Is The Apocalypse Coming?

Sign #1 of the apocalypse: Last night's Met victory was one of the most satisfying Mets victory's I've seen in a while. Aaron Heilman was sick of everyone ripping him on the field and off. Just when many people (including myself) labeled him "useless", he comes out and throws a one hit, complete game. It took him only 107 pitches to shut the Marlins down. He had this scowl painted on his face and looked determined. He was throwing first pitch strikes and going after hitters. He was exploiting the high and away strike that the ump was giving him and though it was one game, it looks like Heilman has turned a corner. He did not look like the timid pitcher that we have seen over the past few years, he looked like a Major League pitcher. With his new arm angle, his fastball looking like Victor Zambrano's in terms of movement. Aaron Heilman had movement on every pitch he threw and rarely used his off speed pitch, which had the same exact movement and was nasty. This begs the question, why was it changed in the first place anyway?

Sign #2 of the apocalypse: Victor Diaz tripling his walk total of one BB in fifteen games in 2005 and nabbing and getting 19% of his walk total in 141 games at Norfolk in just six games.

Sign #3 of the apocalypse: Bruce Chen going nine innings giving up only four hits and one walk against the Yankees for a resounding victory.

* * *

My how much the complete game has become obsolete. If you check out the Mets team page for 2004 pitching stats on ESPN.com, complete games is not even a stat because there would be way, way too many zeroes. In 2003, the Mets had three complete games. In 2004, they only had two. So far in ten games, the Mets have already equaled their 2004 output and it took them only 208 pitches to get it done between the two starts.

It takes a big man to admit he was wrong, and I was wrong (so far) about Magglio Ordonez. Though it is not his knee, he is still going to miss a substantial amount of games.

Mets pitching first five games:

            W    L    IP    IP/S    HR     WHIP     ERA
Starters    0    4  26.1    5.27     4     1.52    6.84
Relievers   0    1  13.2     n/a     3     1.83    6.59
Overall     0    5    40    5.27     7     1.63    6.75

Too many long balls. Too many men on base. Starters not going deep enough into games. Too many runs scored. The Mets truly had some bad pitching through their first five games.

     
           W    L    IP    IP/S    HR     WHIP     ERA
Starters    2    0    37     7.4     0     0.86    1.22
Relievers   3    0    10     n/a     0     1.20    2.70
Overall     5    0    47     7.4     0     0.94    1.53

The last five games, starters have pitched and unbelievable 37 innings with a sub 1.00 WHIP. The key is no homeruns. Moving away from the Great American Launching Pad did the Mets staff good. The starters ERA and relievers ERA has been bit better to say the least.

Overall, here are the Mets pitching stats:

IP     H/9     K/9     K/BB     ERA     WHIP     BAA
87    7.24    8.59     2.13    3.93     1.25    .221

When will Jose Reye's OBP not equal his BA?

PEDRO v LEITER

Do I need to say anything else?

Ismael Valdez is due to miss 2 to 4 weeks and Brian Moehler is due to take his spot.

Despite Neil Musser almost having a WHIP of 2.00 in yesterday's Norfolk game, he only gave up one run and walked away with the victory. Overall, he has 0.82 ERA in 11 innings.

Though Matt Lindstrom got a no decision in the B-Mets win last night, he went five innings, struck out five, only gave up one earned run while walking two and allowing four hits. Overall, he has a 3.00 ERA in nine innings.

Neil Musser is not the only lefty sporting a 0.82 ERA in eleven innings this year. Evan MacLane went five innings for a no decision in Port St. Lucie's win yesterday. He went five innings, giving up four hits, one walk, and struck out five. Lastings is still off to a slow start and is batting .167.

Carlos Gomez homered in Hagerstown's win yesterday.

Quote of the week:

If I said we'd be talking about Benson's chest for most of April, would you think I was talking about Kris Benson? Benson is just a few days away from getting back on the mound, testing his healing pectoral muscle. Assuming he stays on the current plan, he'll need a couple of bullpen sessions then two rehab starts. That puts him back right around May 1.

The Mets are now one game out of first and own a better record than the Yankees. Why was anyone worrying the first place?

