Frayed Knot

Credit to Jerry for a) opting for Pedro on account of Votto leading off the inning and not yanking Pedro in the face of a string of righty sticks Maybe he's learning not to play the L/R game just because you can. Now all Pedro has to do is get out of the inning and not make both of us sound stupid.

Innuresting stat line on this reliever: 11 IP, [u:m5e87weq]19 K[/u:m5e87weq], but also 9 BBs

Gotta get something here. I hate being in tie games on the road.

Roger Daltry once sang about Bronson Arroyo: I look all white but my hair is black ... Maybe he'll need a substitute by the time we're done with him.

The whole idea behind Mathews was, that as long as Beltan is unavailable, they wanted a true CF who could play in case the 'rarely plays more than six weeks without hurting himself and who knows what the real player is anyway' Angel Pagan needed help. So until such time as the real CF is back, I don't think they're going to abandon GMJ for a PH/corner type like Dye or Stairs or whoever. Someone else who can actually play CF if needed on the other hand ...

MFS62 wrote: John Lackey: 2-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 30IP (Lackey had one really bad start and has been walking more than usual) Joel Pineiro: 2-3, 5.76 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 29.2IP (Pineiro was ripped in his last start, giving up 9ER in 3.1IP) Jason Marquis: 0-3, 20.52 ERA, 2.88 WHIP, 8.1IP (Marquis on on the DL for 4-6 weeks with a sore elbow) John Garland: 2-2, 2.57 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 28IP Ben Sheets: 1-3, 7.12 ERA, 1.91 WHIP, 30.1IP Jarrod Washburn, Pedro (still free agents) Erik Bedard: Expected back in June And the guy who really bears comparison to all them is Jon Niese: 1-1; 3.10; 1.586; 29.0 IP Omar's winter talking-points was heavy on the angle that once Lackey was gone there was no one else out there who they thought any better than what could be filled from inside. Of course we never heard much about a NYM attempt for Lackey prior to his Boston signing and maybe it's stuff like that which has the player's association wondering about collusion, that maybe some shared inside info led everyone to know that Boston was going to go highest and so no one else ever bid so as to not make the inevitable more expensive than it was already going to be. But, who knows. On the Sheets front, there were definitely bunches of Met fans with visions of stealing him with a low-ball offer for this year plus some kind of 'make-good' deal for a second year. Turns out that the Sheets camp wasn't too keen on that (funny how that works) and once the Oakland offer for a straight $10mil came through many of the pro-Sheets folks abandoned the idea that he was such a good idea.

The Barajas 4th inning HR was our last hit. Only a Bay walk kept it from being complete 1-2-3 x 5 suck-fest

Yeah, even after the 2-HR 1st inning I thought he was throwing pretty well. Neither was a perfect pitch but they weren't bad either and sometimes the hitter needs to get a little credit, especially if it's Howard and in a hitters' park. Santana then used a total of 16 pitches to dispatch the Phils in the 2nd & the 3rd. And the 4th didn't start badly either. OK Utley hit a solid double to lead off but that happens. Then Howard flied out and Werth barely hit that dribbler that Barajas made the nice play on and, as far as I was concerned, he was pretty much sailing along. The above article mentions the mis-placed pitch while he was ahead on Ibanez but it was still just a ground single and if Johan catches even a mini-break by having either that hit or the one that followed it go [u:1k8mqea0]TO[/u:1k8mqea0] an infielder instead of between them that inning's over with at worst one run. But he didn't ... and then the sky fell in.

ESPN used to only do that annoying crawl thing at the top and bottom of the hour - for maybe 7 or 8 minutes total - while saving the constant crawl for whatever lesser event they were showing on ESPN2 and the addicted gamblers who watch such stuff. Now they've either decided that everyone is an addicted gambler or that we've all got such short attention spans that a baseball game can't hold our interest unless we're simultaneously reading about who won the golf match on the Japanese tour or what Brett Favre had for breakfast because it's full-time on the main channel now.

The story about Spahn and his WWII stint was that he pitched briefly in 1942 before going into the service. That was his rookie year with the Boston Braves which was led by one Casey Stengel. Well Warren Spahn wasn't WARREN SPAHN yet that season and he certainly wasn't impressing Casey who, at one point, called him 'gutless' or something of that nature. That story - and the fact that Spahn not only served on the German front but won a Bronze Star for his efforts - became part of one of Casey's later routines where he mocked himself for calling a Bronze Star winner 'gutless'.

I think we should just ban 4th innings. They've been our undoing this weekend.

I believe it's Warren Spahn.

