A blog dedicated to the New York Mets with some other baseball thrown in.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Tools Abound

Carlos Gomez continues to hit well of late as he is recovering from a slow start for the second season in a row. Gomez's promotion of AA and having him skip St. Lucie was looking like a big mistake, but it is starting to not looking quite as bad these days with a .313 average over the last two months up through yesterday's game. He is still not walking much and his walks have decreased from eight in April to four in May to one in June to none in July, but he is actually walking with more frequency in 2006 than in 2005. His SB% is 70% which is down from 73% in 2005 and that is one are he needs to drastically improve on being that speed is such a large part of his game.
        BA  OBP  SLG    OPS
April .205 .301 .261 .562
May .219 .278 .370 .648
June .250 .316 .404 .720
July .410 .442 .590 1.032
Back in 2004, an Eastern Division manager of the Gulf Coast League called him the total package. He likened him to Raul Mondesi and said he was the number one prospect in the league in his eyes. He is still only 20 years old and young for AA, but at some point he will start to have to put up numbers consistently to back up his expectations and prospect status. He can supposedly put on a show in batting practice in regards to hitting with power but only has fourteen homeruns in his career which is good for one homer in every 65.86 at-bats.

He has all the tools and we've heard the stories about some scouts liking his tools better than Milledge's, but Milledge is only eight months older and commands them much better, though he could stand to work on a few things himself. For all of Gomez's tools, he still has trouble actually using them. He is erratic in the field, needs to become more deft at stealing bases, figure out how to harness his power during actual games, and gain more control of the strike zone. Does that really sound like a guy who should be skipping levels? Probably not and while the experiment with Gomez in AA is far from a failure, it is hard to think that Gomez is really even close to the bigs without showing a marked improvement to justify the Mets trying to shoot him through the system. Maybe the Mets were trying to up his value via a trade or maybe they thought they saw something in his thirteen at-bats with the big club this spring, but Gomez needs to start showing substantial improvement or else people will start to sour on him he will not be much value to the Mets at all.

* * *

  • This is one of the funniest and scariest things I have ever seen. Wow....just wow.

  • Not be outdone in the weird category...

    "Hi, I'm David Wright. I invite you to the 'Salvation Miracles Revival Crusade' with Dr. Jaerock Lee, at Madison Square Garden, July 27, 28 and 29."

  • The Mets had a fucking swell sixth inning in which two grand slams were hit and a David Wright two run homer despite a severe SUCK ME candidate in Sean Marshall on the mound. It was the most runs scored by any Met team in one inning and the most runs scored in an inning this year by any team. And of course, Xavier Nady is on my fantasy team and the Mets score thirteen runs while Nady only goes 1 for 3 with a run scored. Thanks.

    In a great moment during the game, the Cubbie fans got sick of throwing the balls back on the field and started throwing garbage.

    The fans in the sun-drenched bleachers at Wrigley Field warmed up, tossing back one ball after another onto the field as the Mets pelted home run after home run. Eventually, running out of ammunition and tiring of their hometown team, the fans started littering the field with bottles.

    First a few fell and then an avalanche of trash descended from every part of the bleachers, which is how the game must have felt to the Cubs.


  • John Maine will start for Pedro if he cannot make his next start and it looks like he probably will not as Peterson wants him to get two bullpen sessions and a simulated game before returning.

  • Jose Reyes is ready for his return and should be back in the lineup when the Mets face the Cincinnati Reds.

  • Bell in...Owens out...Bannister still MIA...

    Reliever Heath Bell rejoined the team after Henry Owens was sent back to Double-A Binghamton. Bell had been at Triple-A Norfolk since just before the All-Star break. ... Brian Bannister, who has been out since late April with a hamstring injury, threw 79 pitches in a simulated game at Port St. Lucie, Fla. The Mets said they will see how Bannister gets through that before deciding on his next move....

    Strangely enough, Owens was placed back in Binghamton as opposed to Norfolk.

  • On Saturday, Lastings Milledge went 2 for 3 with two runs scored, a homer, an RBI, and a walk in Norfolk's 9-1 victory over the Louisville Bats. Also, Tagg Bozied went deep twice and went 2 for 4 with four RBIs.

    On Sunday, the Tides lost despite a strong outing from Jose Lima and another homer from Lastings Milledge which was his seventh of the year. Milledge was 1 for 3 with a walk, a homer, and two RBIs.

    Jesus Flores went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts in St. Lucie's 7-2 win over the Jupiter Hammerheads on Saturday.

    Phil Humber had a solid outing on Friday for St. Lucie as the Mets beat Brevard County 4-2. Humber went six innings and gave up three hits, two runs, no earned runs, and two walks while striking out two. Overall for St. Lucie he is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA.

    Jon Niese got roughed up on Friday in Hagerstown's 7-3 loss to Hickory. Niese went six innings and gave up seven hits, seven earned runs, three homers, and one walk while striking out two.

    Joe Smith keeps on rolling and picked up two saves this weekend with two scoreless innings. So far, he has six saves in twelve innings with a 0.75 ERA. Joe has given up seven hits and two walks to his fifteen strikeouts.

