batmagadanleadoff

Matthews' biggest threat is Matthews. Like most everybody else, he's probably his own worst enemy.

Rod Barajas is 8-19 lifetime against C.C. Sabathia with three HR's.

I know Jerry better than you know Jerry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

JoePet's pre-game treat of the day:

SI Subway:

Joe's a little toasted himself.

Subway Series Subway Heroes Subway Starters

After crushing a Randy Johnson pitch over MFY center-fielder Bernie Williams for a double, Dae-Sung Koo then scores from second base on a sacrifice when home plate is left unguarded. Carlos Delgado is in nine ribeye steaks in one game form.

Maine comes clean. The pitching coach Dan Warthen called Maine a �habitual liar� about his health. That also upset Maine, who claimed he felt no pain or discomfort in his shoulder. But finally on Saturday Maine acknowledged that there was a problem with his shoulder. He will have more extensive tests Monday to see if doctors can determine what is wrong. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/sports/baseball/23mets.html

Johan and Pelfrey, then Don't Pray for Aridity (Not to be confused with the Johan and Pelfrey then pray for snow flurries thread.) Tonight, Johan Santana will try and avenge his last start against the MFY's -- his worst outing ever, to date. But not as worse as Johan's last start against the Phillies three weeks ago, which was worser than his worst.

Jerry had his genius cap on today. Bringing in Frankie with the bases loaded in the 8th and one out was the genius move of the year. I woulda said so even if Frankie got bombed. Now that's how I'd use my best reliever. That's a save!

Cranberry! Strawberry! Let's Go, Jerry! (Not to be confused with the Cranberry! Strawberry! Let Jerry Go! thread.) ... and a pre-game treat from JoePet: Yesterday's NY Post back page:

Ceetar wrote: Are we basically not going to see Maine again because [Jerry] Manuel doesn't want to? That's hardly a fair way to judge pitchers, let's just cut them.... It's not fair at all. I agree. We should at least run the idea by Bobby Cox and Charlie Manuel. They're better managers than Jerry.

Yesterday I called up the Mets and demanded that Jerry send me a copy of Maine's medical chart and all MRI films because I'd like to personally monitor Maine's condition.

Two weeks ago, I mailed Manuel a letter asking him to send me a copy of the Mets secret code book and decoder of third base coach signs ---- The Manuel Manual! You know ... so I could understand the game better when I watch it.

Blame it on Jerry.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Yes, but Mike Scott was throwing a different pitch, and mixing the others in different proportion. None of the stuff in Barajas' plate approach-- visually, or in the sort of numbers he has direct control over (swinging/contact rates in/out of the strike zone, e.g.)-- seems to have changed... merely the result. That he's seeing bigger HR/FB numbers out of that is more likely to be fluky than not. And honestly, at least part of reason for such pee-in-the-Cheerios treatment is that it keeps undue hope formation-- you enjoy found money, but if you "budget" for it (either practically as a GM, or in your rooting heart as a fan) that call for it, you're probably setting yourself up for a fall. I totally agree with you. I'm not suggesting that a Mike Scott-like turnaround is common generally, or even likely to be happening to Barajas. But just to play devil's advocate, how do you know that Barajas' new found HR output isn't attributable to something other than luck? Maybe he's swinging a lighter bat this year ... or choking up an inch or two higher ... or standing closer to home plate ... or farther from home plate? Me, I hardly knew anything about Rod before this season other than that a few years ago, the Mets wanted him and then spurned him. He's kinda Kingmanesque offensively, only much more tolerable because he's taking his AB's from the 7th and 8th slots. And he's got defensive value.

At this stage of the 1990 season, the Mets had the exact record they do now: 20-22. At two games below .500, Davey Johnson was fired, and that guy won a World Series and a division title for them, finishing first or second six years in a row. Big Yellow Taxi is right because in all of the 20 years following 20 years ago, the Mets had but one good manager and Wilpon fired him the first second he could.

soupcan wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Totally different scenario batmags. Warren Beatty wasn't just the owner - he was the QB. Sure he died and was in a different body but he he still possessed the skillz to pay the billz. But not before getting Farnsworth's body into tip-top shape.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: It was nothing. To see it in the park you'd think there was just an injury on the last pitcher or whatever. Mike Vaccaro of the Post (who like me thinks Jerry oughta be fired) brings it strong in his condemnation of Maine and support for Jerry last night (just like me). And me. Don't forget about me. I'm not gonna blame Jerry for managing a win ... or not wanting to wait for Maine to walk a few batters right before giving up a 450 foot bomb to Adam Dunn.

Ceetar wrote: Ceetar wrote: ..but the guy works hard, and tries his best to compete. Am I really going to criticize that? Especially only 10-12 starts post-injury? Is that enough to say a guy's done? If you're asking me, I'd say that you'll begin by concluding that whatever it is, it's Jerry's fault, and then come up with something, anything, to support your conclusion. Warthen and Manuel never addressed a specific injury. Did Maine go to the trainer after he left? the media circus following that was a mess. "He didn't look right, wasn't throwing hard." is not a diagnosis...where does this leave us? "He didn't look right" is indeed a diagnosis, and sometimes, the best damn one. Because the best managers, in addition to being able to control the clubhouse and understand tactics and in-game strategy, can evaluate a player by simply looking at him, sometimes for no more than a few seconds. Gil Hodges had this talent in spades. So did Earl Weaver. And Branch Rickey*. And Davey Johnson and Bobby Valentine. Remove these guys from the dugout and put them in the scouting department, and they'd surely establish themselves as the best judges of talent soon enough. Maybe Jerry had it last night when it mattered. *General, not field manager.

Ceetar wrote: ..but the guy works hard, and tries his best to compete. Am I really going to criticize that? Especially only 10-12 starts post-injury? Is that enough to say a guy's done? If you're asking me, I'd say that you'll begin by concluding that whatever it is, it's Jerry's fault, and then come up with something, anything, to support your conclusion.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Mark Lerner took a ball to the face while shagging flies before the game with the Mets. My first reaction was "Goofball. It's not a fantasy camp." But the more I thought about it, I thought it was kind of cool. If I owned a team and could get away with it, I'd try it, too.