Willie Ball

Today is moving day...

2007-03-20T14:39:51Z

Hello Met Nation...

   Like I mentioned a few weeks back, the newspaper I work at has asked me to move my blog to its Website.
   So, while I'll keep this site active for a while, from now on, I'll be posting on silive.com, the online home of the Staten Island Advance. I've got a new look and even a new name...
(So make sure you update your bookmarks and leave me some comments! And don't worry if your comments don't go up right away. This system may take a little longer.)
   I've got a good feeling this is our season, so click here and come talk about it with me...

~ Eddie D'Anna

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Mets in '07!

Prioritize, AmBur!

2007-03-19T14:45:46Z

   Armando Benitez.
Jorge Julio.
Ambiorix Burgos?
Not yet, by any means. Hopefully not ever.
   But if our new reliever — who came from KC with a triple-digit fastball and a penchant for equally eye-popping meltdowns — doesn’t listen to his pitching coach, he could be next in the line of fire-balling hurlers who became flops in our Flushing bullpen.
   Burgos allowed a 2-run jack to Florida’s Hanley Ramirez Friday night on a 97 mph heater that caught too much of the plate. Yesterday Scott Rolen ripped a high fastball for a 2-run double. A few weeks back there was that grand slam to a Red Sox non-roster invitee.
The problem?
"The issue is this: High-end velocity without location doesn’t get anybody out in the big leagues," Rick Peterson told Newsday. " Until guys realize that’s the priority, they won’t succeed."
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Mets in the news

El Duque pulled up limp after running to first base yesterday. Not to worry though. Just a cramp.
Lastings Milledge think he’s gotten all he can from the minor leagues. I agree.

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Don't forget, soon I'll be moving my blog to the online home of the Staten Island Advance. The new site is just about ready and it looks cool. Should be some time this week, but I'll let you know for sure. Hopefully you'll update your bookmarks!

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Mets in '07!

Say no to Chan Ho

2007-03-18T12:57:15Z

Thank you Chan Ho Park.
As a staunch supporter of Mike Pelfrey in his bid to win the No. 5 spot, I was still kinda worried the Mets would do something dumb like take Park when the team breaks camp and send the kid down to Triple-A for more experience.

That was until I read Chan Ho's pitching line yesterday:

3 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 4 ER.

Yep, this race is about over.
BTW: A few other veterans on the bubble didn't do too well yesterday either.

Jorgie Sosa relieved Park and gave up six runs (three earned) and eight hits in two innings. Meanwhile, pitching with the other squad, Aaron Sele got touched for five earned runs in five innings against the Orioles.

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Mets in the news

For those keeping score at home, Lastings Milledge got two more hits yesterday. His average is .375.
In the Asbury Park Press we learn ~~Armando Benitez~~ Ambiorix Burgos thinks he'll make the bullpen, even after his second meltdown in six games. I'm pulling for Joe Smith here. I like Burgos a lot, but he's gotta learn to stop trying to blow hitters away and actually pitch.
I feel a lot better after watching achy-elbowed Aaron Heilman fry the Fish Friday night. We need this guy.
Great story in Newsday about how fortysomething Mets fend off age.

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Mets in '07!

9Ks????

2007-03-16T14:57:30Z

OK... I've seen all I need to see.
   I've got my five for our starting rotation. Let's call this whole competition off.
   Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, John Maine, Oliver Perez (9Ks in 5 innings vs. Boston last night??) and Mike Pelfrey.
   I'll go to war with that bunch.
   Glavine is going to be Glavine. He'll give us at least 30 starts, most of them good, and double-digit wins. He's the dean of this staff.
   Hopefully El Duque has a strong first half in him. If he gives us a couple of good months, maybe he can get us to Pedro or Humber at mid-season, then take his annual vacation to stay fresh for October.
   And the kids?
   Either Maine, Perez or Pelfrey could become a front-of-the-rotation starter this season. Maybe all. They are that good and they are progressing that much. They've had great camps and are making leaps and strides under pitching coach Rick Peterson.
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Mets in the news

Shawn Green keeps coming on strong. He hit a homerun last night. Not to be outdone, Lastings Milledge raised his average to .375 with a single.
In today's Advance, we learn side-winding reliever Joe Smith had his locker moved closer to the veterans. He pitched another scoreless inning last night with 2 Ks.
Aaron Heilman isn't concerned about his achy elbow. I am.

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Mets in '07!

