Your Binghamton Mets

[Guest Edgy DC]

]Owens hasn't played in almost a month

Being injured doesn't kill your career.

]Gomez has been injured and isn't hitting a lick,

See above regarding injury. He also was in the top ten of just about any Mets prospect list, and number two on a few.

]Abreu is 31.

And just starting his career after arriving from Cuba. And has hit monstrously on a team that hasn't hit much at all.

]Really, the list of B-Mets prospects is a lot shorter than you'd expect.

I don't really expect anything. These are just guys worth watching.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

According to the Mets' pregame report, yesterday Pelfrey gave up 1 run in 6 innings against Trenton.

[Guest Edgy DC]

News today is that Zac Clements, who had fallen into disuse as a catcher with Binghamton, is switching now to pitcher.

Hey, Aaron Hathaway, won't you please reconsider joining the Mets? You just climbed up a notch on the organziational depth chart by staying home and mowing your lawn.

[Frayed Knot]

BA Notes: The Mets Henry Owens, out since April 30 with an elbow injury, returned to the mound for Double-A Binghamton and struck out two while pitching a perfect ninth.

[Frayed Knot]

Pelfrey Thrusday Night: 7 shutout innings, 7 Ks, 1 BB, 2 hits

Last 3 outings: 19 IPs, 1.42, 22/4 K/BB

Scouts report (via BA):
"He sat at 93-95 (mph) consistently throughout, and touched 97 a few times," the scout said. "He had real good command of the fastball, and moved it around to make it more effective. He was up, down and in, out--his fastball was unhittable--with a lot of late, downward movement.

"The secondary stuff was just OK. His curveball is a hard, slurvy breaking ball that he just wasn't commanding well. The changeup was a non-factor that needs work, more in his grip than his arm speed. It looks fine (mechanically), but it doesn't have much depth to it at all."

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

]Pelfrey Thrusday Night: 7 shutout innings, 7 Ks, 1 BB, 2 hits Last 3 outings: 19 IPs, 1.42, 22/4 K/BB

Boing.

Whoops.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Gross.

I'm glad that, for the moment at least, the rotation pressure is off, and Pelfrey can stay in the minors for a while longer. But if OHernandez and Soler don't continue to pitch as well as they did in their most recent starts, it's nice to know that the kid has been doing well in Binghamton.

[Elster88]

Bannister to return, too.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Return to AAA maybe.

[Elster88]

I'd rather Bannister start and L Doo K go to the pen. Subject to change.

[Frayed Knot]

The thing about Bannister is that he's not even eligible to pitch for another 2+ weeks - and then he'll need some rehab starts to get hisself tuned up again.
IOW, he's AS Break at best.

Maine's rehab time is up so he's officially at Norfolk for now and only pitching so-so at the moment. One of the papers even mentioned that Evan MacLane may have moved ahead of him on the depth chart for now.

Nice recent outings by Soler & Ducky have stabilized things for now but the 2nd half could bring some changes.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Yeah. I wouldn't be inclined to make room for Bannister on the big league roster, but when a need opens up, he'll be one of the options.

[Elster88]

Frayed Knot wrote: Nice recent outings by Soler & Ducky have stabilized things for now but the 2nd half could bring some changes.

I'm as hopeful as the next homo saipien, but I'd like to point out that Ducky has had about two good starts all year.

[Frayed Knot]

A couple of mentions this week for Binghamton OFer Carlos Gomez:

Baseball America takes note of his recent hot streak;
Since returning from an injury in mid-June, Gomez is hitting .321 and is 14-for-32 in July in what is the best offensive run of his career. Plate discipline is still a problem though as he has 58-13 strikeout-walk ratio in 245 at-bats.

... while Baseball Prospectus reminds us that, despite that, he was rushed to AA and is far from a sure thing;
Gomez is an example of a 20-year-old in Double-A who didn't necessarily deserve the assignment. The Mets inexplicably skipped Gomez to the Eastern League to begin the season despite the fact that he hit an unimpressive .275/.331/.376 at Low Class A Hagerstown in 2005. While his raw athleticism is arguably the best in the Mets system, he's still just that--extremely raw, and was clearly not ready for the double-jump, hitting just .211 in the season's first two months. Gomez's bat has come alive of late, as he's gone 16-for-35 (.457) in his last 10 games, but even that has only raised his season numbers to .249/.322/.373. Throw in the fact that he's drawn a grand total of one walk in his last 22 games, and it hardly seems sustainable. The tools are there, but they are still locked up in the cabinet for now.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'm not sure, but it seems like they have two different philosophies working at the same time. They seemingly push batters ahead, create crises, and try to facilitate development by forcing the batters to adapt to crises. At the same time, they'll hold a pitcher at a lower level that he's seemingly mastered., until he's refined all points of his game, even though hes doing well enough with what he has that he isn't forced to.

That's just an impression and I'm sure there are notable exceptions, perhaps enough to sink that theory before it reaches deep water.

I also wonder if they think that AAA is no place for any but the most modest of prospects.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I just received the following e-mail:

]Every Franchise is built from the ground and The Mets have built some great relationships with cities around the country. And, provide quality entertainment that is the foundation on which The Mets were built. You should honor those cities and managers who put the souls and passion for the game on the line to build The Mets of your future. You got alot of work to do. Or you can chose to dishonor those who have given so much to you. Your chose

My response:

]I choose to dishonor those who have given so much to me.

[Guest Edgy DC]

From whence came this dispatch?

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Probably Nigeria.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

E-mail to the UMDB mailbox.

[Guest Edgy DC]

From whom?

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Some guy. I don't know who he was; I already deleted the e-mail. I probably wouldn't have posted his name here anyway.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The inference I initially drew was that it was a Mets marketing e-mail.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

No, I think it was from a fan of one of the minor league affiliates.

[MFS62]

Righty Miguel Pinango, who has been in the organization for a while (he's 23) almost threw a (seven inning) perfect game for Binghamton yesterday . He was perfect going into the last inning, but shortstop Corey Ragsdale's throwing error allowed the only baserunner. He finished with a no-walk, seven strikeout no-hitter.

While eyes have been focused on more highly touted pitchers at Binghamton this year (Plefrey, Owens, Soler) there was a stretch a few weeks ago when it seemed that Pinango was starting every other day. The Venezuelan has made a steady climb through the organization, but I doubt this one game will force the team to add him to the 40 man roster.

Later

[MFS62]

The B-Mets are now in first place. They moved a half game ahead of Portland and Trenton last night.

And Brooklyn moved into a tie for first place with Staten Island which is quite a feat given their dreadful start this year.

Given that Port St. Lucie already won the First Half Season in their Florida State League division, there could be three Mets farm teams in the playoffs.

Later

[Gwreck]

BMets now have Phil Humber as well.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

They also promoted "Bazooka" Joe Smith, the sidearming kid they drafted in the 3rd round this year.

That's very nice progress for the kid.

[MFS62]

With a bullpen of Owens, Lindstrom and Smith, all of whom throw serious heat, they can give batters a lot of o-fers.

LAter

[Frayed Knot]

BA:
Carlos Gomez of, Mets (Double-A Binghamton):
Prior to this season, Gomez was known more for his raw tools than his production on the field. Since returning in June from a back injury that sidelined him for a few weeks, he has been doing his best to reverse his rep. The 20-year-old is hitting .363 in that span and hit .406 in July and is hitting .435 in August. It is still mostly singles and he still strikes out too much, but it is still progress.

This is the guy they skipped from Hagerstown directly to Bingo earlier this year.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I'll be checking out the kids when they're in Trenton on Thursday night.