Sometimes you have to admit when you are wrong. And so far in the case of R.A Dickey, I have been dead wrong. I admit I am biased against knuckleball pitchers, and I was nonplussed to say the least when Dickey was promoted from AAA last week. But so far he has impressed me by throwing two solid games against the Nationals and the Phillies. He was effectively wild,and he even pitched after being drilled on his pitching elbow by a line drive. Kudos go out to Raul Valdes for his excellent three innings of shutout relief – earning his first career save. And it was great to see Frenchie breaking out of his slump.
Here are some game notes from last night.
Jose Reyes went 2-3 and is starting to look like his old self. He also collected his 1,000 hit in 833 games . He is the only Met to do it in such a short amount of time.
On a related note, with his fourth-inning double – David Wright collected the 1,025th hit of his career, which moves him into a tie with Darryl Strawberry ( can you say ironic?)
for seventh place on the franchise’s all-time hits list… Mike Piazza is the next Met to be surpassed with 1,028 hits.
Last night was the Mets fifth shutout of the season.
Mets starting pitchers have pitched to a 0.93 ERA (eight
earned runs/77.1 innings) over the last eight games , including last nights game, dating to May 17th at Atlanta.Our starters are 4-0 over that span.
And the pleasant surprise of the night is that the Mets are hitting
.429 (15-35) over their last three games with runners in scoring position…They went 5-11 tonight.
And as much as I like and respect Nelson Figueroa – it was great whipping his ass last night !
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                                                         ” Everyone like a good Dickey- EXCEPT THIS GUY !!!”
And with that said….. HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!
Happy Birthday Jim Frey (1931) I know we associate Jim as the manager for the ’84-’86 Chicago Cubs, but few fans remember that he was a coach for the Mets from ’82-’83.
New York Mets released utility infielder,Bobby Pfeil on May 26, 1970.
New York Mets signed free agent pitcher Terry Leach on May 26, 1984.He was a unsung hero for the Mets from ’84 – ’88 – but the Mets front office never gave him much respect.
New York Mets traded pitcher,Geremi Gonzalez to the Milwaukee Brewers for reliever Mike Adams on May 26, 2006. Adams never played in a major league game for the Mets , but he pitched elsewhere for the San Diego Padres.
New York Mets purchased backup shortstop,Wilson Valdez from the Cleveland Indians on May 26, 2009.Yes it is sad to say he was possibly the most effective replacement we had for Jose Reyes last year – and that’s saying ALOT !
And the Mo Vaughn tidbit of the day – he was so inspired by last nights Mets win that he has issued a challenge to the Phillie Phanatic for a two out of three fall , Sir Lord Baltimore rules – where the loser is banished to parts unknown ( King Of Prussia, Pennsylvania ).
31 comments
metsfan4decades
5/26/2010-7:48am at 7:48 am (UTC -4)
Ha! – It’s O.K. to be wrong when you’re on the ‘good’ side of being wrong…
A couple of things occurred to me after the game last night that might go a long way towards turning this season around.
1. You have to throw out the 2009 season, for obvious reasons. New ball park and the plan early in was the Mets changing their game somewhat to go with defense/speed/pitching at Citi, playing more small ball. Obviously with what we trotted out there last year, couldn’t get that off the ground.
Which leads me into #2…
2. Same plan for this year. But…many they decided to break camp with were just the wrong decision. IMO, that includes: Green, Jacobs, Cat, Maine, Ollie and GMJ. None of them getting it done. The Mets pulled the plug early on several – like Jacobs, Cat and even Ollie and Green/Maine out due to injury. In return we have Ike, Dickey, Carter, Valdes for Green (I believe), Taka in the rotation. That leaves only GMJ who we all know is only here as needed backup CF. Every one of those replacements are contributing more than those they replaced.
And NOW we’re seeing the plan take shape. The Mets splits so far as wins at home vs. on the road are staggering. We now are doing a very good job with home field advantage. The opposition? –not so much. Case in point are the Phils who rely on power and the long ball. Take that away, they’ve got very little.
