Your 2011 Bingo Backo B-Mets

[Guest The Second Spitter]

(Looked for 2011 B-Mets thread, couldn't find one)

Pitchers: RHP Ricky Brooks, LHP Robert Carson, LHP Mark Cohoon, RHP Brad Holt, RHP John Lujan, LHP Roy Merritt, RHP Brandon Moore, LHP Eric Niesen, RHP Dylan Owen, RHP Edgar Ramirez, RHP Chris Schwinden, RHP Josh Stinson, RHP Erik Turgeon

Catchers: Jean Luc Blaquiere, Kai Gronauer

Infielders: Eric Campbell, Jose Coronado, Allan Dykstra, Michael Fisher, Jon Malo, Josh Satin, Jordany Valdespin

Outfielders: Carlos Guzman, Brahiam Maldonado, Raul Reyes, Lorenzo Scott

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

So... Havens picks Izzy's brain for majors stories in XST?

[Guest The Second Spitter]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: So... Havens picks Izzy's brain for majors stories in XST?

He's "not healthy enough" apparently -- seems he's fast becoming the most injury prone player named not Martinez in the organization.

If Elvin Ramirez (still on the DL) ever returns from the Nats he'll most likely be added to the B-Mets roster.

Looking through the organization, pitching spots below AA are at a premium -- something probably attributable to the cluster-bomb drafting of the previous administration.

[metirish]

Catchers: Jean Luc Blaquiere, Kai Gronauer

these guys gotta make it to the starfleet

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's a lot of nascent talent in that rotation, relying on the sweet and bitter care of Marc Valdes, Wally Backman, and Kai Gronauer.

[MFS62]

It looks like Satin and Valdespin with battle it out for the second base job. IIRC, Satin played some first last year and during spring training this year. That's where you generally play your big bopper. If he has to play there, those pitchers better pitch a lot of shutouts to get their wins.

This is a major test of what Backman can do as a manager.
I'm picking the over/under for the team home run leader at 7 1/2.

EDIT: Saw the Bison's thread. Didn't see Sean Ratliff's name. So he may join Binghamton later this season after his surgery heals (he was hit in the head by a ball during BP). Depending on how long that takes, he will hit more than 7 1/2 homers - maybe as many as 15.

Later

[Guest The Second Spitter]

MFS62 wrote: It looks like Satin and Valdespin with battle it out for the second base job. IIRC, Satin played some first last year and during spring training this year. That's where you generally play your big bopper. If he has to play there, those pitchers better pitch a lot of shutouts to get their wins.

Backo said Satin will be the starting 2B and bat clean-up.

[MFS62]

Good, that means he still may play int the majors some day. If he was going to be moved to first or third, he doesn't have the power to play those positions in the majors and he was headed for a dead end.
Later

[Ceetar]

Valdespin will do SS.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

MFS62 wrote: Good, that means he still may play int the majors some day. If he was going to be moved to first or third, he doesn't have the power to play those positions in the majors and he was headed for a dead end. Later

The cloud to that silver lining: by all reports, he has a Murphyesque glove there, after a bit more time there than the referrent has had.

Also... no Den Dekker, either? He was drafted after a full college career, unexpectedly killed the Sally in limited action, and is pretty fully-formed defensively. Why not push Neuwenhuis a little by stepping the pace up on this 23-24-year-old?

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Second Spitter wrote: MFS62 wrote: It looks like Satin and Valdespin with battle it out for the second base job. IIRC, Satin played some first last year and during spring training this year. That's where you generally play your big bopper. If he has to play there, those pitchers better pitch a lot of shutouts to get their wins. Backo said Satin will be the starting 2B and bat clean-up.

"Backo"? That's new.

[seawolf17]

Remember when Malo was a hot property for a little while? I'm actually surprised to see him still in the system.

[Ceetar]

den Dekker: I'm starting in hi a Florida state league

(He also hasn't played his words with friends game in a while)

Not sure what the plan is with him, could possibly jump midseason I guess?