Sickels starts delving into college hitters now, and is high on possible NYM pick Christian Colon, at least a lot higher than that one scout Goldstein quotes: Christian Colon, SS, Cal State Fullerton - The 6-1, 190 pound Colon may be the first four-year college hitter drafted. After a slow start, he's now hitting .325/.432/.618, knocking 11 homers along with 24 walks and just 10 strikeouts in 157 at-bats, giving him more offensive potential than most middle infielders. I love the BB/K ratio. His range and hands work well at shortstop, but his arm isn't exceptional and some scouts see him more as a second baseman long-term. My own view is that he should be able to remain at short, enhancing his value. His work ethic and makeup are also considered excellent. Colon is a Scott Boras guy, but his overall potential should still get him into the Top Ten picks. also: Zach Cox, 3B, University of Arkansas - If Colon isn't the first four-year hitter drafted, Cox could be. The 6-1, 215 pound left-handed hitter has a pure stroke and excelled last year in the Cape Cod League, showing his skills with the wooden bat. He should hit for both power and average at higher levels. Defensively, he has the arm strength and hands for third base, but perhaps not the range. He could be moved to second base or perhaps the outfield eventually, but I wouldn't give up on him at third. He's hitting .436 with a 30/22 BB/K in 181 at-bats for the Razorbacks, showing strong contact hitting skills but not terrific power yet with six homers. He could go anywhere from six to 20 in the draft, and I'll try to get a better handle on his slot before I do my mock draft next week. Yasmani Grandal, C, University of Miami-Florida - Six months ago, Grandal was considered to be similar to Gibbs: a strong defensive catcher with a decent bat who could get into the lower part of the first round under the right conditions. But while Gibbs has maintained his stock, Grandal has significantly improved his with a breakout season, hitting .429 with 10 homers, 39 walks and 25 strikeouts in 154 at-bats, leading his team in OPS, OBP, and SLG while showing good plate discipline. Rumors now have him getting into the top 15 picks, maybe the top ten, and even possibly in the top five; one rumor connects him with the Royals at number four overall. I don't know if he'll go that high, but a 6-2, 210 pound left-hitting catcher with power, plate discipline, and a good glove is certainly a very attractive commodity. Bryce Brentz, OF, Middle Tennessee State University - A 6-1, 185 pound right-handed hitter, Brentz is hitting .331/.438/.669 with 11 homers. His production has been solid but perhaps not quite as good as his press clippings: his OPS in the Middle Tennessee context is about +26 percent, very good but not spectacular. On the other hand, he's had some problems with a nagging ankle injury, and scouts say he's being worked around in the lineup: he's not getting many good pitches to hit. They continue to focus on his excellent raw power, some scouts rating him as the top power hitter available in the four-year college ranks. He has decent speed and a right field throwing arm. Brentz should go somewhere in the 12-18 range depending on late May performance and his bonus demands. and, of course, Bryce Harper, C, College of Southern Nevada - Everyone knows about Harper; he's been hyped for years, and he's actually living up to the hype, hitting .407/.500/.901 with 21 homers, 30 walk and 31 strikeouts in 162 at-bats, with 16 stolen bases in 18 attempts. He's made progress on defense, and his bat is extremely polished for a 17 year old playing against older competition. Two negatives: he might have to move to right field or first base eventually if he outgrows catcher, and his makeup has been questioned of late. I'm not worried about the size issue at this point. On the other hand, the makeup thing is somewhat concerning. His work ethic on the field isn't questioned, but he apparently has a huge sense of entitlement. That is understandable given his age and the fact that he's the best 17 year old hitter to come along in the last 20 years. A big ego goes with the territory and is hardly damning at this stage of his career. The thing that bothers me are reports of him taunting opponents. I'd like more detail about that. Razzing opponents has been part of the game for a century and there's nothing wrong with that, but the fact that it is being pointed out as a specific issue with Harper is unusual. The taunting could be an overblown report that we should ignore. It could be a simple case of 17 year old braggadocio that he'll outgrow. Or it could be a symptom of a larger issue that could alienate teammates and negatively impact his career. There's no way to know yet given his age, and at this point I'm not going to worry about that either, not without more information. Even if Harper has significant makeup problems and will command a huge bonus, I think the Nationals still have to draft him at number one. Harper is basically Joe Mauer with more power, and you just can't pass that up, even if he doesn't have Mauer's personality.

