The Tides (Still) Wait For No Man

[nymr83]

From Adam Rubin's blog:

]Japanese reliever Yusaku Iriki cleared waivers and is scheduled to start tonight for Triple-A Norfolk.

I guess we didnt lose him after all, someone said we had.

[Frayed Knot]

Iriki was "designated for assignment" which isn't the same thing as losing him it just means that the Mets had a specific time for deciding what to do with him after removing him from the 40-man roster (a move made to promote Feliciano).
So instead of cutting him loose they exposed him to waivers. Once he cleared he was simply re-signed and put right back where he was. The only difference now is that he's no longer on the 40-man meaning he'll be tougher to call up if needed.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Chris Constancio from Hardball Times on Lastings Milledge's hot start:

]Milledge was recently rated THT's #15 prospect with the caveat that he "needs to draw more walks". The 21-year-old center fielder is off to a very good start for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides: YEAR LVL AB AVG OBP SLG HR XBH BB SO 2006 AAA 53 .396 .535 .623 1 9 12 8 The high batting average and all those extra base hits look good, but we already know he is capable of doing that. His 12 walks and 8 strikeouts are what really jump out at me. Milledge only walked 14 times in half a season with Double-A Binghamton last year, so this year's performance suggests a significant improvement. Milledge recognizes that he needs to draw more walks and says he is working on getting on base more often. He earned walks in fewer than 7% of his plate appearances last year, but he did walk in nearly 10% of his appearances in the Arizona Fall League last October. This year, he has earned unintentional walks in 15.7% of his plate appearances. Things seemed to change about a week ago: AB BA OBP BB/PA First 8 Games 28 .321 .424 7.1% Next 8 Games 25 .480 .649 24.3% The first half looks like the old Lastings Milledge. The second half looks like a MLB-ready leadoff hitter. If he performs between those two levels of production the rest of the season, Mets fans should be very happy. Can his recent high walk rate be explained by a couple of wild pitchers during their recent road trip? Probably not. Milledge's teammates drew 20 walks during their first eight games and 19 walks during the next 8 games. It's unlikely that Milledge will maintain such gaudy numbers for Norfolk throughout the season, but his performance to date does suggest real improvement in his ability to get on base. It's still unclear if he will ever hit for much power, but he is already starting to look more like the Mets' leadoff hitter for the 2007 season.

[Guest Rotblatt]

The Tides continue to struggle, losing to Rochester 2-6 and splitting a double header against Richmond yesterday (1-0, 1-4).

During the second game of the double header, Milledge lost track of the number of outs, and started to trot home after catching the second out of the second inning. The runner at third came home to score easily. �A lack of concentration,� Milledge said. �At least I did it in Richmond and not in front of 40,000 people in New York.�

Milledge was later robbed of a single as Richmond SS Luis Hernandez speared a hard-hit grounder and flipped to second for a force out.

Against Rochester on Friday, Iriki, who cleared waivers and remained on the team, had another strong outing, allowing 5 hits and only 2 runs through 6 innings. He struck out 6 and walked 2. His performance wasn't enough, however, as the Tides anemic offense wasn't able to push across more than two runs of their own. Milledge remains red hot, going 1-3 with a double and a walk, and the Tides received a rare contribution from LF Corey Aldridge, who went 2-4 and raised his average to .167.

The only regulars for the Tides over the Mendoza line are Milledge (.396), Keppinger (.283), Tejeda (.314) & Sandy Martinez (.214).

In the first game of yesterday's double header, Lastings Milledge was the sole offensive threat, going 2-3 with a triple and an RBI. It was the Tides only run, but it was all they needed, as starter Lima Time threw a solid game, allowing only 3 hits through 6 innings and striking out 6, lowering his ERA to an even 6.00. He walked no one. After the game, the newly blond starter said he relied on his fastball more at the suggestion of catcher Sandy Martinez, who told him it would help establish his change.

Bell saved the game in the seventh (says "completed early" whatever that means), allowing a single, but striking out two.

Juan Tejeda went 0-3, snapping a 9-game hitting streak.

During the second shortened game, Wylie got a rare start, and dissapointed, managing only 2 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits. He struck out one. Juan Perez went 2 innings in relief, allowing an unearned run on consecutive errors from Keppinger and Self. He allowed 3 hits, a walk, and struck out 2. Royce Ring followed with 2 perfect innings, striking out 3, bringing his ERA down to 7.71.