Rope-a-Dope

The Mets new plan is to wear down the top tier pitchers and bore their opponent to death in order to work their bullpen. On a night where the strike zone was big and juicy, Glavine must have been drooling, thinking about a no hitter. To bad he was not pitching. Ishii was on the mound and benefited slightly from the expanded zone going seven innings while only walking three, but we know he is no exactly a pitcher who can work the corners and take advantage. Ishii chopped is ERA down by about half to 3.29 and looked great.

Though Ishii benefited from the zone mildly, Clemens abused the expanded zone and rarely actually threw a ball over the plate. Paul Nauert, who was the home plate ump was definitely slanted a bit more towards the 'Stros and gave Clemens an über strike zone. The Mets really did not have much of a chance working against him. Not one looking strikeout was actually a ball in the zone. Such is life, but I'd be less inclined to complain if I felt it was completely even both ways. Roberto Hernandez and Braden Looper had what should have been strike three's in big situations and the ump was calling that pitch all night, but they were not born with the Clemens name. The bad umpiring did not stop there, in the bottom of the ninth, Marlon Anderson was called out diving into first even though Bagwell missed him with the glove by about a foot.

Despite all that, the Mets won their third in a row. Victor Diaz look good in the field and scored the winning run. Diaz walked in the 11th and eventually came around to score on a Jose Reyes Single. See what walks will do for you? The Mets have been much maligned for their bullpen, but aside from the Astros closer, the Astros bullpen is much, much scarier. The Mets bullpen has some promise and I smell a sweep of the lowly 'Stros. The wild thing part II takes the mound today and hopefully there will be an expanded strike zone tonight since he needs all the help he can get.

Did anyone catch Chris Burke drooling? He had a string on some bodily mucus-like fluid going from his face to his shoulder during one of his at bats (it could have been snot...not really sure).

* * *

Phil Humber got a no decision last night, but continued to pitch great.

Philip Humber, New York's first-round draft choice, kept the Manatees off the scoreboard for five innings. Humber, who doesn't have a decision in two starts although his ERA is 0.90, allowed just one hit while striking out two.

Kris Benson update:

Kris Benson, assigned to the disabled list because of a pectoral strain, played catch on Monday for the first time since being removed from a spring training start on April 3.

Benson's first major league start of the season probably is at least two-and-a-half weeks away.

Yusmeiro Petit goes tonight for the B-Mets.

Yet another Yankee comparison:

"I think Reyes, in some cases, has more overall talent than Jeter did, as far as arm strength, speed," Randolph said. "Derek brings something very different to the table . . . But I think that when you look at Reyes, you're going to be talking about him in the same breath as Jeter in a few years. I mean, not now, but eventually you will.

"He's like a young colt right now but if you really look at it, you look at them at the same age, he's right there with Jeter. But as a winner, the mental part is very important, too, and he'll learn how to deal with that."

While this is a good one, he still needs to stop doing it. Separate the Yankees from the Mets and stop with any comparisons.

Filip Bondy smokes crack.

This remarkable specimen now has completed 14 innings in two games this season, given up one run and seven hits, struck out 18 (nine last night) and walked one. If they were voting for the Cy Young on tax day, Clemens would walk away with award No.8, in a rout over Pedro Martinez.

Please, P-Mart would take that shit home. Actually, Josh Beckett would, but it certainly wouldn't be Clemens. He's been great, but you do not get extra points for being old, though it seems that way with Clemens sometimes.

Headlines you never want to read:

Reyes gives Mets happy ending

We all knew Reyes was a team player.....

The Fran Healy Quote of the Game:

"The Mets can breathe a sigh of relief now that Clemens is coming out of this game. That might help the Mets."

Thanks to David for pointing that one out.

FREE HEATH BELL!!!

I'm officially starting the FREE HEATH BELL!!! movement.

They've already risked $182 million. That's a big gamble. Trading Petit is smaller than that.

Although Petit has shiny numbers (10-3, 138 strikeouts in 95 innings in the minors in 2004), he's no Baez, who's saved 55 games the last two years.

"Petit's a good-looking prospect. He can pitch. But I'd be surprised the Devil Rays would trade Baez unless they got [more than that]," another AL executive said. "He's a first-division reliever."