Nothing against Larchmont in particular, or Westchester and Fairfield counties in general, but I find it odd how many Mets choose that area to live considering it's a bunch of miles and bridges away. Seems to me that if I worked in northern Queens and money was little or no object there are equally well-off and isolated towns on the north shore of Nassau county that I'd opt for just to cut down on the commute if nothing else. That's what many on those '80s teams did - some even used to take the train line that runs right to Shea/CF - but, to my knowledge, only Beltran lives there now. Didn't Joan Rivers used to mention in her stand-up act that she was from Larchmont? Yup

Sounds like they're trying to create an adjunct to Bondy's role in touting YS's 'Bleacher Creatures' as representing what sports is all about.

Edgy DC wrote: Watching this NOW!!!! Nobody told me Tim McGraw was in it. McGraw's merely looking to expand his acting range seeing as how his previous big movie experience was in 'Friday Night Lights' where he played a southerner who's the father of a HS football player as opposed to here where he ... oh wait! I don't know country superstars too well, and couldn't recognize Tim without the goatee, the hat, and/or maybe some spikes in his hair, but he doesn't look like him, he looks like Tug. Like a lot. If ol' Tugger had ever tried to contest that paternity suit when the kid got older the judge would have thrown him out of court before the DNA tests were even entered into evidence. I believe any hair Tim's actually wearing these days, spiked or otherwise, is, how you say, ... purchased.

This is one of those games where I invoke my adage that if you're going to not hit, and going to not pitch, and going to not field, you might as well not do them all at the same time. An occasional one of these is better than the games where you beat yourself up playing the 'what if' game with a handful of plays. Yeah, if Reyes & Cora hold onto those little flares there in the 4th maybe the whole thing plays out differently but, then again, we'd still have to score at some point. The handful of balls we did hit hard mostly ended up as at'em balls. And oh yeah ... IMPEACH ASHIE!

John Sickels is in the midst of looking at HS hitters and mentions Manny Machado (referenced above) as one of those deserving to go early in Round 1: Manny Machado, SS, Brito Private High School, Hialeah, Florida - Machado has emerged as the top overall player in the high school class, growing from 6-2, 180 to 6-3, 190 over the last 12 months. Scouts are impressed with his glove and he has the range and hands to be a top-flight defensive shortstop. His arm is okay but is very accurate and has a quick release, so it shouldn't be a problem at higher levels. There were some questions about his bat pre-season, but he's shown much better offensive potential this year with a swing that should provide a high batting average with at least decent power as he matures. Pure running speed is his only average tool. Signed with Florida International University, Machado is now aligned with Scott Boras and may be a difficult sign. On talent alone, he would fit perfectly with the Orioles at number three or the Royals at number four. Also pimps up Austin Wilson, OF, Harvard Westlake High School, North Hollywood, California - Probably the toolsiest overall player in the high school class, Wilson features excellent power potential, decent speed, and an amazing throwing arm. He's 6-4, 215, and reminds scouts of players like Andre Dawson and Jermaine Dye. He's still somewhat raw as a hitter, but Wilson is extremely intelligent and has a strong work ethic, giving him a good shot at ironing out remaining flaws in his swing. He has a Stanford scholarship and is academically-oriented, giving him plenty of leverage on draft day. Toolswise he belongs in the Top Ten of the draft, but he could end up slipping towards the bottom of the first round if teams get worried about his bonus demands. Current speculation is that he's willing to sign if the money is right.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: attgig wrote: metirish wrote: Are immigrants like me still welcome here? is this server in Arizona? Believe it or not, it's in Idaho. That means it's run by white supremacists. I demand a boycott of the CPF!!

Valenzuela couldn�t even beat Gooden on a day in which he pitched 11 shutout innings against the Mets (he settled for a no-decision in a 2-0 loss on September 6, 1985). I was at a wedding that day and spent part of it in the parking lot listening to the game on my car radio.

One of the good things (and there were many) about last night is that Barajas isn't exactly the most popular guy amongst the Philly phaithful. His crime, apparently, stems mostly from the fact that he hit like a backup catcher while serving as a backup catcher there in 2007. There's also some story about a passed ball or failure to backup something which led to an extended inning which in turn led to a Brett Myers injury - I didn't quite get all the details. Of course the fact that I happen to be one of those who feel that a Brett Myers injury coupled with Philly angst is the definition of a win-win means that Rod just went up another few notches in my eyes.

Niese - 4.4 Barajas - 1.9 Wright - 1.0 Francoeur - 1.4 Pagan - 1.3

I thought the X-Ray was for the pitch he took off his left forearm. Either way there's nothing broken. Probably a 'see how he feels in the morning' deal before deciding if he'll play tomorrow.

one of these things is not like the other, one of these things just isn't the same ...