Benjamin Grimm

="Swan Swan H":1ls4bnfd]Santana should have been out there for the eighth Wednesday, no doubt. [/quote:1ls4bnfd] Even Bill Gallo thinks so. Swan Swan H May 01 2009 11:57 AM And I think the plan is to pitch him in the eighth because he owns the eighth. Manuel would have bypassed a lesser light who had earned the eighth on merit, but Putz was decreed the eighth inning guy. You may not think that matters, but I think it matters a lot. Bypassing Duaner Sanchez or Aaron Heilman to go right to the closer is different, primarily because Mets management spent all winter answering questions about how happy Putz would be if he is not the closer. It matters. Fman99 May 01 2009 11:59 AM ="Edgy DC":10swftyk]I don't think there's anything new about pitch counts or that they're a bad idea. I just ask that they need to set limits with a more complex thought process than "100 sure sounds like a lot."[/quote:10swftyk] I blame the Base 10 number system. If we were binary, like computers, I suspect Johan would be allowed to throw 10000000 (translation = 128) pitches before he got the hook. Centerfield May 08 2009 08:43 AM We get on him when he's bad, so to be fair, we should mention it when he does something we like. I LOVE that Manuel got tossed last night after the Victorino con job. That ump is an idiot, and coupled with the blown DP call from before, absolutely deserved the mouthful Jerry gave him. I hope the ump watched both replays afterwards and felt like an asshole. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 08 2009 08:56 AM ="Centerfield":1ki0y39w]We get on him when he's bad, so to be fair, we should mention it when he does something we like. I LOVE that Manuel got tossed last night after the Victorino con job. That ump is an idiot, and coupled with the blown DP call from before, absolutely deserved the mouthful Jerry gave him. I hope the ump watched both replays afterwards and felt like an asshole.[/quote:1ki0y39w] Agreed. So... who do give the stinkeye for using a 37-million-dollar arm for a fourth night in a row with Putz (and Stokes) very much available to alterna-close? Centerfield May 08 2009 09:00 AM I have no problem with using him there. This is the Phils after all. Give him tonight, and maybe even tomorrow off. Frayed Knot May 08 2009 09:03 AM I didn't have a problem with using him either. It just suxx that the ump put us into a situation that led to using him. metirish May 08 2009 09:07 AM Rodriguez says he wanted the ball , do i believe that? I'm going to take him at his word. Manuel swears that Rodriguez will not pitch tonight. My wife was watching the game with me and after Rodriguez got the last out and did his emotional thing she said he screamed Pu�eta at the sky. She explained to me it's equivalent to screaming " hell yeah" in that situation as Rodriguez was excited about the out. Pu�eta though has many meanings . LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 08 2009 09:13 AM ="metirish"]Rodriguez says he wanted the ball , do i believe that? I'm going to take him at his word. Manuel swears that Rodriguez will not pitch tonight. My wife was watching the game with me and after Rodriguez got the last out and did his emotional thing she said he screamed Pu�eta at the sky. She explained to me it's equivalent to screaming " hell yeah" in that situation as Rodriguez was excited about the out. Pu�eta though has many meanings . My Filipino grandfather used to scream it at the television when a wrestler would pause too long on the top ropes, preening, before frog-splashing an opponent. I believe that it's usually meant to express disappointment or consternation, no? [As in, "Four days in a row? Pu�eta, isn't why we got a second closer in the first place?"] metirish May 08 2009 09:25 AM ] I believe that it's usually meant to express disappointment or consternation, no? Yes , but it also can be used to express excitement , missus also told me it means " jacking off" too batmagadanleadoff May 08 2009 09:27 AM Anybody take notice of Church striking out in the bottom of the eighth with a runner on first and nobody out after digging himself into an 0-2 hole with two bad sac bunt attempts? It appears as if Manuel favors the late inning sac bunt this season, what with Putz and K-Rod available to finish the game. This is the third time I remember Manuel using this strategy in the last two weeks. I didn't like this sac bunt attempt. Church had been double-switched into the 9th spot in the batting order: therefore, the top of the order followed. Whenever the ninth batter, or top of the order batter leads off the inning by getting on base, the team is especially poised for a big inning. I was able to tolerate the tactic more than usual only because the Mets already had a two run lead. But I would've been dead set against that bunt had the game been tied. Fman99 May 08 2009 09:32 AM ="metirish"]] I believe that it's usually meant to express disappointment or consternation, no? Yes , but it also can be used to express excitement , missus also told me it means " jacking off" too I should've read this whole thread before I started yelling "pu�eta" here at work. Whoopsie. John Cougar Lunchbucket May 08 2009 09:32 AM Actually, the Church bunt was a Sandy Alomar call, since Jerry had been run by that point. As I've said here a million times already there has to cpome a point where they start analyzing the sac bunt based on the chance they can even do it properly, much less its success when executed. Hate hate hate it. Edgy DC May 08 2009 09:33 AM I noticed. I liked it not. metirish May 08 2009 09:38 AM It may have been Manuel that called it , he could well have been in the tunnel shouting " Jesus Christ Sandy Church needs to put down a sac bunt". batmagadanleadoff May 08 2009 09:38 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":352csoiu]Actually, the Church bunt was a Sandy Alomar call, since Jerry had been run by that point. As I've said here a million times already there has to cpome a point where they start analyzing the sac bunt based on the chance they can even do it properly, much less its success when executed. Hate hate hate it.[/quote:352csoiu] I can't prove it, but I'd bet that Manuel "managed" to call for that sac bunt from wherever he was, underneath the Citi Field stands. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 08 2009 09:53 AM ="batmagadanleadoff"]="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]Actually, the Church bunt was a Sandy Alomar call, since Jerry had been run by that point. As I've said here a million times already there has to cpome a point where they start analyzing the sac bunt based on the chance they can even do it properly, much less its success when executed. Hate hate hate it. I can't prove it, but I'd bet that Manuel "managed" to call for that sac bunt from wherever he was, underneath the Citi Field stands. Wearing a fake second beard?

