Benjamin Grimm

="Met Hunter"] Mookie is actually Preston's stepdad. And uncle. I thought this thread was going to be about pregnant ballplayers.

="Edgy DC":1u447jdd]I think most any shortstop can play anywhere else on the infield with modest preparation.[/quote:1u447jdd] I would think so. And the difference between third base and shortstop is, I think, less than the difference between second and short. At third the key difference is that you have to react a bit quicker, and at second it's the trickier turn of the double play. MFS62 Mar 09 2009 06:42 PM Many years ago, I spoke with Yank utility player Gil McDougald who played in the majors for several years. http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/mcdougi01.shtml I asked him about the difference in playing the three positions and about the preparation for playing each. He mentioned the things you folks said above. Then he added that it only took him a few throws during pre-game at the position he was going to play that day to get his arm ready. That surprised me. I guess that's why he was so valuable to the Yanks of that era. Later metirish Mar 18 2009 01:56 PM I like the opening paragraph. That scout for the Marlins talking about the Koreans using BP to work on moving runners over and hitting to the opposite field is what Manuel was preaching at the start of camp. I wonder if that is still a big part of BP for the Mets. Scouts See Works of Art in Asian Teams� Workouts ] By ALAN SCHWARZ Published: March 18, 2009 SAN DIEGO � He could see Meadowlark Lemon turning two, almost hear �Sweet Georgia Brown� whistling through vacuous Petco Park. As Japanese and Korean infielders gobbled up grounders during infield practice Tuesday and whipped the balls among themselves in bouncy syncopation, Mark Weidemaier sensed he was watching a different sport, a different show. �They�re the Harlem Globetrotters,� said Weidemaier, who has spent this week scouting the San Diego bracket of the World Baseball Classic for the Los Angeles Dodgers. �They�re not flashy or showy, I don�t mean that. But the footwork and timing. They�re going full bore, full speed. They go through every play that needs to be made in the game. They�ll get more ground balls than a big-leaguer takes in a week.� Baseball scouts are known for watching games, but the best in the business focus just as much on pregame practice, sometimes more. Three games can pass without getting to see how a shortstop can flash into the hole, or how well a second baseman charges a slow grounder. But when top Asian teams take batting practice, a scout�s inner aesthete awakens to the beauty of the game. Tuesday night � when Korea beat Japan, 4-1, to advance to this weekend�s W.B.C. semifinals � presented a double shot for the two dozen scouts in attendance. All of them want to be prepared in case any player becomes available to be signed, and both teams� hour of pregame drills had oodles to eyeball. �Korea has a B.P. routine they use where it�s more about moving runners over and hitting to the opposite field,� said Orrin Freeman, a longtime scout for the Florida Marlins who has watched international baseball since the 1980s. �You watch a major league team in the United States take B.P., and most of the guys are just playing home run derby.� As Japan and Korea practiced before Tuesday�s game, Freeman watched from the loge seats behind first base. He saw a distinctly Korean defensive drill in which any ball that goes beyond outfielder depth draws an infielder deep onto the grass to take a relatively short cutoff throw, in large part because third-base coaches tend to hold runners if cutoff men already have the ball. After Korea left the field, Japanese infielders took fungoed grounders at almost infield-in depth, pushing their reflexes so that the real game would feel easier, not unlike how a hitter might swing three bats in the on-deck circle. Rob Ducey, a former major league outfielder who scouts for the Toronto Blue Jays, sat beside the third-base dugout and enjoyed a sonata of skills rarely seen in the majors. He saw Japanese shortstop Yasuyuki Kataoka field grounders in perfect position to turn double plays, and other infielders moving to balls on angles that would make Euclid proud. Korean third baseman Bum Ho Lee charged grounders with the intensity of October, which for many foreign players this W.B.C. might as well be. �They work their craft a whole lot more than we do,� Ducey said. �They work on their swings instead of being pull, pull, pull.