Pitching answers present themselves

2007-03-15T14:38:39Z

   Maybe Rick Peterson really is something special.
   Because yesterday two of our pitching coach's prized pupils continued their stellar springs and eased some of the uncertainty surrounding our starting rotation.
   First John Maine continued his ascension from throw-away to front-end pitcher with four innings of one-run ball. The wind-blown dinger he gave up was his first run of the spring and he tallied four Ks on the day.
   Then Mike Pelfrey — who has used Peterson’s teachings to turn himself into a groundball machine — pitched four gritty innings, allowing only his first earned run of the spring. The kid hung tough and pitched himself out of two jams against the AL East champion Tigers.
   You can pencil Maine in as our No. 3 pitcher right now — and feel pretty good about it.
   As for Pelfrey, if he hasn’t wrapped up this No. 5 job yet, he’s one more start away from doing so. And if he continues to work down in the zone and get hitters to put the ball on the ground, he could be much more than that by the all-star break.
   Today, Peterson's other student, Oliver Perez, will pitch.
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Mets in '07!

Kids vs. vets in Met camp

2007-03-14T14:17:14Z

   Less that three weeks ‘til Opening Day.
   Decision time’s a-coming for Omar and Co., and with two kids currently outplaying their veteran counterparts, I wonder if we'll take a gamble when it's time to head north.
   Or take the easy way out and decide based on reputations.
   If camp were to break today, Lastings Milledge deserves to be in rightfield every day and Mike Pelfrey deserves to be on the hill every fifth day.
   It is believed Shawn Green (who to his credit, isn't going without a fight) and Chan Ho Park will get the starting gigs at their expense. If they do, it is strictly for their performances years ago.
   One legitimate knock on us is that we’re a little long in the tooth.

If these kids continue to show they are ready, why not give them a chance?
After all, I thought these were supposed to be open competitions.
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Shawn Green: .156 AVG
Lastings Milledge: .355 AVG
Ben Johnson: .355 AVG
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Chan Ho Park: 6.1 IP, 7.11 ERA
Mike Pelfrey: 5 IP, 0.00 ERA
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Mets in '07!

Finding the Wright spot for David

2007-03-13T14:31:18Z

There’s no need to fix what isn’t broken.
   That’s how I feel about this new lineup Willie is said to be considering for the season. The one where David Wright bats second, Moises Alou fifth and Paul Lo Duca gets dropped to seventh.
   I know it’s awfully tempting to pencil Wright and his high-OBP in the two hole. But I think we need his power in the middle.
   Here’s why:

A slap-hitter like Lo Duca is a more potent weapon to our offense when he’s batting second. With Jose Reyes on base and the Carloses looming, the catcher saw his share good pitches, hit .318 and made the all-star team last season. Sandwiched between Shawn Green and Jose Valentin, I think his average will drop and we’ll have the potential for a soft bottom third.
I like the protection Wright and Alou give Delgado. Honestly, would you give Carlos something he can hit if you knew Alou and Green were the ones batting behind him? Me neither.

Any lineup preferences out there?
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Mets in '07!

Columnist's suggestion for the birds

2007-03-12T16:48:13Z

I knew somebody was bound to write this article.
Daily News columnist Bill Madden wants the Mets to dump "fat and tardy" reliever Duaner Sanchez, apparently a new-found clubhouse cancer who’s behavior will wreck our push for October.
And why — with our starting rotation shaky as it is — would we trade our most consistent relief pitcher last season, you ask?
It seems an unnamed Dodgers source told Madden that Sanchez showed up drunk once for a game in L.A. (Ever think he might be trying to justify one of the worst trades his team made in the last five years, Bill?)
And because Madden has apparently uncovered Sanchez’ hidden involvement in an incident at a Manhattan bar, although only Jorge Julio and Manny Acta were known to have been reprimanded for "loud activity" at the establishment last season. (I’m not even sure how to respond to something as iffy as that.)
Then of course, as Bill reminds us, there was that taxi accident last July. (Like Sanchez asked the cabbie crash into his car.)
Well, thanks for the suggestion, Bill.
I’ll be sure to file it... along the bottom of Cuddles' birdcage.
Here are the facts. Last season Sanchez went 5-1 with a 2.60 ERA and a .223 BAA. Before the crash, he was the surest thing in our ‘pen.
Yes, I know he flaked out this spring. He got punished for it. And he deserved it.
But do we really want to run one of the game’s top setup guys out of town based on this kind of speculation, and leave such an important job open to the un-juiced (Guillermo Mota) and unproven (Ambiorix Burgos, Joe Smith)?
What do you think out there?
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Mets in '07!