    Third round pick John Holdzkom continues to get lit up for the GCL Mets and gave up four runs in one inning in the GCL Mets loss to the GCL Nationals. He has now given up sixteen runs and nine walks in nine innings.

    There was a Matt Durkin sighting on Saturday as he threw 2.2 innings for the GCL Mets. He still has control issues as he walked four while striking out four but lets see if the Mets can get anything resembling a return on their $1,000,000 investment yet.

  • Baseball Prospecutus continues to pour salt into out wounds...

    "What people haven't really focused on a lot is that at the time the Mets were in a transition and the projected payroll for the next year was in the $80 million range, about what it was that year. And the feeling was, with the pressure to win in New York and the payroll projected as what it would be, we had to do some creative things. Our evaluations on Zambrano were very high. Our feelings on Kazmir also were very high, but we thought at the time it would take a couple years to see him at the major-league level. Our opinion at the time was he was another year-and-a-half away."
    --former Mets GM Jim Duquette, defending the Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano trade (Tampa Tribune)


  • From SI.com by way of Benny...

    The White Sox asked the Mets for Duaner Sanchez and Mike Pelfrey for Freddy Garcia. No go. The Sox have spoken to several clubs about Garcia and Javier Vazquez but prefer to keep Vazquez since he's contractually tied to the team for three more years. Garcia has told people he wouldn't be devastated to go to New York.

    Ha! First, why can't people learn that Mike Pelfrey cannot be traded right now due to him needing to be in the organization for a year. Second, HA! again. Not happening. Not happening for Dirty straight up much less Dirty and an uber prospect. Kenny Williams is smart. He was probably just throwing out a feeler and I expect him to come down to earth at some point if he wants to make a deal.

  • Shawn Chacon for Jake Peavy in a second? According to a Yankee fan who just called WFAN, it can happen. Way to go dipshit.

  • 19 Comments:

    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Carlos Gomez should just repeat AA next season, no point in having him go to AAA. DOn't want another Eric Duncan on our hands, who because of the fact he skipped levels has lost alot of trade value.

    Is that video supposed to teach people english? or is it a workout video?
    Or is it a United States training video for all tourists? haha

    I dno't care too much abotu Bannister being gone becuase he won games btu he was a scary game winner. BAses loaded every inning n' shit, I don't like that.

    Yo, I'm VERY impressed with Phil Humber. It's crazy how good he's pitching. It's not dominant but its still REAL good.

    Yeah! John Holdzkom! Lets pick him instead of Dellin Betances, fucking mets man...

    Matt Durkin should become a reliever...

    And I would have LOVED to hear the justification that guy had for trading Chacon for Peavy.
    That guy should be shot in the fucking head.

    1:10 PM

     
    Blogger michael o. said...

    Gomez should repeat AA for sure. Even if he ends up batting .280, his not showing up for the first two months of the season has to subside at some point.

    Benny, near as I can tell that is some training video for Japanese people coming to NYC, the mugging capital of the world (according to them). But my friend found that because we always joke about the 'choke-hold' muggings in Peru. We are going to Peru to Machu Picchu and the US has webpages in regards to traveling to all countries. What shots you may need, dangers to look for, etc... One was 'choke-hold' mugging. If I do get 'choke-hold' mugged, I'll know exactly what to say. "Take what you want", "Spare me my life life", and "I just got mugged by two men". Hopefully I remember the calisthenics routine too because I think that is essential.

    I agree with Bannister, but I'm just reporting the facts.

    Humber should be riding pretty high at this point in his comeback. Two back to back six inning performances and a 3.86 ERA overall is amazing for him right now. He might be ready sooner than 2008 at this rate.

    Betances has one scoreless inning on his resume so far. Holdzkom would give his left one for a scoreless inning.

    Durkin only has a shot at being a reliever....and a marginal one at that. He can't get the ball over the damn plate.

    His justification was because Peavy was 4-8 (or whatever he is). No justification really other than teams should just give the Yankees players for nothing.

    1:23 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Oh bro... can you please update the bookmark for The Eddie Kranepool Society.
    Thanks, lol.

    2:00 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    "The White Sox asked the Mets for Duaner Sanchez and Mike Pelfrey for Freddy Garcia."

    *Emad's laughter permeates his apartment*

    Are they serious?

    2:05 PM

     
    Blogger Count Choculitis said...

    Mr. Met, Xavier Nady sucks. Please drop him from your team. Immediately.

    2:38 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    But what Count Chocula doesn't know is, its an 18 team league with 2 utility spots, lol.
    So its either Xavier Nady or the likes of Carl Everett, Jeremy Burnitz, So Taguchi or Steve Finley.
    Mike, don't drop Nady!

    The White Sox are on fuckin' crack. Fuck that shit.
    Who does Kenny Williams thinks he's trading away?

    2:50 PM

     
    Blogger michael o. said...

    I fixed the link Benny...thanks. I didn't catch that one.

    Emad, people love to rip off the Mets...but I just didn't expect if would come from Williams who is a smart GM.

