Just Another Game

The Mets/Yankees series is a big deal in these parts. I do not particularly like it as I'm forced to deal directly with Yankee fans, but I somehow manage to make it through year after year. As for the teams, year after year they will claim that it's just another series and it has no extra meaning. Anyone buying that? Look no further than the Mets game against the Cubs today. Beltran? Resting. Wright? Resting. Reyes? Resting. Yes, Reyes and Beltran are a little banged up and needed a day off, but sitting everyone the day before the big series speaks volumes about needing your core to be rested and ready to go.

Throw on top of that the Mets using Vargas for seven and Burgos for two so they have a rested bullpen as well and you have yourself a pretty comfortable position in a series that does not mean much. The Mets also have Glavine, Perez, and Maine slated to pitch during the series and the Yankees are coming off of a demoralizing series in which they were just over matched by the Chicago White Sox. Does it all sound to good to be true? Actually, it does.

Yankee fans continue to be in denial and have broke out everything from your staff is unproven to you haven't won anything since '86 to Beltran looking at strike three last year to twelve straight playoff trips for the Yankees.... I don't care. I look at this team and I see a team struggling to do anything right. Offense, relief pitching, starting pitching...nothing is working. With the Yankees down, Randolph is smelling blood and wanted to ensure that his team was ready. Was he prepared to just throw away today's game to accomplish that? Possibly. It sure looks like that could be case. We know what bragging rights in this town means and we know Willie would like to show up his old team give more credence to the growing belief that the Mets are the best team in New York right now by taking out the Yankees this weekend.

Just another series? I don't buy it. Both sides want to beat their cross town rival badly.

* * *

Us Met fans tend to get excited about players when they do good whether we know it's for real or we know it's an aberration. It's part of our DNA. There have been many times we overreacted and fooled ourselves into believing in guys like Jason Phillips, Tyler Yates, Brian Bannister (he never fooled me), Benny Agbayani, etc. and had irrational expectations thrust upon these players. Enter Jorge Sosa.... Now, I'd rather a scout say this stuff, but I'll take it from a fantasy expert that looks like a weenie.

You think this is a fluke, don't you? I think fantasy owners get way too caught up in what a guy did the previous season, for good and bad. Sosa nearly won an ERA title in 2005, and while his WHIP certainly didn't match his ERA in value, we could see this guy was hard to hit. Then in 2006, this guy was bad, very bad, allowing an unheard-of rate of home runs per innings. Now he's good again, but nobody believes it. Well, believe it! Sosa is in precisely the right spot to thrive, as is, apparently, Oliver Perez. Still think Leo Mazzone is the king of pitching coaches? Watch Daniel Cabrera in his next inconsistent outing. Rick Peterson has fixed Sosa and Perez. Just so you know I always practice what I preached, I grabbed Sosa in multiple leagues before he even got called up, and now he's 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and nine hits allowed in 20 innings. He's not filling in for Orlando Hernandez anymore, he's this team's No. 2 or 3 playoff starter, depending on how John Maine holds up. I think Sosa can win 12 or 13 games and keep his ERA in the 3.00 range, which is pretty good.

Yikes. Those are some pretty bold statements being inked in the above paragraph. I think the biggest surprise of the year, though maybe not to us Met fans, is how effective this rotation is. I truly thought Mike Pelfrey would turn into the ace of the team this year, but after what was a horrible stint with the Mets, doubts are creeping into people's minds as to whether or not he will even achieve front end status in this league. However, Omar Minaya being the shrewd and ever diligent GM that he is had plenty of fall back options in place and Sosa certainly has risen to the occasion.

While most of the New Orleans staff has been getting knocked around in the band-box that is the PCL, Sosa was outperforming everyone by a lot and has not looked back. Of course I'm not too sure what to make of it. I've watched him pitch and he certainly looks good and pitching in Shea certainly helps. But you if you look at what he's done since 2003, his track record certainly does not bode well.

