“Ability is the art of getting credit for all the home runs somebody else hits.” Casey Stengel
Here’s what you missed on Opening Day 4/5/10 at TRDMB:
-
This Day In Mets Infamy With Rusty – The †It’s Finally Here !†Edition 04-05-10 by rustyjr
-
Letters to the NL East, Part 5/5 by ceetar
-
Real Dirty Mets Forecast 04-05-10 by prismo
-
Real Dirty Mets Morning Open Thread by CaseStreet
-
TRDMB: Did You Know? by Mr North Jersey
-
Pre-Game: Opening Day by gonzowill
-
Post Game: Mets Spank Johnson, Ravage Stinky Fish by GravediggerHebner
-
Man Up Award by dirtysanchez
-
Hey Mets Fans, MLB Extra Innings Is Free For The 1st Week! by Mr North Jersey
-
Opening Day 2010 in Pictures by ceetar
Answer to yesterday’s trivia question: Rod Kanehl
Trivia: Which MLB team had a 40-120 win-loss record?
You got something to say? Say it on The Real Dirty Mets Blog!
59 comments
metsfan4decades
4/6/2010-9:29am at 9:29 am (UTC -4)
I missed those Stengel quotes of the day.
Dang…looks like I guessed wrong on yesterday’s trivia question.
Today’s trivia question: that has to be the 1962 NY Mets, right?
Kingman 26
4/6/2010-9:35am at 9:35 am (UTC -4)
Sure is the 62 Mets and no other team!
ceetar
4/6/2010-9:43am at 9:43 am (UTC -4)
Geeze, i made 4 posts yesterday? (2 here, 2 at my place, although one was duplicated.) And was at the park? no wonder I feel crappy today (sunburn doesn’t help!)
Were the Mets 40-120? I never remember specific records. Wasn’t the ’64 team utterly bad too? What about the ’02? Tigers?
metsfan4decades
4/6/2010-9:52am at 9:52 am (UTC -4)
Sorry about your sunburn (and what is it with guys that they never want to use sunblock? LOL). Could have been worse though, could have been sitting there in long underwear and a hunkered down under a parka because the weather was cold, damp, rainy….
ceetar
4/6/2010-9:57am at 9:57 am (UTC -4)
I was prepared and expecting it to be cold which is why I was so unprepared for it to be warm! I was actually outside Sunday thinking wow, the sun is warm, I should put on a little sunscreen tomorrow.. Totally forgot.
GravediggerHebner
4/6/2010-11:23am at 11:23 am (UTC -4)
Ahem, we have a weatherman.
ceetar
4/6/2010-11:25am at 11:25 am (UTC -4)
yes, but said weatherman posted the weather report well after I’d already left for the park
I just didn’t think about it.
Kingman 26
4/6/2010-10:01am at 10:01 am (UTC -4)
Actually, the ’64 team was the high point of the first four years!
’62: 40-120
’63: 51-111
’64: 53-109
’65: 50-112
They never topped 101 losses again until the vile 1993 team.
The woeful 2003 Tigers had a late push to wind up 43-119.
prismo
4/6/2010-10:11am at 10:11 am (UTC -4)
Rosenthal: “Raul Ibanez went 1-for-4 with a walk in the Phillies’ opener, but scouts continue to say that he shows diminished bat speed. Ibanez turns 38 on June 2, and the Phils owe him $11.5 million in each of the next two seasons.”
That’s what I like to hear.
ceetar
4/6/2010-10:24am at 10:24 am (UTC -4)
If Ibanez ages and Werth trends downwards instead of repeating last year, they could have some issues.
DNDJohan aka kistics
4/6/2010-10:32am at 10:32 am (UTC -4)
I think Werth will have another good season. But will be signed by the Yankees since the Phillies have a good OF in their farm system to replace him.
DNDJohan aka kistics
4/6/2010-10:34am at 10:34 am (UTC -4)
I think Domonic Brown will take his place.
