Things Are Getting Kind of 'Ticklish'

So the Mets have 29 blown saves this season. That is a very troubling number as they move towards a potential playoff birth, but I need to take a step back for a moment and think a bit more positively about this situation. For one, Jerry Manuel is not Willie Randolph. He believes in the dynamic nature of human beings and that sometimes you have to stray from some notion that you may have had at a previous point in time. Amazing.

While it was clear some of the guys that were supposed to be depended on in 2007 out the bullpen were not getting it done, Willie thought nothing of it. According to him, the sky was not falling. In September of this season, the top four relievers in innings pitched are Brian Stokes, Joe Smith, Luis Ayala, and Nelson Figueroa. Shit, Manuel is not a afraid to get Bobby Parnell into the mix late in the game if it means Ws in his pocket.

The Mets will have to take eight relievers into the playoffs if they squeak in to compliment their four starting pitchers and there really is no choice. Stokes has been striking a lot of people out while not walking many, Schoeneweis has been death on lefties, Figueroa has been surprisingly effective out of the bullpen and has been looking great doing it, Bobby Parnell throws gas, Smitty has humiliated righties, Feliciano has made lefties look like Andruw Jones, Heilman has been rather effective against righties, and Ayala has been effective in a Joe Borowski circa 2007 kind of way. John Maine might even make it back in time to be thrown into the bullpen, which I am not counting on.

Too many guys who are effective against only one side of the plate? Yes. But figure on Jerry managing his games in the playoffs like this one. If it takes the entire bullpen throwing five pitches each to make it through the game, who cares? It may not be pretty, but they are competant enough.

* * *

Yes....Duaner Sanchez was left off of the above list and I know he will probably make the playoff roster, but it should not be a foregone conclusion and I would love to see Parnell get a legit look. At least he is different...

The other day when Manuel had Bobby in for two innings, he said that he needed to get a good look at him on the mound at Shea. I take that to mean he is pretty open minded and with the Mets having enough injured players, they can get whoever they want on the playoff roster.

Four years to fix the bullpen? Am I the only one who looks around and thinks things are not as bad as they seem in the bullpen...at least beyond 2008? Stokes and Parnell look like good bets, Heilman is better than he has shown, Kunz (his GB% is tasty!) and Smith will be useful even if they won't be stellar against lefties, Nelly Figs might have found a home out there, and the Mets have cash.

I remain optimistic long term as additions get made and some guys come into their own, but I just hope they can sort things out sooner.

Reyes is good. He is having his best year yet and anyone that has ever had bad thoughts about Reyes (trade him for Johan!) should be ashamed.

Minaya gets four more years and that is a good thing. If you take a look at his worst three moves, are they really that terrible? Also, take note on how Brian Bannister and his 76 ERA+ are now off the list as one of his worst moves. I was never a believer in Bannister and things finally caught up to him.

I like Daniel Murphy, but Keith LOVES Daniel Murphy. Going so far as to call him the future #3 hitter with David Wright on the team seems a bit ambitious for me, but I'll take Keith's word for it since I believe whatever the man says.

Today's action...

-> Reyes vs Myers (Biiiig edge Phillies. Hitters are batting .353 against Reyes in the 2nd half)
-> Maholm vs Sabathia (Ummm...biiiiig edge Brewers.)
-> Zambrano vs Perez (5.51 post-all star ERA....slight edge Mets.)

It is go time. The Mets need to man-up.

2nd Half Swelliciousness

The Mets have now won nine straight games, which is their longest such streak since 2000 and I think ever. It is ALL Jerry Manuel and no one else.

Obviously I am kidding, but this team is in much better shape than they were with Willie.

One thing I love is the fact that Manuel is a man who is not afraid to let kids contribute. Why not? You have the players...why not let them help you regardless of how old they are?

Willie would never have batted Nick Evans in the two spot on Sunday. Now, that is not why they won, but it is encouraging that Jerry is comfortable with himself enough to throw the 'ole vote of confidence behind the young kid and he went out and had a day for himself. Willie had some sort of inferiority complex which made him belittle rookies and keep young players down until they grew a moustache and started playing second base.