      WHIP  ERA  BAA  HR/9  K/9
2003  1.53 4.62 .278  0.98 5.04
2004  1.55 5.53 .259  1.54 8.52
2005  1.40 2.55 .241  0.81 5.71
2006  1.51 5.42 .292  2.29 5.72

So there you have it. Numbers to confound the mind. It is entirely possible he is a good big league pitcher. However, with a WHIP in the 1.50 area, he is hard pressed to attain ace status outside of an anomaly season. That being said, he has also been a guy that has had a good arm and never seemed to really find a good fit. What is really crazy is just how strikingly similar Perez and Sosa are. Not necessarily in age, but sheer performance.

Normally I would have to wait until midway through '08 to decide if he if for real, but if Perez and Sosa keep this up, I might just make up my mind a lot sooner. I certainly trust my eyes enough to see that they look like big league pitchers and I certainly believe that Rick Peterson is one of the best in the biz at straightening out guys with good arms and bad game plans. If I had to put money on it, I would bet that Perez and Sosa end the season a lot like they started it.

Also from the above link:

Jose Reyes: Speaking of running fast, Reyes is on pace for 96 stolen bases, which would be the highest total this decade. The last guy to swipe 100 bases in a season was Vince Coleman, and that was 20 years ago. Reyes is a far better player in every way, taking walks, hitting for power, scoring bushels of runs. I predict he'll steal 81 bases. The question isn't how good Reyes is, but is he the best player in fantasy? Fellow ESPN writer Pete Becker believes Reyes is the best, and certainly the slow start by Pujols adds credence to it. Reyes is currently third on the Player Rater behind only Alex Rodriguez and Jake Peavy. I predict he'll end up second to A-Rod.

Reyes is still getting as much love now as he was at the end of last season and it doesn't seem to stop. One of the hottest topics of this young season is who is best short stop in the NL? Us Mets fans have been crying it is Reyes while others have said Ramirez is better and now Hardy has joined in the discussion with his A-Rod-esque numbers. Stark had a quick and dirty way to go about it and of course, Reyes ran away with it. The competition is stiff, but Reyes is the best all around shortstop in the National League and possibly the best overall player to boot.

Lastings speaks out...or at least someone speaks out for him.

"Lastings wants to apologize to the Mets organization, to his teammates and to anyone that was hurt by his lyrics," said Arroyo. "It wasn't his intention to hurt anyone....He's going to make sure he uses better judgment in the future."

The sexually explicit song, "Bend Ya Knees," has been removed from the Web site souljaboirecords.com, and Arroyo said it was "just a demo" never meant for the public.

Milledge raps about "rich (N word)," "wealthy (N word)," a "top-notch ho" and having "a different bitch for every night" on the song with Manny D, a childhood friend who is signed to Milledge's label.

I hope that ends it.

F-Mart!

I was watching the end of the Yankee/White Sox game and Mike MacDougal was flat out nasty. I know he's had some issues this year, but how the guy ever gets touched is beyond me.

Let's All Point and Laugh

If Beltran signs with the Mets, he will have revealed himself to be a fraud.

The Mets are about nothing.

The Mets are a bad team with a stupid front office. Despite throwing millions at a few high-profile free agents in recent years, they aren't close to being competitive.

They're promising they'll do things right under new general manager Omar Minaya. But even if Minaya is allowed the autonomy his predecessors never had, the Mets are years away from being competitive.

Quick...who was the douchebag who said that? If you said Richard Justice back in '05, you would be correct. Predictably the Mets were within' one game of the World Series a season later just for good measure. Anyone care to wager which team will have a better record and who will have more playoff appearances over the next decade between the Mets and the Astros?

* * *

Milledge swore on his album and used derogatory terms? Big fucking whoop. I'd be more concerned about this guy wearing two watches at one time. I'm starting to think Milledge is not going to get a fair shake in this town and I've never heard as many non-stories about anyone in my life.

I think the Mets are leading the league in steroid suspensions.

Some of Joe Morgan's answers in his chat:

I'm sure he'll get hot, because he is a good player.

Hmmm...

Fielder has unlimited potential, but it's about how hard he works and if he does continue to learn and progress, he could be one of the elite power hitters. But that's not easy, since so many others don't. I think he's a special player and he probably will.