I skip over his column every day in the print edition of the Inquirer. That paper uses a lot of column inches to mock the Mets and their fans. I've learned to not even skim it. Philadelphia is a very low-class sports town. I should move.

It's just about time to wrap up the month of April. Voting for Wednesday afternoon's blown save at Citi Field against Florida will close some time over the weekend. Schaefer POTG 4/29/09 - Fish 4, Mets 3 Voting for this game has been especially light, which is understandable for such a discouraging game. Nevertheless, if you haven't voted yet, and plan to, please try to do so today. Once the voting for this game closes, the players of the month will be announced.

VOTING FOR THIS GAME IS NOW CLOSED Totals for April 28, 2009 (11 votes) Florida Marlins 7, New York Mets 4 NameTotal PointsPoints AwardedPlayer PerformanceLivan Hernandez22.532.055.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO.Alex Cora21.661.972-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB, SO, SB.Gary Sheffield15.301.391-4, 3B, 2 RBI, SO.David Wright8.250.751-4, RBI, 2 SO.Brian Stokes6.450.591.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO.Bobby Parnell5.500.500.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO.Carlos Beltran4.060.371-3, R, BB, SO.Omir Santos1.750.161-4, R, 2 SO.Pedro Feliciano1.420.130.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO.Daniel Murphy0.580.051-1.

He should have savored the moment. I bet he'd never imagine that he'd pitch another quarter century (thanks, steroids!) and never get to another World Series.

="Fman99":36i5h0en]Makes me wish, again, that we would go back to the balanced schedule, play each NL team 11-12 times, and kick interleague play to the street.[/quote:36i5h0en] I approve of the second part of that, but not the first part. Frayed Knot May 01 2009 06:55 AM I wouldn't want a total balanced sked because I think it's always better to play your own division opponents more often. It's just that between the increased number of teams plus the (gimmicky) IL games the ratio has become so lopsided. The old 18/12 (in division and cross) was fine, the current 19/6 (and even that's not consistent) not so much. Frayed Knot May 01 2009 06:58 AM ]It's Pablo, not Pedro Sandoval. Told ya I didn't know him. For the record to close out April: - the Dodgers win again (over the Giants) meaning they've still yet to lose at home. - and the Cards beat the Nats on - stop me if you've heard this one - a 9th inning bullpen meltdown. metirish May 01 2009 07:04 AM What kind of job would you say Neal Huntington has done so far? Looking at their 25 man roster I see quite a few of the players he got in his two big trades of Nady and Bay are there and playing. Frayed Knot May 01 2009 07:13 AM Karstens & Ohlendorf are the two guys pitching now from the Yanx system that they got in the Nady trade. Both are contributing though I'm not sure either one has a real high ceiling. IOW, they may be useful but probably not build-around guys. The key to that deal for them was minor-league OFer Jose Tabata. Signed very young and very talented right around the same time as the Mets inked Fernando Martinez, they mirrored each other's progress on the prospect sheets until Tabata started to fade last season amid reports of not being in the best shape mentally or physically. He seemed to perk up after the trade but is off to a rough start this year. In the Bay deal Andy LaRoche is the guy who'll make or break that deal from their viewpoint. 3B Andy (brother of 1B Adam) came out of the Dodger system as a fairly highly touted hitter but stumbled badly in his first sustained ML action. Seems to be off to a better start this year. Nymr83 May 01 2009 07:13 AM ="Frayed Knot"]]It's Pablo, not Pedro Sandoval. Told ya I didn't know him. For the record to close out April: - the Dodgers win again (over the Giants) meaning they've still yet to lose at home. - and the Cards beat the Nats on - stop me if you've heard this one - a 9th inning bullpen meltdown. its going to be impossible to have consistency as long as the divisions have 5/6/5/5/5/4 teams in them.

