Yeah I am still steaming over the decision by the umpiring crew’s reversal of the Scott Rolen strikeout last night, which opened up the floodgates in what ended up being a 8-6 loss to our Metropolitans last night. As Gary Cohen said last night ” These umps are making it up as the go along !” I mean I do agree that Rolen did check his swing – so he wouldn’t of struck out, but with that said, for Rolen to be awarded first base on a hit by pitch was equally erroneous !I do believe that Keith Hernandez was right with his hypothesis that ever since that band of striking umpires were terminated about ten years ago Umpires in general have become way to tentative and that there are way to many pow wows between officials trying to save face ( but still making bad calls). Lets face it this was a discretion call by the home plate ump Jerry Meals, and Crew chief Dan Iasongna had no right in overturning it !!! This was Jerry Manuel’s second ejection of the year. He was also ejected on May 10th by Laz Diaz for arguing balls and strikes.
Well time for some good news! Carlos Beltran went 2-4 with two singles and an RBI in his rehab assignment for St. Lucie. He played all nine innings in center-field and had four putouts.
And now for the bad news. Oliver Perez will start for St. Lucie tonight in his rehab assignment against the Charlotte Stone Crabs. This will be his second start since he was reactivated after suffering a ” knee injury”. In Ollie’s last start, he went 6.0 innings allowing four runs on five hits while walking one and striking out seven. ( oh joy!)
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                                                                                          “Nuff Said !!!”    Â
And with that said …. HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!
Birthday wishes go out to former Mets manager and current bench coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, Willie Randolph (1954). Willie could have been one of the better managers this franchise had ever known, but his distrust for the media coupled with with his by the book managerial skills, and unfirey manner doomed him here with the New York Mets fan.
Center -fielder from the ’96-’97 team, Lance Johnson is 47 (1963). The man was a extra base hitting machine whose gracefulness in the field reminded many Mets fans of Mookie Wilson.
Due to yesterdays unbearable heat Mo Vaughn decided to head to utilize his pool. The Coast Guard was called in after they received reports of a beached whale in his neigborhood !!
17 comments
metsfan4decades
7/6/2010-7:31am at 7:31 am (UTC -4)
The umps across the board need better training. They’re brutal, period.
However, Pelf’s gotta manage that inning better, even with that reversed call and umps not recognizing a strike. It’s no different than if your team makes an error behind you. Just concentrate on getting the outs. A triple by the pitcher??? Never should have happened.
I don’t know if it’s his pitch selection or command that goes south when he gets rattled but Pelfrey needs to work on the mental aspect of his game.
rustyjr
7/6/2010-7:44am at 7:44 am (UTC -4)
You are absolutely right mf4d – but the umps never should have overturned that call – 99.999% of the time the homeplate ump refuses help with that call – dusty baker shoulda been the one ejected
stickguy
7/6/2010-9:53am at 9:53 am (UTC -4)
I did not have the game on TV, so obviously did not see for myself. But, the only logical conclusion is they each had a piece of the puzzle. The HP ump obviously heard it hit something. And the 2B ump had the angle to tell that it did not hit the bat (or at least, he really thought it did not).
So, since usually 2+2 = 4 (unless Madoff is involved), they must have figured the “something” it hit was rolen.
Maybe they should have just had him show the fresh bruise on his arm?
and with Pelf, it is his command (or “stuff”) that deserted him. He should not be doing pitch selection at that point. Considering the catcher hasn’t hit in 6 weeks, he better be at least managing the pitcher, since if he isn’t doing that either, than Thole shouldbe starting (actually, he probably should be starting anyway).
njstuckintx
7/6/2010-9:05am at 9:05 am (UTC -4)
Ollie… 4 runs, 5 hits and only 1 walk? Must have been 1 bad inning.
stickguy
7/6/2010-9:56am at 9:56 am (UTC -4)
he actually gave up 2 HRs to the A ball hitters.
this outing truly smacked of what happens when an airhead gets instructed to just throw strikes. He just lobs his BP FB right down the middle, and it gets crushed.
Really, pitchers should never throw a ball in the strike zone. They should get baters to swing at balls out of the zone!
OK< that is not exactly true, they are supposed to nick the corners and the edges. Not the meaty part of the zone. And ollie can’t do that, so go back to throwing hard with lots of movement, regardless of where it ends up.
Better off he walks 5 and gives up 3 weak singles, than walking 2 and giving up 3 HRS!
njstuckintx
7/6/2010-10:46am at 10:46 am (UTC -4)
Unless he’s working on something specific, like a particular pitch or mechanics or something, giving up a couple bombs to A ball guys doesn’t bode well for Ollie.
ceetar
7/6/2010-10:48am at 10:48 am (UTC -4)
I was worried about Ollie when this was the philosophy in the spring. It’s such a reactionary approach to pitching, and really a poor one at that. It’s the #1 reason I thought W arthen should’ve been fired.