    Count, he will remain on my team and start until the last game of the season.

    Benny, he won't be dropped, but Reggie Sanders and Jeromy Burnitz are looking better and better every day.

    Williams has a decent pitcher (I repeat...decent pitcher) in a talent pool lacking some talent. He thinks the Mets are desperate, but they are not. When he learns they are not desperate and Omar is not bluffing, he'll come down in price.

    3:04 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    The Wright video is scary. Totally out of character for the image I had of him.

    Wright seems far too intellegent to be selling out for some fraudelent faith-healer and in a mets uniform to boot. Really tasteless and Wright seems far too intellegent, normal and grounded for this crap.

    I'd rather he endorsed "Girls Gone Wild" videos

    Adam

    3:09 PM

     
    Blogger Count Choculitis said...

    I'd rather have So Taguchi on my team so you can use the old "You're So Taguchi and you don't even know it" joke. FYI: the last year I did fantasy baseball: (a) there was no internet,at least none to speak of; (b) you had to mail in your lineup on Monday, with a postmark the definitive evidence of timeliness; and (c) you received your results after noon on Tuesday, via calling a hotline.

    3:18 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    David Wright and Snoop Dogg now bring to you, Girls Gone Wild, celebrity edition. See how far these college co-eds will go to get a piece the fame and fortune.
    With special guest hosts David Wright and Snoop Dogg, these girls get hot, horny and naked, and WILD!
    Order now!

    3:18 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Count Chocula if there's room next year wanna join tghe one we have here?

    Times have changed and things are cool now. The draft is done LIVE! At the comfort of your own home! AHHH!
    Lineup changes? they're instant!
    Trades? Holy shit, lets talk about trades. You can IM people and negotiate that way.
    Your results are up to the second!

    3:21 PM

     
    Blogger michael o. said...

    Adam, I completely agree. I'm guessing maybe he's a big time born-again or something. It doesn't add up. It's one thing if it was religion, but the commercial has a guy losing his crutches on the commercial. I'm baffled.

    Count, that is serious shit. Serious shit.

    Benny, I think you found your calling. You can write blurbs up for videos...and yes, I'd buy any video with Wright and Snoop Dog hosting.

    3:26 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    i'm not going to watch the video and i'm pretending i never heard anything about david wright being born again/completely wacko. please tell me this is some sort of joke or never ever mention it again.

    4:25 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Its true. I saw the commercial and must have had complete cognitive dissonance. It was so out of line with my understanding of David Wright and to have him in a Mets uniform to boot, it was so out of order I totally forgot about it a minute after I saw it, until Mushnick discussed it and it all came back to me.

    This is yet another example of how the mets always come out as a bunch of amatuers. I have to watch Derek Jeter selling a respected product like Ford's 10X a game while watching his rival Mets games on the Mets owned network. And what does the Mets matinee idol superstar sell - a phony religous/medical expert taking advantage of uneducated, poor people who are at their most desperate times who will pay this fraud thousands of dollars for his "treatments" while they forego real medical help.

    Plus the mets gave full rights with the uniform. the mets never give the rights to promote anything. i remeber Strawberry in the '80's doing Milk ads in a blue and orange uniform that looked something like a Mets uniform without the the New York or Mets printed on it. And that was to promote a product as wholesome as Milk.

    I can hear Michael Kaye chuckling about it now.

    Adam

    4:59 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Oh, man, Googling "Jaerock Lee" suddenly makes those 3rd-to-1st throwing errors a lot less forgiveable.

    11:08 PM

     
    Blogger ossy said...

    http://www.geocities.jp/gcn_watch/

    wtf is david wright doing? jay horowitz needs to be on his ass about shit like this

    3:33 AM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    where is the link to the video of the david wright commercial?

    9:25 AM

     
    Blogger Count Choculitis said...

    Something I caught off The Sons of Sam Horn:


    Mets To Trade Jeff Keppinger

    Astute Mets fans may have noticed that second baseman Jeff Keppinger of the team's Triple A club is not in tonight's lineup. He also didn't play in Sunday's game. From the folks I have spoken to close to the Norfolk Tides, Keppinger is not known to have an injury.

    A source tells me that Norfolk Tides manager Ken Oberkfell has informed Keppinger that he is part of a deal with the Pirates. Keppinger, a 26 year-old, hit .337 for Norfolk last year. He's known for his superb bat control, regularly making contact more than 90% of the time. Baseball America considers him a future utility man with a possibility of more. Keppinger previously played in the Pittsburgh organization, and was sent to the Mets in the Kris Benson deal.

    A separate source of mine indicates that something is indeed going on with Keppinger. While Keppinger for Roberto Hernandez is feasible, he says the deal may be expanded to include Oliver Perez, among others.

    UPDATE: Looks like I was off on this one; a minor deal with the Royals appears to be in the works. KC would send Ruben Gotay to the Mets.

    12:06 PM

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    fantasy baseball player rankingAny one using the phrase "easy as taking candy from a baby, has never tried taking candy from a baby before.fantasy baseball player ranking

    8:28 AM

     

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