Bad News B-Mets Thread

[Guest SI Metman]

The minor rosters are being shook up because of Jacobs callup and Angel Pagan's absence, attending his father's funeral.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Jeff Duncan, who, in the wake of the Beltrameron collision and the Pagan inactivity, certainly would have gotten some of the opportunitites he longed for when he asked for his release, has caught on with the AA Southern League Mobile BayBears (San Diego affilliate) and has been waxin' and milkin'.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

We're going to see the kids tomorrow night in Trenton (there's a day/night doubleheader to make up for a rainout in June - we have tickets for the nightcap, complete with fireworks). Whom shall we keep an eye on?

[Frayed Knot]

Well Lastings Milledge mostly.

Slugging IFer Brett Harper also, plus maybe OFers Bobby Malek or speedster Wayne Lydon.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

OK - Thanks.

[Guest SI Metman]

You'll be seeing the pen piece together 7 innings in the nightcap with Tim McNab first up, and the B-Mets pen makes the Mets pen look like the Reds Nasty Boys of 1990.

Expect a lot of runs from the opposition.

Trenton took a 4-0 victory tonight, the only bright spot for the B-Mets was Russ Triplett who went 3-3.

[Guest cooby]

Message from Mama Knight, present at the game:

Wayne Lydon hit a MONSTER home run - the longest we've seen in 10 years
in Trenton.

B-Mets up 6-2 in the 7th


And later:

Update - it's 6-4. Jeremy Hill has walked in 2 runs with the bases full

9-5 is the final :)

[Guest cooby]

McNab went 4 innings, so Anderson Garcia gets the win :)

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Thanks cooby :)

It was a nice night for baseball. This was the nightcap of a day/night doubleheader - I don't know the details, but Trenton won the early game (a make-up game from the June rain-out). There was a wedding at home plate before the game, complete with bridesmaids, ushers, and Thunder mascot Boomer dressed in a tux. Yup � - no wedding is complete without a huge mascot in your wedding photos....

Tim McNab was shaky, but went 4 innings and only gave up 2 runs. Anderson Garcia looked pretty good, and got the win in relief. Lastings Milledge had two RBI singles and made some nice plays in center. Corey Ragsdale was a double shy of the cycle, and was pissed off when he was HBP in the 9th.

MK won a flashlight in Baseball Bingo, and that made him very happy. The fireworks after the game were fun. All in all, it was a nice night of baseball in Trenton for Mets fans :)

[Guest SI Metman]

Russ Triplett hit a grand slam in the day game.

That is the same Anderson Garcia who was acquired for the gentleman who got the save in the Mets game today.

on edit: I was at the Cyclones game tonight, which was far less pleasurable.

[Frayed Knot]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/05league20s/eas.html

AA Eastern League rankings out: Milledge #2, Petit #11
On-line Q&A at 2PM today.

[Frayed Knot]

Q: steve from new york asks:
how high of a ceiling does lastings milledge have and do you think petit can be a #2 starter in the bigs

A: Alan Matthews: Milledge could be an occasional all-star as a solid everyday major league center fielder. Petit was the source of much deliberation during calls to scouts and managers who worked in the Eastern League this year. His stuff is all average, but it all plays up because of his remarkable control and pitchability. This kid really has an idea of how to pitch, adding and subtracting off all of his pitches, and his fastball has a rising action that gave hitters fits. History indicates major league hitters punish fringy stuff, regardless of feel for that stuff, but I bet Petit develops into at least a reliable back-of-the-rotation starter, though his ceiling might be what you suggested, Steve.


Q: J.P. from Springfield, IL asks:
How close was Mike Jacobs?

A: Alan Matthews: Very. He was knocking on the door at the 21-25 range. Jacobs ' lack of ability as a catcher is what might have made the difference. If he's relegated to first base, he's going to have to hit a ton to play every day, and there are doubts he can keep up the clip he was on late in the year in New York. He has a 40 arm [below average], can receive but is stiff behind the plate. He has mostly a pull approach but can drive balls to the opposite field, as well. He has abv avg raw power and could possibly hit 30 home runs each season at the very best scenario.