I’ve alwaysbeen okay with Ollie’s walks, because he coupled them with a ton of strikeouts. He needed/needs to learn a little about setting up a hitter, so he can get a weak popup, or beat a hitter in the zone when he has to (bases loaded, etc) rather than risking walking a guy if he doesn’t fish for it.
Either weay, I don’t care about his line much in rehab. Is he hitting 93?
njstuckintx
7/6/2010-10:51am at 10:51 am (UTC -4)
Unfortunately, the only 93 he’s hitting so far is “pitch count in the 4th inning…”
stickguy
7/6/2010-9:59am at 9:59 am (UTC -4)
also, Ollie pitching rehab games is not a bad thing.
Either he is felling better (the knee) and regains his stuff, and is effective when he comes back (because odds are, he is coming back), or he is so bad, they find a way to banish him to the cornfield.
at least one way or another he gets addressed.
But, if he is even halfway OK, I really think he gets another shot at the rotation (how long the leash is, anyones guess). So it is really in our best interest for him to have a renaisance.
stickguy
7/6/2010-10:13am at 10:13 am (UTC -4)
with the recent discussion about the met finances (that post article), and can they take on payroll, who knows if they would/could take Oswalt if the Astros practically gave him to us for nothing.
But realistically, if they can get through 2011, the payroll could take a nice dip, especailly if Kingman gets his wish, and a few of the perculating prospects make the team (of course, meaning they did not get traded!).
Ollie, Castillo, Beltran and (hoping he does not hit his vesting option) WalkOff Rod will be off the books after next year. Right there, that is ~50million. And yes, I know that some guys wil be getting raises. THrow in Frenchy too, saving another 5-7mill.
No idea where a closer comes from, but hopefully it is a young cheap guy, not an overpaid declining guy again. But the other 3 spots easily can be filled internally, along with Catcher.
And if Omar trades Neise or Ike for a 12 start rental of anyone, he should be fired, drawn and quartered on the spot (and not in that order).
so other than 1 SP, there is no real reason they have to go big on the FA market this year. and not even that if they can get someone at a reason able cost (even a reup of a guy like Lilly if they get him).
njstuckintx
7/6/2010-10:44am at 10:44 am (UTC -4)
The Astros have stated they would eat slaray for a better package of players. So, They could go that route.
The Lilly trade option is growing on me, as most of the kids would stay in Metland and the Type A status should net a return if he decides to walk.
And I can’t see Omar trading the kids that are here. Well, maybe Parnell or Tejada, but definitely not Ike or Niese, and I would say Thole sticks around (he’d only go for Lee, and what the Twin’s reportedly offered is much better than what the Mets would offer, hitter wise).
stickguy
7/6/2010-10:55am at 10:55 am (UTC -4)
IMO, Lilly is the perfect guy for them to be going after right now.
not that he is the “best” pitcher, but given all the factors involved, he easily could be the best overall option for them.
plus he is a very good pitcher.
ceetar
7/6/2010-10:51am at 10:51 am (UTC -4)
As much as I like the guy, possibly more important than Ollie’s rehab is Castillo’s. Tejada continues to look overmatched, and while he has a good head and instincts, he’s not Ozzie Smith either and with Tejada, Frenchy and Barajas, there are some big gaps in this lineup at times.
njstuckintx
7/6/2010-10:56am at 10:56 am (UTC -4)
valid point. any word on how castillo’s doing? I’ve not read anything on him for quite some time.
stickguy
7/6/2010-10:57am at 10:57 am (UTC -4)
I was shocked when I looked up Tejada’s OPS yesterday. It was not good.
He does seem to have a good glove, and certainly more range than the other guys available. So maybe they could carry him, but not, like you said, when Frenchy and Barajas are also sub-.300OBP black holes.
I am ticked off at Havens for getting hurt again at the worng time. If he hadn’t pulled a muscle, the way he was hitting he might have been the call up. That guy car really hit, and the reports on his fielding have been excellent. He is the guy I want to win the job next spring.
metsfan4decades
7/6/2010-11:18am at 11:18 am (UTC -4)
As much as this might be an unpopular decision, when Beltran returns, Frenchy’s playing time should be limited – more so than Pagan’s.
Yes, Franceour has a ‘golden’ arm. He’s probably saved us several runs this year. But Pagan has given us more runs with his bat than I believe Frenchy has saved with his arm. I’ve read where Franceour is a little stubborn, not wanting to change his approach much at the plate (i.e. swinging at everything). Maybe if his playing time was reduced, he might finally decide to take some advice and change his approach…
GravediggerHebner
7/6/2010-1:08pm at 1:08 pm (UTC -4)
With Bay, Beltran & Pagan healthy Francoeur seems the obvious choice for displacement. While Beltran tests himself/gains strength Francoeur can serve as a guy who comes in in the 7th when the Mets have a lead, with Beltran resting and Pagan moving from RF to CF. I hope that’s what will unfold.