DNDJohan aka kistics
4/6/2010-10:36am at 10:36 am (UTC -4)
Ok.. so Jacobs is not the cleanup hitter. Where do you bat him? Do you hit him #5, 6, or 7?
Wright
Bay
GMJ
Frenchy
Jacobs
Barajas
?
CaseStreet
4/6/2010-10:40am at 10:40 am (UTC -4)
7th
Kingman 26
4/6/2010-10:44am at 10:44 am (UTC -4)
Or 7th, ahead of Barajas/Blanco would be fine too.
Frenchy should hit 4th in this current configuration.
Kingman 26
4/6/2010-10:43am at 10:43 am (UTC -4)
I bat him 8th. He is an awful player.
At least he might get pitched around and draw a few walks hitting 8th.
Hitting 4th, he will do as he did yesterday against any sort of good pitching.
Cora
Slappy
Wright
Francoeur
Bay
GMJ/Pagan
Barajas
Jacobs
njstuckintx
4/6/2010-10:47am at 10:47 am (UTC -4)
Bat him 4th 3 more games, let the world see he is not so good, then drop him to 7th/8th for 2-3 games, watch there be no change in his game and then send him on his merry way. Start the Carter chants!
stickguy
4/6/2010-10:54am at 10:54 am (UTC -4)
how about do the smart thing, which his numbers last year and in ST would support. Don’t play him at all.
Kingman 26
4/6/2010-11:04am at 11:04 am (UTC -4)
+ Infinity.
njstuckintx
4/6/2010-11:06am at 11:06 am (UTC -4)
I was trying to put this into Mets rationale/thinking. Figured that would be the most expeditious way to get done what needs to happen anyway.
trs86
4/6/2010-10:57am at 10:57 am (UTC -4)
Does it really matter?
We have complained over some small things but really against a RH pitcher (should not even play against LHP) Jacobs is as good of a choice to hit 4/5 as anyone else.
I could not believe the amount of complaining we did about the opening day lineup just because GMJR was in it instead of Pagan and Cora was leading off instead of Castillo. Saying crazy stuff like this lineup was going to hang Manuel. Really? LOL. If the worst thing that Manuel ever does is use that lineup based on what we currently have then you guys are going to be stuck with him all year.
Relax and enjoy baseball.
ceetar
4/6/2010-11:01am at 11:01 am (UTC -4)
if lineups were the worst thing Manuel does, I’ll be happy.
I was happy with Manuel’s managing yesterday though.
njstuckintx
4/6/2010-11:04am at 11:04 am (UTC -4)
Really liked the suicide squeeze. liked the aggressive style.
Kingman 26
4/6/2010-11:03am at 11:03 am (UTC -4)
Yes, it most definitely does really matter.
We shouldn’t have a guy with a .298 OBP the last two years who can’t hit batting cleanup. Any rationale used to justify batting him 4th makes far, far more sense if applied to Francoeur.
Every game counts, and one or two more hits by the cleanup hitter with men on base over the next few weeks could make the difference in getting the wild card. The leadoff man getting on base a couple more times before Reyes gets back could make the difference in scoring a few more runs and winning another game or two.
And our leadoff hitter shouldn’t be a guy with an OBP 70 points lower than the number 2 hitter, who is also much faster.
trs86
4/6/2010-11:06am at 11:06 am (UTC -4)
What about a guy that has consistently had an OPS over .800 vs RHP?
trs86
4/6/2010-11:09am at 11:09 am (UTC -4)
Also, you know why Jerry had Cora hitting 1st. He wants the lineup to have stability and when Reyes returns in a few days you won’t have to shuffle the entire lineup around. I disagree with the notion and obviously so do you. But there is logic behind it and it’s not a terrible senseless move that Jerry deserves to be fired for.
ceetar
4/6/2010-11:28am at 11:28 am (UTC -4)
Considering how much Manuel shuffled the lineup around last year and how unlikely Jacobs is to hit cleanup when anyone returns makes the point silly though.
