Benjamin Grimm

Valadius wrote: We win a VERY big game. Indeed. Coming in to this series I wanted at least two wins, but I would have settled for one. I wish it had come earlier, but I'm glad to have it. It will be tough (but entirely possible) for the Phillies to outplay the Mets by 3 games without any head-to-head. But the Mets are in a much better position than if they had lost tonight's game. I'm going to bed very content tonight.

BOX SCORE Delgado 5 Santana 5 Nuff said!

box Knight 0.5 Schoeneweis 0.5 Figueroa 0.5 Sanchez 0.5 Cancel 0.5 Beltran 0.75 Wright 0.75 Evans 0.75 Easley 0.75

Yeah. I find that I still want the Mets players to win these awards, but other than that, I really don't care who wins. Nor do I remember from year to year who the previous winners were.

holychicken wrote: ="AG/DC"]It seems a lot of smart guys this season are through with telling the voters who to vote for and having more fun predicting who the voters will come out for based on past patterns. I'd rather analyze the players and hope some of that analysis bubbles up to the writers than analyze the writers themselves. It is two games, pick the player who deserves the award and who will actually get the award. If in fact we've reached the point where it's generally accepted that the deserving player won't win, then the awards themselves become virtually meaningless.

Good seats still available for tomorrow's makeup game. I got Upper Box seats behind home plate just over 24 hours prior to game time.

VOTING FOR THIS GAME IS NOW CLOSED Totals for September 3, 2008 (10 votes) New York Mets 9, Milwaukee Brewers 2 NameTotal PointsPoints AwardedPlayer PerformanceRyan Church27.922.791-4, R, HR, 4 RBI, SO.Oliver Perez26.802.68(W) 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 SO.Brian Schneider10.181.022-3, R, HR, RBI.Daniel Murphy7.980.802-4, 2 R, 2B, BB.Carlos Beltran7.610.761-3, 2 R, 2 BB, SO, SB.Nick Evans5.450.551-1, 2 RBI.Duaner Sanchez4.300.431.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO.Carlos Delgado2.960.301-4, R, RBI, BB, SO.Scott Schoeneweis2.290.231.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO.David Wright2.110.211-4, R, RBI, SO.Joe Smith1.070.110.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO.Jos� Reyes0.850.081-4, 3B, BB, SB.Luis Castillo0.480.050-3, R, BB, SB.

Pelfrey 3.5 Murphy 2 Stokes 1

Average wins by position in NL East: 91.4 88.0 82.4 71.8 62.1 91.5 NL East W L Pct3 Avg W Avg L Champions Wild Card Playoffs 1D Change 7D Change Mets 79 62 .542 91.0 71.0 77.48213 2.43448 79.91661 -6.66992 5.90852 Phillies 77 64 .520 88.3 73.7 22.05458 4.30520 26.35979 6.66466 -0.96824 Marlins 72 69 .483 82.5 79.5 .46328 .03162 .49490 .23023 -0.65060 Braves 62 80 .492 71.8 90.2 .00000 .00000 .00000 .00000 .00000 Nationals 54 88 .401 62.1 99.9 .00000 .00000 .00000 .00000 .00000 Phillies grab 6.6 percentage points from the Mets with last night's win. The wild card is becoming a little more likely for both teams, but the Brewers are still the overwhelming favorite to get the Card.

I'm blacked out tonight (because of the Phillies). Anyone know if there's a tarp on the field? Based on the weather reports, I'd suspect not.

A win tonight would give me great peace of mind.

Philadelphia AB R H RBI BB K LOB Season Avg J. Rollins ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .273 S. Victorino cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .281 C. Utley 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293 R. Howard 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .236 P. Burrell lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .256 J. Werth rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .278 G. Dobbs 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .291 C. Coste c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .275 B. Myers p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .042 Totals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NY Mets AB R H RBI BB K LOB Season Avg J. Reyes ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .305 D. Murphy lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .359 D. Wright 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .291 C. Delgado 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .260 C. Beltran cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .277 R. Church rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .298 L. Castillo 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .259 B. Schneider c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .259 M. Pelfrey p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .098 Totals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Looks like they're moving the rain forecast up by a couple of hours. Now they're saying it may start raining at 8 p.m. Makes squeezing in a game a bit more difficult if true. ="National Weather Service"]Tonight:A chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8pm and 10pm, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 1am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Areas of fog after 10pm. Low around 69. South wind between 7 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Hopefully he'll see a great win!

I got the same three that seawolf got. I feel like I should know Ianniciello's role, but I don't.