The Tides offense was limited to singles by Milledge, Keppinger, Lambin, Aldridge and PH Tejeda, and 2 walks by Todd Self.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Mets have to find some bats to store at AAA. This could hurt the big-league club soon, if it hasn't already.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Tides got shut out by the Braves on at Norfolk last night, 2-0.

Jeremi Gonalez pitched 5 effective innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2. His ERA is down to 3.52.

Lavigne followed with 3 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits and walking one. He fanned no one. Cumulative ERA: 3.55.

Fortunato struck out the side in a perfect ninth: 10 IP, 2.70 ERA, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 12 K.

Milledge went 2-4 with 2 SB (consecutive steals of second & third). Keppinger went 1-4 with a double, Lambin went 1-3 with a walk (.197 AVG), and Diaz parked his bat at the Interstate line by going 1-4. Lambin also committed his 4th error at third base.

Australian WBC star Peter Moylan saved the game for Richmond by pitching a scoreless ninth. He allowed 2 hits and struck out 2. In 6 innings, he has a 3.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP & 7 K's with 4 BB.

[Guest Rotblatt]

4/25: Tides Hand Scranton's Paper Merchants 10th Win in a Row

Milledge: 1-3 with a BB
Keppinger: 1-4
Lambin: 1-4
Tejeda: 1-3
Basak: 0-2, 2 BB
Ramirez: 1-4 (.141 AVG)
Hietpas: 1-4 (.235 AVG)

Scobie: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (5.91 cumulative ERA)
Fortunato: 0.2 IP, 1 K (10.7 IP, 2.53 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 13 K, 2 BB)

4/26: We win?

Tides win 4-2. Maine dominated Scranton's Paper Merchants for 7 brilliant innings, allowing only 1 run on 5 hits and a walk, while striking out 9.

Milledge went 1-3 with a walk and 2 runs scored. Ho hum.
Keppinger went 2-4 to raise his average to .286
Diaz went 1-4 and is now batting .179
Tejeda went 1-2 with a 2B & a walk
Basak 1-3 with a 3B

Heath Bell saved the game, allowing 1 hit and striking out 2 in the ninth.

4/27: We lose. Again.

The Paper Merchants got their revenge today as newly promoted super prospect Cole Hamels shut us down for 7 innings. He allowed only 3 hits while striking out 14. He didn't walk anyone.

Iriki countered for the Tides but wasn't up to the task, allowing 10 hits and 4 runs in just 5 innings while walking 2. He did strike out 8, but his ERA rose to 3.74.

Milledge was hitless, but he did draw a walk. Basak went 2-4 with a double and Victor Diaz went 1-4. No other Tides reached base.

The Tides are now in sole posession of last place with a 6-16 record.

I'm pretty sure Milledge has reached in about 10 straight games. Maybe more.

[MFS62]

Despite what the clever title of the thread says, it appears the Tides are waiting for a man or two who can drive in some runs.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

- Heath Bell notched career minor-league save No. 100 last Sunday.
(Cumulative minor league milestones are a mixed blessing at best)


Also, several players on the move to Norfolk (courtesy A. Rubin's DN Blog):

- RHP Anderson Garcia, who had a 1.59 ERA and a save in nine relief appearances at Double-A Binghamton, earned a promotion to Norfolk on Friday. He replaces Mitch Wylie, the Rule 5 pick from the Giants who landed on the disabled list for the second time this season with a shoulder issue.

- Binghamton’s Miguel Perez (1-1, 3.86 ERA) is expected to move to Triple-A Norfolk and enter the rotation.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Nice. But last time I checked (one post ago), Norfolk needed bats.

[Guest Edgy DC]

For what it's worth, Michael Tucker went .323 / .417 / .419 // .836 in 36 plate appearances for the Carolina Mudcats.

[Frayed Knot]

="Edgy DC"]Nice. But last time I checked (one post ago), Norfolk needed bats.

And Mars needs women, but sometimes you just have to be patient.

Actually, from the same blog;
... Tagg Bozied, released by the Padres this month, has joined the Mets organization. The Scott Boras client had received a $700,000 bonus when he joined San Diego after being selected in the third round in 2001. But the power-hitting first baseman ruptured a knee tendon and dislocated his knee in ’04 while jumping onto home plate to celebrate a walk-off homer – an injury he initially feared would be career-ending. Bozied, 26, hit a combined .293 with five homers and 22 RBI in 99 at-bats last season for Triple-A Portland and Double-A Mobile

I remember this guy a little bit from a few years back - mostly from the name. He was a prospect of some note back then, probably about the same time as Nady. No word on where he winds up but you'd have to figure it would be in Norfolk sooner rather than later.

