Tag: Oliver Perez

Game Preview: Mets At Reds [Game 3] April 9, 2009

Cincinnati Res LogoNew York Mets (2-0 Road: 2-0) vs. Cincinnati Reds (0-2 Home: 0-2) 12:35 pm

Oliver Perez (0-0 0.00) vs. Bronson Arroyo (0-0 0.00)

TV: SNY Radio:  WFAN

What to watch: The Mets go for the sweep today in Cincinnati behind the enigmatic Oliver Perez. Perez got tagged by the Red Sox on Saturday in the Mets final exhibition game. The crowd at Citi Field boo’d him as he came out. Bronson Arroyo is coming back earlier than expected from a bout of carpal tunnel. Micah Owings was originally expected to pitch today’s for the Reds. The Mets will leave town right after the game to head to Miami for a series against the Marlins.

Visit The Mets Report Live Game Chat during the game to chat with other Mets fans.

Mets Top Stories- 4.6.09

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I’m sure, like me, that many of you watched Derek Lowe and the Braves put the hammer down on the Phillies. Lowe threw eight shutout innings of 2-hit ball. Of course, the dreaded comparisons of Lowe and Oliver Perez are coming out already. Why didn’t the Mets sign Lowe instead of Perez? We already know why. Perez is nine years younger and costs $24 million less than Lowe.

Onto the top stories of the morning:

CBS Sports has a good recap of the opening night game the Phillies and Braves put on last night. Of course, Derek Lowe was masterful and Jordan Schafer hit a homer in his first major league at-bat. Who says kids shouldn’t do HGH?

Kevin McCarthy of Metsopolis writes a preview of the Reds-Mets series starting the season in Cincinnati.

Mets Prospect Hub posts the opening day roster for the 2009 Binghamton Mets.

Ben Shipgel of the New York Times writes about Johan Santana‘s increased comfort level with the Mets this season. He’s become more of a vocal leader with the departure of Pedro Martinez and is fitting in well in the locker room.

Sarah Green from Ump Bump has a good photo essay of her day at Citi Field on Saturday.

Darren Rovell of CNBC writes that the Citigroup executives will be conspicuously absent on opening day at Citi Field. They won’t be throwing out the first pitch as you would have expected a year ago. If they’re at the game at all, they’ll be hiding in their luxury boxes.

Mike Steffanos of Mike’s Mets writes the first part of his Key to the Mets for 2009 series. At the top of the list is the fact that the honeymoon is over for Jerry Manuel.

Audio: WFAN’s Mets Beat Report- 3.31.09

WFAN WFAN‘s Ed Coleman checks in with Joe & Evan to talk about the Mets news from today. Here are the topics:

  • Oliver Perez‘ nice start last night after being called out by pitching coach Dan Warthen for being out of shape.
  • The Mets potential for interest in Gary Sheffield. Coleman doesn’t think that the Mets will have any interest there.
  • The relationship between Warthen and the pitchers.

WFAN Audio

Mets Oliver Perez Calms Pitching Fears

Oliver PerezOliver Perez was the talk of Mets camp since he put up a major stinker in his return from the World Baseball Classic. The big news is that pitching coach Dan Warthen called him out publicly as not being in proper shape to pitch. The message was misconstrued by some as Perez being overweight, but the message was that Perez didn’t keep his arm working during the three weeks he spent with team Mexico.

Yesterday he put the hammer down against the Orioles for 6.2 innings of one hit (and one walk) ball. Clearly, he got the message that the Mets coaching staff was trying to convey. Even Johan Santana spoke to Perez about improving his concentration and using the last week of spring training to get good results in the games he pitches in.

If Perez had another meltdown yesterday, it would have been time for Mets fans and the front office to have major concerns about the starting rotation. John Maine has been inconsistent this spring in his recovery from off-season shoulder surgery.  And Livan Hernandez is the current fifth starter after being waived last August by the Minnesota Twins. He’s looked solid this spring but the Mets coaches need to keep a very close eye on him as the season progresses.

I don’t think that we’ll ever describe Oliver Perez as consistent. But the Mets need him to be better than he has been this spring if the Mets are going to be serious contenders to knock the Phillies from their throne.

Audio: Mike Pelfrey, Mets News From ESPN Radio

Mike PelfreyMike Pelfrey joins Don La Greca on ESPN Radio to talk about his performance this spring. He also touches on comparing Jerry Manuel to Willie Randolph. And he admits that he occasionally lies about how he feels when the manager or coach asks him on the mound. I liked that he also plays COD (Call Of Duty).

Skip ahead to the 28 minute mark to listen to Rich Coutinho on Oliver Perez‘ poor performance today. They have some audio from Dan Warthen talking about Perez being out of shape. They discuss the fact that Perez gained weight since he left the Mets three weeks ago and the affect its having on his pitching.

ESPN Radio audio

Flickr photo courtesy of Alan Cordova

Mets Oliver Perez Due Back In PSL Today

Oliver PerezStarting pitcher Oliver Perez is due back at Mets spring training today from his short sting with the Mexican team in the World Baseball Classic. Perez was pretty bad for the Mexican team, pitching 6.2 innings and giving up eight runs ( seven earned) on 13 hits including five home runs.

We can thank the folks at Major League Baseball, the WBC, and Mexico team manager Vinnie Castilla for abusing Perez while he was there. Perez threw 85 pitches in his final game against Cuba on Monday.

At this point in the spring no starting pitchers are throwing 85 pitches in a game. In my mind, this is an outrage. And if Oliver Perez starts out the regular season poorly for the Mets there will be questions all season long about what could have been if Perez avoided the WBC exhibition games.

I won’t even get into how disgusted I am about Venezuelan team manger Luis Sojo abusing our new closer Francisco Rodriguez with 4-out saves. K-Rod hasn’t thrown a 4-out save in MLB in two years. And Sojo is doing it in an exhibition game? The Mets ownership and management have every right to be appalled by what’s happening to their players in this ludicrous WBC exhibition event.