Mets Hitting Drills And Propoganda

Jerry ManuelThere’s been a lot of talk this spring about a new hitting drill manager Jerry Manuel has installed for the team. Each player takes 80 pitches from a machine and has to swing at every one during a lightning-fast six minute session. The goal is to get the players into the mindset of having to put a pitch in play, even if it’s a bad pitch. This is all part of Manuel’s team-first philosophy.

Ben Shipgel of the NY Times does the best column on the drill that I’ve read. There’s been plenty written about the drill but this is the best one.

The next part of the hitting program for the Mets will be for the players to spot their favorite hitting zone and can’t swing at a pitch unless it’s in that zone. The goal is to improve discipline at the plate.

These are some of the drills that Manuels has identified as being successful during his career as a player and coach. There has been some concern about the players getting blisters on their hands from the grueling drills. But Manuel has been quick to point out that this will toughen them up and make them prepared to fight through fatigue throughout the season.

The other thing that Manuel has done is install TV’s throughout the Mets locker room this year. The TV’s play an endless loop of the Mets best opposite field hits from last season. The TV’s, even in Charlie Samuels’ office, all play the same video. The players are getting the propoganda treatment to show them how important the hits were that went the other way.

The coaches keep telling the exhausted players after hitting that it’s the price they’ll have to pay for a championship. I know that managers are hired to be fired, and I’m sure that Manuel will run his course eventually with the Mets. But I think he’s been a great fit so far for this team. His personality and dealings with the media have been excellent. And he seems to have built a good rapport with the players as well. Now all he needs to do is win.

Click below to watch the Mets players talking about the drills.

Mets swing into spring training
Mets swing into spring training

Links: The Mets Patch, Citi Field Food, And More

Citi Field PatchThere’s a new patch in town and it isn’t miserable like the ridiculous uniform patch that Citi Group designed for the team. This one will be on the caps for the 2009 season, which you can see on the left side of the post.

Check out the post and close-up picture that Andrew Vazzano posted at The ‘Ropolitans.

Also in the news, Adam Rubin at the Daily News gives a nice rundown of the new foods that will be available at Citi Field. The lineup of restaurants looks fantastic. What a difference from the fare at Shea!

Bart Hubbach of the Post writes about Mets manager Jerry Manuel’s inspiring speech to the team prior to yesterday’s full squad workout. The player comments after the speech sound like it was a really impressive and motivational talk. Good job Jerry.

Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports writes about the Mets-Phillies trash talking rivalry. Basically, his take is that the Mets should shut up after the way the last two seasons ended.

John Franco Returns To Coach Mets

John FrancoSeveral media outlets are reporting that Johnny Franco will be back in a Mets uniform during the week of March 8th in Port St. Lucie. He’ll be doing a guest coaching gig for the week. It’s great to see Johnny come back, since he left the Mets after 2004 with some ill-will toward the team. He wanted to play one more year but the Mets didn’t see him as a fit.It turned out to be a good decision as he pitched in 31 games for the Astros in 2005 to a 7.20 ERA.

Franco is #4 all-time in saves and was the last team captain that the Mets had. He’s a tremendous leader evidenced by becoming a team captain as a relief pitcher. Generally, pitchers aren’t team leaders. It’s usually everyday players. Especially for a relief pitcher to become a captain is very impressive.

I’ve heard Johnny on WFAN occasionally and he does a decent job. But he should bring some terrific knowledge to the table for the Mets pitchers.

Photo courtesy of slgckgc

Delgado Is Focused On Mets Team

The theme of the 2009 Mets spring training has been team first. Jerry Manuel is putting the position players through rigorous hitting drills with the object to hit the other way. All of the talk from the Mets players and management has been about the team, not individual achievements.

Carlos Delgado echoes that theme even though he’s at #30 in all-time home runs. He’s only 31 away from the 500 club which would likely cement his Hall Of Fame credentials. Currently, he’s only six home runs behind the greats Willie Stargell and Stan Musial.

Click the link below to watch a video of Delgado talking about the team concept.
Delgado: Stay focused on team
Delgado: Stay focused on team

Mets Duaner Sanchez Wants To Prove Himself

Duaner SanchezWith the acquisitions of J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez, Duaner Sanchez’ stock has lowered dramatically this season. Last year, returning from a major shoulder injury, he didn’t look like himself at all. His velocity was way down and his breaking ball didn’t bite at all. It was more of a floating break.

He’ll be pitching in the middle innings this year, not entrusted with the late innings as he was in his terrific 2006 season. But how could he be? He finished 2008 with a 4.32 ERA, way above his career 3.91 ERA.

It would be great to see him return to form but that nasty shoulder injury might have taken too much out of his body. Click the link below to watch a video of him talking about the upcoming 2009 season.
Mets' Sanchez ready for '09
Mets’ Sanchez ready for ’09

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Phillies’ Rollins Ends Mets Talk

Jimmy RollinsPhiladelphia Philles shortstop Jimmy Rollins spoke to reporters yesterday at spring training in Clearwater, Florida. Among other topics he discussed, he said that his World Series hardware will put an end to his talk about the Mets.

The Mets and Phillies have engaged in a three year war of words. And the Phillies have come out on top in the standings for the last two seasons. Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes have continued the verbal sparring this spring, mentioning their disdane for Cole Hamels calling the Mets “choke artists” during a radio interview in December.

From SI.com:

It has been pretty funny just to hear it going on and on and on,” Rollins said. “I sit there and I laugh and say, ‘This is still going on. They’re still rolling with that?

It’s going to be a fun game any time we play them,” Rollins said. “But I guess when Cole is pitching, they are going to step it up and, of course, we are going to stand up for Cole, so that is going to force us to step it up. But that just brings out the best in both teams. We’re going to win, but it definitely will bring out the best in both teams.

I have to say that I’m surprised we haven’t seen the war of words spill out onto the field over the last few years. There haven’t been any bean ball wars that escalated the situation. Hopefully, it’ll stay that way. Now that the Phillies are the world champs they can rest on that without engaging with the Mets this season.