Month: July 2010

Mets 2010 Trade Needs – Lilly, Carmona, Westbrook, Millwood

May 27, 2010 - Chicago, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES - epa02176040 Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Ted Lilly throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first innning of their Major League Baseball game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA, 27 May 2010.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsThe New York Mets need a starting pitcher if they are going to make a run for the playoffs down the stretch. Roy Oswalt now appears out of the questions as the Mets and Astros can’t come to terms on anything.

That leaves four options for the Mets of guys who have been tossed around baseball. The Indians are looking to trade right-handed pitcher Jake Westbrook. Westbrook makes no sense to me. The man is a mediocre pitcher at best. He is a Major Leaguer. I get it… But unless the Mets can magically get the Indians to throw in Kerry Wood at a halfway decent price, the move makes no sense.

Fausto Carmona is another name the Indians are throwing around. Carmona is only 26 years old and his ERA for the season stands at an impressive 3.64. Moving to the National League may help Carmona as well taking the DH away. The question with him is how he would handle the pressure of New York? Continue reading “Mets 2010 Trade Needs – Lilly, Carmona, Westbrook, Millwood”

Preview: Mets at Giants July 15, 2010

New York Mets (48-40) at San Francisco Giants (47-41) 10:15 pm

R.A. Dickey (6-2 2.77) vs Tim Lincecum (9-4 3.16)

TV: SNY   Radio: WFAN

What to watch: The Mets and Giants start up a four game series tonight in San Fran. The Giants have won 7 of their last 9 games. But Lincecum has two of his last three starts. The Mets have lost the last three games that Dickey started after his incredible beginning to his season on May 19 when he joined the big league roster.

Don’t forget to visit The Mets Report Facebook page during the game to chat with other Mets fans! Connect with The Mets Report on Twitter too.

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Mets 2010 Midseason Report Card

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Image via Wikipedia

At the halfway point the Mets sit 8 games over .500 and 4 back of the surging Braves. This season has seen a number of surprises and has exceeded expectations (if there were any after last year). Let’s take a look at my report card for the 2010 Mets so far.

Starting Rotation   –   B

If you would have told me in January that the rotation would be a bright spot, I most likely would have called you a liar. Jon Neise has bounced back from injury to solidify the rotation. He has used his newly acquired cutter in better variation with his signature curveball. His 6-3 mark with a 3.61 ERA will continue to improve if he is able to keep the momentum he has said since his return. R.A. Dickey may be the name most synonymous with the 2010 Mets. A former first round fireballer, Dickey has come into his own at an ideal time for the Mets. He has shown an ability to get out of jams, and drive in his own run support. He set a team record winning the most consecutive starts for a pitcher in his first season with The Mets. His 2.77 ERA could be even lower if he didn’t have a small setback in Puerto Rico against the Marlins. Hisanori Takahashi has served valiantly in his time in the rotation. It seems that he runs out of gas around the 6th inning, but remarkable performances against the Yankees have marked his time here. His return to the bullpen, if and when The Mets acquire another starter, will put him back to where he was dominant early in the year. Mike Pelfrey sprinted out of the gate in 2010. He was an early candidate for the All-Star team (Thanks Charlie) and even the Cy Young Award. He has slipped lately but we have seen the flashes that we needed to see. Hopefully, he was just experiencing a little fatigue, and the break is exactly what he needed. Johan Santana has gotten an undeserved beating from the press this year. The media has questioned his status as an ace and continuously posted his dropping velocity as an issue. Santana could easily have 9 or 10 wins, and still retains in ERA under 3. His big issue has been the problems he has had in big games. He was shelled by the Phillies and then again by the Yankees. Nonetheless, his last start against the Braves put a lid on the constant media banter. He threw a complete game shutout and deterred Jerry Manuel from pulling him after Jason Bay dropped a fly ball in the 9th. We all understand he is not throwing as hard as he used to but his body of work should always give him the benefit of the doubt. Continue reading “Mets 2010 Midseason Report Card”

Video: Johan Santana Bullpen Session

On Sunday July 11, I gave up my tradition of getting a free Slurpee on 7/11 day to attend the last Mets game before the All-Star break. What a sacrifice! There was a great pitching match up between Johan Santana and Derrick Lowe, perfect weather and it happened to be Jason Bay Bobble head day. Yes, Bay did not play on his Bobble head day but I can understand getting Bay some rest. The tough part of the season starts on Thursday.

Santana had his 2nd great outing in a row and I was able to get some video of Santana warming up in the bullpen just before the game. He was popping the mitt good. I’m confident he will have a great 2nd half.

After that I suffered through the 30 minute wait on the Shake Shack line. I can’t go to Citifield without getting Shake Shack. It’s a tradition even if it’s only a year old one.

I also got a chance to meetup with Dave Doyle of the MetsReport , who allows me to blog the Mets from here. We discussed the in’s and out’s of blogging as well as the Mets and I also was introduced to Kerel Cooper who blogs the Mets from his site, OnTheBlack.com. Continue reading “Video: Johan Santana Bullpen Session”

Video: David Wright at 2010 All-Star Game

Mets third baseman David Wright addresses the media at the 2010 All-Star game. Check out the video. He’s one of those guys that really “gets it” and appreciates what’s going on around him. You can tell by the way he talks about getting a chance to play with Reds third baseman Scott Rolen.

http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf

Mets-SNY Gary, Keith, and Ron Voted MLB 2nd Best

Flickr image courtesy of slgckgc

Gary Cohen along with ex-Mets Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling form one of the best broadcast teams in Major League Baseball. Their stellar commentary earned them the #2 spot on GQ’s list of the best and worst television broadcast teams in the MLB. The team was second to only Vin Scully, the ageless solo act for the Dodgers’ broadcast. You can see the rankings for yourself here.

I really feel that only true Met fans understand the worth of these guys in the booth. Gary’s outstanding play-by-play combined with Keith and Ronny’s in-depth knowledge of the game make for 9 innings of enthralling baseball discussion night in and night out.

In my mind, Gary, Keith, and Ron cannot be considered “homers,” although their connection with the team is evident through their commentary. I think it’s safe to say that the three are all Met fans at heart but they honor their profession by calling it like they see it, something that several broadcast teams (cough cough, YES Network, cough) fail to do. Although their discussions may stray from the focus of the game at times, they always keep it interesting. Whether it’s Keith explaining his criteria for a good steak, Ron delving into different world cultures, or Gary talking about how horrible a head first slide into first base is three innings after it happens, our guys captivate baseball minds that are tuning in. I’m almost hesitant to attend games because I won’t get to listen to them (that is a lie, Citi Field is like my church).

Keith and Ron are such valuable assets from a fan standpoint because their baseball knowledge is really through the roof. Obviously both were staples of the ’86 Mets, and were winning players throughout their careers. Keith revolutionized the position he played and was an MVP. Ron possesses intellect pertaining to the mound that matches his Ivy League diploma.

As a fan base we are privileged to have these guys in our ear during most Met broadcasts. I consider them a part of Mets baseball and hope they remain a team for years to come.

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