Ceetar

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Gwreck's in. Who wants to join us for free Mets fun? congrats, you get to see Pelfrey's next start!

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Ceetar wrote: This is the boon of not having an ace but having a lot of good pitchers. there is no top starter. Ceetar always finds a way to make lemonade. Nah, this isn't lemonade. This is merely pointing out that it's not our best fruit that's sour, only 20% of it or so. I never liked that analogy anyway. I LIKE lemons. I like sour. What's wrong with sour?

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I'm a bit concerned over the recent revelation that Pelfrey's shoulder gave him consistent trouble last year, so much so that he was regularly injected with a heavy-duty strain of advil. I know nobody wants to suggest spring training means much but he pitched like shit then too, making this more than just a few bad innings. He definitely needs a swing-and-miss pitch, hitters apparently know the book on him by heart. Spring Training still means nothing. pitched crappy last year, but then only allowed 2 runs in April. But I wonder if there is a subtle difference in arm slot or something because on pitching with pain. I know Santana mentioned that last year, that his pitching with pain in late 2009 effected his 2010 start because he was out of sync a little. Anyway, while 2 starts isn't enough to panic over, the next start becomes important. but it's also at home, which should help. These concerns about Ks have been concerns for years, so I still expect him to have a similar year to last year.

Edgy DC wrote: I don't mean to suggest that the pressure is getting to him. I mean to suggest that a man without a punchout pitch is always going to have trouble finding sustained success, and is going to have to do a lot of hard work to find the success he can find. I'm suggesting that if he doesn't find one, maybe he isn't that good. And maybe the team will be looking for two years trying to get a run out of him like they got at the start of 2010, but looking in vain. It's not psychological, it just is. I'll resubmit my suggeston that Pelfrey try the high hard one with two strikes more, but I honestly don't know. I wasn't suggesting it was either, just that if it is, someone should step up and tell him to knock it off. Yesterday seemed different. strikeout pitcher or not (And I agree with your suggestion) he should be able to battle and be competitive. Everyone was hit hard. It wasn't "oops, couldn't put him away and he pounded a single, or the ball just found all the holes today" Pelfrey, when his pitches are working, doesn't give up home runs (or much fly balls) the Mets have a good defense, and if his ball is sinking, there is little reason they shouldn't be in every game he pitches aside from errors in the field adding even more runners. But he needs to know what to do when he's not getting the sink he likes, whatever he tried last night wasn't tricking anyone.

Edgy DC wrote: What's on the Mets is sorting out if their top starter is ineffective thus far because he's not on his game or because they're kidding themselves that he's their top starter. This is the boon of not having an ace but having a lot of good pitchers. there is no top starter. there is no 'must win' guy where the team struggles to score runs for cause 'he got this'. If the pressure is bothering Pelfrey, and not just two bad starts of him figuring stuff out, someoen needs to tell him he's simply one of five, not the front of the line.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Maybe Pelfrey is having his July in April this year. if he has his April in September, I'll live with it.

metirish wrote: Dave Hudgens sounds like he knows what he's talking about.. Which is nice, but I'd kinda rather hear from Warthen at this juncture.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Gwreck wrote: We're off to a really ugly start courtesy Pelfrey's bad pitching and inexcusably poor defense. The O let us down in the 1st too, we got away with that in the 1st last night but can't let it become a habit. Radio guys were speculating that Pelfrey was confused by calls from Thole to let it drop, then he didn;t know what to do. No excuse for a brain fart of course. Regardless, that has t obe on Pelf, and the 'infield' coach or whatever. As Ron pointed out, you ALWAYS go to second in that case. worst case is no DB and pitcher on first running the bases.

I'm sure I'll go long periods of time without thinking about the Pirates. or the Royals. I am interesting in hearing about them somewhat, but maybe a just general 'those other teams' or by division?

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'm having a hard time being too disturbed about Jason Bay missing a few weeks. I know he's probably better than whoever they'll put out there, but is he significantly better? I have my doubts. Does anybody here still think of Jason Bay as the pre-Mets Jason Bay? The Jason Bay we imagined we were getting when we last signed him? Because if Bay still is, the Mets would have one heck of an offense. Umm... I'm not willing to base my entire expectation of Jason Bay on a handful of months in 2010 and throw out the entire rest of the sample. Yes, the Mets will have a heck of an offense when he returns. Not that they don't already, but Harris/Hairston/Duda are unlikely to keep producing at the rate of production LF has given us so far.

Hopefully Pelfrey can learn something from him.

den Dekker: I'm starting in hi a Florida state league (He also hasn't played his words with friends game in a while) Not sure what the plan is with him, could possibly jump midseason I guess?

and speaking of Happiness, here's former Yank Melky Cabrera eating something off his bat. http://www.fangraphs.com/not/index.php/video-more-melky-cabrera-magic/

Valdespin will do SS.

The Second Spitter wrote: The Second Spitter wrote: According to me, Scott Hairston may start in place of Carlitos. Previous reports had Collins noting that Beltran would rest on Thursday afternoon rather than tonight. Oh, ok. Harris and Hairston both excellent records against Blanton especially Willie (15PA, 1.243OPS). Beltran otoh has a lifetime .343 OPS. Additionally, Beltran has good numbers against Halladay, Thursday's starter, and you can't rest him Friday. I'd rest him today. I'd toy with the idea of 4 straight, rest Saturday, but no reason to 'push' him early. I'd rest him today, Sunday (even though I plan to be there) and next Thursday, getaway day, and then play all three in Atlanta.

What would be more concerning to me is that Girardi has now used 41 year old Rivera in 4/5 games. (12, 3, 14, 13 pitches respectively) Including bringing him in for one batter (with the tie run on deck, the first instance of a save) of the 10-6 game that the bullpen was letting get out of hand against the Tigers.

Actually, that's not true. If the season ended right this moment, The Mets would be awarded the division, and the Phillies the Wild Card, because of their record against each other. The 6 month layoff until the Playoffs might be rough though.

Young 4 Wright 2.5 Carrasco 1 Reyes 1

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Wind's rough tonight. Francisco should probably have two HRs. Then again, I should probably be vegetarian for a while, and bike everywhere. Some things just aren't. Maybe. Of course, only in Philadelphia. Also, Francisco is not Chase Utley, so maybe not.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Pitch count/men on base. One-out walk, one inning after loading the bases for Ryan Howard, ended his night. His velocity was plummeting fast as well. Didn't have anything left.

Gwreck wrote: Can Young also fill-in in left field? Amaro is calling Alderson now to see if he can play RF. he's outhitting the Phillies.

Frayed Knot wrote: They've not exactly been knocking the cover off the ball, but it's getting the job done. Be nice if Beltran joins the hit parade here. or walks. that's fine too.

be nice to knock around Kendrick here too so we can wear out the bullpen a bit. :-D

Gwreck wrote: Ceetar wrote: J Roll SS I'm pretty sure....no, wait, I'm 100% sure that I'll never be using that name for him. Guess I should've edited the list from whatever phillies scum i copied it from. I didn't even read it.

Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, J Roll SS, Howard 1B, Ibanez LF, Francisco RF, Ruiz C, Valdez 2B, Hamels