The fight for right

2007-03-11T15:37:34Z

It's starting to become clear that Ben Johnson doesn't belong in Triple-A.
And now I'm wondering whether we'd be doing ourselves an injustice relegating him to the bench in Flushing as well.
As nice a story as the revival of Lastings Milledge has been this spring, it's been Johnson -- three more hits and another HR yesterday -- who is providing the fiercest challenge to incumbent rightfielder Shawn Green.
When we got him from San Diego, the book on Johnson -- a big-time minor league hitter -- was that he needed at-bats to establish himself as a big leaguer. For what it's worth, he's smoking at the plate so far this spring.
With three weeks of camp left to go, Johnson is hitting .409, Milledge .300 and Green .160.
This job is up for grabs.
Who would you like to see playing everyday in right field when we break camp?
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Oliver Perez had another solid outing yesterday, giving up just a run in 4 IP to the Nationals. Alay Soler gave up 4 runs and 4 walks in an inning of work.
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Enjoy your Sunday and Mets in '07!

All business

2007-03-10T13:34:23Z

Know what I like most about this Met team?
The trait that makes me think we are destined for something great this season?
Our focus.
Take this Duaner Sanchez thing, for instance.
One of our key relief pitchers shows up to camp 15 pounds over his target weight and is perpetually late for his rehabilitation sessions. Do they ignore it because he's one of their own?
No way.
In fact, in addition to our manager cutting the issue down before it grows into something that hurts the team -- Willie at his best -- some of our on-field leaders have let it be known this behavior won't be tolerated in the clubhouse either.
Take these excerpts from today's tabs:

Billy Wagner:

"He needs to get his head on right and understand that this is not about him, it's about us. I think he's got to do a little soul-searching, I guess, and figure out what he wants: Does he want to be a baseball player or does he want to stay home?" (from Newsday)

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David Wright:

"He needs to realize he's not only hurting himself by not getting his work in, he's hurting the 24 other guys. Hopefully, it opens up his eyes and he comes back with a fresh mind and wants to get the work in to be the Duaner of old." (from Newsday)

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Tom Glavine:

"No. 1, he had to send a message to the team... And individually he sent Duaner a message that Duaner needed. I don't think it will hurt [Sanchez] to have a little kick in the butt. ... It was a good wake-up call." (from the Post)

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Mets in '07

A request for our GM

2007-03-09T15:43:16Z

Dear Omar,

I’ve got a request for you... it’s about our starting rotation competition.

Just let the best man win — even if he happens to be 23 years old with just 21.1 big league innings on the back of his baseball card.

We’ve heard the rumblings about Mike Pelfrey being slated to start the season at Triple-A to get more experience. Guess that would make Chan Ho Park the favorite to get the No. 5 spot. (It’s probably safe to assume John Maine and Oliver Perez are No. 3 and No 4.)

I’m no scout and I don’t have Rick Peterson’s charts, but after what I saw yesterday, Pelfrey is ready to be as good a No. 5 as we can ask for. And he could become much more — in 2007 — once he cuts his teeth.

So far in five spring innings he’s gotten just about every batter he faced to pound the ball into the infield. He’s attacking the bottom of the zone with his sinker and slider. He’s throwing strikes.

He could be a Brandon Webb-type. But with better control and more strikeout capability as he matures.

That’s too much to delay for a retread like Park.

Look, if Chan Ho outpitches him, then fine. He earned it.

But of Pelfrey’s the man for the job, just skip New Orleans.
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Duaner, what are you doing??

Looks like reliever Duaner Sanchez was booted from camp for a day because of a lousy attitude, bad conditioning (15 pounds above target weight??) and perpetual lateness.

   Dude... you’d better straighten up!
   This bullpen needs you!
   (Hopefully, Willie didn't hail him a cab after he tossed him out of the facility yesterday.)

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Mets in '07!

Sele-ing his fate

2007-03-08T15:28:52Z

   Maybe I watch too much "Survivor," but I’m ready to vote Aaron Sele off the island.
   I know it’s too early for anyone to be officially eliminated from this rotation race we’ve got going on, but with nine candidates vying for three spots on our staff, the 36-year-old has put himself at the end of the line with such a lousy start.
   Sele’s ERA for the spring is 11.25 after two poor outings. Not good.
   Is there time to rebound? Maybe.
   But with just three or four spring outings left, now he'd better pitch lights out the rest of the way.
   And I don’t think he capable of that.
   John Maine and Oliver Perez haven’t lost the advantage they came to camp with and Mike Pelfrey, Chan Ho Park and Alay Soler have put themselves in position to grab that final spot with good starts.
   Don’t forget Jorge Sosa, Jason Vargas and Philip Humber are still lurking. Each has out-performed Aaron as well.

