Ceetar

batmagadanleadoff wrote: David Wright is on pace to break Kranepool's franchise career hit record on Friday, September 14, 2012, at Milwaukee. factoring in a couple of days of rest, he could do it at home the following week when Philly is in town.

Edgy DC wrote: Doesn't really matter who's first. Having four guys like that on track is fine by me. Sort of the main reason I think the Mets gain an advantage as the season progresses. Greater chance that somebody emerges. indeed. Meija is also on the roster, due to that 2010, so all things being equal.. He's also already proven he has at least some ability to get major league hitters out. But still, Mets official, lets actually let him throw a game or two back from Tommy John before we rank them?

small sample size and all, but I'm sold on Lewin.

WHeeee...that was fun. sloppy early but the Mets adjusted and now are playing crisp baseball and the Phillies botching things.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: But there's so much other noise/random variance, even if you're comparing performance with two catchers and the same pitcher. If all you have is the appearance of different performance, well... it's really tough to call it a trend, rather than a collision of random circumstances. And that there may be a statistically-significant difference in how someone performs with two different catchers doesn't tell us ANYTHING about the why, and-- unlike with ERA (another problematic, noisy stat)-- it's damn near impossible to untangle the why, even with Pitch F/X. Without any hint of the "why," I'm not sure there's any predictive value to these numbers. Well, we're probably grasping at straws here in terms of 'best choice to bring up' but the Mets also have more data than we do. Maybe that's telling. A career of seeming to be a good game-caller may hint at some 'why'. Of course, you'd have to figure some of that has to do with relationship and Johnson does not have that with these pitchers. He doesn't really know what they like to throw and why and how. Well, except he's probably caught Dickey some back in 2008. I wonder if that played in at all. I wonder if he'll catch Dickey's starts.

It's worth pointing out that defensive metrics are already really sketchy and catching ones doubly so.

Plenty of film exists, plus he's seen plenty of these guys before. Kuroda, Liriano, Colon. Not much.. but that's like saying Pujols can't hit rookies. Actually, that'd be harder because the tape and prep work wouldn't be there for rookies as much. Plus, a pitcher needs only to make one mistake "oops, Pujols can hit that down and away pitch?" whereas if Pujols misreads a curveball he probably gets two more strikes. It's probably just a slump. Maybe it's made worse by the team switch. change is not easy for most people, never mind baseball players. new city, new home, new routine, family maybe not there yet, workout regiment is probably slightly different with different people in a different climate. Adapting, even if you enjoy change and the excitement of new experiences, is mentally straining and perhaps that leaves him somewhat sapped when it comes to the mental effort of facing pitchers?

yeah, I find it hard to understand what they saw in him to bring him in in the first place, and why he's the third string guy.

I suspect Nickeas is going to get at least half those starts anyway. At the very least he better get Dickey's starts.

Mets � Willets Point wrote: Grimm's post and all the response to it are blank for me. it's a victoria secret ad.

MFS62 wrote: Pitching prospect Zach Wheeler should be ready to come off the minor league DL soon. He was on it for a torn fingernail. This is the second time this has happened in his minor league career. I'd get the kid a large supply of Gelatin and an hour-long session with Dr. R.A. Dickey on the care of finger nails. Later Dickey's solution is to have the team cook take him to a nail salon.

intriguing.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: pretty sure Pink is playing both sides of the fence.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I suspect we'll see DJ Carrasco today, possibly auditioning to start the next time through himself. Whatever happens I hope Batista can hold him off till the 5th but I can't make an argument as to why he would. Wondering aloud whether Acosta or Ramirez might try the starting route also. They tried Carrasco in a start last year right? I guess it makes sense throw him in in LR after Batista if he struggles and he's on target to take the next one. the conspiracy theory is that Gary Cohen noted Batista going to the bullpen late in the game last night. Maybe the Mets are on the cusp of signing someone to make the start?

That Philly-Washington rivalry is really heating up isn't it?

Basically if there is one team you'd want to face as a struggling pitcher, it's the Phillies. You can't forget that the Phillies power is so bad AND they play in an extremely hitter friendly ballpark. Hopefully Blanton is a step off after his long CG. Chase him out of the game, the Phillies bullpen is really bad and we already wore out their best reliever. on top of that, Cliff Lee is returning from the DL, and even if he's super effective I can't imagine they'd want to push him deep.

Dickey 5 Francisco 0.5 Murphy 1.5 Thole 1 Torres 1 Turner .5 Tejada 1

Niese 2 Valdespin 2 Wright 2 Torres 1 Nickeas 1 Acosta 0.5 Parnell 1 Francisco 0.5

From Elias: Jordany Valdespin's first major-league hit was a pinch-hit, go-ahead, two-out, three-run homer off Jonathan Papelbon that propelled the Mets to a 5-2 victory in Philadelphia. Valdespin became the first player in major-league history whose first hit was a home run off a pitcher who had 200-or-more saves to his credit-much less a home run so crucial and dramatic. The last major-leaguer whose first major-league hit was a go-ahead homer in the ninth inning or later was Miguel Cabrera, whose first hit was a walk-off homer for the Marlins on June 20, 2003.

does 5 games even disrupt...anything? they have a day off Thursday. they could start Halladay on normal rest Saturday and have Hamels go Sunday and not miss a beat.

I think I favor May. He's been playing pretty well, has some power, and well, the calendar in his favor. And he doesn't walk less than Rob Johnson. The plural of Lucas is Lucii right? although I do kinda like Kai Gronauer. Bring on the German! (he's not hitting much last I looked)

Nymr83 wrote: Typical that I listen to 8 innings on the radio before leaving work at 10 and I miss THAT in the top of the 9th and need to read about it here. Whens the SNY rerun? 6 and 11 tomorrow.

themetfairy wrote: An instant Mets Classic! we can 'fastforward to the top of the 9th' and skip the 8th right?

Ceetar wrote: I'll take them suds whenever. The No. 7 bet was on twitter Who knows, this one could take a while to resolve. Or if it's not issued in 2012 do we call it a push and drink wine or something? Also a push: If it's another 'top' prospect but not Havens? are we counting coaches as 'Mets'? I'd lean towards no, since I'm not sure how we judge 'scrub' status of coaches.