Also, Jerry is not afraid to stack lefties. Willie was allergic to stacking lefties for fear at some point during the game the opposing manager might bring a lefty in and then be able to mow down his lefties in a big spot.

However, managing for a situation in the game that may never happen is poor form and Manuel has been concentrating on putting the best product on the field and in the best order regardless of some silly little propensity to live and manage by some playbook that makes sense only to one person.

Compounding mistakes? Not really Manuel's thing.

"We haven't really discussed that at length," Manuel said. "I think we're all a little worried about dealing with that. I think when the time comes, we'll make a decision and see how it fits and go forward from there. But right now, we're really playing well at that position. I mean, very well. That's going to be a tough one.

Omar paid the slappy hitting second basemen too much for too many years? So what? A good manager is not afraid to bench a guy with a four year contract in favor of a guy who is here on a one year contract and is supposed to be on the bench if the bench player is playing better. Easley is not a highly regarded fielder, but he made some sparkling plays Sunday night and certainly has not hurt the Mets defensively.

Managers may not be solely responsible for his team's performance, but he can certainly help contribute in meaningful ways and put his team in the best position to win. That is what managers are supposed to do and that is what Willie failed to do from day #1. If something is not working, fix it. Manuel seems to operate that way and is always looking to fix the team and get the best players in there.

Willie was a firm believer in staying the course and when this team was at their worst, he actually said that he does not need to say anything to his players and they know the deal and what is at stake. That is absolutely egregious and I believe Manuel will never assume his player's know the deal. He seems like the type of guy that will remind his team what exactly is going on in case they lose sight of things.

Raise your hand if you still care about how Willie was treated by the Mets....no one? Good. I'm glad we are all in sync.

* * *

Mike Pelfrey looks like an absolute stud. It was a frustrating ride at times getting here, but the guy had 19 starts heading into this season. Why it is assumed that any pitcher should be amazing from day #1 is beyond me.

Since June 1st, he has tossed 109, 112, 112, 113, 98, 98, 109, 113, and 119 pitches and has been a horse. His ERA+ of 112 is extremely impressive when you think about the fact he was almost dropped from the rotation with a sub 80 ERA+ not too long ago. The fact of life is that if you want to develop young talent, you need to let them take their lumps.

Evan Longoria, Edison Volquez, and David Wright do not come along often. Jose Reyes, Carlos Quentin, and Mike Pelfrey are more of the norm where there will be ups and downs, but confidence and patience will pay off handsomely and being at the stadium on Sunday while the fans are going absolutely nuts for Pelfrey was amazing. It felt like 2006 again when the fans were excited and there was a playoff atmosphere at Shea. The Mets may regress a bit and fall behind the Phillies again most likely, but they will catch up again if that happens.

Fuentes prefers Yankees!

"I've never played in Yankee Stadium," he told The Post. "I have no preference, but putting on the New York Yankees would be something special by itself."

No preference...NONE. Does this article have a point?

Ye of little faith... Aaron was simply too good and simply did not look all that off when he was getting beat like a rented mule. His K/9 is over 9 and his H/9 is under 9. Heilman is still pretty good and just had a terrible run.

Delgado thinks the break may be bad and when you are playing this good, it is hard to see anyone wanting to take a break.

"It's nice to get the break, but by the same token, you wonder if we continue to play are we going to play good?" Delgado said after the Mets' 7-0 victory over Colorado, which pushed their win streak to nine games. "It boils down to executing. We're playing good, but eventually you're not going to win, so we have to find a way to get back to where we are right now - executing, pitching well, catching the ball and coming up with some good at-bats."

F-Mart gets some praise.

"When you look at the field, there are guys that stand out, guys that you notice," an NL scout who was at yesterday's Futures Game said. "He's one of those guys. He has one of the best swings of anyone out there."

Mr. Billy Wagner is good.