[Guest Edgy DC]

If he's been floating, he'll probably go to extended spring training first to get in game shape.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Tides Find What They've Been Waiting For
Crane Pool Bias News Service, 5/4/05

Salvation? At hand!

The Norfolk Tides began what promises without a doubt to be a season-long turnaround with a 5-1 over the Columbus Clippers and a bunch of baby wannabe Yankees.

The attack was led by newest Tide Michael Tucker, playing leftfield and going 3-4 with a double in his first game for the team. Tomorrow, he'll get to look at the scoreboard and see a .750 under his name, and be happy.

Also adding to the attack were Lastings Milledge and Victor Diaz, who each hit a solo homer for the triumphant Tides.

Jose Lima started the game and threw two perfect innings with two strikeouts. This reporter was unable to ascertain what circumstance led to his brief workday, but he will be sorely disappointed at the first cheap-shot artist to say, "Hopefully he's hurt." He was followed by able relief from Anderson Garcia (3 IP, 0 ER), Steve Schmoll (2, 1) and Bartolome Fortunato (2, 0).

Eric Duncan, who some columnist said led to the surprise of something like "all of baseball" when Lastings Milledge was picked by the Mets instead of him, played first (not third) for the Clippers and went 0-2 with a walk. He is currently hitting .235 with an Ordo�ezian .592 OPS.

The fools will try and fail again tomorrow.

[Guest Rotblatt]

It sounds like the parent Mets requested Lima be limited to two innings.

We're not bringing Lima Time to Shea instead of starting Maine again, are we?

Please god no.

[Gwreck]

Rotblatt wrote: It sounds like the parent Mets requested Lima be limited to two innings. We're not bringing Lima Time to Shea instead of starting Maine again, are we? Please god no.

No worries. Maine officially announced as Sunday's starter before Thursday's game.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Norfolk Juggernaut Rolls On
Crane Pool Bias News Service, 5/5/05

It was hard to tell who Columbus Clipper Manager Dave Miley was calling from the bench when his pitcher Matt DeSalvo got in trouble Friday evening in Columbus against the visting Tidewater Tides. Was he calling pitching coach Neil Allen out in the Clipper bullpen? Or was he calling the rest of the International League managers to tell them the Norfolk Tides had arrived and were taking no prisoners.

Or perhaps he was calling his parent team, to let George Steinbrenner know that the Mets have able reinforcements on the farm.

All these were distinct possiblities during a thouroughly dominating 3-2 trouncing by Norfolk over the Columbus squad. The Tides doubled the Clipper hit output, 10-5, led by another home run from Lastings Milledge (his third), and six innings from Jeremi Gonzalez without yielding an earned run. Heath Bell pitched a scoreless ninth for like the 101st save of his minor-league career.

Newest Tide Michael Tucker let up on the Clippers, posting merely a 1-4, which actually led his average to drop to .500. The previous night, the Mets had announced the signing of Jose Offerman to a minor league deal. Looking at the lines tearing open Miley's face in the Columbus dugout, you could read his thoughts.

"They get everybody."

[MFS62]

Nice.

I wonder if Suzyn Waldmann would have covered it that way on the Yankee out of town scoreboard.

"dominating 3-2 win"

LOL!

Later

[Guest Rotblatt]

Tides lose the next two games to split their 4-game series against the MFC, falling to 9-22.

5/6
The Tides lost 4-0, wasting a strong effort by Scobie, who was locked in a pitcher's duel with MF Clipper Rasner for 7 innings. Scobie allowed 1 run (solo HR) on 5 hits and 4 walks, striking out 3, while Rasner shut down the Tides, allowing 5 hits, walking 3, and striking out 6. Lavigne was ineffective in relief, giving up 4 hits, 3 ER and 2 walks in one inning.

Keppinger went 2-4, Diaz went 1-3 with a walk, and catcher Sandy Martinez went 2-2 to become just the 5th Tide to pull his average off the interstate (.210).

5/7
Miguel Perez made his second start for the Tides after his promotion from AA, and went 5+ ugly but effective innings to bring his ERA down to 7.88 as the Tides lost, 4-1.