Q: Ravecc from New Jersey asks:
Why no love for Brian Bannister? I know he’s 24, but a 2.56 era and a 94/27 KBB ratio shouldn’t be ignored.

A: Alan Matthews: Bannister put up nice numbers and was considered for the list, though ultimately his stuff profiles at the back end of a rotation.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

The bad news B for manager Jack Lind and pitching coach/former Met Blaine Beatty, who won't B asked back.

Seeing as most coaches and minor league staff are retained on a year to year basis, the internet fanboi scoop press association account of this story as a "firing" doesn;t appear to be technically accurate. As you might guess, it's reported as if it were a mass murder.

Mets will not bring back Lind

Binghamton went 63-79 under skipper
BY SCOTT LAUBER
Press & Sun-Bulletin
Find similar archived stories..

BINGHAMTON -- Jack Lind will not manage the Binghamton Mets in 2006.


�

LIND
Lind, who last season piloted a Double-A club decimated by injuries and call-ups to a 63-79 record that was tied for worst in the 12-team Eastern League, wasn't offered a contract extension by the New York Mets. The Mets, citing a change in philosophy, also didn't renew Binghamton pitching coach Blaine Beatty's contract.

"They called and said they weren't bringing me back," Lind said by phone Tuesday from his home in Mesa, Ariz. "It surprised me a little bit. They didn't say much, just that it was a change in direction."

Lind, 59, has worked in pro baseball for 34 years, the past two as a manager in the Mets' farm system. Under his tutelage, the Mets' low-A Capital City club went 89-47 and reached the South Atlantic League championship series in 2004.

But last season, Binghamton couldn't survive midseason call-ups of ace pitcher Brian Bannister, shortstop Anderson Hernandez and closer Tim Hamulack and arm injuries suffered by pitchers Philip Humber, Kevin Deaton and later Ken Chenard, a failure that may have been pinned on Beatty.

Mets farm director Kevin Morgan wouldn't comment Tuesday on the dismissals of Lind and Beatty except to say, "We're going in a different direction."

Morgan phoned Lind on Monday to break the news. Lind said Mets deputy general manager Jim Duquette and special assistant Tony Bernazard were also on the call but didn't speak.

Despite Binghamton's poor record, Lind did contribute to the ascendance of slugging first baseman Mike Jacobs, who batted .321 with 25 home runs and 93 RBI and was named the Eastern League most valuable player before slugging 11 homers and batting .310 in 30 major league games.

Lind also has aided in the progress of center fielder Lastings Milledge, the Mets' top prospect who batted .337 with 17 homers and 82 RBI for Capital City and Binghamton over the past two seasons.

"I had some good players the last two years, and I think we developed some guys that are going to be major league players," Lind said. "Guys like Jacobs and Milledge. It was fun to have them on my teams."

Lind said he's looking for a baseball job that will keep him on the West coast, possibly as a scout or as a manager of a rookie-level or short-season team.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Norwich Bulletin: Connecticut Defenders Seek to Supplant B-Mets.

[seawolf17]

My first thought was "Who the hell are the Connecticut Defenders?"

Apparently, they're the old Norwich Navigators -- which is weird to me, because we went to a Gators-BMets game this year, and I never saw any news of a pending name change on their Web site. I guess my free giveaway Gators hat is a collector's item of sorts now.

[nymr83]

i don't think i'd want to see them replace Binghamton

[Guest Iubitul]

Being totally selfish here, I would love to have the B-Mets move to the CT coast, but I would prefer either Bridgeport or New Haven....

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Whatever happens, the Bingo team needs a better identity.

Binghamton Big Blue, or something.

[MFS62]

There's a fairly new team in New Haven, playing at Yale Field.
Its the New Haven County Cutters, playing in an Independent league.
www.cuttersbaseball.com

Their slogan is "fun is good"

Can't argue with that.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

I like the Bingos. I do agree that they could use a new identity, as they are one of only two teams (the Reading Phillies being the other) in the Eastern League that shares a nickname with their parent club.

Biinghamton is a depressed town that is pretty lifeless in the summer ("Fun Fest Cancelled") when the students clear out. I think we shold pool our funds and buy the B-Mets.