Mets in '07!

Tom Terrific

2007-03-07T15:22:58Z

   There wasn’t much this organization did right a few years back.
   During the late Steve Phillips/Jim Duquette days that is.
   But I think it’s time to say bringing longtime-Brave Tom Glavine into the fold after the 2002 season has paid dividends.
   No, it didn’t look that way in the beginning, but if you ask me, time has proven otherwise.
   He’s won 48 games in his four seasons in blue and orange.
   Posted impressive ERAs of 3.60, 3.54, and 3.82.
   Averaged 32.5 starts a year here.
   Saved our bacon with three big games in the playoffs.
   He’s the dean of a young pitching staff that desperately needs an anchor and, as the longest-tenured Met, is the leader of our clubhouse.
   Not bad for a guy who looked like he was shot a few years back.
   Glavine pitched another three scoreless innings against the Astros yesterday. Two weeks into camp his changeup looks ready to go. (And don’t fret it when he gets shelled this month. He always throws one spring training stinker.)
   At 41, he's bound to slow down eventually and we need him to be an ace more than ever. Still, I have no doubt he’ll respond.
   And at $10M he’s a relative bargain.

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Mets in the News

Willie Randolph says first base prospect Mike Carp (5 RBI yesterday) reminds him of Nick Johnson.
Chan Ho Park is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut today against the Red Sox.
Carlos Delgado has a stiff neck.

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Mets in '07!

Size doesn't matter... still not a bad game

2007-03-06T15:11:42Z

   Spring training is about trying new things, right?
   You've got Mike Pelfrey working on a slider. David Wright trying his hand at the No. 2 hole. Usually overweight Alay Soler eating a salad.
   All new experiences. Figured I'd get into the act as well.
   So I used yesterday’s game to try out the picture-in-picture package I just had the cable company install in my television.
   SpongeBob for Kathryn and the Mets (albeit, much, much smaller) for me.
   This is gonna take some getting used to.
   OK... enough about the sacrifices of fatherhood. On to yesterday's game!
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He turned heads
   Oliver Perez. A nice rebound from last week. He gave up a run in 3 IP with 3 Ks. Know what I liked best? No walks. In fact, when you look at his two playoff starts and his two outings this spring, it seems pitching coach Rick Peterson has somehow cut down on his wildness — long Oliver’s Achilles heel.
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Turned stomachs
   Not much to report here. Wouldn’t mind seeing Moises Alou and Shawn Green start getting on base — both are hitless this spring — but ideally, you don’t want your team to peak until the final week or so of camp, so we've got plenty of time.
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Quote of the day
   "That was pretty amazing... I think we all talk about his offense, but I think he is going to win a Gold Glove this year. " — Willie Randolph on Jose Reyes in today's Daily News. The shortstop made a diving play in the fourth inning.
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Mets in '07!

So what'd I miss?

2007-03-05T15:27:05Z

   All in all, not a bad couple of days.
   While I was on a weekend jaunt to New Jersey, it seems the Mets got a few really good vibes out of their starting rotation.
First off, Pedro got the OK to start throwing, which he’s expected to do today. He’s still eyeing a July comeback, but the fact that his rehab is coming along so well is a great sign. The thought of Petey returning at full strength to contribute in August and September isn’t a pipe dream anymore. And if that happens, you can forget that tomfoolery about our rotation being too thin.
   Next, rookie-turned-October-hero John Maine continues to build on his solid 2006 season. The kid’s been working with Tom Glavine to improve a changeup to keep hitters off balance and make that sneaky fastball of his even harder to zero in on. Anyone here starting to see this kid with frond-end potential? I read a scout last week who thought he could be better than Mike Pelfrey and Philip Humber.
   And speaking of The Giant Pelfrey, his scoreless outing Saturday was encouraging. Hitters were pounding his sinking fastball and slider into the ground. That was rookie sensation Justin Verlander’s recipe for success in Detroit last season. Maybe Mike can use it and do some cooking of his own with it in Shea this year.
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Mets in the news

David Wright says he’ll change positions to accommodate A-Rod if he came to the Mets after the season. Uh... thanks but no thanks, David.
Philip Humber got roughed up in his spring debut.
Newsday’s Shaun Powell says the Mets are one of the five best run teams in baseball. I dunno about you, but I never get tired of reading stories like this.

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Mets in '07!