� Asked how a typical major-leaguer might respond to pregame practices as intense as those of Asian teams, Ducey said: �They�d feel like it was overkill � �I don�t want to get gassed.� Major league players, not all of them, but they do enough to get by because physically they�re such gifted athletes.� Not unlike how Asia�s practices are more rigorously exacting than those in the major leagues, several scouts said that Japan�s infield drills are generally more taut than Korea�s, a difference they ascribed to Korea�s having larger players with more power and less reliance on basic run-at-a-time fundamentals. Cleanup hitter Tae Kyun Kim packs 220 pounds on his six-foot frame, while first baseman Dae Ho Lee stands a downright behemoth 6-foot-4, 264. Japan has only one regular who weighs as much as 205: catcher Kenji Johjima, who perhaps not coincidentally makes his living with the Seattle Mariners. �The Japanese, they are far superior fundamentally,� said Ducey, the Blue Jays� coordinator of Pacific Rim operations. �They take thousands of ground balls a week, not just the young guys, all of them. The Japanese run hard down the line all the time. Koreans, it�s a little haphazard at times. And Koreans are generally more physical, more aggressive at the plate. They�re more suited for our game.� And still, a few hours later, the Koreans proved that they were plenty fundamental, more so, on this night, than Japan. They beat Japan on execution alone, all in the first inning. It started with the first two batters of the game: second baseman Keun Woo Jeong grabbed a high chopper and threw to first to barely nip Japan�s speedy Ichiro Suzuki, and on the next play, first baseman Tae Kyun Kim dived to his right for a hard ground ball and threw to the pitcher hustling over to cover first. Rather than an early first-and-second, no-out jam, the inning soon ended peacefully. And in the bottom half of the inning, Japan looked uncharacteristically clumsy. After a leadoff single, second baseman Akinori Iwamura double-clutched a ground ball in the hole for what was ruled a single; later, with Iwamura trying to start a double play, Kataoka could not handle Iwamura�s low throw and got no out at all. Two batters later, Korea�s Jin Young Lee stroked a beautiful opposite-field single through the left side for two runs, a 3-0 Korea lead and San Diego�s best imitation of Tony Gwynn in years. With the loss, Japan left itself having to play Cuba on Wednesday night to stay alive in the tournament it won three years ago. Disappointing for Japanese fans, but a treat for American scouts. Just another day at the symphony. �Watching the Japanese fungo hitters is great,� Weidemaier noted. �They�re hitting every type of ball that can happen to an infielder: to the left and right, backhand, sharp one-hoppers, backspin, top spin, slow rollers. Rat-a-tat-tat, they�re so precise in all their movements. To me, that�s what makes this game so beautiful.� metirish Mar 24 2009 07:36 AM I think this quote from Davey Johnson in a way ties in nicely with the observation above from the scout. ] "I'm kinda feeling like Earl Weaver, I don't push the running game," Johnson said. "I don't think that was a big factor when I was playing in Japan. I don't think it is today. I think the stolen base and the bunt base hit, those are becoming less and less a factor in the game." Is "small ball" as Davey suggests becoming less a factor in the MLB game ? Edgy DC Mar 24 2009 07:41 AM A difficulty in such discussions is that we treat "small ball" as a monolith. Not all small ball approaches have the same merit. metirish Mar 24 2009 07:47 AM True , I shouldn't have used that term. Edgy DC Mar 24 2009 08:01 AM Not at all. It's how the writers use it. metsmarathon Mar 24 2009 08:34 AM americans love to americanize their sports. and by that, i mean that we love to turn every sport into football. american football. who needs quickness and finesse when you can have power and strength? we prefer our sports to be blunt instruments presided over by blunter athletes. Edgy DC Mar 24 2009 11:40 AM Not a bad allusion. Centerfield Mar 24 2009 11:58 AM Dae Ho Lee. Not about speed and quickness. Not to rain on the "Playing baseball the right way" parade, but am I the only one that thinks the Asian players lack fundamentals? At least at the plate anyway. They all step in the bucket, they all overswing, and some of their leg kicks are ridiculous. There isn't a short, compact swing on either team.