What could fail? The Murphy at second-base experiment? I was thinking that too. Can we squeeze another year out of Damion Easley as a veteran insurance policy in case Murphy struggles? Since it's not my money, I'd prefer to keep Castillo around for 2009 but let Murphy play as often as he merits, with Castillo picking up the slack and providing late-inning defense.

This is from the New York Times. I'm not sure how concerned I should be about this. I suppose the Mets should certainly let Pelfrey ease up a bit if they open a big lead and clinch early. (And if they get eliminated, they should shut him down.) But until the division is settled, he's going to have to keep pitching. And if the Mets hold on to their lead, Pelfrey might get as many as five post-season starts. ="Pat Borzi, New York Times"]September 5, 2008 Overworking the Workhorse: Risk or Reward? By PAT BORZI With every pitch Mike Pelfrey throws Friday night against the Phillies at Shea Stadium, the pitching coach Dan Warthen will be one of the more fidgety people in the Mets� dugout. Even if the 24-year-old Pelfrey pitches effectively, with little stress, Warthen will still be quite aware that every additional inning he compiles the rest of this season comes with a certain risk. The more Pelfrey pitches, the greater the chances for an injury next year, or a decrease in effectiveness. That is not a notion based on paranoia or fatalistic thinking. Instead, it is based on a theory researched by the Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci and now widely accepted in baseball that says that any pitcher younger than 25 whose total number of innings jumps by more than 30 from the previous season leaves himself susceptible to injury the next year, or at least to a much higher earned run average. Last season, alternating primarily between the Mets and Class AAA New Orleans, the right-handed Pelfrey pitched 152 2/3 innings. Having emerged as a key member of the Mets� rotation this season, he has already compiled 169 2/3 innings, all on the major league level, with perhaps five starts remaining. If he averages six innings in those starts � a conservative estimate � he will finish with 199 2/3 innings, an increase of 47. But that total will go still higher if the Mets make it to October. �Now, certainly, they�ve done the studies, and 30 to 35 innings is that danger barometer, the red spot,� Warthen said on Wednesday in Milwaukee, standing outside the trainer�s room in the visitors� clubhouse at Miller Park. �But we�re talking about the playoffs. We�re going to have to test the waters.� Verducci said his theory stemmed from a conversation in the late 1990s with Rick Peterson, who was then the Oakland A�s pitching coach. Peterson believed workload increases exceeding 25 to 30 innings stressed young arms, a theory he took with him to the Mets, who fired him in June. He could not be reached for comment on Thursday. The 30-inning threshold is an indicator rather than a hard-and-fast rule, Verducci said. And there are exceptions, like Detroit�s Justin Verlander, who followed a 56-inning increase from 2005 to 2006 (when he won 17 games and the American League Rookie of the Year award) by going 18-6 with a nearly identical E.R.A. in 2007. But of the seven pitchers Verducci considered at risk for problems going into this season, four have indeed been injured � Ian Kennedy of the Yankees, Cleveland�s Fausto Carmona, Yovani Gallardo of Milwaukee and Toronto�s Dustin McGowan. A fifth, Tom Gorzelanny of Pittsburgh, is having a poor season. Most major league organizations now seem so wedded to the 30-inning principle that Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman is saying that Joba Chamberlain will again begin next season in the bullpen to minimize his increase in innings. In the case of Pelfrey, however, the Mets seem to feel they have no choice. With John Maine on the disabled list, with uncertainty over what an aging Pedro Mart�nez can give them and with last season�s collapse still in the background, the Mets are leaning on Pelfrey. They do not want to lose out to the Phillies again, which makes it hard to let Pelfrey, the club�s top winner at 13-8, miss a start or two. Mets Manager Jerry Manuel indicated as much last week when he said: �Somebody will have to do something they�ve never done before. Somebody will have to play more games or do more than they�ve ever done before. That�s the price you have to pay.� Manuel said Wednesday that General Manager Omar Minaya had not told him to go easy on Pelfrey. Still, Warthen worries. �When he had those back-to-back complete games at 108 pitches, you start to wonder, are we going too far?� Warthen said, referring to Pelfrey�s victories over Atlanta and Houston last month. Then, in his last start, Pelfrey threw 116 pitches, his second-highest total of the year, in six and two-thirds innings against Florida. �There are some uncharted territories,� Warthen said. �We feel comfortable in that he hasn�t shown fatigue. We�ve backed off all his bullpens. He�s a big, strong kid.� Indeed, Warthen hopes Pelfrey�s large frame (6 feet 7 inches and 230 pounds) and steady mechanics can handle the work. Pelfrey said he now throws only 15 to 30 pitches in a bullpen session, usually on flat ground or uphill, instead of 45 off a bullpen mound, and that he does not throw long-toss as much. �I don�t even feel like I�ve had the same workload as last year,� he said. �I feel like I�ve been a lot more efficient this year. Last year, several times I went out and threw 100 pitches in five innings. It�s a lot harder to do that than to throw 100 pitches in eight innings or so. It�s a lot more stressful, a lot more taxing on your body and arm.� Pelfrey�s innings total is not the only mounting number being scrutinized in baseball. The pitch totals being compiled by Milwaukee�s standout left-hander C. C. Sabathia are also attracting attention. Undefeated since being acquired from Cleveland, Sabathia (9-0, 1.43 E.R.A.) has thrown more pitches this season (3,161) than anyone in baseball except Toronto�s A. J. Burnett (3,198). Sabathia also leads baseball with an average of 109 pitches per start. As a Brewer, Sabathia already has six complete games and three shutouts, the latest his near no-hitter last Sunday in Pittsburgh. The complete games probably stem in part from the Brewers� shaky bullpen, which one major league scout called the worst of all the playoff contenders, including the Mets. Still, his high number of pitches, and the fact that he has completed games in which the Brewers have had a sizable lead, has led to speculation that the Brewers are milking Sabathia for everything he is worth because they have little expectation of re-signing him when he becomes a free agent after the season. Milwaukee Manager Ned Yost insisted that he carefully watches the 28-year-old Sabathia for signs of fatigue. �I think about it every day,� Yost said. �I really do.� �I understand the rationale of, why�s he in the game when it�s 7-0?� Yost said. �But he�s got a chance for a shutout and a complete game. My concern is that we win, and that C. C. benefits from his talents and abilities. Who would not pay extra for a guy who finishes what he starts?� Still, as the pitches mount for Sabathia and the innings mount for Pelfrey, more than just money is at stake.