Perez
5.3 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 2 K, 0 HR

Basak scored the lone run for Norfolk in the fifth inning. With 2 out in the inning, Basak, who reached on a FC, stole second. MF Clipper catcher Wil Nieves threw the ball into the outfield, and Melky Cabrera managed to let the ball go by him, allowing Basak to score. Lambin went 2-3 with a walk, and Diaz had 2 singles. Diaz joined Sandy in an off-road celbration tonight, as he raised his average all the way up to .222.

Congratulations, Victor!

Milledge is in a bit of a mini-slump, having gone 0 for his last 7 with 2 K's and no walks, although MFC reliever Bean hit him with a pitch in last night's game. His line is all the way down to:
109 AB, .312 AVG/.445 OBP/.505 SLG/.950 OPS, 8 SB, 2 CS, 19 BB, 20 K.

Whadda bum.

As no one else has an OPS over .700, it's really kind of amazing that we've even won 9 games.

Diaz: 45 AB, .222/.286/.289/.575

Lambin (.528 OPS) continues to struggle after his breakout season, and Keppinger has struck out 8 times without walking even once since I drew attention to his "improved eye" at the plate. His new line is as follows:

.266 AVG/.311 OBP/.294 SLG/.605 OPS.

Ah, well.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Mud Hens Washed away by Tides
Crane Pool Bias News Service, 5/5/05

Evan MacLane's golden arm helped power the Tides to victory as Norfolk beat Toledo, 6-4, on Monday at Fifth Third Field, an inevitable victory that nonetheless had Max Klinger spinning in his fictional grave.

MacLane (1-0) had an dominant Triple-A debut for the Tides (10-22) as he retired the first nine batters he faced, all without a strikeout. He toyed with them... Toyed! The 23-year-old southpaw ran into some trouble in the sixth when he gave up a two-run double to Josh Phelps, but escaped with the lead. MacLane allowed three runs on three hits and a walk through seven frames.

It was all good.

Tim LaVigne threw the Mud Hens a bone in the ninth before collecting his first save. He gave up a run on two hits with two walks and a strikeout.

Victor Diaz outclassed the competion at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a two-run homer in the first inning along with --- cowards! --- three walks. Jeff Keppinger came up big with the bases loaded in the next inning as he belted a bases-clearing double to center that gave MacLane a 5-0 lead.

That's what happens when you walk the Tides, suckazz!

[smg58]

MacLane is up at Norfolk? I saw him in Binghamton a couple of weeks ago and he looked like nothing special. I guess all the pitching adjustments at the major league level have rippled through the system.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Tides lost again, 4-2. Milledge committed his first error (throwing) of the season in the bottom of the third. He continued to show his strong eye at the plate, however, drawing 2 walks on an 0-2 night.

Lambin went 2-4 with his 2nd home run of the year, raising his average to .191. Basak singled twice, and Diaz & S. Martinez each went 1-4.

Roman started for the Tides and got hit hard,allowing 3 runs in 3 innings on 5 hits and 3 walks. He K'ed 3.

The Tides bullpen (J. Perez, 3 IP, Schmoll, 1.3 IP, Ring, .2 IP) did yeoman's work, going the remaining 5 innings, allowing only 1 run and striking out eight.

The Tides have lost 3 of their last 4.

[Guest Edgy DC]

They win when I'm in the press corps.

[Guest Edgy DC]

]MacLane is up at Norfolk?

Three Bingo pitchers in five days have become Tides.

Ryan Cullen, Evan MacLane, and RHP Orlando Roman.

It's as much a reflection of the injuries of the parent club as a reward for jobs well done.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Edgy DC wrote: They win when I'm in the press corps.

Sure, rub it in, Edgy.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Evan MacLane is the winner of the International League Pitcher of the Week.

W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO
2	0	0.64	2	2	0	0	0	14.0	7	3	1	1	1	16

[Gwreck]

Joe Hietpas, star reliever.
1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 K.

[MFS62]

Omigosh,
Cris Basak has lost his role as emergency pitcher.
Hieptas must be good, because Cris was unscored upon in (IIRC) six games over the prior two years.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

Zac Clements has also mopped up this year. Too many spills to mop.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Tides joined the Mets in gaining a ninth-inning mopup win, with help from some sloppy Mud Hens.

Once and future Met Victor Diaz opened the inning by reaching on a throwing error by shortstop Don Kelly. Once and future Met Anderson Hernandez then reached on a throwing error by catcher Max St.-Pierre.

Future Met Chris "Wicked Game" Basak then plated Diaz with a game-winning RBI single. Future Met (perhaps very very soon) Steve Schmoll threw 2 1/3 perfect innings for the win.