If the Mets won't do that, they need to do something. If they do nothing, they'll watch their bullpen sabotage a promising thing.

Heyman suggests that Petit should be dealt and an AL executive thinks it should take more than Petit (I wonder if that AL exec was Chuck LaMar?). To me, one of the top Minor League pitchers would be more than enough, but a move that should not be made. Why even think of trading when all of the in house options were not examined first? To me, spending a lot of money this off season does not mean they should dump their prospects for middle relievers just yet.

Heath Bell could turn out to be a first rate set-up man, and he could not, but maybe he should be given a shot. Right now, Felix Heredia is usurping a roster spot and he is destined not to see any pressure situations. He is just sitting in the pen, waiting to be put into a blowout. The Mets had promising results from Roberto Hernandez early on with Heath Bell, Scott Strickland, Bartolome Fortunato, and Orber Moreno bullpen options now and later. I'm not ready to give up on what they have in house right now and panicking is not the right thing to do. Despite all the heat Aybar is taking and DeJean has took, I'm not so sure they won't be good working parts to a deep bullpen. Should they be the primary set up men? No but if they are your fourth and fifth options, then you are pretty deep.

The Mets have a young core. Keeping their top prospects, and one such as Petit who could be ready to pitch this year is vital. Giving away more youth when the Mets are trying to build a foundation for sustained winning may be not be the best idea. They got Beltran and Pedro to be a part of a winning team, but they will be around for longer than 2005. Keeping your eye on the long term prize is important. Brining up Heath Bell is step #1 to improving this bullpen without giving up anyone. Give the kid a shot and let him show everyone if he can handle it. The idiocy of even having this discussion with a potentially viable option in your hand is blatant.

Though far from a glamour name, the 27-year-old reliever projects to give the Mets a lift where they sorely need it — in the bullpen. Lacking big-name relievers to support closer Braden Looper, many have fretted that the Mets may struggle to bridge the gap between the starters and the ninth inning this season. Bell, along with fellow no-name Bartolome Fortunato, has the performance record to portend success — if used in regular roles.

If Baseball Prospectus put a middle reliever in their 5 players to watch in 2005, that says a lot about him. What does it hurt? I do not think there is any doubt he will be up at some time, but what are they waiting for? Find out what you have sooner rather than later so you can truly assess you needs, if any.

* * *

This was on Baseball America's pay portion of the site, but they've posted it on ESPN.com for free. Go figure. If you missed it, it's a great read about Bill Pulsipher.

Brian Bannister was untouchable for the second straight game.

Bannister, who yielded just three hits and struck out six in six innings, improved to 2-0 this season and has yet to allow a run in 11 innings. He has struck out 15 and allowed just five hits and two walks in two games.

Win Streak

As Glavine put it, at some point the Mets were going to hit a five game losing streak during the long season. Unfortunately, it happened during the first five games of the season. The Mets are now 2 - 5 and three games out of first place and the Yankees are 3 - 4 and two games out of first place. Both teams are in last place and it is early in the season and all the 'I told you so' people that said the Mets were going to stink can hold off for now. Their start, while not optimal, does not look so bad now.

Lane said Biggio couldn't hear him calling for the ball because of all the noise from the sellout crowd of 53,663. Lane was charged with an error, allowing another run to score.

The home opener was amazing. However, I am not one who particularly likes comeback wins in the eighth inning. I am quite looking forward to a game in which the Mets lead from end to end and do not start off having to come from behind.

"We're going to fight, man," Cliff Floyd said after the Mets' dramatic 8-4 win over the Astros at Shea yesterday. "We're going to play all nine."

One run was scored through the first five and a half innings and there were twelve scored between the top of the sixth to the top of the eighth inning between the two teams. The Mets won by playing small ball. They had thirteen hits, but twelve of them were singles.

Jose Reyes had an unbelievable play in the home opener in which he was going after a ball up the middle. He seemed to have a beat on the ball and it seemingly took a bad hop and Reyes, barehanded it and gunned the runner down at first. Reyes just shows flashes of how he could be gold glove material in the future.

Kaz had his best game by far in terms of hitting yesterday and I loved his drag bunt in the sixth. Not one person in the stadium, and more importantly on the Astros team was expecting the drag bunt and he laid one down for a hit and got a run a run in.

