Ollie Applauded
“Manuel met with Oliver Perez before Tuesday’s game to offer the lefty, who hasn’t pitched since Aug. 1, a compliment: “I just wanted to applaud him for the way he’s handled everything,” Manuel said.” – Link
Winterball?
“…Mejia might pitch winter ball and if he does well there, would be in the mix for a rotation spot next spring. “There’s very good upside there,” Minaya said.” – Link
What The F%#?
“I thought I would be playing tonight but I am not making the lineup. What is going on here? I don’t know what he’s doing,” Castillo said of Manuel.” – Link
34 comments
njstuckintx
8/26/2010-11:25am at 11:25 am (UTC -4)
For Castillo, it is mind boggling, as jerry is the worst at rewarding someone for 1 thing they’ve done good. “Frenchy had 2 sac flys? well, hell, get him back in the starting lineup…”
As for Ollie… Way to go champ! It’s the least you could do while cashing all those checks.
tkfj2
8/26/2010-11:26am at 11:26 am (UTC -4)
Castillo can’t get a start and Frenchy will be getting all of them. Apparently Jeff is integral to us getting back into the playoff race. How stupid is the brain trust of this team?
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5495067
rustyjr
8/26/2010-11:29am at 11:29 am (UTC -4)
Rhetorical question right ?
tkfj2
8/26/2010-11:34am at 11:34 am (UTC -4)
Might as well be. We all know the answer.
stickguy
8/26/2010-11:42am at 11:42 am (UTC -4)
I need to stop reading most of these stories that seem to come at the rte of 5+ a day now.
my obsession the rest of the yer (besides hating on Jerry) is telling everyone that the 2011 team can (if not will) actually be good. Even though they have a lot of payroll locked up, and it will mostly be the same team coming back.
That last part is not as bad as it sounds. Why? Well let me tell you!
1) The SP has actually been a strength, and that is the hardest piece to put together usually. Just need to add a 5th solid, reliable SP, and they should have a nice rotation.
2) RF and 2B have been the black holes this year (offensively). But, I expect that frenchy and Slappy are both goners, so those 2 spots by default will be better.
3) Bay and beltran both missed a lot of time, and sucked donkey balls when they were playing. If they both can stay on the field and even approach their normal/career output (hell, 80% of it), the offense will also be vastly improved.
4) Jerry and Hojo will both be gone. And if there is a God, Omar wil lbe out of the picture too, which will help if the Wilpons allow the new guy to actually make some organizational changes.
And yes, I know that certain people will dump all over this, with all the possible terrible things that will happen instead. But my point is, the team does not need that many changes, or a ridiculous number of miracles, to be playoff caliber next year.
Yes, they are .500 now, but it is not that big a leap going from .500 to the playoffs, with the potential infusion of talent and leadership they could get.
metsfan4decades
8/26/2010-11:44am at 11:44 am (UTC -4)
I’m in agreement with this. The single best move they can make is a new GM. With a new GM comes a new coaching staff too. We don’t need to ‘blow up’ the team. There is some very good young talent, much of it under 30. The ‘cancer’, the ‘attitude’, the mindset or whatever some are calling it….I believe will fix itself if you fix the FO.
stickguy
8/26/2010-11:51am at 11:51 am (UTC -4)
agreed about the attitude stuff.
also, the team is somewhat locked in place for 2011 anyway. It would be really hard to actually “blow it up”.
you got a couple of core guys that you probably want to keep anyway, and if not, it will be real hard to get equal value back (unless you are going total prospects/long rebuilding period). Reyes, wright here.
A few young guys you want to keep, where it doesn’t make sense to trade (since that is what you want to get back). Neise, Ike, Pelf.
and some vets with big contracts that you probably cn’t move, without eating the deal. Bay and Beltran, who you might as well keep and hope they produce. Or ollie and slappy, that will be excised anyway.
I just don’t see a lot of room to blow up, nor much of a need since Beltran will be gone (and the ollie/slappy obligations) after 2011 anyway.
oleosmirf
8/26/2010-11:50am at 11:50 am (UTC -4)
my issue with the SP is that the chances Niese and Dickey match their numbers from 2010 are remote. If they go with Mejia as the 5th SP, its really asking for trouble.
sign the best SP they can on a 1 year deal and keep Mejia in the minors until injury arises or someone becomes ineffective.
stickguy
8/26/2010-11:59am at 11:59 am (UTC -4)
I agree with your 2nd idea (about mejia) 100%.