Right now my inclination would be to send Evans to Buffalo to be the everyday first baseman, hoping to make him a viable candidate to succeed Delgado in 2010.

2006 is a long time ago now. What he did then shouldn't weigh at all in whether or not he makes the 2009 team.

Giuseppe actually disappeared some time before the end of the 2008 season. He seemed to have been replaced by that woman doing the phony newscast about mortgage rates.

Edgy DC wrote: Game-winning hit courtesy of Marlon Anderson, pinch hitting. Retain Marlon Anderson

Some of the 1964 pitchers have been unofficially lobbying for the honor. I'd give it to them, since they seem to want it enough to ask.

I was puzzled by Strawberry's statement. Didn't Lenny Dykstra show up at Mets camp in 1987 all bulked up? Looking back now, it seems pretty apparent that it was because of steroids. So it appears they were available during Darryl's prime. Maybe they were less widely known and/or available?

More proof that the Yankees doctors are a bunch of quacks, and that they secretly enjoy when players are injured.

Which is basically the offer that Manny rejected and that the Dodgers pulled off the table!

How awful. It's nice that money will go to children's charities, but those bats really shouldn't be part of a museum exhibit. "I was shocked," he said. "Unfortunately, it doesn't surprise me." Huh?

April 11 is no tragedy.

Didn't we once calculate that it will take something like 60,000 years for Tom Seaver to fall out of the top 500? I wonder how long it would take for David Weathers to fall out of the top 200?

Edgy DC wrote: Welcome to the Mets, Livan Hernandez. I was thinking the same thing. Or maybe Brad Holt (if today's Daily News article is to be believed) will have a 1984 Dwight Gooden spring and force his way onto the team. No, I'm not expecting that. But it would be more fun than giving the job to a veteran from some other team who put up an 8+ ERA last season.

Having two Rodriguezes would complicate Schaefer voting. Would it be IRodriguez and FRodriguez? Or PRodriguez and KRodriguez?

="David Lennon in Newsday":39ew4cha]Speaking of high-profile free agents, the Mets have Pudge Rodriguez on their radar again, and that pursuit could heat up later this month. They still aren't sold on Ramon Castro, who has not been the most durable backup, and Omar Minaya has always loved Rodriguez. This is his chance to get him on the cheap.[/quote:39ew4cha] John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 03 2009 09:41 AM As I've said often before, I'm not at all averse to the Mets looking for alternatives to either or both of their catchers. It seems a little farfetched to consider Pudge to be the answer, but... Benjamin Grimm Mar 03 2009 09:44 AM Having two Rodriguezes would complicate Schaefer voting. Would it be IRodriguez and FRodriguez? Or PRodriguez and KRodriguez? metirish Mar 03 2009 09:44 AM They still aren't sold on Castro?...he's going into his fifth year with the Mets... Gwreck Mar 03 2009 09:44 AM Very similar numbers to Schneider. Schneider: .257 AVG/.339 OBP/.367 SLG, 10 2B, 9 HR, 38 RBI Rodriguez: .276 AVG/.319 OBP/.394 SLG, 20 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 35 RBI Edgy DC Mar 03 2009 09:55 AM It depends on what you believe he still has left defensively. You've got to sign him accepting that this is where his offense is. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 03 2009 10:04 AM The difference between Castro and Schneider defensively is a LOT smaller than you'd probably imagine it. (Can't find the link now-- check the UZR ratings the last two years.) Sadly, Darth Catcher's bat kicks the living mierde out of Pudge's these days. Unless Pudge throws out runners at a historically-good clip, he's of less value to us than a healthy Ramon. metirish Mar 03 2009 10:12 AM Weather true or not I hate to read reports or rumors that Castro would rather be the backup , it's hard to pull for Castro these days. TransMonk Mar 03 2009 10:15 AM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":2kaquirz]Unless Pudge throws out runners at a historically-good clip, he's of less value to us than a healthy Ramon.[/quote:2kaquirz] Sadly, I'm not sure what a healthy Ramon is. metirish Mar 06 2009 08:08 AM ] I-Rod lobbying for job with Mets BY DAVID LENNON | david.lennon@newsday.com March 6, 2009 PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The Mets continue to monitor Ivan Rodriguez as a possible backup to Brian Schneider, and yesterday in Fort Myers, Rodriguez made it known that he'd be happy to join them. Rodriguez, playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, had three singles and an RBI in a 9-5 victory over the Red Sox. He then lobbied for a job with the Mets. "I think that's a great fit," Rodriguez told The Associated Press. "Having me there [with] a young pitching staff ... could be good for the team. Hopefully, the Mets can do whatever they need to do to have a spot for me." That probably won't happen unless the Mets can move Ramon Castro, who is owed $2.25 million this season. The biggest issue with Castro is his health, and if he has a productive spring training, the Mets could keep him. If not, Rodriguez might get another opportunity in New York. Insert any team name and I'm sure he'd say the same thing. Rockin' Doc Mar 07 2009 06:08 AM Someone should let Pudge know about the Dodgers' upcoming job fair.