Hats off to Dickey and Valdes. Great to see Reyes, Bay and even Franceour getting it done. Wright looks better at the plate and Carter gets one opportunity last night and comes through.
Not one Met struck out last night, notta one. Just doesn’t get any better than that spanking to the *cough* *cough* so called class of the NL…..
rustyjr
5/26/2010-8:15am at 8:15 am (UTC -4)
Green Is this years Matt wise – never to be seen again – hopefully !
trs86
5/26/2010-8:18am at 8:18 am (UTC -4)
I missed the game
so I was going to go back and look at the K’s for Wright and others but now I don’t have to. Have we done that this year?
metsfan4decades
5/26/2010-8:35am at 8:35 am (UTC -4)
If we have, I certainly don’t remember it.
stickguy
5/26/2010-8:58am at 8:58 am (UTC -4)
there can’t be more than a handful that wright doesn’t have at least 1 K himself, right?
Sorry. That was mean. I just wish he would settle on a nice stance, and short level swing, and go back to just driving the ball all over the park. Live with the idea of being an ~ 20 HR guy, and just lead the league in doubles.
Kingman 26
5/26/2010-8:21am at 8:21 am (UTC -4)
Rusty, you were not wrong, you just have to be patient and give Dickey more of a chance to suck!
trs86
5/26/2010-8:55am at 8:55 am (UTC -4)
Hey Kingman, lets be positive here. Dickey has found new life in and Citi is his Viagra.
Kingman 26
5/26/2010-9:12am at 9:12 am (UTC -4)
Ha!
I was totally kidding….3 of 4 against our most hated rivals, Reyes is starting to hit, Bay is hitting everything (and CONTINUING to play outstanding defense–where are the UZR geeks? Realizing how flawed that silly stat can be?), Pelf is arriving as I had hoped, the pen is very good, Ike is here to stay, Wright is really damn good even when he is slumping, etc.
Lots to feel good about this morning.
But, it might just be the high of seeing Figgy in a Phils’ uniform getting smacked around by our guys. I really enjoyed that.
stickguy
5/26/2010-8:24am at 8:24 am (UTC -4)
Ironic. There, I said it.
Good game though. Living in philly country, seeing them lose is especially satisfying.
Kingman 26
5/26/2010-8:37am at 8:37 am (UTC -4)
They are pulling me back in Stick….if they blast Figgy all three games in the series, I will probably be smiling till December….boy does he suck.
stickguy
5/26/2010-8:56am at 8:56 am (UTC -4)
look at it this way. How good could the phillies possibly be, if they are using Figgy and Schnieder, not to mention wilson valdes?
If we can somehow ship them Sean green, the Mets will have the division in the bag.
Kingman 26
5/26/2010-9:14am at 9:14 am (UTC -4)
Can they take GMJ too?
ceetar
5/26/2010-9:17am at 9:17 am (UTC -4)
They’ve already got Ben Francisco. Same numbers.
metsfan4decades
5/26/2010-8:57am at 8:57 am (UTC -4)
You’ll enjoy this article guys. Figgy’s comments on him being cut, the Mets FO and clubhouse and his increasing public comments that to me are sounding more and more like whining:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2010/05/26/2010-05-26_mets_hit_back_at_figgy.html
stickguy
5/26/2010-9:03am at 9:03 am (UTC -4)
The phillies like to complain about the Mets “antics”, but over the last few years, they have been incredicle whiners, big babys, and in general cheeseballs.
njstuckintx
5/26/2010-9:05am at 9:05 am (UTC -4)
slice some cheese and bust out them crackers. he can whine all he wants, but as in the movie Friday, Figgy, you just got knocked the *%$@ out!
Kingman 26
5/26/2010-9:17am at 9:17 am (UTC -4)
Wow, I guess Figgy is the joke that never stops making us laugh.
“In two years I gave them blood, sweat, tears, my heart and my soul – and it wasn’t enough to make the team.”
