Duque's Calf

[Centerfield]

Latest latest update: Calf fine, but jammed his finger during tooth brushing process. Out for rest of post-season.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Damn! I knew he should have signed up for toothbrushing lessons from Mackey Shillstone.

[metirish]

] BY DAVID LENNON Newsday Staff Writer October 4, 2006, 10:29 AM EDT Orlando Hernandez has been scratched from today's Game 1 start of the Division Series against the Dodgers and will be replaced by John Maine. Hernandez, who injured himself doing sprints during Tuesday's batting practice, was diagnosed with a Grade 2 proximal gastroc tear of the right calf and was left off the Division Series roster. The injury means El Duque is likely done for the remainder of the postseason, and the Mets added two pitchers to the first-round roster as a result. Oliver Perez and Royce Ring will be included for the Division Series.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Yeow.

That makes it Maine-Glavine-Trax-Perez

[soupcan]

Why Perez?

Have the Mets been watching him pitch? Because I have and it ain't pretty.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Well, that's that.

Maine, keep us in the game for at least 5 innings today. That's all I ask.

Maine - Glavine - Trachsel - Perez looks like the likely rotation.

Perez since August ended:

28.7 IP, 4.39 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 10.04 K/9, 3.13 BB/9, 1.57 HR/9

He'll do a'ight. I just wish he were slated to pitch at Shea:

19.3 IP, 3.72 ERA, 1.09 WHIP in 3 starts.

[TransMonk]

I never, ever, ever thought I'd be saying this on October 4th, but...

Where's Dave Williams?

[metirish]

] Where's Dave Williams?

With Oliver waiting to be the long man if needed...

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

The addition of Ring, btw, costs Mike DiFelice a roster slot.

[Gwreck]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: The addition of Ring, btw, costs Mike DiFelice a roster slot.

That might be the only silver lining here.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Gwreck wrote: ="Johnny Dickshot"]The addition of Ring, btw, costs Mike DiFelice a roster slot. That might be the only silver lining here.

There's another -- winning will be the greatest sack-up job in Met history.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I agree with that. DiFelice would have been a waste of a spot anyway.

Is Williams on the roster? If so, I'd prefer him in Game 4. Or Maine on three days.

If Perez pitches Game 4 with the Mets down 2 games to 1, I'm going to have to actually force myself to watch the game.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I think they should go three-man rotation and lean more heavily on the bullpen. Not ideal, but days off will be more frequent.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: I think they should go three-man rotation and lean more heavily on the bullpen. Not ideal, but days off will be more frequent.

Glavine & Trachsel suck on short rest, and they've BOTH have to do it. We'd be shooting ourselves in the foot, even more than going with Perez every fourth game.

I wouldn't mind trying to skate by with Williams starting & D. Oliver pitching after the fourth in one game, but I don't think it's a viable long-term strategy. Trachs & Maine are capable of putting up a clunker, which would mean we'd need a long man available.

I say give the ball to Perez if there's a Game 4. If he starts to struggle, we can yank him before it gets too ugly and go with Option B.

[metirish]

I'm worried about Trax,his preparation has been less than ideal.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

By the time we get to Game 4 it's basically an all-hands-on-deck situation anyway. No biggie!

Trax is going to be fine. Why? Cuz I said so.

[soupcan]

Rotblatt wrote: I say give the ball to Perez if there's a Game 4. If he starts to struggle, we can yank him before it gets too ugly and go with Option B.

I guess I could live with that.

[RealityChuck]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: I agree with that. DiFelice would have been a waste of a spot anyway.

Not at all. Without DiFelice, Ramon Castro never gets into a game unless he starts. You don't play in the postseason with no catcher on the bench. If you pinch hit Castro, and Lo Duca breaks a finger on a bad pitch, who replaces him?

If it's the bottom of the ninth and you're down a run, then you can use your backup catcher, but without DiFelice, you have to think long and hard about bringing in Castro to pinch hit in the 7th inning -- even if you're desperate for him.

Ultimately, which bat would you prefer to have out of the lineup: DiFelice's or Castro's?

[MFS62]

Roster cut stuff;
http://mets.scout.com/2/575259.html

But I haven't seen the official roster yet.
Has anyone?

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

I agree that there's always an argument for a third catcher.

[metirish]

Who was the third catcher in 2000?

[Methead]

McEwing?

[TransMonk]

Methead wrote: McEwing?

That'd be my guess.

[MFS62]

metirish wrote: Who was the third catcher in 2000?

Ex- catcher Mike Kinkade was on the team during the regular season.

For the playoffs, I guess it was Little Joe. (After Pratt)

This year, maybe Roberto Hernandez would be the (shudder) #3?

Later

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Ed Hearn didn't make a single appearance in either 86 series.

I was looking that stuff up btw. Hearn and one other player (who?) made the 86 WS/NLCS roster but didn't appear, if I counted right.

In 1988, only 22 guys appeared in the NLCS -- who were the missing 2 or 3?

[RealityChuck]

Oh, I'm sure teams go into it with only two catchers, but having a third is never a bad idea.

ESPN has the roster here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2006/news/story?id=2612496

Mets' postseason roster

Pitchers (12): Chad Bradford, Pedro Feliciano, Tom Glavine, Aaron Heilman, Roberto Hernandez, John Maine, Guillermo Mota, Darren Oliver, Oliver Perez, Royce Ring, Steve Trachsel, Billy Wagner.

Catchers (2): Paul Lo Duca, Ramon Castro.

Infielders (6): Carlos Delgado, Julio Franco, Jose Reyes, Jose Valentin, Chris Woodward, David Wright.

Outfielders (5): Carlos Beltran, Endy Chavez, Cliff Floyd, Shawn Green, Michael Tucker.

El Duque is not on it.

[Guest Edgy DC]

To clarify, I'm not saying that a third catcher is a necessity. I'm saying that there's always an argument for one.

[RealityChuck]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: I was looking that stuff up btw. Hearn and one other player (who?) made the 86 WS/NLCS roster but didn't appear, if I counted right.

I'm guessing Randy Niemann.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I mean, it;s pretty obvious our righthanded pinchhitteriness takes a big hit with the removal of DiFelice.

Ring is a guy I hope not to see in a game, cuz it'll mean we're pretty desperate. Gotta say I'd prefer Milledge to either Ring or DiFelice here

[Guest Hillbilly]

I'm not a fan of the 3rd C in post season and think it would be a big mistake for this series, I'd go with an extra arm for games 4 & 5, if required.