Nats then). I found some photos of Harris in a Nats uni with the same mark. Willie was fortunate to have come upon No. 22 with the Mets while it was available: It belonged last season to released mercurial lefty reliever Raul Valdes, whom I’ll always remember for contributions during that ridiculous 20-inning affair with the Cardinals a year ago.

If Harris had uni numbers tattooed onto his body prior to 2007, they might be hard to find. It’s conceivable that 22 was once just plain 2 (his number with Boston in 2006) but prior to that Harris wore 12, 13 and 1 with the White Sox and 40 with the Orioles during his rookie year of 2001. Sports Illustrated noted Harris’ many tattoos back in 2005:

HE HAS an eclectic mix of tattoos, highlighting his dedication to his family and his faith in God. “Everything is something that I either love or that inspires me,” says Harris, 27. He has, among other things, the names of his daughter, Arianna, and mother, Lene, and a tiger on his left arm. “That’s kind of the way I am, the way I go about the game,” he says. “Like with the eye of the tiger, always go hard.”

Don’t forget: If you’re looking for a place to watch the Mets-Phils game Tuesday, come over to the Holiday Inn LaGuardia for an Amazin’ Tuesday Met Together sponsored by Maple Street Press and its 2011 Mets Annual. There will be food, drinks, giveaways, Mets discussion, Mets fans and the Mets game on the big screens. Details here, see you there.

Chapter ’11

I think the Mets are in for a better season than the Wilpons, though I wish them both the best.

The change in the front office and the manager’s chair I think are all strongly for the good: Though he’ll surely wear out his welcome at some point, Terry Collins appears to have given the group the jolt of energy it needed after a sonambulent tenure under Jerry Manuel, and Collins remarks at least suggest we won’t be in for another season of 8th-inning fetishes, unexplained doghousing and first-inning bunts. In the meantime, Sandy Alderson and his crew appear to have made some pretty good personnel decisions against a limited budget: The bullpen (churn!) looks very promising, and I like the new bench players, particularly Scott Hairston. They may have stretched out the Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez storylines longer than I had a stomach for but I think the decisions on them were correct. I don’t think we can predict what Chris Young or Chris Capuano will do, but both are looking like good selections for a team on a budget.

I worry, as always, about the offense. I’d almost forgiven Jason Bay for being such a kitten last season when his sudden injury this week reminded me he still owes us. I’m surprised to see Carlos Beltran make it to opening day and worry that continued health struggles will suck the energy out of the team again. On the other hand, I quite like Angel Pagan, David Wright, Josh Thole and Ike Davis, who I think can do some real damage in 162 games. And if Jose Reyes shows he’s the kind of player worth agonizong over a long-term contract for, then we’ll probably be having a good year. Brad Emaus could be could be a rookie of the year. He might not either, but it’s not like he’s taking an MVP from Castillo. All upside there.

The Wilpons I think , are facing some real trouble. Not necessarily as a result of the clawback lawsuit, but that they, like a lot of troubled companies today, borrowed heavily upon assumptions that the economy would continue to sizzle at its mid-90s pace (and also, that certain investments would continue delivering 12% returns). The Mets are certainly exhibiting behaviors of businesses headed toward a crisis: They’re deep in debt, revenues are falling, and they are haunted by high legacy costs. They’ve exhausted their credit with an untraditional lender (MLB) which appears to have insisted the club appoint a turnaround management firm. That’s how it happens.

I don’t think a bankruptcy would necessarily be a bad thing for the Mets. It would likely cost the Wilpons control of the team but provide the opportunity for the next owner (there’s evidently no shortage of interest) to restructure the balance sheet to better compete in an economy without magic returns and $500 seats. We never asked for that.

In number news: Rule 5 reliever Pedro Beato has requested he be outfitted in No. 27. He’s been wearing No. 70 this spring. Here’s the cool thing: Adam Rubin of ESPN reports Beato requested it because he wants to honor Juan Marichal.

Goodbye Crazy Eddie

Rarely in Met history has a player gone from promising prospect to yesterday’s news faster than Eddie Kunz. If only his fastball had such velocity.

You might recall Kunz was the Mets’ first draft pick in 2007, No. 42 overall, back when Omar Minaya’s draft strategy was about gathering in relievers who’d make quick ascension to the big leagues: Chad Cordero and Joe Smith, for example. Kunz was a hulking dude with a big chin and a hard slider, and everything looked quite promising for him as he settled in a closer for Class AA Binghamton in his first year as a pro. His arrival on the Mets came in August of 2008, just as the bullpen crisis that eventually would ruin them began with Billy Wagner’s unavailability. Kunz was up for a little more than two weeks, then reassigned to AAA New Orleans after his first big-league 9th inning — protecting a 7-1 lead against Pittsburgh, turned hairy.