Victor Diaz had two walks and two hits, but leaves a bit left to be desired in the field though he shows enough promise to come around.

* * *

From ESPN.com:
The Mets improved to 28-14 in home openers at Shea Stadium and 9-2 in their last 11.

The Yanks are really petty.

The Yankee-centric myopia of the YES Network reached a fascinating level of absurdity yesterday in a pregame show that virtually ignored the sight of the Boston Red Sox receiving their World Series rings.

Oh, it was discussed, but not seen live. During Kimberly Jones's 5-minute-24-second report from Fenway Park, the camera never showed the ceremony, live or on tape.

"This place is wild," Jones told the studio host Bob Lorenz. (Do tell.)

"The Yankees are standing on the dugout steps," she said. (No, didn't see that.)

"Derek Lowe got a rousing ovation," she said. (Sorry, missed that, too.)

The Yankees themselves were classy enough to stand on the top steps and applaud and be apart of the celebration. After all, the Red Sox deserved it. They beat the Yanks fair and square despite A-Rod's feeble attempt to cheat.

According to NJ.com, Kris Benson should get on the mound this weekend. If that goes well, he'll pitch a rehab start at St. Lucie or two. Also, something that I missed since I was a 1/2 inning late to the game:

Heilman was one of two Mets, along with reliever Felix Heredia, booed during introductions -- although closer Braden Looper might have been booed, too. Either that or the fans were screaming, "Looooop."

I'm pretty sure it was a boo for Looper.

Braves #1 in the Power Rankings on FoxSports.com? The Braves are far from being the best team in the majors.

Mientkiewicz, a bit player with the Red Sox until he caught the last out of the World Series and became embroiled in a controversy over ownership of the ball, said of his ring, "Whatever Petey wants, I'll follow. If he wants someone to bring it to him, if he wants them to mail it to him, I just want to get it. I just hope there's not cubic zirconia in mine because of the whole ball fiasco. I'm going to take mine to a jeweler to make sure it's real."

Baseball America has all of the opening day rosters taken care of.

Perspective

The Mets have not given the fans much to believe in over the past few years and the 0 - 5 start the Mets were off too was starting to resemble the teams of the past few years. As much as they used the term New Mets, the certainly looked like the old Mets up to the same old things

It is hard for Met fans not to hit the panic button after the last few years of baseball have the organization has given us. In a season in which the fans are mostly optimistic about, the 0-5 start they got off to was painful to say the least. To be a die hard Met fan is to watch and treat every game like it was game seven of the World Series. At the end of the last season when the Mets were far, far out of it, and a few games to go, I was watching a game in a bar with a Mets.

The Mets are now 2 - 5 and the Yankees are 3 - 4. There start, while not optimal, does not look so bad now.

Lane said Biggio couldn't hear him calling for the ball because of all the noise from the sellout crowd of 53,663. Lane was charged with an error, allowing another run to score.

The home opener was amazing. However, I am not one who particulary likes comeback wins in the eighth inning. I am quite looking forward to a game in which the Mets lead from end to end.

"We're going to fight, man," Cliff Floyd said after the Mets' dramatic 8-4 win over the Astros at Shea yesterday. "We're going to play all nine."

One run was scored through the first five and a half innings and there were twelve scored between the top of the sixth to the top of the eight inning. The Mets won by playing small ball. They had thirteen hits, but twelve of them were singles.

Jose Reyes had an unbelievable play in the home opener in which he was going after a ball up the middle. He seemed to have a beat on the ball and it seemingly took a bad hop and Reyes, barehanded it and gunned the runner down at first. Reyes just shows flashed of how he could be gold glove material in the future.

Kaz had his best game by far in terms of hitting yesterday and I loved his drag bunt in the sixth. Not one person in the stadium, and more importantly on the Astros team was expecting the drag bunt and he laid on down.

* * *

From ESPN.com:
The Mets improved to 28-14 in home openers at Shea Stadium and 9-2 in their last 11.

The Yanks are really petty.

The Yankee-centric myopia of the YES Network reached a fascinating level of absurdity yesterday in a pregame show that virtually ignored the sight of the Boston Red Sox receiving their World Series rings.