Double hmmm....

I'm disappointed in the Reds, because they got off to a good start and I thought their confidence would be high. But things haven't gone well the last two weeks, so they'll need to straighten it out.

Straighten it out? Brilliant! You gotta respect the in depth analysis.

It's tough for me to answer that question from afar, because I don't see how they go about their business on a day-to-day basis. There are incidents on EVERY team where players get upset about incidents that happen on the field. They didn't fire the guy in Toronto, so I don't think that's a reason to fire him.

His stock answer for no comment is 'I don't see them everyday so I cannot comment ab0ut that'. It seems he says that about EVERY team so what exactly is his job?

Brian(NY): Joe here's a tough one for ya...if you we're to start a franchise from scratch for the next 5 years who would you're infield team be , mine would be Pujols,Kinsler,Reyes and Wright.

SportsNation Joe Morgan: I can't argue with that. I'm not sure I'd put Kinsler ahead of Cano. He's hitting home runs, but is he a better hitter than Cano, who hit .340 last year. I wouldn't argue with that infield other than 2B, but I'd have to think more about it.

And Cobb hit .340 in 1923. What's your point? Not many experts would choose Cano if they had a choice of any second baseman in the league. Of course second base is not exactly the strongest position in the league, but Robinson Cano is not on top of that list.

Dave (Richmond VA): Hey Joe! How good do you think that Phil Hughes can be this year? Is he a legit number 2 or 3?

SportsNation Joe Morgan: I don't know how good he can be, since he hasn't pitched enough games.

Speechless. Joe....here is a hint. He's asking you to make an educated guess based on his existing track record and all the baseball you have managed to take in over the years.

I am addicted to reading his chats. I really am.

Dave Pinto has some interesting thoughts on rearranging the divisions.

Some highlights from Jonah Keri's chat:

Sherman (New York): All of you "revolutionists" are ruining the game of baseball! Your "stats" are a joke and they DO NOT truly measure a player's ability to win ball games. Do us all a favor and leave our game alone!

SportsNation Jonah Keri: Really cool of Buster Olney to drop by today.

First...ziiiing!!! Second....from New York eh? I guess you are part of the camp that thinks Jeter is a really great fielder as well.

Mike(Charlotte): Derek Jeter is a gold glove shortstop at this stage of his career!!!

SportsNation Jonah Keri: Just because the BBWAA say he's a great fielder doesn't make it so. There's a whole chapter devoted to Jeter's defense, and defense in general, in Baseball Between the Numbers.

Just because a fielder rarely makes obvious mistakes doesn't mean he's great. Jeter's range has never been all that good, especially to his left. He compensates in other ways with positioning and general intelligence. But he's nowhere near someone like Adam Everett when it comes to defense.

Jeter's bat still makes him a fantastic player, though.

Then is just went on and on and on and on with people trying to defend Jeter's fielder ability and his overall clutchiness and intangibleness. Get over it already. Then Jonah really endeared himself to Mets fans.

Scott (NJ): Best SS in NYC right now is...?

SportsNation Jonah Keri: Jose Reyes. Best in baseball.

As if that wasn't enough...

Seth (New York, NY): Does Pedro come back for real in August? Does Omar Minaya make a trade for another pitcher?

SportsNation Jonah Keri: How about neither? Ollie Perez has been fantastic this season. Glavine looks ageless. I don't think John Maine will maintain a 2.15 ERA all year, but he's still a solid pitcher too. It's conceivable that the Mets could go to the playoffs with those 3 guys are their top 3 starters, then pound other teams into submission with Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Delgado et al.

Pedro's a great wild card. But the Mets are really, really good. They could win without him.

Preach on brother Jonah.

The Yankees were 8.5 games out coming into the 2nd game of their double header and Boston looks like the best team in the bigs by a quite a bit. The Red Sox, Tigers, Indians, Angels, White Sox, Mariners, Athletics, and Twins all have a better record than the Yankees. They really look like they are in trouble. The team just has not looked like the Yankees of yesteryear and many of their key players have simply looked underwhelming.

Jorge Sosa looks like a stud. I repeat. A stud.

