Ceetar

d'Kong76 wrote: Poppin' up to the outfield ain't gonna get it done. he's done, release him.

Edgy MD wrote: No, man, right now he should be beating himself up for not running, apologizing to any and all, and reminding himself (with mental hammers) of his obligation to himself, his teammates, his fans, his mother, and whatever higher power he believes in to run until he is established as safe or out. Beyond that, yes, becoming more effective through practice and review is do-able. But then you deflect into your DH argument. Again. I don't get the passage Frayed quotes above. When the ball drops, the runner is forced. yeah. I'm just postulating. I don't blame Dilson for not making it happen, I'm just wondering what would happen if he'd just stayed at first. Would Castro be confused and hesitate to make the return throw? If he pauses and makes like he's breaking back to first, could he distract Rizzo enough to give Harvey time to get to first? It's all hidden ball level stuff, but when Rizzo picked up the ball, he was probably 70 feet from second. Not even close enough to make a hard slide. Sometimes I wonder if runners would be better off jumping while running to first to block a throw ala a hockey defenseman when they're too far to slide.

Edgy MD wrote: Surely you realize that "might" is an impossible condition without "can." sorry, "should and might" make A deal.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Duda's getting hit with pitches all the time now. Teams are shitting their pants when he's up there. Hey, look, I'd like Tulowitzski and think the Mets can and should and might even make that deal. For now our two best non-Dudas are on the DL and we're paying for it. Ugh, I'm so tired of Tulo hints and rumors. I don't believe they can make that deal, because I don't believe Colorado is serious. Should and might though? sure.

so right now, Harvey should be running? What do you think he's going to do to correct the problem of failing to bunt and failing to drive in runners at the plate? Hell, he could do the same thing and there's a decent chance no one even bothers to do what the Cubs did. So many fielders (often pitchers) don't even give a look at second or third when fielding bunts. I've always said I prefer pitcher's taking hitting more seriously to the DH. But I'm tired of the charade. They are NOT taking hitting seriously. There's no strategy anymore because they all suck. Bartolo Colon gets up and we're all laughing about how he might accidentally get on base but it'll be funny looking if he doesn't. Somehow a 24 out game is funny.

Thursday, May 14 @ Chicago Curtis Granderson � CF Dilson Herrera � 2B Lucas Duda � 1B Michael Cuddyer � LF John Mayberry, Jr. � RF Wilmer Flores � SS Anthony Recker � C Ruben Tejada � 3B Jonathon Niese � LHP Today will mark Ruben Tejada�s first ML appearance at third base.

Centerfield wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Of course he couldn't do anything. Your job as baserunner on a popup is to jog back within safety distance of the bag and then watch to see if the ball somehow falls in. With the popup 60 feet away from the bag, safety distance is spitting distance. Harvey's job is to assume nothing, and run like a cheetah until he hears an ump call him out. He assumed, and he ended up looking stupid and lazy. Exactly. There's not really much he could've done, no. Just wondering if perhaps there was some chaos to be sown in reaction to realizing Harvey wasn't going to make it once the ball dropped rather than about facing again and making a hopeless 80 yard dash. I'm not excusing Harvey, in fact I'm heaping MORE blame. Do you think Harvey's going to take more BP? more bunting drills? his job is to be an automatic out and occasionally get lucky otherwise. With very few exceptions the entire league treats it like that. It's stupid, but if they're not going to care about it, just put in the damn DH.