I may be impartial here, but Sunday night should be in the top five.

Some athletes just don't get it. Instead of criticizing the Mets, he should be praising them for being right! Zito would have been a bust at $75 million.

I am excited to start heading down the road of obesity.

The team said today that the new Queens stadium, Citi Field, will include a Blue Smoke restaurant and a Shake Shack stand when it opens next spring.

Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group's other offerings will include a taqueria (tah-kuh-REE-uh) and Belgian-style fries with dipping sauces.

The award-winning restaurateur also will open the Sterling Club, which will provide premium seating and views of home plate; a bar and lounge, and a cafe serving comfort foods.

Sugar Pants to the rescue.

"I spoke to David Wright," NL manager Clint Hurdle said after the game. "I told David, 'You were the last pick. I went and got you. Have you ever pitched in an All-Star Game?'

"I said, 'You wanted to be in this thing. That's all I've read, all I've heard for the last three days. You won't believe how much you might be in it here real quick.'

"He said, 'Let's go.' He's good to go."

Adam Rubin was feeling quite generous when handing out his mid-season grades.

Callis, Law, and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, oh my!


Joe (Troy, NY): What do you think of Wilmer Flores? I know he is only 16 but does BA think he is legit prospect or just a flash in the pan? Please give a diehard Mets fan something to look forward to.....

Jim Callis: He's very legit. He's one of the best prospects in the Mets system, though he may move to third base down the road.

Hmmmm...While I like any positive endorsement of Met prospects, saying he is one of the best prospects of a shitty system really tells us nothing. That being said, it is still nice to see.

Mark (Villanova): Any chance Flores moves to 2nd with Wright and Reyes already on one side of the infield?

Jim Callis: He might be better suited for third base, but yes, with Wright around, Flores could wind up at second base.

Going to second would certainly bolster his value.

Joe: (NYC): Is Jon Niese a decent prospect or is Omar just trying to build him up in the media for a trade?

Jim Callis: No, he's a solid prospect. Mid-rotation lefthander.

Sweet.

John(s. fla): How good is Fernando Martinez?

Keith Law: I still think he's a superstar. He's going to hit, hit for power, and play a good RF.

Sweet.

RJ (Pittsburgh): Pelfrey's last 9: 59.7ip, 41k, 19bb, 0(!)hr, 2.26era. Still not an ace but a) has he turned a corner? b) should we expect him to continue to improve? Thanks Keith.

Keith Law: Yes, yes.

The experts are still cautiously optimistic, but he is a beast.

Morgan answered like six questions and none added any value. Way to earn your keep Joe.

Randolph Redux

So um....I don't know if you have heard, but he Mets fired their manager. Is that still even being talked about?

I did not have time yesterday to fully dive into the depths of my brain to say everything I wanted to say about the issue. Luckily, I do not have to today as Rob Neyer had a chat and many of the things I wanted to say were illustrated perfectly by others which saves me oodles of time.

When a team wins, the manager generally gets a great deal of credit. More to the point, while the Mets' losing record may not be -- almost certainly is not -- strictly Randolph's fault, it's fairly obvious that something had to change. Willie Randolph may be a fine manager, but he does not seem to be the right manager for this team, right now. Maybe this team isn't good enough to win, no matter who's calling the shots in the dugout. But there's only one way to find out.

To continue down the road of mediocrity and not do anything is criminal. Changing Minaya mid-season would have ZERO outcome on the Mets in '08 and '09, however, the managerial change might have an effect. Something had to be done and this was the only option.

Those of you calling for Minaya's head may be justified, but it would be fruitless. It might serve the point to satiate your need for blood being spilled, but Willie's blood at least may lead to something good. Again, it may not, but as Rob said, there is only one way to find out.

Nick (NJ): How was this team supposed to win 90 games? They have Wright/Beltran/Reyes on paper with Alou (he's more fragile than paper)/Castillo (couldn't hit a ball through paper) and Delgado (umm...can't think of a paper analogy) who was done last year. This roster is horribly constructed - and don't even start on the bench. This is all on Omar.