Let's All Point and Laugh

If Beltran signs with the Mets, he will have revealed himself to be a fraud.

The Mets are about nothing.

The Mets are a bad team with a stupid front office. Despite throwing millions at a few high-profile free agents in recent years, they aren't close to being competitive.

They're promising they'll do things right under new general manager Omar Minaya. But even if Minaya is allowed the autonomy his predecessors never had, the Mets are years away from being competitive.

Quick...who was the douchebag who said that? If you said Richard Justice back in '05, you would be correct. Predictably the Mets were within' one game of the World Series a season later just for good measure. Anyone care to wager which team will have a better record and who will have more playoff appearances over the next decade between the Mets and the Astros?

* * *

Milledge swore on his album and used derogatory terms? Big fucking whoop. I'd be more concerned about this guy wearing two watches at one time. I'm starting to think Milledge is not going to get a fair shake in this town and I've never heard as many non-stories about anyone in my life.

I think the Mets are leading the league in steroid suspensions.

Some of Joe Morgan's answers in his chat:

I'm sure he'll get hot, because he is a good player.

Hmmm...

Fielder has unlimited potential, but it's about how hard he works and if he does continue to learn and progress, he could be one of the elite power hitters. But that's not easy, since so many others don't. I think he's a special player and he probably will.

Double hmmm....

I'm disappointed in the Reds, because they got off to a good start and I thought their confidence would be high. But things haven't gone well the last two weeks, so they'll need to straighten it out.

Straighten it out? Brilliant! You gotta respect the in depth analysis.

It's tough for me to answer that question from afar, because I don't see how they go about their business on a day-to-day basis. There are incidents on EVERY team where players get upset about incidents that happen on the field. They didn't fire the guy in Toronto, so I don't think that's a reason to fire him.

His stock answer for no comment is 'I don't see them everyday so I cannot comment ab0ut that'. It seems he says that about EVERY team so what exactly is his job?

It's tough for me to answer that question from afar, because I don't see how they go about their business on a day-to-day basis. There are incidents on EVERY team where players get upset about incidents that happen on the field. They didn't fire the guy in Toronto, so I don't think that's a reason to fire him.

And Cobb hit .340 in 1923. What's your point? Not many experts would choose Cano if they had a choice of any second baseman in the league. Of course second base is not exactly the strongest position in the league, but Robinson Cano is not on top of that list.

Dave (Richmond VA): Hey Joe! How good do you think that Phil Hughes can be this year? Is he a legit number 2 or 3?

SportsNation Joe Morgan: I don't know how good he can be, since he hasn't pitched enough games.

Speechless. Joe....here is a hint. He's asking you to make an educated guess based on his existing track record and all the baseball you have managed to take in over the years.

I am addicted to reading his chats. I really am.

Dave Pinto has some interesting thoughts on rearranging the divisions.

Some highlights from Jonah Keri's chat:

Sherman (New York): All of you "revolutionists" are ruining the game of baseball! Your "stats" are a joke and they DO NOT truly measure a player's ability to win ball games. Do us all a favor and leave our game alone!

SportsNation Jonah Keri: Really cool of Buster Olney to drop by today.

First...ziiiing!!! Second....from New York eh? I guess you are part of the camp that thinks Jeter is a really great fielder as well.

Mike(Charlotte): Derek Jeter is a gold glove shortstop at this stage of his career!!!

SportsNation Jonah Keri: Just because the BBWAA say he's a great fielder doesn't make it so. There's a whole chapter devoted to Jeter's defense, and defense in general, in Baseball Between the Numbers.

Just because a fielder rarely makes obvious mistakes doesn't mean he's great. Jeter's range has never been all that good, especially to his left. He compensates in other ways with positioning and general intelligence. But he's nowhere near someone like Adam Everett when it comes to defense.

Jeter's bat still makes him a fantastic player, though.

Then is just went on and on and on and on with people trying to defend Jeter's fielder ability and his overall clutchiness and intangibleness. Get over it already. Then Jonah really endeared himself to Mets fans.

Scott (NJ): Best SS in NYC right now is...?