I don’t think an yone’s going to be unstable if Castillo slides from first to second when Reyes returns.
trs86
4/6/2010-11:32am at 11:32 am (UTC -4)
I think he planned on hitting Murphy 4th to break up the RH too so perhaps it does matter. Perhaps against a LHP he goes with Wright, Bay, Francouer, Tatis?
Mr North Jersey
4/6/2010-11:37am at 11:37 am (UTC -4)
Murphy 4th now that is scary.
trs86
4/6/2010-11:40am at 11:40 am (UTC -4)
I really think, like it or not, that Manuel wants Bay 5th to stretch the lineup and a LH in between.
Interested to see the lineup against a LH. Jerry already said that Tatis will start which in my opinion is the right move.
Mr North Jersey
4/6/2010-11:49am at 11:49 am (UTC -4)
I can honestly say Murphy hitting 4th is something I just don’t understand. I can see Reyes 3rd or Jacobs 4th but Murphy 4th someone would have to explain that one to me.
I think if Wright is batting 3rd and beltran is not back yet if Murphy is playing 1st him batting 4th is scary indeed.
trs86
4/6/2010-12:15pm at 12:15 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t see a lot of difference in Murphy, Jacobs or Frenchy hitting 4th pending the situation.
Mr North Jersey
4/6/2010-11:05am at 11:05 am (UTC -4)
Discussing Lineups is a National Past time or did you not know that?
If we are going to start telling people they shouldn’t complain about a particular lineup order then you are going to have to write up what they should or should not argue over.
trs86
4/6/2010-11:07am at 11:07 am (UTC -4)
Oh you can complain over the lineup as much as you want. The idea of saying that Jerry would get fired because he hit Jacobs 4th instead of Frenchy is what I think is silly.
Kingman 26
4/6/2010-11:11am at 11:11 am (UTC -4)
Who said that other than you??
The leadoff and cleanup spots are largely indefensible.
Castillo’s speed and OBP make him a better leadoff choice, and Jacobs should not be hitting 4th on a team with Jason Bay and Jeff Francoeur on it.
trs86
4/6/2010-11:17am at 11:17 am (UTC -4)
An entire thread was dedicated to it over the weekend.
Also, what is this sudden infatuation with Francouer?
Francouer last 2 years:
OPS: .653, .732
Jacobs last 2 years
OPS: .812, .698
Really are we saying that it’s a terrible baseball decision to hit Jacobs 4th instead of Francouer?
Also, whether WE like it or not there is a baseball logic that says that you need to split up you RH power hitters.
trs86
4/6/2010-11:23am at 11:23 am (UTC -4)
One more thing. Frenchy, as much as I like him, is terrible against RH, .711 OPS for his career, last year it was .677.
Mr North Jersey
4/6/2010-11:24am at 11:24 am (UTC -4)
you guys some time get hung up on one stat.
Mr North Jersey
4/6/2010-11:28am at 11:28 am (UTC -4)
I hear yesterday on Daily News live I believe someone say Ryan Howard hits AROUND .200 against lefties in his career. I was like dude are you serious? The man is an rbi monster and you want to bring up that he struggles against lefties for his career?
trs86
4/6/2010-11:31am at 11:31 am (UTC -4)
LOL, lot of difference in Frenchy and Howard though right?
I like Frenchy and don’t want him platooned yet. I am just saying that against a RHP that he is not a better choice for the 4 spot than Jacobs.
Mr North Jersey
4/6/2010-11:35am at 11:35 am (UTC -4)
Agreed huge difference my point is how people can get hung up on one stat. Rather than look at the player overall.
If you only looked at Howard batting avg vs lefties you would be like wow that is terrible but the truth is Howard is a monster that produces.
If you look at Jacobs OPS you would be like wow that is great but the truth is Jacobs is feast or famine.
If he is not hitting homers he is useless.
trs86
4/6/2010-11:38am at 11:38 am (UTC -4)
He had 60 XBH in 2008 about half HR and the rest obviously 2B and 3B. Last year he had a terrible year and finished with 19 HR and 17 other XBH. Not exactly HR or nothing.
Mr North Jersey
4/6/2010-11:43am at 11:43 am (UTC -4)
I guess he will have to show me he is more than a homerun hitter. For now he will continue to be a one trick pony.
