Mousetown IGT 3/10/10

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I've obtained a starting lineup:

OF Jason Pride
2B Ruben Tejada
1B Daniel Murphy
3B Mike Hessman
DH Chris Carter
C Omir Santos
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
OF Jolbert Cabrera
SS Russ Adams

Neise to start, Nieve, Figueroa, Parnell, Kunz, Neisen also scheduled to hurl

Home team:
Nate McLouth, CF
Martin Prado, 2B
Chipper Jones, 3B
Eric Hinske, 1B
Melky Cabrera, RF
Matt Diaz, LF
Omar Infante, SS
David Ross, C

Derek Lowe is your NME starter, also scheduled to see Saito and a buncha guys I never heard of.

[Guest Edgy DC]

If you were inclined to read into these sorts of things, you'd maybe note that Daniel Murphy is getting his time with an otherwise B-team lineup.

[bmfc1]

Chris Carter with a 2 run homer. 3-0 "Mets", still in the top of the first.

I always thought that you had to start four regulars in an exhibition game. Rubin tweeted today: "MLB official taking note of lack of Mets star power. Rule is must bring 4 starters although it's now amended to include starting pitcher." I don't know how to interpret today's lineup as including four starters: Murphy--OK; Santos--a starter by default; Niese--maybe.

[Guest Edgy DC]

They are still first-inning warriors, this team.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

They are still first-inning warriors, this team.[/quote:1yx51a0y]

Good habit to have.

[bmfc1]

Neise gives all 3 back in the bottom of the first.

[metirish]

Will Carter make the team?

[TransMonk]

Will Niese make the team?

Storylines abound!

I think the 5th starter race as well as the last bench spot (i.e. the 3rd 1st baseman) races are wide open.

[bmfc1]

I don't know how Carter can make the team. Right now, the bench looks like Pagan/Matthews; Blanco; Cora; Tatis. That leaves one spot--probably for Catalanotto or Jacobs. If they didn't rush to sign Cora or sign Tatis, they'd have more flexibility. Maybe there will be a deal.

Atlanta's announcers: the Mets "brought the bottoms" here today.

[TransMonk]

If they didn't rush to sign Cora or sign Tatis, they'd have more flexibility.[/quote:2gud85sc]
Ha!

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think the leader in that one spot is Anderson Hernandez.

But if they go with a hitter, I don't know why Carter should be out of any mix that includes Catalanotto and Jacobs. He also has options.

If they didn't rush to sign Cora or sign Tatis, they'd have more flexibility.

They signed Tatis on January 29. That's hardly a rush. I think they have plenty of options. Look at the number of players with meaningful major league experience brought in under minor league deals.

[bmfc1]

I think the leader in that one spot is Anderson Hernandez.

But if they go with a hitter, I don't know why Carter should be out of any mix that includes Catalanotto and Jacobs. He also has options.

If they didn't rush to sign Cora or sign Tatis, they'd have more flexibility.

They signed Tatis on January 29. That's hardly a rush. I think they have plenty of options. Look at the number of players with meaningful major league experience brought in under minor league deals.

[bmfc1]

Nieve didn't want Neise to feel too badly so he's given up 3 in the 4th. 6-3 Atlanta.

[Guest Edgy DC]

"rush to sign Cora or sign Tatis": I know that they didn't rush to sign Tatis. The point was sign him, ever.[/quote:1bsj27iu]
Sorry, there were two ways to read that and I read it the wrong way.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I looked at the linescore a minute ago and the pitching lines of Niese and Nieve were identical:

2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Tatis plays middle-infield about as well as Catalanotto at this point. If Frankie the Cat's primary utility is as a corner OF and IF, then why not have the last bench guy be someone who's an actual hitting threat? Jacobs, who can't really actually hit, doesn't count.
Carter's never gotten extended time on a ML roster, much less on a field. We know what Jacobs and FrankieCats are at this point... why not make Chris Carter's file a little less X-ey?

(And if Reyes is workable for the season opener, and the team's still considering taking AndyNandy up north instead, well, FUCKMEBUTWHYDIDN'TTHEYSNIFFFUCKINGFELIPELOPEZ?)

[bmfc1]

Carter, obviously pumped by Edgy's earlier comment, with a 2-RBI double.

The scoreboard had the wrong score, so when it was fixed, the Mets fans in Orlando cheered. One of the Braves announcers said "boy, they don't miss a trick." Mets fans can add.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, there's a lot there. Much of it we've already discussed.

I'm the one who has Anderson Hernandez as a top option. I'm suspecting I'm wrong about that based on his spring training playing time, but he is out of options, and I thought they'd have had two guys to back up the infield.

Much of Lopez is a mystery. Note also that he didn't sign until after he fired Scott Boras.

But yeah, I'm in Carter's corner. I even want to give him number eight.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

NellyFigs: "Don't worry. I got this."

His scoreless 2 IP (1 H, 1 SO, 0 BB) back him up.

Another thing to note about Chris Carter-- that HR came off Derek Lowe, who lives in the Brandon Webb subdivision of the Sinkerballer neighborhood, HRs/9-wise.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'm putting Nelson Figueroa a nose and pair of bushy eyebrows ahead in the race to be starter number five.

Good point about Carter.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

We lose 7-6 in 10.

[Ceetar]

We lose 7-6 in 10.[/quote:19mqt6ao]


apparently we were grand slam singled.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

We lose 7-6 in 10.

[metsmarathon]

my kid does that so much better...

[smg58]

Figueroa may have put himself back into contention for the last rotation spot.

So at what point does Carter get a serious look at first base?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jerry calls Carter "The Animal" for his enthusiastic workouts and early arrivals. Seems like he could be a real threat to Mike Jacobs.

[TransMonk]

So at what point does Carter get a serious look at first base?[/quote:i03aoakc]
I'm guessing it will take more than 8 at-bats.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'm just happy that a bunch of the first base types are hitting --- Carter, Davis, Jacobs, Catalanotto --- and I'm rooting for Murphy, Evans, Pridie, and Hessman to join in and make it a real pigpile. If the hittingest one doesn't get the job, well, he will eventually.

[TransMonk]

True, nice to have potentially fruitful options than the lesser-of-evil options.

[MFS62]

Jerry calls Carter "The Animal" for his enthusiastic workouts and early arrivals. Seems like he could be a real threat to Mike Jacobs.[/quote:whx37y82]

As long as he keeps being a real threat to opposong pitchers, he will be.

Later