="seawolf17":3bnv59da]Who the hell names their kid Marlin?[/quote:3bnv59da] His brothers are Swordfish and Tuna. Edgy DC Mar 03 2009 09:34 AM

Or maybe they're puffing him up for his July 31 trade value. I read some speculation recently that the Mets may pull a summertime deal for Matt Holliday if the A's fall out of contention.

Mets' top prospect Brad Holt ready to audition in exhibition games BY Adam Rubin DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Monday, March 2nd 2009, 9:55 PM PORT ST. LUCIE - The most famous person born in Albemarle, N.C., (pop. 15,680) is country music artist Kellie Pickler. The Mets prospect born 15 weeks later, who grew up five minutes from Pickler's home, may soon rival the former "American Idol" contestant for that distinction. Tony Bernazard, the Mets' VP for player development, labels 22-year-old righthander Brad Holt the best starting pitching prospect in the organization. The Mets used the 33rd pick in last June's draft, a compensatory sandwich pick between the first and second rounds for losing free agent Tom Glavine to the Braves, to select the 6-4, 194-pound Holt out of UNC-Wilmington. After signing for $1.04 million, Holt dominated with the Brooklyn Cyclones. He led the New York-Penn League in ERA (1.87), strikeouts (96), strikeouts per nine innings (11.9) and opponent's batting average (.171). Mets officials say he's ahead of Mike Pelfrey, the ninth overall pick in 2005, at the same stage. "He's got Pelfrey's talent," Bernazard said. "... He's the top pitching prospect. As a starter, he's the best." Holt isn't in camp, but he should now begin making limited Grapefruit League appearances on loan from the minor-league side as the Mets reopen after an off-day. The Mets sent 15 players, including pitchers Oliver Perez, Francisco Rodriguez, J.J. Putz, Pedro Feliciano, Nelson Figueroa and Elmer Dessens, to the World Baseball Classic. Holt should open the season in the Florida State League, but could rise to Double-A Binghamton by the All-Star break and the majors by September. Mets scout Marlin McPhail, who has unearthed such middle-round gems as Bobby Parnell out of Charleston Southern (ninth round, 2005) and Ty Wigginton out of UNC-Asheville (17th round, 1998), was on to Holt early, before he took off as a junior and other teams became fully aware. Holt lost his first game of his junior season against Jacksonville, then won a school-record 11 straight decisions to close his college career, including a one-hitter at Northeastern in 33-degree weather, when his fastball was popping at 95-97 mph. Holt could dominate hitters with that fastball, which meant he arrived in Brooklyn with a raw slider and changeup he had hardly used. Holt's concentration during bullpen sessions centered on improving those offspeed pitches. "As everybody has talked about, I didn't really have a breaking ball going into it - or much off-speed period," Holt said. As for the connection to Pickler, Holt actually attended a different high school from the musician, but his cousin Summer remains in touch with the country-music star. And Cy Young, not CMA awards, eventually will be Holt's focus. "Baseball, fishing, golf is pretty much it for me," Holt said. "Anything outdoors." I fear that Holt is most likely to be trade fodder some time this summer. I hope he sticks around and gets a rotation spot. Whoever gets the fifth spot this year will probably still be vulnerable to a challenge next spring.

I've been getting a Gregg Jefferies vibe from Murphy, and I'm the (so far) lone vote for Jefferies in this poll. I just checked to see what Gregg's average season was, assuming 150 games played, and I came up with the following: 566 AB, 78 R, 163 H, 31 2B, 3 3B, 13 HR, 68 RBI, 48 BB, 36 SO, 20 SB, 6 CS, .289 AVG, .344 OBP, .421 SLG Those would be fine numbers for Murphy if he turns out to be a middle infielder. Not quite as good if he's a corner outfielder. I think, at worst, he'll be Joel Youngblood.

