Hessman, Yes, Ma’am

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.

Whitey, Bay and Fernando

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.

Coming From Behind

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.

Any Minute Now

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.

Turner Broadcasting

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.

WTF Jerry

No shame in losing to Giants ace Tim Lincecum, but the way the Mets did it Thursday night should make you nuts. Their best shot to score, in the 5th inning, evaporated when Jerry Manuel asked pitcher R.A. Dickey to bunt with one out and runners on first and third — without sending the runner from third base. Dickey’s sacrifice was successful only in advancing the runner from first to second, but in the meantime costing the Mets half of their remaining shots to drive in a run, and all of them by way of an out. When Angel Pagan followed with a fly ball, a rally that started with two men on and nobody out amounted to nothing.

Dickey — whom I suspect was asked to bunt at least partly in punishment for failing to get one down earlier — worked seven strong innings before Manuel managed to use his three best non-closing relievers in the 8th to double a 1-0 deficit. Way to go.

I’m officially declaring No. 17 up for grabs again: Fernando Tatis was moved to the 60-day disabled list after shoulder surgery.

Not Half Bad

A strong effort from Johan Santana and (in my opinion anyway) first-half MVP Angel Pagan helped the Mets salvage the final game of the “first half” today, and allow them to reach the break at 48-40, and four games out. Make no mistake they will need a better second half to reach the postseason but given all the uncertainty, and how badly they’ve looked at times, I think they pretty much deserve to be where they are right now and you have to be satisfied with it. Their ability to improve depends in large part on whether Carlos Beltran is ready to resume his usual game. The Mets following the victory Sunday recalled No. 15 and he’ll apparently be in uniform and batting cleanup on Thursday when the season resumes in San Francisco. Jesus Feliciano, who oughta be proud of what he accomplished, was sent down to make room.

Don’t forget today — Monday, July 12, is Amazin’ All-Star Monday at Two Boots at Grand Central Station, where Greg Prince and I will co-host an evening of Met-centric discussion with Howard Megdal, author, journalist and self-professed candidate for Mets general manager; and Marty Noble, Mets beat writer for more than 30 years at the Bergen Record, Newsday and MLB.com. Details at the Facebook invite here.

Help Wanted

Don’t look now but the Mets are in full-blown struggle mode again, with a dry offense and pointless bunting punctating a punchless 4-2 loss to the rival Braves Friday. The Mets played without disappointing import Ryota Igarashi, demoted all the way to Class A St. Lucie to get his stuff together and give the Mets a righthanded bench bat Jerry didn’t bother using in Nick Evans, recalled from Class AA Binghamton. Evans has been bobbing between the minors and the Met roster now for three seasons and seemingly spent much of the last one in Jerry Manuel’s doghouse, ideal for a Met No. 6.

Cliff Lee’s trade to the Rangers this afternoon seems to have officially opened the doors on deadline trading season, and it will be interesting and probably exasperating to see what the Mets do and don’t do with the opportunity this year. In the event you were wondering: Ted Lilly wears 30 and Roy Oswalt 44.

Don’t forget this Monday, July 12, is Amazin’ All-Star Monday at Two Boots at Grand Central Station, where Greg Prince and I will co-host an evening of Met-centric discussion with Howard Megdal, author, journalist and self-professed candidate for Mets general manager; and Marty Noble, Mets beat writer for more than 30 years at the Bergen Record, Newsday and MLB.com. Marty will be taking questions from the audience, and Two Boots will be serving pizza and drinks. Please stop in: Details at the Facebook invite here.

Amazin All-Star Monday

It was only a matter of time before six men in the bullpen proved far too radical a challenge for Jerry Manuel’s management skills, and so, two weeks after returning to Class AAA Buffalo, lefthander Raul Valdes was recalled Monday. Interestingly, room for Valdes on the roster was created when the Mets disabled Fernando Tatis with a shoulder injury, raising the question of who Jerry will turn to when the opposition counters pinch hitter Chris Carter with a lefthanded pitcher: It’s quite possible his head will explode and it will be left to Dave Jauss to decide.

My apologies for the lengthy layoff: I had little to report as far as numbers went and I tried to stay out of the way of the Mets when they were playing well. That obviously came to an halt last week in Puerto Rico, where the Mets began exhibiting many of the same traits that made them look like one of the league’s worst teams earlier this year: Pitchers falling apart with two outs and none on, sloppy bullpen work, and questionable managerial tactics seemingly contributing to a team suddenly losing its nerve to win. Let’s hope it’s just a stumble in an imperfect but hardly disappointing first half.

The photo above is a snap of coach Bill Monbouquette’s 1982 jersey as being sold on eBay by MBTN reader and jersey collector Nick, who wrote in recently. Check out his stuff here.

One of the few working writers to cover both Monboquette and Manuel, Marty Noble, will be the featured guest at a special Amazin All-Star Monday coming to Two Boots pizzeria in Grand Central Station next Monday, July 12, at 7 pm. Don’t miss this! Marty is a terrific writer, a great interview and a 35-year chronicler of Metsdom. Also on the program will be Howard Megdal, author of The Baseball Talmud and candidate for the next Mets’ General Manager. Faith & Fear in Flushing’s resplendent penman, Greg Prince, will co-host with yours truly. Two Boots, located in the lower dining concourse at Grand Central Station, will offer a special All-Star inspired pizza and a free drink for all fans in exchange for a Mets baseball card. The Home Run Derby will provide televised entertainment.

Facing the Future

32Well, it was fun if at times a little worrisome having Jennry Mejia around. I liked the way he stood on the mound and squared up to the batters, his posture was as distinct as that of teammate Johan Santana. I also liked his stuff even though it got hit hard and thrown out of the strike zone more often than you’d prefer to see.

I was not among those smartyfarty fans denouncing his very presence on the team as some kind of crime against his development. He may have struggled for that 3.25 ERA but he did it, against big league competition, on the way to being a starter, at age 20, and if that doesn’t provide you with some confidence he’ll be back and he good when gets here, I’m not sure what will. We’ll keep 32 around for ya.

Mejia’s replacement from AAA, and last season, will be Bobby Parnell, back in No. 39.Parnell was last year’s version of Fernando Nieve — successful early, then worked within an inch of his life before making an abrupt few starts once the Mets ran out of ideas. I liked his stuff his stuff too, and I think he’ll help the bullpen.