How much blood did he give exactly? Quarts? Was it for transfusions to Ollie and Maine and that is why they suck so bad now?
Yeah, too bad those biased decision makers use talent as part of the equation when deciding who should be on the team.
OMG let him pitch again tonight….please….
njstuckintx
5/26/2010-9:21am at 9:21 am (UTC -4)
If only he gave us talent and results as well. Then he’d have made the team!
trs86
5/26/2010-8:56am at 8:56 am (UTC -4)
How shockingly wrong is it that last night I find out that the Phillies have 5 starters on the All-star team right now. We may not have a Met that deserves to be there but I sure the hell hope we don’t end up with friggin Placebo as the starting 3B.
metsfan4decades
5/26/2010-9:00am at 9:00 am (UTC -4)
We were commenting on this in the dugout last night.
Placebo? I mean, Really?
Rollins? He’s started what? all of 15 games this season?
Ibanez in the mix? What has he done this year?
Bah…..I’m kind of torn here. I’d like nothing better than for all the Mets to go home and get a nice, relaxing 4 days rest. But to have some of these guys beat some of our guys out on a starting spot.
I have to keep reminding myself it’s the fans voting and as such, sometimes is more of a popularity contest than deserving talent…..
stickguy
5/26/2010-9:05am at 9:05 am (UTC -4)
It is still early. The results will adjust eventually. Right now, it is name recognition, and major Philly ballot stuffing. I think the balloting started with the Phils on a home stand too.
Palanco has OK numbers, but can’t imagine he is close to the best or most deserving 3B. Rollins has done nothing and barely played, and Ibanez is barely better than Frenchy so far.
Utley sure, and Howard is not tht much of a stretch.
trs86
5/26/2010-11:40am at 11:40 am (UTC -4)
Anyone besides Zimmerman getting it for 3B right now is a travesty.
stickguy
5/26/2010-12:01pm at 12:01 pm (UTC -4)
funny thing is, after I posted this comment, I went and looked at the list. Turns out the the 2 guys I mentioned as being legit, aren’t even among the 5 leaders!
njstuckintx
5/26/2010-9:14am at 9:14 am (UTC -4)
Well, I’m not going to get too up for the good or too low for the bad. Dickey pitched well. Please string 3-5 of those in a row and then I’ll feel much better.
Reyes coming about, smiling and playing like the olden days was very nice to see as well.
And the best was the “no K’s”. Granted it was vs. Moyer, but beggars vs. choosers…. We will take it to the bank!
njstuckintx
5/26/2010-9:16am at 9:16 am (UTC -4)
Oh, and an Animal sighting! With a pinch hit too!
udontmesswthejohan
5/26/2010-9:26am at 9:26 am (UTC -4)
I love how Dickey’s fastball tops out at 83mph, just like John Maine.
metsfan4decades
5/26/2010-9:31am at 9:31 am (UTC -4)
In the late innings last night, SNY put a graphic up that showed Dickey’s FB topping out at 86 and Moyer’s at 83. How many times are you going to see that with a knuckleball guy on the mound?
ceetar
5/26/2010-9:36am at 9:36 am (UTC -4)
I was having fun at the game with Moyer. said to my friend when Moyer was walking guys in the 5th. “He’s having trouble commanding that blazing 75mph fastball”
Actually, one time the scoreboard said 74mph Fastball and quickly changed it to changeup. They couldn’t tell.
stickguy
5/26/2010-9:32am at 9:32 am (UTC -4)
maybe he can teach Maine the knuckler?
darknova306
5/26/2010-10:05am at 10:05 am (UTC -4)
Rusty, I’m right there with you on knucklballers. I can’t stand watching them. Let’s be realistic, Dickey isn’t likely to be a long term solution for the rotation, but let’s ride this Dickey hard while he’s doing well.
trs86
5/26/2010-11:41am at 11:41 am (UTC -4)
Uh, you can keep that stuff to your self.