Frayed Knot

Chad Ochoseis wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Like I said, maybe it's just SSS. Plus there's really no obvious solution, not now anyway. There's no opening across the diamond for him and we're not going to "Sandoval" him both because of the contract and because, unlike Panda, David can still hit and doesn't have a body shape where his belt breaks when he swings. Eh, it's this season, plus ST, plus the 2015 postseason, at least. The sample size isn't that small anymore. Dabidrye is officially my biggest worry. I'm sticking with 'SSS' for now. Some NYM fans have been scheming to move him across the diamond since about 10 minutes after his ML debut under the thinking that finding a guy who can actually play the position is as easy as the nearest over-turned rock while seemingly being unaware that your 3B and/or SS are almost always going to lead the team in errors. I was never in that camp but this opening week has been the first time he's ever looked sub-par to me. In just 5 starts there have been about a half-dozen '50/50' type of plays and he hasn't made any of them. Only one error I think, but a bunch of 'couldas' and maybe even 'shouldas' where the play has habitually been just a hair late. Should that continue it'll start adding up to a bunch of missed outs and lengthened innings for the staff and that would start to be a problem. The offense I'm not so worried about. I understand the apprehension due to the back condition and who knows how he'll look longer term. But, since his return from the diagnosis, he's put up a line of .292/.389/.439 over just shy of 200 PAs (compared to his .286/.364/.451 from 2011-14). Not a huge sample -- although a lot bigger than the small one with the fielding woes that have me worried -- and it's also coming off what were essentially two separate months-long interruptions [Apr-Aug, then again Nov-Mar] and with limited spring training. He's not going to be Panda'd because Sandoval hit like shit last year and then came into camp this spring looking even worse which led to him losing his job, despite the huge contract and still being under 30 y/o, to some 26 y/o, 9th round draft pick with 1/2 season under his belt. As long as David can stay on the field and hit he'll play. But if he's going to be a net-negative defender for (IMO) the first time in his career, then he'll need to keep the hitting up in order to not be a drag on the roster. We're a long way from that yet.

There's just no margin for error with this team.

Big Jim [crossout:1ak58ita]Slade[/crossout:1ak58ita] Henderson comes on to save the night. [fimg=300:1ak58ita]http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsP/58856.gif[/fimg:1ak58ita]

Perfect throw ... six months too late.

Despite what Gary says about the hanging Ks being invented for Gooden, I remember that tradition as being started for Nolan Ryan, I believe out in Anaheim.

And a 10 pitch 1-2-3 inning lets Fernandez get right back on schedule with his pitch count (helped out by a wind-aided Cespedes fly out).

On the flip side, the big Viking looks awesome so far. And as I type this the pitcher breaks up the no-hitter. Shades of deGrom last year and his game-opening 8-Ks streak.

Nice that we've worked Fernandez's pitch count up (50+) and got the early lead. But also frustrating with all those LOBs and only making Fernandez get 4 outs thru 2 (Duda's out on the base paths plus the sac bunt)

A bit worried about Dabid's defense. There has always been a segment of Met fans who've been trying to move Wright over to the other side of the diamond since shortly after his rookie season. And while I've never been one of them understand that this current stretch could just be a case of small sample size, he's costing his pitchers outs at this point, maybe 3 or 4 just this season so far as basically anything hit down to him lately that isn't routine has become a 50/50 proposition via wide throws, weak throws, double-clutching, or just slower reactions. Last night it was the 1st inning play vs Yellich which, although turned out to be about the only thing that didn't blow up in Matz's face, it did cost him another half=dozen or so pitches to put the inning to bed and putting guys on with 2-outs in front of Giancarlo is going to come back to bite someone eventually. Like I said, maybe it's just SSS. Plus there's really no obvious solution, not now anyway. There's no opening across the diamond for him and we're not going to "Sandoval" him both because of the contract and because, unlike Panda, David can still hit and doesn't have a body shape where his belt breaks when he swings.

cooby wrote: Game time please? Yesterday's was nearly four hours. We won't know about this one until it's over.

Halfway through the game and we're barely over 2 hours gone. Ugh!

Edgy MD wrote: Adam Rubin tweeting that Stacy deG is a-laborin'. Hope she doesn't pull a lat.

The fact that they're seemingly alive here -- going 1st to 3rd on both base hits and passed balls, and taking decent ABs -- is at least a good sign for those looking to grab onto something tonight.

Zvon wrote: Matz didn't look as bad as his line . He couldn't possibly.

I'm not watching the ESPN feed so I don't know specifically what you're referring to, but Schilling has had bouts with throat and mouth cancer (chewing tobacco) so I'm betting it's him and has something to do with that.

cooby wrote: 1. Goodnight. I'm going to bed 2. Who is the ESPN crew? Hubby and I are trying to figure out who the guy is who needs to swallow Karl Ravech (ESPN guy), Eduardo Perez (ex-player, son of Tony), Curt Schilling (ex-pitcher, current loud mouth).

Orioles hold on to stay undefeated. 111 pitches for Verlander thru just 4.1 IP Combine that with his interrupted (just 20 starts in '15) and mostly mediocre seasons over the last two years (20-20, 4.08, 1.28 WHiP), Tigger fans are probably more worried about him that we could possibly be about Harvey. Still only just turned 33 y/o (Feb) you wonder if all those seasons of heavy work loads (avg of 238 IP/yr from 2009-13) took a toll.

Rockin' Doc wrote: I don't know how adequate Schwarber is defensively as a catcher, Not. And that's their bigger problem; he's essentially a 1B/DH on a team that already has a star 1B and in a league that only uses a DH in 10% of their games. Meanwhile, Braves reliever Dan Winkler broke his arm throwing a pitch in Sunday's game vs StL I remember Dave Dravecky doing that but his arm had already been weakened (and was later amputated) due to cancer.

Frayed Knot wrote: MFS62 wrote: Run production - not getting hits [crossout]in bunches[/crossout]. Put another way, in five games this team has 1, 1, 5, 0, and 1 run scoring hits Game #1 - Duda's bloop double barely over 3B scoring two was the only RBI hit (one other run came in via a ground-out) Game 2 - Walker's 2R HR account for all the scoring Game 3 - five separate run-scoring hits all off the Philly bullpen (so there's an asterisk involved) plus deGrom's groundout RBI Game 4 - shutout Game 5 - only Cespedes's HR

MFS62 wrote: Run production - not getting hits [crossout]in bunches[/crossout].

Granderson has at least hit some balls decently well but either at some fielders or just shy of the wall. Not that that puts a happy face on .050 or anything, but it knocks him down the worries list for me. Put another way, he's certainly flailing around a lot less than some others out there: d'Arnaud, Duda, and even Cespedes aside from him finally stumbling on a mistake pitch he could crush in Sunday's game.

cooby wrote: weather? Yes there will be.

It just seems that, since you accept reader comments on games, that accepting votes on PotG would be would be a natural. Plus it might increase Schafer participation and maybe even advertise the Pool a bit more.

So Grimm, are visitors to UMDB being offered (encouraged?) the opportunity to vote on these games or is PotG remaining essentially a secret project for us CPF elitists?

"Lingering back soreness" will cause deGrom to skip Wednesday's scheduled start vs Miami sez the NYDN. "We’re not going to take the chance,” manager Terry Collins said. deGrom himself added; "It's quite a bit better today, I think we're going to err on the side of caution, though, this early in the season." Logan Verrett is the probable replacement.