Out Of The Box

DL the guy. Let's get him healthy so he can help win. The Mets have depth and could stick Diaz in right and still have a solid team. The benefit of having depth is so you can withstand losses like this. When Beltran plays on his bad legs, he risks hurting himself and the team. However, if the Mets are hard up to keep him the lineup, why not think outside of the box? After watching Berkman over at first when he has only played seven games there in his entire Major League career prior to this season, I wondered if Beltran was athletic enough to pass there at first until his quad is healed. I know I've suggested the entire team to get a shot at first, but it is only because a move is necessary.

Can he temporarily play first for two weeks or so? Granted he tweaked his hammy running to first last night, but less stress on his leg could only help. Anyone that has watched him in centerfield knows he does not have the ability to slow down fast. When he botched the ball he cut off in the gap that assisted the Astros in scoring a run, he got to the ball but subsequently over ran it possibly because of his gimpy quad. Part of the problem with Diaz at first is that he lacked the athletic ability to play the infield in past years. He may be passable, but that remains to be seen and Beltran is as athletic as anyone in the entire MLB.

Of course this has as much a shot as happening as Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas knocking on my door and offering to provide me some "services". I guess the real point is for the Mets to do something, even it is radical. I'm sure Boras and Beltran would never even let the words fly out of someone's mouth, but if Berkman is doing it and looking solid and Eric Valent was able to do it for the first time last season, I'm sure Beltran may be reasonably effective while giving him a chance to heal in the lineup. Centerfield is not exactly a position that a guy with a bad wheel can hide in and it requires covering a lot of ground. Playing centerfield 100% is a necessity when the guy in rightfield can. Give the guy a glove in practice and see what happens. The worst thing that can happen is nothing.

Let the insults and calling me a dumb piece of shit commence.

* * *

Talk about a tough day.

Pam Hearne heard "a loud crash" and later was stunned to see a foot clad in an Adidas sneaker and a sock in her yard, said Officer Thomas Blanchard. The leg, with hip and spine attached, dented the shingled roof of her garage before bouncing into the lawn.

I was pissed when I ordered a Whopper with cheese a the bastards forgot the cheese.

Rumblings and Grumblings has some scouts opinions on some of the past draftees.

RHP Mike Pelfrey (Mets, at No. 9): "This guy was the only legitimate No. 1 starter in the draft. And I mean he has a chance to be a REAL No. 1. He throws 95 (mph) consistently and gets it up to 97-98, with a good curve and a good change. He's durable. He's got good arm action. He's a power, power guy. And if it weren't for the (Scott) Boras factor, there's no way he'd have been the ninth pick in the draft. He should have been top three, at worst."

Catcher Jeff Clement (Mariners, at No. 3): "Big, big, big-time power. But the question is whether he's Mike Piazza defensively. He shouldn't have gone No. 3 in the country. To take him that high is over-drafting. But this guy can hit. So even if he can't catch, they'll find someplace for him to play."

Reliever Craig Hansen (Red Sox, at No. 26): "I loved Hansen. Since it's Boras, you know he won't sign early. So you won't see him in the big leagues this year. But he'll be there by sometime next year. This guy has one hell of an arm – a 95-97 fastball, a slider at 84-87 with a sweeping slider AND a hard slider. And a very, very competitive kid. He's one of the best pitchers I've seen in the last 10 years."

RHP Luke Hochevar (Dodgers, at No. 40): "He fell big-time, but he deserved to fall. This kid is seriously overrated. He's a fourth starter – at best. And if you ask me, looking at his arm action, he's going to blow out."

3B Ryan Zimmerman (Nationals, at No. 4): "Best defensive third baseman I ever scouted. He can field like Scott Rolen right now. He's got it all – range, quickness, great hands. He could play in the big leagues defensively today. And I think he's going to hit. The guy never strikes out. And his slugging percentage for Team USA was .805. I loved this guy."

Hansen one of the best pitchers he's seen in the last ten years and Zimmerman the best defensive third baseman he's ever scouted? That is some serious praise. Hochevar's comments were suprising and interesting. Good stuff to read on Pelfrey too.

Minor update:

• Norfolk beat Durham 8-1 behind a Brian Daubach 2 for 4 night with one run, one homer, and three RBIs. Prentice Redman continues to hit the ball with a 2 for 5 game with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. Hot prospect Gerald Williams went 2 for 5.
  
• Altoona beat Binghamton 3-2. Anderson Hernandez went 2 for 4 with one run and one double.
  
• Lake County beat Hagerstown 5-4. Ambiroix Concepcion went 2 for 5 and Grant Psomas went 2 for 2 with a run scored, one run, one RBI, and two walks. Gaby Hernandez went six innings, gave up four hits, one run, walked one, and struck out six. He did not get the win, but lowered his ERA to 2.60.
  
• St. Lucie beat Brevard County 2-1. Lastings Milledge went 1 for 5 with a double and Shawn Bowman looks like he woke up after hitting of late and went 3 for 4 with a double, one RBI, and one walk .

According to the Daily News:

Meanwhile, the Mets may not be done on the relief front. Other on-the-market closers figure to include Pittsburgh's Jose Mesa and Tampa Bay's Danys Baez.

Mesa would be crushed in NY, just a gut feeling. Baez is nice, but do the Mets really need this move? Shouldn't they experiment with giving Heilman and perhaps even Seo a big role and see how they respond?

Duquette on Steve Coyler:

"He's pitching well enough to bring him up," said Jim Duquette, vice president of baseball operations.

Bobby K has the must read on this shitty Friday.

John Kruk spoke about some of the top players 25 or under. He spoke about Albert Pujols, Josh Beckett, Joe Mauer, Miguel Cabrera, and David Wright.

Meanwhile, Wright seems to want to be the man in New York. He has proven that he has the confidence and will be a special player as he gets more comfortable. If I was calling the shots at Shea, I'd place him in the four or five hole and just keep him there and let him blossom. He's going to produce, and it's not helping him when you bounce him up and down in the lineup.

Amen brother...