Rob Neyer: (12:21 PM ET ) Here's what I can tell you, Nick ... Before the season, I looked at five "computer" projections -- that is, projections based on data rather than blue sky -- and all five showed the Mets with somewhere between 92 and 98 wins. One thing I've learned over the years is that if you try to outsmart the data you're usually going to be wrong.

Blame Minaya if you want, but the same roster everyone is ripping him for putting together was also the same roster that many other people thought was good as well. Simulations are not real life, which is obvious, but all you can do is put together the best team you can on paper and hope for the best. The Mets won 88 games in '07 and added Ryan Church and Johan Santana which is a significant upgrade that theoretically should have pushed them in the mid 90's for wins.

Enter reality, that is not happening and the manager is the easy target.

Mario (Queens, NYC): Willie's been on more championship teams than everyone in the Mets organization combined. Aside from the horrendous handling of his dismissal, it was simply the wrong move. There are no legit managerial alternatives, so it was clear that it was just a shot across the bow to shake things up and deflect responsibility. While I've been an Omar fan to this point, I'm now glad to see that he's now directly next in line for a canning if the team continues to falter. By the way, what are the stats on a team making the playoffs after a mid-season managerial change?

Rob Neyer: How is Jerry Manuel not legit? He's got experience, and a career winning record as a major league manager. Seems to me there are few *more* legitimate options than Manuel.

This is my most favorite-est argument in the universe. Willie is just a BORN winner with so much class, dignity, and grace. That mustache is so elegant and demands soooo much respect. I mean, really. Are there actually people out there that think anything Willie has done as a player or third base coach means he should be managing a big league ball club?

Since he has been the manager, he has proven to be inept (lack of strategic ability), stubborn (especially with young guys), childish (playing favorites and making many snide remarks), delusional (blaming SNY for being racist and calling Met fans out for being fair-weather fans), and too hands off at times ("There’s no certain point you get to where you’ve got to make any speeches. We know where we are").

Yes, Willie may have been a good big league ballplayer. Yes, he has a few championship rings. Yes, he is probably a good father and husband. Yes, he probably has a good soul and does not look at child porn. Yes, he is a local guy. However, none of that has anything to do with being a good manager and especially not for this Met team.

As for Jerry Manual, everyone knows he has more managerial experience than Willie does, right?

Terrence (NYC): The Mets should go against every inkling of their beliefs, tendencies, and beliefs- and hire Wally Backman. Pull a George Costanza, and just do the opposite. He's exactly what this team needs.

Rob Neyer: Perhaps. If the Mets don't make a strong second-half push, Manuel's probably gone. And maybe Backman is just what the millionaires need.

I really need Terrence to be the special assistant to the Grand Puba of the Mets.

Justin (Massena, NY): Well, if the Keith Hernandez for Manager '09 campaign is starting here, I'm throwing Ron Darling in for Pitching Coach. Those two, as broadcasters, have at least made watching the blunderous Mets games really entertaining this year.

Rob Neyer: Yes, but as a TV watcher I must vociferously protest. Don't free Mex and Ronnie!

Please...keep them in the booth.

Justin (Queens, NY): I believe your assesment was correct when you said "Randolph may be a fine manager, but he does not seem to be the right manager for this team, right now." The Mets need a disciplinarian, someone who won't be afraid to bench Reyes after he has a mental gaffe (then smiles) or tell Delgado he isn't playing verus lefties. I suggest Keith Hernandez manager for next season.

Rob Neyer: Specifically, I don't think Hernandez has any interest in managing. Generally, I think the Mets should hire someone -- if they don't keep Manuel -- who's actually managed before, even if only in the minors.

And really, this is the basis of every argument I had for not hiring Randolph in the first place. This team was on the precipice of what we all thought would be multiple playoff births and the first World Series win in twenty+ years and leading the charge was a guy who was a third base coach and bench coach for one season. Ummm.....am I missing something?