But, I am not worried about neise and dickey being good next year. I am not hung up on specifically matching their numbers (although no reason neise won’t, r better). Maybe dickey doesn’t have a 2.6 ERA, but as long as he makes his starts and pitches effectively, that is all I am looking for.
metsfan4decades
8/26/2010-1:46pm at 1:46 pm (UTC -4)
Agree.
metsfan4decades
8/26/2010-11:42am at 11:42 am (UTC -4)
I posted this in Rusty’s piece but it’s probably just as applicable here to:
I watched the game last night but must have missed that shot in the BP with Ollie Rusty was referring to.
I’m just done with this whole Perez saga. Sports Night on SNY last night quoted Ollie as saying he wants to be back with the team next year. The rest of the quotes went something like:
‘I know the people, they are not happy. I just keep working hard.
I’m resigned to just sit here and wait.’
As much as most of us wanted him gone, or at the very least accepting the minor league assignment, it was within his rights to refuse it. To his credit, any sound bites I’ve heard, he’s not bad mouthing the team, the FO, nor has he whined much about his situation or caused much controversy. I think if he was, we’d be hearing sound bites every night.
With that sad, I can’t imagine Perez is back with this team next year.
oleosmirf
8/26/2010-11:43am at 11:43 am (UTC -4)
the more pissed off Castillo gets the better, it means we’ll have a new 2B next season. I just hope his name isnt Ruben Tejada.
tkfj2
8/26/2010-11:55am at 11:55 am (UTC -4)
I think we all hope that, Ruben is not nearly ready to contribute to a MLB team. Let him play in AAA where he belongs.
GravediggerHebner
8/26/2010-12:05pm at 12:05 pm (UTC -4)
Did Hanley dye his hair Met-orange to show how badly he wants to play for the Mets? Yeah I didn’t think so either.
njstuckintx
8/26/2010-12:10pm at 12:10 pm (UTC -4)
Hanley at short, move reyes to 2B…
GravediggerHebner
8/26/2010-12:06pm at 12:06 pm (UTC -4)
Luis Castillo expresses what many Mets fans have been saying for months, nay years, about the lineup.
oleosmirf
8/26/2010-12:29pm at 12:29 pm (UTC -4)
Reyes, Pagan, Wright, Beltran, Bay, Davis, Hudson, Thole. now that is what I want to see next season for opening day.
stickguy
8/26/2010-12:34pm at 12:34 pm (UTC -4)
actually not a bad lineup. And entirely possible you get it.
although hudson could be a different FA 2B (Uribe?).
pretty solid up and down, and if bay and beltran rebound to anything close to “normal” for them, potentially very productive.
GravediggerHebner
8/26/2010-12:59pm at 12:59 pm (UTC -4)
What you’ve got there Oleo, plus 1 good (not great) starting pitcher and at least 2 useful (i.e. not 2010 Igarashi or 2010 Escobar) relievers and I can resume dreaming about a post season appearance.
oleosmirf
8/26/2010-2:14pm at 2:14 pm (UTC -4)
i think someone like Lilly, Kuroda, De la Rosa (in that order) if they would accept a 1 year deal would be perfect. I would sign a RP with closing experience (Gregg, Rauch, Dotel, Capps) as insurance for the K-Rod situation. I would sign a corner OF that can play everyday and still be decent in the event someone goes down (Kearns, Michaels, Nady, Johnson)
i think that, and a new manager and GM that can make in season moves, is enough to win 88+ games
stickguy
8/26/2010-2:18pm at 2:18 pm (UTC -4)
honestly, I do believe that this years team was good enough to win 88+.
A new manager/coaches to start the year, and just not losing beltran for 5 months and bay being worthless, and yeah, they would easily be 6-8 games better than the current record.
stickguy
8/26/2010-2:15pm at 2:15 pm (UTC -4)
so, like I rambled on about earlier, it should not require huge, earth-shaking, moves to get the mets right back into the mix.
cutting ollie and slappy is a no brainer.
Signing Hudson (or equivilant) to a 1 year deal is pretty basic.
Solid, decent SPs can be found
and getting a couple of bench/pen guys is just SOP.
Not really seeing the rocket surgery here.