="Nymr83":eiyikd0l]I agree with you re: the mockery of a trade with philadelphia, but would that mock trade with Torinto really bother you? Holt is a prospect, Delgado and Maine are hardly home-grown guys (Delgado to the blue jays would in fact be where he belongs) and Schnieder is neither homegrown nor good.[/quote:eiyikd0l] It's really the combination of the two. I could roll with the Toronto trade. (Losing Seaver was far worse.) smg58 Apr 30 2009 05:57 PM ="G-Fafif":2scopwla]1) The Mets send David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Tim Redding and Ramon Castro to Philadelphia for Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard. 2) The Mets send Carlos Delgado, Brian Schneider, John Maine, Brad Holt and Ike Davis to Toronto for Roy Halladay, Rod Barajas and Kevin Millar. In concomitant moves, the Mets shift Daniel Murphy to third base, call up Fernando Martinez and have Oliver Perez and Bobby Parnell switch roles. I think this is a flight of fancy. Or am I dead serious? I'm not sure.[/quote:2scopwla] I wouldn't expect to see Halladay in a Mets uniform as long as the Jays are winning and the Mets aren't. We should have been jealous of the Phillies' bullpen last year, not their position players. They scored exactly the same amount of runs as the Mets did, in a much friendlier park. I'm not sure who'd rather have Victorino than Beltran, or why. batmagadanleadoff Apr 30 2009 06:29 PM ="smg58":39bribgv]We should have been jealous of the Phillies' bullpen last year, not their position players. They scored exactly the same amount of runs as the Mets did, in a much friendlier park. I'm not sure who'd rather have Victorino than Beltran, or why.[/quote:39bribgv] I agree. Overall, I don't think there's a damn signifcant difference between the Mets and the Phillies. Luck more than anything else, has designated one of these indistinguishable teams as the champs and the other, a bunch of choke artists.

="G-Fafif"]Admittedly unlikely, possibly clinically insane Met makeover proposal here. ]1) The Mets send David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Tim Redding and Ramon Castro to Philadelphia for Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard. 2) The Mets send Carlos Delgado, Brian Schneider, John Maine, Brad Holt and Ike Davis to Toronto for Roy Halladay, Rod Barajas and Kevin Millar. In concomitant moves, the Mets shift Daniel Murphy to third base, call up Fernando Martinez and have Oliver Perez and Bobby Parnell switch roles. I think this is a flight of fancy. Or am I dead serious? I'm not sure. That would be the end of me as a fan, I think. I know that teams change personnel, but this would be too much at once. It would reinforce that they're a team of strangers and I think my interest would be shot. Perhaps.

Voting for Tuesday night's loss at home against Florida will close some time on Friday. Schaefer POTG 4/28/09 - Marlins 7, Mets 4 If you haven't voted yet, and plan to, please try to do so today. Plus, I was wrong above about when the month of April would close. I had forgotten that Thursday (today) was a day off. Wednesday afternoon's loss will close over the weekend, and the April Player of the Month will be announced either then or on Monday.

VOTING FOR THIS GAME IS NOW CLOSED Totals for April 27, 2009 (16 votes) New York Mets 7, Florida Marlins 1 NameTotal PointsPoints AwardedPlayer PerformanceJohn Maine53.563.35(W) 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO.Omir Santos49.243.081-4, R, HR, 4 RBI, SO.David Wright17.371.092-4, 2 R, 3B, RBI.Gary Sheffield6.140.381-4, R, RBI, SO.Sean Green5.830.361.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO.Luis Castillo4.710.291-2, R, BB.Ryan Church4.650.291-3, RBI, 2 SO.Francisco Rodriguez4.290.271.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO.J. J. Putz3.990.251.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO.Fernando Tatis3.630.231-3, R, BB.Daniel Murphy2.480.161-1, 3B.Carlos Beltran2.340.151-4, R, SO.Jos� Reyes0.250.020-4.

He will be fine. And the team will play better too. I'm not convinced that they're good enough to win anything this year, but it's too early to write them off. Let's see what the next few months brings.

Definitely should get a day off. Or two. Or more.

I can only imagine what the Pessimistic Mets Fan is saying.

Santana 5 Rodriguez 1 Tatis 2.5 Castro 0.5 Reyes 0.5 Reed 0.5

There shouldn't even have been a bottom of the ninth.

Ashie62 wrote: They ripped down Shea Stadium for this bullshit? I don't see the connection.

Who's left? Santos, Delgado, and Castillo, right?

The good news is that a single can win it.

="TransMonk"]NO WAY we can leave the field this inning with out being at least tied. No way we can? Or no way we should? I'm pretty confident that we can.

I think David could benefit from a heroic walk-off hit here.

Come on, Beltran! Vanis Takee!

Edgy DC wrote: It's not the relievers, it's the strategy. I'M BEGGING YOU ALL TO SEE! Well, it's both. But I'm in your camp on this one. Solidly.

Two-out triples produce mixed feelings in me.

Putz walks the first two (NICE!) and then Paulino bunts both runners into scoring position. What next? An intentional walk to set up the bases-loaded walk?

I'd let him pitch until the go-ahead run comes to the plate. Or, if the Mets score in the 7th, until the tying run comes to the plate.