Centerfield wrote: And I think it would be unfair to place that much pressure on them anyway. The Mets need a middle of the order presence, and I don't know that either will be that. Conforto has a chance. Nimmo, I don't think will be that. The Mets need a fearsome hitter that looms in the on-deck circle. No one on this team looms. Duda looms. David Wright's not top 10? He was in 2012 and 2013 and is 12th in fWAR over the 2012-2014 stretch with less PA than all but 2 of those guys above him. We just need him to not get hurt.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Are you really excusing Harvey for fucking up and blaming the baserunner? no, I'm pointing out just another reason we should just bite the bullet and go DH because no one fucking takes pitchers at the plate as something worth thinking about. and then i'm ALSO blaming the baserunner, because there might've been a way _he_ could've avoided the doubleplay.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: They're just a disaster out there. Cuddyer looks terrible at the dish and spiked another throw from shallow left. Niuwy is clueless, Harvey has himself to blame for failing to get a bunt down properly, then failing to hustle. I stand by my belief that no team in baseball has fucked up a greater percentage of their called sac bunts than the Mets have under Collins. It's hard to imagine it being possible even. The Mets are actively campaigning for the DH in the NL and Bartolo Colon is their champion. While of course it's bad that Harvey didn't run it's the mindset that he's up there to make an out, getting on base isn't even in his head. The concept of a pitcher sacrifice bunting and it just being what happens is so routine that it doesn't even enter into Harvey's mind that baserunning is part of his job up there. And the runner (was it Plawecki? I'm blanking) was basically back to first base anyway. I know instinct says to run when you realize he's dropping it, but he should've just stayed at first right? Or gotten into a rundown at least. If they throw to second, he can get back to first. If they run at him, maybe Harvey has time to get to first.

Infiniti: Now with backup cameras to keep people who turned around to look at the backup camera from backing into things.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: There are indeed worse things than weathering injuries while in first place during May. But aren't we aiming for better? Murphy, at absolute best, is a pretty good-- not GREAT, mind you, but pretty good-- offensive player for the position he plays. He's been nowhere near his absolute best for the better part of two months now. I'm not saying you trade him now; at his current, likely trade value, that would probably be ludicrous. But, yeah, he'd be movable for upgrades elsewhere were he being his best self; I sure as hell don't want him in the starting lineup over the more promising bat/stronger glove in Herrera. It's been closer to 1 month than 2. What if him in the lineup over the 'promising bat/stronger glove' Herrera costs the Mets 2 wins over the course of the season while Herrera is discovering that promise?

I'm gonna reserve judgement on if he's Harvey or Wheeler (hell, I'm still reserving judgement on Wheeler) after one start, I suspect Thor is Thor.

I'd be surprising if Cuddyer and Murphy don't pick it up, track record and all. Granderson, as reported by stats in that thread, is fine. Lagares is middling, but that's fine with his defense. Plawecki and Herrera/Campbell are the guys that have gotten the most AB due to the injuries to two good players, and they haven't carried the weight. If they did, it'd make it easier to wait on Murphy and Cuddyer contributing and easier to carry Flores for a weekly XBH or two or Tejada for the OBP. But that's how you get 7-10. Someone will run off a hot streak that shows up their potential, or Cuddyer or Murphy or both will get back to what a whole ton of AB suggests they will, and they'll score some more runs. It's a delicate balance between trying to figure out what is going to fix itself during a downturn and what needs to be truly addressed.

Centerfield wrote: Can someone explain to me why Ruben Tejada is starting 3 out of the last 4 games when the offense is struggling as badly as it is? Infuriating. because he's a better bet to get on base than Flores and Herrera? Particularly Flores, who if the offense picks up and Wright returns , you could drop for Tejada for defensive reasons. Turns the lineup over. I'd rather get him on and that mean maybe bringing up Lucas Duda and the real hitters another time than banking on Flores hitting his weekly home run that day.

they lost 2 of their better hitters. That's why they're not hitting. But I'll take alternated 14-3 and 7-10 streaks. Hell, I'd probably take alternated 11-6 and 7-10 streaks.

Well Marvel Superheroes didn't work, let's try DC.

Tuesday, May 12 @ Chicago Curtis Granderson � RF Daniel Murphy � 3B Michael Cuddyer � LF Lucas Duda � 1B Wilmer Flores �SS Kirk Nieuwenhuis � CF Kevin Plawecki � C Noah Syndergaard � RHP Ruben Tejada � 2B

Lefty Specialist wrote: Thanks ReadTheApple.

MFS62 wrote: I'd like to see Recker catch him, to guide him through any rookie jitters he might have. Later Plawecki has caught him so many times..

Happy Thorsblot!

no Tejada.

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: Pineda was the guy who was busted for having all that pine tar on his neck last year, right? yes. I might just respond to any thing about this with pictures of pine trees.

Let's not forget Thor's coming from the PCL, where offense is fairly high.