="metirish":1tgpntg3]happens far too often.[/quote:1tgpntg3] Yep. It's tiresome. Clueless Koolaid Guzzler Mar 02 2009 07:15 PM ="SteveJRogers":1qlt4bm3] No, you seem to stick up for the Met organization and players quite often, to the point where yeah, you do sound like a Kool Aid drinking Met fan.[/quote:1qlt4bm3] hey! you say that like it's a bad thing. metirish Mar 03 2009 07:28 PM ] Mets' Santana won't be ready for Opening Day BY DAVID LENNON | david.lennon@newsday.com 4:50 PM EST, March 3, 2009 The Mets finally came to terms Tuesday with the reality that Johan Santana is not going to be their Opening Day starter for April 6 in Cincinnati. Santana will have another bullpen session tomorrow morning, but the delay caused by the tightness in his left elbow is going to push him back to the fifth turn of that first week, which is Saturday, April 11, in Florida. Pitching coach Dan Warthen explained that Santana is not likely to get into a Grapefruit League game until March 18. That pretty much wipes out any chance of him being ready for Opening Day. Benjamin Grimm Mar 03 2009 08:28 PM April 11 is no tragedy. John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 03 2009 08:37 PM May 1 is no tragedy neither. Edgy DC Mar 03 2009 08:50 PM Tomorrow's scapegoating articles can just write themselves. That's a little tragic. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 03 2009 10:57 PM How is this at 20/20 update status on the 'FAN? (He asks rhetorically... since it is.) 86-Dreamer Mar 04 2009 01:11 PM Johan had a strong bullpen today and now says he is still shooting for Opening Day: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2009/news/story?id=3950758 MFS62 Mar 04 2009 01:21 PM ="86-Dreamer":2c4tjkyk]Johan had a strong bullpen today and now says he is still shooting for Opening Day: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2009/news/story?id=3950758[/quote:2c4tjkyk] I don't like it when my emotions are toyed with. Later Frayed Knot Mar 10 2009 06:43 AM Well they're about to be toyed with again because Johan says he's feeling good and aiming for Opening Day (a phrase that should always be capitalized, btw). He used all his pitches in yesterday's throwing session and is scheduled for a Thursday start. So the thousands of trees and E-trees that were killed in order to make room for the multitude of columns and blogs detailing the dire consequences and medical malpractice in connection with Santana's left wing turned out to have given their lives in vain all over a soreness which required that miracle of modern medicine ... a 3-day break. themetfairy Mar 10 2009 06:45 AM Either that, or that liniment really works! metirish Mar 17 2009 12:18 PM Great news. ] Mets' Santana throws four innings without incident BY DAVID LENNON | david.lennon@newsday.com 1:41 PM EDT, March 17, 2009 PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - More than any one pitch, the best indication of Johan Santana's mindset as he prepares for Opening Day came during the second inning of Tuesday's minor-league game on Field 7. Santana was so sure he had Scott Grimes struck out on a changeup in the dirt that he stormed off the back of the mound to argue with the umpire behind him. That's right. Scott Grimes, who was playing for the Worcester Tornadoes last season. Santana buried a changeup, and Grimes -- not used to that kind of pitch in the Can-Am League -- clearly did not check his swing. Which is why Santana was annoyed. "Oh yeah, this is a game," Santana said. "You have to do whatever it takes to even win that game and get ready. Because that's the thing, when Opening Day comes, there's not going to be any practice. You've got to be ready. "So that's what we're trying to do now, focus on throwing all of the pitches, on controlling the strike zone and throwing changeups and sliders. I think we're pretty good. We're on the right track." The irritated Santana finished off Grimes with a fastball that he missed for strike three -- no discussion there -- and completed his four-inning stint without incident. Overall, Santana allowed six hits and two earned runs, with five strikeouts and no walks. He threw 56 pitches, 40 for strikes, and his fastball stayed in the 87-89 mph range. With three more starts to go, Santana figures to build up more arm strength and the velocity should increase as well over the next three weeks. "We're still working," Santana said. "I don't work by percentages or anything, but I think we still have some room to improve and to get better and that's what we're focused on right now."

Kind of selfish, though, how TransMonk has hijacked Johan Santana's thread. Have some respect for the guy with the $137 million contract!

Geez, Monk, I hope you feel better soon. Your account reads like an episode of House.

Ryan Church's concussion seems to be the one thing that's been truly botched in recent years. But saying someone is day-to-day doesn't mean the medical staff is a bunch of boobs; it could mean that they're not too hasty to make a panicky diagnosis. I'd want to pause and make sure too before consigning somebody to surgery or the 60-day DL.