Peter Gammons Backs Omar Minaya

NEW YORK - APRIL 10: General Manager Omar Min...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The roller coaster season continues, but the noose has seemingly disappeared from Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel’s necks (for now). This weekend The Mets did what winning teams are supposed to do: beat bad teams. Philly fans can poo-poo the weekend as we’d expect, but the truth is that is how you stay in contention.

It is crucial for teams to beat up and pad stats on their lessers. This team must put some distance between themselves and the .500 mark in preparation for tougher series’ ahead. Now that we seem to do be doing so, Minaya is getting a much needed pat on the back from one of baseball’s senior voices. In an article for MLB.com, Peter Gammons praises Minaya for his ability to whether the storm in New York.

People up and down the Mets’ organization are fiercely loyal to Minaya, because he accepts the heat and deflects it from those who work for him.

Gammons also continues pointing the finger at the Mets’ leadership around Minaya for perpetrating a “blame game”. Gammons’ isn’t really shedding light on anything Mets fans don’t already know. We are impossible to deal with at times, and ownership needs to block out the sports talk radio hosts as well as the papers. Nowadays, everyone thinks they have the right to play GM, maybe because of the endless access to information/opinion from blogs (ahem). Continue reading “Peter Gammons Backs Omar Minaya”

Mets Links: Beltran, Maine, Santana

FLUSHING, NY - JUNE 23: Shortstop Edgardo Alfonzo #13 of the New York Mets watches the flight of the ball during the MLB game against the Kansas City Royals on June 23, 2002 at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York. The Mets won, 5-4. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsThe Mets are off today so I thought it was a good time for some links. It still seems like a dream that they could actually win a series on the road, much less sweep one, but sweep the Orioles they did. They’re on the way to Cleveland to start a series there on Tuesday. Here are the links

Carlos Beltran has been working in Port St. Lucie to return from knee surgery. He’s been playing some center field in squad games and plans to return “soon”. Despite Jerry Manuel’s comments about Beltran coming back to DH next weekend in the Bronx, the Mets says that’s not happening.

John Maine made a rehab start for the Binghamton Mets in Trenton yesterday. His fastball topped out at 88 mph and he’s expected to make another start on Friday for Buffalo. It’s going to be very interesting to see if Manuel believes that Maine should walk back into the rotation and supplant Hisanori Takahashi. Personally, I think Maine belongs in the bullpen.

In other injury news, Fernando Martinez is back with Buffalo and went 2 for 4 with a home run yesterday. Continue reading “Mets Links: Beltran, Maine, Santana”

Mets 11 – Orioles 4 June 13, 2010

June 13, 2010: David Wright for the New York Mets hits his second home run of the day during an interleague game against the hometown Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. The Mets completed the 3-game sweep by beating the Orioles 11 - 4.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsThe Mets finished off the sweep of the lowly Orioles behind a decent start by Mike Pelfrey. He went 6 IP giving up 3 runs, a quality start. But he seemed to be laboring a bit more than in recent starts.

The offense was on fire today against Kevin Millwood, who had nothing giving up 8 runs over 5.1 IP. David Wright and Jason Bay had monster games. And the Mets had four home runs including two from Wright, one from Bay, and one from Chris Carter.

Audio- Mike Pelfrey post-game

Audio- Jerry Manuel post-game

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

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

Preview: Mets at Orioles June 13, 2010

New York Mets (34-28) at Baltimore Orioles (17-45) 1:35 pm

Mike Pelfrey (8-1 2.23) vs Kevin Millwood (0-7 4.64)

TV: WPIX   Radio: WFAN

What to watch: The Mets are going for the road sweep this afternoon against the awful Orioles. Millwood gets his chance to audition for the Mets in-person as a potential trading deadline target. Pelfrey hasn’t had a bad start since May 12 and has been rolling in his last five starts, giving up only 5 runs over that period.

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.

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

Video: Ty Wigginton On Mets

ESPN caught up with Ty Wigginton to talk about his days with the Mets and David Wright taking over third base from him. Wiggy was with the Mets from 2002 until he was traded to the Pirates in 2004 for Kris Benson and Jeff Keppinger. Did you know the Mets threw in Jose Bautista in that trade, the current MLB home run leader for Toronto?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/js/sr_share.js
Report from Baseball-reference.com
http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf

Mets 3 – Orioles 1 June 12, 2010

New York Mets starting pitcher Hisanori Takahashi delivers a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles in the third inning of their MLB interleague baseball game in Baltimore, Maryland June 12, 2010. REUTERS/Joe Giza (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsThe Mets got a great comeback start from Hisanori Takahashi to win their first road series in nearly a year. Of course, the Orioles are a good team to get some wins against. Takahashi went 7 IP giving up 1 run on 6 hits and 1 walk. He gave up the run in the bottom of the first and I was thinking it was going to be another bust of a start, but he recovered nicely to sail through the next six innings.

The Mets offense wasn’t great tonight. They created 3 runs out of only 5 hits and no walks. Jose Reyes led off the game with a home run and went 2 for 3 on the night. Jeff Francoeur also hit a solo homer in the eighth inning to add on an insurance run.

The Mets have already won the series and go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon.

Box score

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

Preview: Mets at Orioles June 12, 2010

New York Mets (33-28) at Baltimore Orioles (17-44) 7:05 pm

Hisanori Takahashi (4-2 3.80) vs Brian Matusz (2-6 5.10)

TV: SNY   Radio: WFAN

What to watch: The Mets try to take the second game of the series tonight behind Takahashi, who’s been horrible in his last two starts. This may be his last start if he can’t get it together tonight. Fernando Tatis may take over third base for the night with David Wright as the DH. Other than one good game against Cleveland on May 15, Matusz really hasn’t pitched well. The Orioles have lost 8 of the 11 games he started this season.

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.

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js