GravediggerHebner
8/26/2010-1:04pm at 1:04 pm (UTC -4)
Fongy if you’re around you’ve got to check out this Kenny Powers pic.
http://twitpic.com/2idnyz
GravediggerHebner
8/26/2010-1:09pm at 1:09 pm (UTC -4)
Just a guess: Ozzie is using his son’s tweets to either get himself fired or GM KWilliams fired. Would have shot at Cubs, Mets jobs.
http://twitter.com/RealSkipBayless/status/22192464789
metsfan4decades
8/26/2010-1:51pm at 1:51 pm (UTC -4)
Ozzie with the Mets. Now that would be a completely different kind of fodder for the NY media to report on every night. Probably couldn’t find a completely polar opposite of Willie/Jerry than Ozzie.
stickguy
8/26/2010-2:12pm at 2:12 pm (UTC -4)
somehow, I don’t see Guillen as being the wilpons type. But, maybe they will shock us!
and really, other than being a loose cannon loud mouth, is he even a good manager?
And it would be nice to see someone who has proven he can manage in the NL, with no DH to hide behind.
TRS86
8/26/2010-2:23pm at 2:23 pm (UTC -4)
That’s a great question Stick. We hear a lot about how great Ozzie is. Is it because he is a good manager or because he is firey and gives a great interview?
GravediggerHebner
8/26/2010-2:57pm at 2:57 pm (UTC -4)
Sadly the fact that this is even a legit question is reinforced by Marty Noble’s recent blog about how unfair this season has been to Jeff Francouer.
If ever there was a case of a media member giving a bad player slack because they’re a good interview this is it.
Dirtysanchez
8/26/2010-3:52pm at 3:52 pm (UTC -4)
“Manuel met with Oliver Perez before Tuesday’s game to offer the lefty, who hasn’t pitched since Aug. 1, a compliment: “I just wanted to applaud him for the way he’s handled everything,” Manuel said.”
WHAT?!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME…
I had a nice piece about respecting manuels decision to not play ollie but F that…it’s trash. How ANYONE can applaud ollie is laughable at best.
stickguy
8/26/2010-3:58pm at 3:58 pm (UTC -4)
I took that to mean he was happy that Ollie happily follwed the plan to go disappear in the BP, and not cause any waves.
If he wanted to be a PITA, he could have given some really good interviews out!
That comment had nothing to do with the whole go to the minors debate (whick, IMO, was purely Boras driven). It was specifically related to being quiet about Jerry burying his sorry arse for 3 weeks+ now.
Dirtysanchez
8/26/2010-4:12pm at 4:12 pm (UTC -4)
I see where your coming from…applauding him for not barking about not pitching in nearly a month…it never took oliver to say or not say something for the mets to look stupid, they did that just fine themselves. Oliver Perez just made 2 million dollars this month…FOR DOING NOTHING!!!!!!!!!! Thats a slap in the face to not only sports in general but in a sense to america as well. Mets should be ashamed of themselves…seriously.
stickguy
8/26/2010-4:53pm at 4:53 pm (UTC -4)
pride aside, what reason was there for the mets to release him a month ago (other than the obvious replacement on the 25 man roster?)
They would still be paying him to do nothing (for the mets), but at least this well, there is still a chance to get some return on their largeinvestment.
Hey, it’s all just business. Not personal!
Mr North Jersey
8/26/2010-6:01pm at 6:01 pm (UTC -4)
You are missing the biggest point stick and that is if he is here cause the Mets believe they can get some sort of return on their investment then he has to play.
There is no excuse for him to sit there and not play. None nada zilch.
It is stupidity to the 10th degree that Oliver Perez who is just waiting for a chance to be used sit there and not be used when by all accounts he is ready to play and have the defense to it be then that well the Mets will get a return on their investment next year.
Hello? What does that have to do with him sitting there now doing nothing but wondering when the new Ferrari’s come out?
Again the Mets management of Ollie is all you need to tell you just how f’d up this organization is.
stickguy
8/26/2010-6:50pm at 6:50 pm (UTC -4)
the not playing part, I agree with you. He should have been getting some PT (if not a start, which at this piont may be too late, at least some other mop up time).
I figure that is largely on Jerry, with blame also going to the FO for not forcing the issue. He does need to pitch at some piont to generate any trde value you would think.
I do not think this FO (whoever might be to blame) has much of a clue, and they do tend to botch stuff like this. So yes, they do come across as F’d up in how they handled this situation (among others), even if their logic was in the right place.