Mr North Jersey
4/6/2010-11:13am at 11:13 am (UTC -4)
On that note we agree. I actually think it is smart to see what Jacobs can do now by putting him where he can get some good looks at a fastball. If he struggles then bye bye Jacobs.
njstuckintx
4/6/2010-11:43am at 11:43 am (UTC -4)
Agreed.
prismo
4/6/2010-11:08am at 11:08 am (UTC -4)
+1
trs86
4/6/2010-11:11am at 11:11 am (UTC -4)
NJ you know I love a good lineup discussion. That’s one thing. Saying stuff like “Manuel is stupid, everything he does is stupid, his lineup will get him fired. He is so stupid how do you have Jacobs instead of Francouer hitting 4th…”
Mr North Jersey
4/6/2010-11:11am at 11:11 am (UTC -4)
Personally I still don’t agree with many that Jacobs should not bat 4th. I think putting him there right now will show if he can hit homeruns or not. If he can’t batting between Wright and Bay then he can’t do it anywhere in the lineup.
So once he shows what many already believe, a guy that just can’t hit then he will soon be gone and replaced by the next in line Cat or hopefully Carter.
trs86
4/6/2010-11:12am at 11:12 am (UTC -4)
I would be fine with him hitting there for now against a RHP. LHP he should not be playing. Against RHP he has had an OPS of over .800 every year.
Mr North Jersey
4/6/2010-11:14am at 11:14 am (UTC -4)
I just need to see him do one thing drive runs in if he can’t then a bye bye Mr Jacobs.
Kingman 26
4/6/2010-11:14am at 11:14 am (UTC -4)
Mr N, that makes sense.
See right off the bat if the guy can do anything anymore, or if pitchers have him figured out, as his OBP the last two years and OPS last year suggest.
trs86
4/6/2010-11:19am at 11:19 am (UTC -4)
I agree that his OBP is horrible but he has had a decent OPS every year except last year. Perhaps he was not comfortable in KC or the AL but the guy had a very good OPS in 2008 with the Marlins. Not like that’s a hitters park.
GravediggerHebner
4/6/2010-11:28am at 11:28 am (UTC -4)
As far as Jacobs batting 4th, I’m not going to say “scrap it” because of April 5th, 2010. If Jerry deemed it worthwhile enough to even try (which is dubious I understand) then at least allow the experiment to unfold. 1 game is hardly enough time to determine if it works or not. To me, it did work based on Mets 7, Marlins 1. That’s why I was surprised/disappointed that the immediate and majority of comments in the post game focused on Jacobs.
trs86
4/6/2010-11:30am at 11:30 am (UTC -4)
Agreed.
GravediggerHebner
4/6/2010-11:56am at 11:56 am (UTC -4)
Related to TRS’s comment above about batting Bay 5th to extend the lineup: The Mets scored 7 runs despite the top 4 batters in their lineup going 1 for 15. Batters 5-8 went 7 for 13. I don’t expect that all the time but that’s an excellent one game. Pop Reyes into the lead off spot and batters 1-4 will probably exceed 1 for 15. As Ceetar has noted before, there will be many days when this team scores lots of runs. Will starting pitchers 2-5 and will the bullpen be able to take advantage of that are far more important questions to me than why is Jacobs batting 4th.
Mr North Jersey
4/6/2010-12:00pm at 12:00 pm (UTC -4)
All in due time.
Mr North Jersey
4/6/2010-12:03pm at 12:03 pm (UTC -4)
On another note it costs $4.00 for bottled water at Citi Fields? Damn
njstuckintx
4/6/2010-12:24pm at 12:24 pm (UTC -4)
To make you throw up a little in your mouth, $0.25 of that was paying for Bonilla’s never ending salary.
GravediggerHebner
4/6/2010-12:26pm at 12:26 pm (UTC -4)
Ugh, now I need another $4.00 bottle of water to wash the vomit out of my mouth. This self-perpetuating cycle could get ugly.