SportsNation Jonah Keri: Jose Reyes. Best in baseball.

As if that wasn't enough...

Seth (New York, NY): Does Pedro come back for real in August? Does Omar Minaya make a trade for another pitcher?

SportsNation Jonah Keri: How about neither? Ollie Perez has been fantastic this season. Glavine looks ageless. I don't think John Maine will maintain a 2.15 ERA all year, but he's still a solid pitcher too. It's conceivable that the Mets could go to the playoffs with those 3 guys are their top 3 starters, then pound other teams into submission with Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Delgado et al.

Pedro's a great wild card. But the Mets are really, really good. They could win without him.

Preach on brother Jonah.

The Yankees were 8.5 games out coming into the 2nd game of their double header and Boston looks like the best team in the bigs by a quite a bit. The Red Sox, Tigers, Indians, Angels, White Sox, Mariners, Athletics, and Twins all have a better record than the Yankees. They really look like they are in trouble. The team just has not looked like the Yankees of yesteryear and many of their key players have simply looked underwhelming.

Jorge Sosa looks like a stud. I repeat. A stud.

Slapping Some Lipstick On That Pig

A win is a win. Four of the first five hits for the Cubs may not have been hits with tighter defense, but the Mets played the type of game that championship teams do. They got into a 4-0 hole to the Cubbies and scratched their way back with six walks, some solid pitching down the stretch, and a big night for David Wright who is looking like the David Wright of yesteryear. They made the Cubbies pay for some mistakes and simply executed when they needed to win it in the bottom of the ninth.

I am still concerned about the reoccurring theme of the early goings of the 2007 season which is the Mets being their own worst enemy. What is absolutely clear to me is the Mets are the only ones who can hold themselves back from running away from the rest of the pack in the NL. Now that Wright is coming out of his slump this team just got much better offensively and that says a lot being they already lead the league in runs scored.

* * *

Is it just me or did Keith Hernandez look and sound like he has been on a four day coke, booze, and hooker bender?

In case you missed it, Phil Humber put up a great start the on Sunday and picked up his third win of the year with a seven inning effort in which he gave up five hits, one earned run, and one walk while striking out six. Sweet.

Injury Concerns?

I've spoken about this before, but the anti-Met propaganda about the Mets rotation, the age of some players, and the fragility of some of their players (i.e. The Duque and Moises) has been seriously overblown. We all know what to expect from The Duque and Moises and that's 20-25 starts from The Duque and 120 to 130 games from Moises. They are going to get dinged up and spend some time on the DL and will need their rest. That was a given and it comes as no surprise that this is exactly where we are at this point in time.

Moises is hurting a bit and a trip the DL for some rest would not be the worst thing in the world while he heals up and as Jorge Sosa is proving, a trip to the DL is hardly a detrimental thing to a team like the Mets. As sexy as their pitching might not be, John Maine and Oliver Perez appear to have been greatly underrated during the off-season. With Sosa in the mix now and Vargas, Humber, and Pelfrey on the farm with Pedro's rehab coming along well, it is hard for the Mets to not feel comfortable at this present time.

The Mets top three starters in Glavine, Maine, and Perez own a 2.59 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and a 7.36 k/9 in 22 starts with a 13-4 record. If you take a look at the Mets probable starting five when The Duque comes back, you have a 2.59 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 7.12 K/9 in 29 starts and 180.2 innings. Simply amazing. One thing of concern is Maine and Perez's bouts with wildness from time to time as Maine has two six walk games and a four walk game in seven starts. As for Perez, he had one seven walk game early on. However, when you look at Maine's seven starts and see that four have him going at least seven innings and going at least six and all but one in conjunction with Perez's seven walks in 39+ innings outside of that one extremely wild game, it quells those concerns.

As for Moises getting injured, it provides a perfect opportunity to get Gomez, Milledge (when he's back), and Chavez more playing time while resting an old player keeping him fresh for the long haul. You can almost say the DL is a good thing for certain players on the Mets roster and better in the long run. Injuries will happen over the long haul of the season and the Mets can handle them. While some people showed their anti-Mets bias and went with teams like the Phillies or the Braves for the NL East, this team is better than people give them credit for and many think they will be very good. The Mets are far and away the best team in the NL as evidenced by their extremely large lead in run differential which is a great predictor of success and true record of a team.