Anders (Montreal): I don't know who to finger point at - Minaya gave Luis Castillo a 4/25$ contract, but Randolph is the one batting him second. I'm so confused.

Rob Neyer: It's funny, I was completely on board with the anti-Castillo sentiment ... until I noticed this morning that he's got a .368 on-base percentage. I'm far from his biggest fan, but Castillo's not the problem. Not this year, anyway (the contract's still a joke).

That was the best one of the day....

* * *

So Manuel is a coach for thirty seconds and it begins with his shortstop coming up gimpy and Ramirez and Manuel run out to tend to him. Reyes wants to stay in and Manuel pulls him. Reyes throw a hissy fit, tosses his helmet, and goes into the dugout and subsequently right into the locker room. Then Jerry goes and down to give him a stern talking to and give him some 'choice words' (in Darling's words).

Did I lose you? Ok...then let us continue....Easley can't get to ball in the hole that Reyes would have at least had a shot on, can't turn a double play that Reyes probably makes, and then makes a mental gaffe by not covering second on a pick off move. Basically, not having Reyes might have cost the Mets the game as the tone was set early.

Yes...there is no mistaking this is the Mets. Just as dysfunctional as ever. Manuel's first day at the office was a rough one, but let us not go crazy about one game. Everyone relax...please. For all of our santity relax...THERE IS NOTHING TO GO CRAZY ABOUT. Things are fine and rosey...just relax! Anyone buying this?

Pat (Belfast, PA): Buster, obviously I'm biased and upset with Wang's injury, but isn't this once again a good time to examine why pitchers still hit in the NL? The "tradition" factor is silly, as is a need for the leagues being "different" in some way. All of the minors and college use the DH, if I'm not mistaken, so why isn't this addressed?

Buster Olney: Pat: You and Hank Steinbrenner are thinking along the same lines. I wish the rules were uniform; I wish they played without a DH. But that is not happening, it will probably never happen in our lifetimes, so to worry about it is a little like fretting about the weather; it's just not going to change.

Did I miss the point in time where pitchers became comprised of egg shells and pixie dust? Should quarterbacks start wearing flags in their pants so they no longer get tackled?

Main Entry: ath·lete
Pronunciation: \ˈath-ˌlēt, ÷ˈa-thə-ˌlēt\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin athleta, from Greek athlētēs, from athlein to contend for a prize, from athlon prize, contest
Date: 15th century

: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina

I really love sports. However, I really hate the point in time when players stopped becoming athletes and starting becoming investments. Not just investments, but they were deemed extremely fragile investments.

Overall, Buster is a weenie that has nothing good to say about what the Mets did. Nieto went because Randolph went and he was his guy. On top of that, Obie needed to get in the mix and that was a good place to get him in there. Peterson might have worn out his welcome...he might not have. However, to be dismissive of the firing and saying it accomplishes nothing is absurd. If they had no desire to keep him around in '09, why pussy foot in '08?

I get it. The Mets firing Willie when they did seems absurd. I agree they had plenty....and I mean PLENTY...of opportunities to do so. However, to call them back stabbing is just silly. He was under .500 69 games into the season and he just captained the largest collapse in the history of the galaxy and they are paying him MILLIONS of dollars through 2010. I think Willie will be able to remove the knife from his back and find a way to carry on.

Tim Marchman is awesome. I repeat....awesome.

Quotes, quotes, and more quotes.

The players don't seem all that upset, but I do not expect them to trash Manuel or the management. However, it seems they are especially blah about this firing.

I still love Professor Rick.

"I wear this bracelet because I’m … very in tune with Eastern philosophy and universal law. [The bracelet rings signify] faith, compassion, equanimity and love. … The Eastern language writes in symbols, and the symbol for crisis they also use for opportunity. I’ve been given a great opportunity here, and as I walk out that door, I seek my next opportunity. I walk out in peace, and I wish everybody else here the best. … Hopefully, the Tuscany tile will do a lot better than a hardwood floor."

Some good words about Jerry.