Oh, it was discussed, but not seen live. During Kimberly Jones's 5-minute-24-second report from Fenway Park, the camera never showed the ceremony, live or on tape.

"This place is wild," Jones told the studio host Bob Lorenz. (Do tell.)

"The Yankees are standing on the dugout steps," she said. (No, didn't see that.)

"Derek Lowe got a rousing ovation," she said. (Sorry, missed that, too.)

The Yankees themselves were classy enough to stand on the top steps and applaud and be apart of the celebration. Afterall, the Red Sox deserved it. They beat the Yanks fair and square despite A-Rod's feeble attempt to cheat.

According to NJ.com, Kris Benson should get on the mound this weekend. If that goes well, he'll pitch a rehab start at St. Lucie or two. Also, something that I missed since I was a 1/2 inning late to the game:

Heilman was one of two Mets, along with reliever Felix Heredia, booed during introductions -- although closer Braden Looper might have been booed, too. Either that or the fans were screaming, "Looooop."

I'm pretty sure it was a boo for Looper.

Braves #1 in the Power Rankings on FoxSports.com? The Braves are far from being the best team in the majors.

Mientkiewicz, a bit player with the Red Sox until he caught the last out of the World Series and became embroiled in a controversy over ownership of the ball, said of his ring, "Whatever Petey wants, I'll follow. If he wants someone to bring it to him, if he wants them to mail it to him, I just want to get it. I just hope there's not cubic zirconia in mine because of the whole ball fiasco. I'm going to take mine to a jeweler to make sure it's real."

Baseball America has all of the opening day rosters taken care of.

One Down, Eighty-Seven To Go

Here are some numbers on Pedro. We know how nasty he's been, but it boggles the mind just to look at them. Since the first inning of opening day, he has been untouchable.

           IP H  H/9 R HR BB BB/9 K's   K/9 K/BB  BAA   ERA
1st Inning  1 3   27 3  1  0 0.00   1  9.00  n/a .500 27.00
After 1St  14 2  1.3 1  0  3 1.93  20 12.86 6.67 .047  0.64

Pretty nasty stuff.

Righties only have one hit against him and that was Andruw Jones in yesterday's game. Righties have been held to .053/.053/.158. Lefties are doing a little better at .133/.212/.267. Overall he's put up .102/.154/.224.

I think Pedro is going to enjoy the National League just fine. Pedro needed just 101 pitches to completely dominate the Braves who's offense is going to keep them from sitting atop the NL East come season's end.

* * *

Vintage Cliff Floyd means handling lefties pretty well. He never had much trouble hitting them, though he hits righties better, and also was able to hit with power. After hitting 17 homers in 276 at bats in 2002 and 2003 (a homerun every 16.24 at bats), he fell off in a huge way and only hit one homer in 113 at bats. Strangely enough, from 2002 to 2003, he hit homers more frequently off of left handed pitchers. His 2004 season was so out of whack in terms of what he is capable of doing against left handers. The fact he already has doubled his homerun output against left handers in only eight at bats tells me it is not luck. This is the really Cliff Floyd. A healthy Cliff is a great asset to the team.

Yusmeiro Petit has a 0.00 WHIP so far in his three innings at AA Binghamton. You hear those footsteps !!sh!?

Kaz Matsui is a better player than Miguel Cairo. How predictable was it that the NY Media would favor an ex-Yankee since he has that Yankee blood in him after one 2 for 3 day? Cairo is a nice player, but when Kaz is playing to his potential, he is much better offensively than Miguel Cairo. To even start a controversy is ridiculous. Kaz is the guy and Kaz will come around. He's a talented offensive player. Let the guy have more than a five game chance. He gets dropped in the lineup before he gets benched.

As awesome as Pedro has been, he's been the second best pitcher in the league. Josh Beckett has been absolutely lights out.

Roberto Clemente Jr. not only did roids, but he has a new show on the FAN. The show was good, but I must warn you, about half of the show are callers praising his father.

I missed this one:
The Associated Press reports Los Angeles Dodgers CL Eric Gagne was ejected for heckling home plate umpire Bill Hohn from the dugout Wednesday, April 6. Gagne, on the DL with a sprained elbow, was yelling at Hohn for balls and strike calls.

Serenity now.

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