Here it is in Adam Rubin's own words: ="Adam Rubin"]LOUIE GOOD-BYE: Luis Castillo signed a four-year, $25 million contract last winter. But the Mets are signaling they intend to shop the second baseman this offseason, even if it means eating some contract. Daniel Murphy, who has settled into a left field platoon with fellow rookie Nick Evans, has been asked by the organization to play second base in the Arizona Fall League. Murphy is a converted infielder, although he primarily manned third base in the minors. He was exposed to second base only during a 15-game stretch from July 3-18 when he was asked while with Double-A Binghamton to play there because Castillo's health looked shaky.

Yes! I saw that too and meant to comment on it here. Rubin says that "sources say" that the Mets will shop Castillo around and will be willing to eat some salary in order to move him.

The DH is such a 20th Century rule. Eliminating it would be at the top of my list if it was in the National League. I'd like to see it gone from the AL only to prevent the possibility of it one day contaminating the NL, but I don't see that as any kind of imminent threat. I also, by the way, hate the balk rule.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Voting for Wednesday afternoon's comfortable win over the Brewers will close some time over the weekend. Schaefer POTG 9/3/08 - Mets 9, Brewers 2 I just wanted to keep this on the current page.

Well, fractions are infinitely divisible, but as a practical matter, anything beyond the second decimal point will end up getting ignored because of rounding. Schaefer is a two-decimal stat.

Voting for Wednesday afternoon's comfortable win over the Brewers will close some time over the weekend. Schaefer POTG 9/3/08 - Mets 9, Brewers 2

Things I'd like to get rid of: The DH. Interleague play. The New York Yankees. The current adherence to pitch counts. The impact that the Save statistic has had on the game. Black Mets jerseys Changes I'd like to make: The way the schedule is balanced. I'd prefer 16 against each division rival, 9 against each team in other divisions within the same league. (Some exceptions would be necessary to fit to exactly 162 games.) Start times of post-season games. Number of minutes between innings. Price caps on ballpark food. $2 for a hot dog is more than reasonable. Same with $2 for a soda or $1 for a bag of popcorn. And all ballparks should allow you to bring in bag lunches. (I especially hate when I'm told that I can't bring food into the ballpark for "safety reasons.") More affordable seating at the newer ballparks. (I'm talking to YOU, Citi Field.) I'd redraw the broadcast territories. (Why is cooby blacked out from Mets games? Ridiculous!) I'd expand the roster from 25 to 27. Given the way pitching staffs have grown, there are no longer enough bench players for any given game. I think if I had to choose one, it would be the one about affordable ticket prices. Going to a game will never be affordable to everyone, but the games should be more accessible than they currently are, and the trend is heading in the wrong direction.

Years ago I would have chosen to eliminate artificial turf. Since that's pretty much a thing of the past now, I can use my magic wish elsewhere. I'll have to think about this a little bit more.