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Bingos have won two of the last 17 games. I wonder how all of the Wally-got-screwed crowd would like that show in Queens.

[MFS62]

If I ever wanted to see if I could still pitch, I'd like to start against that Binghamton lineup.
Come to think of it, that wouldn't tell me much.
Wally must be going nuts down there.

Later

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy DC wrote: The Bingos have won two of the last 17 games. I wonder how all of the Wally-got-screwed crowd would like that show in Queens.

On the plus side, Wally's psychotic-yelling skills have never been more finely-honed.

[Guest Edgy DC]

MFS62 wrote: If I ever wanted to see if I could still pitch, I'd like to start against that Binghamton lineup. Come to think of it, that wouldn't tell me much. Wally must be going nuts down there. Later

See, that's the thing. While Wally is a potential manager going 2-17, it's That team is awful. He must be going nuts.

If and when he's going 2-17 as a Mets' manager, I doubt he would or will be framed as a victim.

[Benjamin Grimm]

We went to see the B-Mets play in Reading last night against the R-Phils. (The home team won, 3 to 2.)

Matt Harvey pitched, and didn't look great. He gave up all three Phillie runs in the bottom of the first, and then settled down (somewhat) and pitched four scoreless innings until exiting after the fifth. He ran into trouble in each inning, and the Phillies hit a lot of line drives. Harvey only walked one or two, but was frequently behind in the count, which may explain a lot of the line drives.

Matt den Dekker played center field. Didn't do much at the plate (I was surprised by the low batting average on the scoreboard, somewhere around .230) but made a strong, but inaccurate, throw from the outfield on a play at the plate. The throw was a bullet, which sailed over a leaping catcher's head and slammed into the backstop. (The catcher was Dusty Ryan, who would later be double-switched out of the game in favor of Kai Gronauer. When Gronauer was announced, I thought, "It's Top Talent the Alligator!")

Raul Reyes, the Mets right fielder, hit a homer that nobody noticed. (The Herr's potato chip guys where throwing bags of chips in the stands.) I was watching, but the homer went into the right field corner, which was obscured from where we were sitting. I didn't think it was far enough or fair enough, but the umpire gave the home run signal.

Jordany Valdespin has officially become my favorite Mets prospect. He played shortstop last night and showed good range and a strong arm. Had two hits, a single and a double, and stole a base. Wore number 7, and had plenty of bling around his neck. I could easily have thought I was watching Jose Reyes, except that when the Phillies later switched to a left-handed pitcher, Valdespin continued batting left-handed. (I guess I thought he was a switch-hitter.) Jordany's double went into the right-centerfield gap, and I was anticipating a triple, and Valdespin was also thinking three, but the ball bounced hard against the wall and the right fielder got to it quickly, so he held up. Valdespin appeared to be fast, but not Jose Reyes fast.

The best defensive play of the game was by the Phillies second baseman. With nobody on base, he fielded a ball in the hole and flipped to the shortstop. I thought, "Hah! He tried to get a force on a non-existent runner!" But the shortstop, as if this play had been rehearsed, fired the ball to first in time for the out. Pretty nifty.

The Phillies had an abundance of costumed mascots, led by "Screwball" who looks to be Mr. Met's deranged cousin.

The city of Reading, Pennsylvania, I learned, is known around the country as "Baseballtown." I have no idea why this would be, and I'm skeptical, but they were very proud of being the preeminent baseball city in the country, with the most classic baseball stadium in America. They were saying it so frequently throughout the evening, that it must be true!

[Guest Edgy DC]

Birthplace of Zach Lutz, so they've got that going for them.

[Benjamin Grimm]

The Binghamton Mets, during the National Anthem


Matt Harvey


Jordany Valdespin


Mr. Met's deranged cousin

[Guest Edgy DC]

Picnic tables in row one next to the dugout on the third base side is a nice touch.

It's a good way to get a death missle to the back of the head, but it's a nice touch.

[DocTee]

Is that Harvey warming up or does he actually look that lackadaisacal during the game? Pretty lazy follow-through.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Good catch! He's warming up prior to the start of the inning.