Tag: Carlos Delgado

On Deck: May 30- Dodgers At Mets

Los Angeles Dodgers (26-27) at New York Mets (26-26) 7:10pm

Clayton Kershaw (0-0) vs. John Maine (5-4)

TV: SNY Radio: WFAN

What to watch: Kershaw is a 20 year old lefty with a mid-90’s fastball and a nasty curveball. I sure hope Delgado is on the bench again tonight. He has no chance of hitting this guy. Maine went a solid six innings in his last start in Colorado despite taking the loss. This game looks like a pitching duel to me.

Mets Over Dodgers 8-4; Third Win In A Row

There’s no denying that David Wright was the star of tonight’s game. He had two homers off Brad Penny (who can’t do anything against the Mets for some reason). He hit a two run home run in the third inning and then again in the fourth.

The fourth inning was strange with a catchers interference call on Russell Martin with Claudio Vargas hitting. There was a crazy throw by Juan Pierre to third base and he has one of the worst arms I’ve seen since Bernie Williams. The throw got past Blake DeWitt and Brad Penny wasn’t backing him up. The Mets ended up with four runs in the inning.

Claudio Vargas was fair tonight. He went 5.2 innings giving up four runs. It was enough to keep the Mets in the game and give some length to the start, but not a great start for him. He should be trying to take Mike Pelfrey’s job when Pedro Martinez comes back next week. But this start won’t solidify his spot in the rotation.

Once again, the bullpen was incredible. Pedro Feliciano, Carlos Muniz, Scott Schoenweiss, and Joe Smith locked down the Dodgers after Vargas left the game. Those guys have been doing an incredible job. It’s good to see Schoenweiss having some success after last season was such a disaster for him.

I found it hard to believe that I was watching the same team that got clocked by the Braves and Rockies last week. This team has energy, hustle, and desire. Even Carlos Delgado made two nice plays in the field. I can’t believe that I’m even writing that sentence. He must be getting worried about losing significant playing time to guys that want it more than he does.

Box score

Video Highlights

Audio: May 29- Heyman, Wagner And Coleman

Sports Illustated senior baseball writer Jon Heyman (Carlos Delgado’s antagonist) and Mets beat reporter Eddie Coleman call in to talk to WFAN’s Mike and the Mad Dog. Much of the talk centers around the Mets recent series victory over the Marlins and Delgado’s lack of playing time over the last two games.

Billy Wagner joins Michael Kay of ESPN Radio for his weekly spot.

Jon Heyman Audio

Eddie Coleman Audio

Billy Wagner Audio

Mets In the News Today: Delgado, Church, And More

Here’s a summary of what’s happening for the Mets in the news today. Joe Torre and the Dodgers come to town for a four game series that has a few interesting story lines.

  • Carlos Delgado– He’s been on the bench for two straight games. I would guess that he’ll start tonight against righty Brad Penny. The way I see it is that the Wilpons told Willie Randolph to start playing his best lineup no matter what. Randolph realized that if he kept up his blind respect for Delgado’s career numbers, he might lose his job. Willie’s always the last one to figure these things out. It’s amazing to me that he can’t see what’s going on with this team. He just pays way too much homage to veterans. As Jim Leyland said “I’ll take talent over experience anytime.” I don’t necessarily like Fox Sports Dayn Perry but read this column about players not earning their pay this season.
  • Ryan Church– He hasn’t been at Shea Stadium for two games in a row because of the concussion that he sustained in Atlanta. There have been plenty of newspaper columns about the Mets handling the situation poorly by flying him to Colorado, pinch hitting him, and then flying back to New York. I come down on the side of the team on this one. I’m sure they went on how Church said that he felt at the time. Read the NY Times article here.
  • Pedro Martinez– He threw well in Port St. Lucie last night. But the question becomes: what roster move do they make next week to get him off the disabled list? There’s plenty of speculation like sending Mike Pelfrey down to get himself together. There’s also speculation that the Mets may keep both Claudio Vargas and Mike Pelfrey on the roster and make one of them a long man. I suspect that would leave Joe Smith as the odd man out in the bullpen with a one way ticket to New Orleans.
  • Marlon Anderson– His leg injury has the Mets considering making a play for Scott Hatteberg to be a lefty off the bench who can play first base. Read Marty Noble’s column for MLB.com. It’s a bad idea in my opinion. Hatteberg complained about coming off the bench and didn’t hit well in that role. I would consider Hatteberg if the Mets were looking to get Delgado off the roster whether via trade or release.
  • Moises Alou– His calf injury is progressing well and it looks like he’ll be off the disabled list on schedule next week. That’ll send Nick Evans back to Binghamton most likely, possibly New Orleans.

Mets Come From Behind In 12 Innings To Win 7-6

If the Mets turn things around this season, mark this date on your calendar. The Met have their first come from behind win after the seventh inning this season. Fernando Tatis had the big hit off Justin Miller to score Carlos Beltran for the win.

There are so many things to talk about in this game. Endy Chavez hit a pinch hit solo homer in the ninth inning to tie the game and send it to extras. Luis Castillo and Jose Reyes also homered earlier in the game.

I like this lineup much better without Carlos Delgado in there. Damion Easley and Fernando Tatis are doing some nice things at the plate. They were both looking to hit behind runners and lift the ball for sacrifice flies. Those are the little things that you don’t get from Delgado, who’s usually swinging for the fences no matter what the situation dictates.

Aaron Heilman had another really nice outing. He pitched two scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth with four strikeouts. It would be great to have him come back to form.

Oliver Perez was his typical unpredictable self tonight. He went six innings giving up five runs on four hits and four walks with seven strikeouts. The wheels came off in the sixth inning when he gave up six runs.

For the Marlins, Cody Ross hit two bombs. And I mean bombs. His second home run may have actually damaged Citi Field, it went that far. Both homers were off Perez.

The Mets take the series from the Marlins 2 games to 1. The Dodgers come to town tomorrow.

Box score

Video Higlights

Lupica On Mets Racial Divide

Last night the Daily News website published a new column from Mike Lupica on the Mets so-called racial divide. If you listen to WFAN or other sports talk radio shows, this column doesn’t contain any new information that you haven’t already heard. Omar Minaya gave Lupica some quotes denying that there’s a rift in the clubhouse. No surprise there.

Personally, I don’t believe that there is this rift that we’ve heard about. Paul LoDuca was one of the people that publicly raised the issue last season. Nobody ever accused him of being particularly perceptive or bright though. I wouldn’t use LoDuca as my barometer for anything. He exercised very poor judgment on several occasions while with the Mets and there was evidence on Facebook to prove it.

Billy Wagner’s comments about Carlos Delgado disappearing from the clubhouse after a Mets loss were also tied to the so-called rift. But I don’t understand that. It was one person talking about another person. That’s all.

On Deck: May 28 Marlins- Mets

Florida Marlins (30-21) at New York Mets (24-26) 7:10pm

Scott Olsen (4-2) vs. Oliver Perez (4-3)

TV: SNY Radio: WFAN

What to watch: The Mets play the rubber game of the series tonight against the Marlins. Both Olsen and Perez had terrible starts in their last time out; Olsen in San Francisco and Perez in Colorado. You never know what kind of start it’ll be from Perez. Carlos Delgado may ride the bench again tonight as well.