Author: Dave Doyle

Frequently disappointed Mets fan

On Deck: June 16- Mets At Angels

New York Mets (33-35 Road: 13-21) at Los Angeles Angels (42-28 Home: 21-16) 10:05pm

Mike Pelfrey (2-6 4.24) vs. Jered Weaver (6-6 4.45)

TV: SNY  Radio: WFAN

What to watch: Mets GM Omar Minaya traveled with the team to LA for the series, not a good sign for Willie Randolph. Randolph’s job is hanging by a thread and the team has played like garbage on the road this season. Mike Pelfrey was tremendous in his last start on June 11 against the D’Backs going eight innings and giving up one run. Jered Weaver also went eight innings giving up one run in his last start on June 10 against the Rays. Weaver has won four of his last five starts as well.

Don’t Cry For Willie

I’m tired of reading and hearing about how the “Evil Wilpons” and Omar Minaya should stop torturing Willie Randolph by pressuring him to achieve results. Everyone has pressure in their jobs to increase productivity and results. Those in the newspaper business should know that better than anyone.

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Yes, Randolph has a winning record over his entire four year tenure with the Mets. But professional sports is a business of "what have you done for me lately" unless there’s a long term contract involved. In Randolph’s case, there isn’t a long term contract. The Wilpons owe him about $3.5 million more over the next year and a half whether he’s managing the Mets or home watching on TV.

The only managers in baseball with higher annual salaries than Randolph are: Joe Torre, Lou Piniella, Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa, Dusty Baker, and Joe Girardi. Those are all far better managers than Randolph.

The Mets can’t continue with the status quo if they expect to be competitive this season. And I have every reason to believe that they do have that expectation.

In some cases, the players haven’t appeared to be as motivated as they could be. That’s on Randolph. Of course, he’s not the only problem. But all of the so-called experts picked the Mets as the front runner for the NL East, not for a fourth place finish.

The Mets had to get out to a fast start this season to erase the taste left in our collective mouths from "The Collapse". It didn’t happen, and the Wilpons and Minaya have every right to press for better results than we’ve seen this season.

I realize that Randolph probably won’t get another managerial position after presiding over the worst collapse in baseball history. That’s not the end of the world though. He’ll probably end up back on the Yankee’s coaching staff where he belongs.

Ryan Church Begins Workouts Today

Although two concussions this season have side tracked Ryan Church, he’s anxious to get back on the active roster. Church visited the Mets yesterday prior to the doubleheader with the Texas Rangers. He spoke to reporters before the first game and had this to say to the NY Post:

"I just know starting [tomorrow] I’ll start working out," said a coherent-sounding Church. "I don’t know the whole timetable of what we’re going to do."

Church isn’t traveling with the team to Los Angeles and Colorado. He’s eligible to come off the disabled list on Saturday when the team is in Colorado but probably won’t re-join the team until they return home to face the Seattle Mariners.

The Mets Head West Again To Face Angels

It seems like the Mets have spent half of the first portion of this season out west. Tonight they’re on their way to Los Angeles for a series against the Angels of Anaheim, or California, or Los Angeles. I can’t keep up anymore. So wherever the Angels are from, they’re a good team playing to a 41-28 record which is good enough for first place in the AL West. That’s a .594 clip which is a far cry from the Mets disappointing .485.

Angels Stadium of Anaheim
Angels Stadium of Anaheim

I haven’t found any reports that Willie Randolph wasn’t on the flight to LA. So as far as we know the same coaching staff is intact. I’m sure that we’ll hear plenty more about that over the coming days. Since we don’t get to see the Angels much here in the National League East, I thought that I would take some time to talk about how they’re doing this season.

The Angels have been one of the best teams in the American League since Mike Scioscia took over the team in 2000. Under his guidance the team has never finished below third place in the Western division and has four first place finishes.

The Angels current injuries are:

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Their statistical team leaders are:

image Source: Yahoo Sports

 

We’ll get to see Vlad Guerrero again unfortunately. I hoped we had seen the last of him when he left Montreal. And it’s hard to believe that K-Rod has 27 saves already. Joe Saunders is having a terrific year going for his 10th win tonight so we’ll miss him in this series. It looks like the Mets will have their hands full with this team.

Mets Take Series From Rangers With 4-2 Win

image The Mets took the second game of the doubleheader with a win for Pedro Martinez. Maybe more importantly the win may have saved Willie Randolph’s job, for now.

Pedro went six innings and was pinch hit for with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the sixth by Robinson Cancel. Cancel was the only right handed hitter available as the crowd voiced their displeasure with Willie for taking Pedro out of the game. It turned out to be the right decision as Cancel came through with a single up the middle that scored two runs and broke a 2-2 tie. It was Cancel’s first big league hit since 1999.

The win gave the Mets a 2-1 series victory over the Rangers. Pedro did a nice job today going six innings and giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Pedro Feliciano, Duaner Sanchez, and Billy Wagner were perfect through the final three innings for the game. The bullpen has really struggled over the last week so it was nice to see them work three clean innings.

Box score

Mets Rally But Lose To Rangers 8-7

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The bullpen failed the Mets again today. The offense had rallies in the eighth and ninth innings, but they couldn’t quite come back enough to make up for the bullpen.

John Maine left after 6.1 innings and a couple of men on base. He had a decent game up to that point giving up three runs on seven hits and no walks. Pedro Feliciano and Joe Smith came in to finish up the seventh and both were terrible. Ian Kinsler hit a huge home run off Smith. Then in the eighth innings Milton Bradley hit another long home run off Scott Schoenweiss.

The Mets offense was slow to get started but woke up late in the game. Carlos Delgado hit a homer off the scoreboard in the fourth inning and Carlos Beltran hit one to deep center in the sixth.

The Mets started a rally in the eighth and scored three runs. Inexplicably, with two outs Brian Schneider tried to tag on a fly to shallow right field. Bradley has a gun out there and threw out Schneider by three steps. Sandy Alomar made a big mistake on that call.

The Mets rallied again in the ninth inning and scored two runs but just couldn’t keep it going. Trot Nixon was in the middle of everything in his first game as a Met. He went 2 for 3 with a double off the wall in right and two walks. Nice start for his season with the Mets.

Box score

Video Highlights