* * *

Mike Pelfrey has been optioned to AAA to gain some confidence and work on his secondary stuff in an environment more suitable to do so. Keith Law weighs in on the situation:

He's just short of 30 innings, but Mike Pelfrey merits his own mention. His need for a reliable breaking ball has been put into sharper focus in his five starts this year, and even more concerning, he hasn't been getting groundballs at his usual rate. His velocity is fine, but his slider is inconsistent, and he seems to overthrow his fastball when he gets into trouble. Pelfrey's upside is huge, but he's moving further away from fulfilling it.

You don't want to get down on him, but after he built up our confidence in his ability to be effective this year in the bigs, it is hard not to. It is clear he is a bit further away than originally believed after Spring Training and as I've stated before, it is disturbing when you consider his age, his experience, and the quality of his secondary stuff. Furthermore, his extreme lack of ability to miss bats leaving him with no true out-pitch despite a ++ fastball is not a great future predictor of success. He is still extremely young, but he needs to make some great strides in AAA. His success in AAA will be hard to decipher via stats because he should mow down hitters, but he needs to work on his pitches more than getting batters out.

Can Reyes keep his amazing season up? I would say absolutely due to his newfound ability to take a walk. He had 53 last year and already has 20 this year, which puts him on pace to for 90 walks, to lead the entire Mets team which is astounding considering Wright and Beltran's ability to take a free pass. Selectivity has always been the thing holding him back and the early returns on him overcoming that are positive.

Carlos Gomez makes his Major League debut!

• He looks strikingly like Reyes in regards to his stance at the plate.
  
• He is clearly a plus defender. He was tight out there and made a spectacular diving play. He has centerfielder instincts and was sitting under every ball as it came down rather than catching every ball in stride as Shawn Green does when he has to move.
  
• Also similarly to Reyes, he exudes electricity and joy to play the game. He has the same perma-smile that Jose Reyes has.
  
• Though his in-game power has not shown up yet, you can definitely see the kid has game changing ability that is rare.

Mr. Billy Wagner has been great this season thought he has not gotten all that many save chances.

Some interesting tidbits from Tim Kurkjian's last chat.

Mark (Boston): What is your opinion of Terry Francona? I think he really gets a bum deal in the media considering he manages a club with a lot of vetrans and egos.

SportsNation Tim Kurkjian: (3:09 PM ET ) I think Terry Francona is a really good manager, because of the people he manages on that team the town in which he manages. Every day there is a new story with the Red Sox whether it's with Schilling or Manny or someone else. Few managers deal with people better than Terry Francona. For those who think he's not a great strategist, I'll take a great communicator as a manager over a great strategist any day.

Of course we can relate this to our very own favorite team. I'm not saying I prefer one or the other, but I am saying there are guys out here who can do both. They are not mutually exclusive.

Alon (Brooklyn): What do you think of Maine performance and do you think he can keep it up?

SportsNation Tim Kurkjian: I don't think he's going to be this good the rest of the way. But he has become a well above average Major League pitcher. The Orioles told me when they traded him that they might not be able to handle the pressures of New York and that his ball was awfully straight. And yet, he has handled the pressures of New York very well. I'm told his ball has very good movement.

Maine has gotten better in leaps and bounds and appears to be the real deal. It seems as though my estimation of John Maine as a legit #3 was a bit of an underestimation.

Josh NY: Better Career, Jose Reyes or Hanely Ramirez?

SportsNation Tim Kurkjian: I'm taking Jose Reyes, even though I really like Hanley Ramirez. Last year, no player in history matched Reyes's numbers in hits, runs, steals, HRs in one season. He is a dynamic offensive player who can also change a game on the basepaths and with his defense. He is the most exciting player in the league and I think he's getting better every day.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it Marlin fans. Of course they are both great players, but Reyes is simply the better long term bet at this point though Ramirez should be really, really good.