Had the Mets soured on Kunz already? They issued his uniform number (44) less than two weeks later to Brandon Knight. They didn’t bother to ask him back in September, even as they tried just about anyone with an arm to pitch in. The offseason saw Tim Redding get 44. Kunz toiled in the minors ever since, eventually losing his spot on the 40-man roster and yesterday, was traded to San Diego for Allan Dykstra, a first baseman who like Kunz, was a former high draft choice languishing in the minors.

As mentioned previously, 44 has lately become something of a cursed number for the Mets: Just when I was getting some confidence to go to war with this group, down went Jason Bay. He hadn’t yet surrendered the number to Jason Isringhausen, who on Wednesday said he’d agree to a two-week stay in extended spring training but may never make it up.

Amazin Tuesday Returns: On Tuesday, April 5 — that’s next Tuesday — I’ll be getting together with Matthew Silverman and other writers and Mets fans for a game-viewing party and gathering at the Pine Restaurant at the Holiday Inn LaGuardia in Corona: That’s the former Bobby Vee’s on 114th Street. We’ll have the Mets-Braves game on TV from Atlanta along with food, drinks, readings and more.

And Another Thing

Well, the Internet debut of “New York Mets” (aka ‘We Want a Hit’) as posted below has made a small splash that we hope was heard out in Flushing but you never know with these Mets. In the story recounted at UniWatch, I was in the process of making a kind of Internet mix tape at the wonderful streaming site Rdio.com featuring artists who were also Mets fans.

Probably my favorite of these are the Hoodoo Gurus, the zany garage-pop rockers from Australia. As described in this interview by Zisk Magazine, Dave Faulkner, the Gurus’ singer, founder and songwriter, is a big fan of the orange-and-blue, having lived for a time in New York in the mid-1980s, where the energy and success of the Mets must have been a major source of inspiration for someone who’s talent was rocking. Posted below is the video for “What’s My Scene” from the Gurus’ 1987 album Blow Your Cool. Faulkner has remarked this is one of his favorite compositions “because it has two choruses when only one is necessary.” I like the video for the costume change at 2:47 and how it gets me pumped up from the very start. Thanks, Gurus, for being on our side.

By the way, be sure to check out the recent post on UniWatch revealing the first wearer of the Mets jersey: Don Zimmer.

Nifty 50

My 4-year-old son hasn’t yet stopped “making the apple come up” on our copy of Matthew Silverman’s new book, whose cover features a sliding Home Run Apple turning framed photos of Seaver, Kranepool, Stengel and Kingman into portraits of Gooden, Hernandez, Piazza and Wright.

So if you’re the kind of person who judges a book by its cover, then by all means go out today and get yourself a copy of New York Mets: 50 Amazing Seasons. That the inside of this book is even better is still a secret to my boy, but one I hope will reveal itself to him over many summers to come.

In perusing this book, a comprehensive, heavily illustrated, factoid-laden, coffee-table team history, I was reminded of my own youth and Donald Konig’s hardcover commemorating the Mets’ 25th anniversary. I received that book as a Christmas gift in 1986, and if you asked me then I’d have told you it was as solid a team history and as valuable a keepsake as existed in all of Metland. I can tell you today that without minimizing the hours of discovery and pleasure Honig’s book provided, Silverman’s history is not only twice as long but many times better as a story, chronicle and archive.

Silverman, who you might recall as a co-author of the Mets by the Numbers book, is a swell and generous guy and an animal when it comes to writing about the Mets. I don’t know how he does it, but this book is distinct from the half-dozen other Mets projects he’s tackled including MBTN,Mets Essential, 100 Things Mets Fans Need to Know and Do Before they Die, Total Mets, Tartar Control Mets and Raspberry Mets. I may have made a few of those up but wouldn’t be surprised to learn he’s working on them. This book is simply divided into five chapters, one for each decade of Metsdom, and has a picture or four on every page — good photos, and not just the mugshots populating Honig’s Quarter-century tome. Photos include memorabilia ranging from scorecard covers to buttons to ticket stubs to beer coasters. It all says Mets in one way or another.

Silverman’s a good writer. He’s economical and deft with transitions, helping 50 seasons (many themselves forgettable) breeze by cohesively. Mountains of sidebars liven it up, some offering summaries, others key boxscores. Brief bios of the Top 50 Mets (Al Weis? Really?) are peppered throughout. These Top 50 bios include images created so as to recall a mashup of Topps baseball cards of 1973 and 1974, and while I like that idea I don’t much like the execution. That’s a small complaint in an otherwise very satisfying team history that kids big and little will surely treasure.