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June 19, 2012 Mets 2012 Games Joe Janish

Mets Game 69: Win Over Orioles

Mets 5 Orioles 0

Another day, another shutout.

Mets Game Notes

Johan Santana bounced back with a fairly strong start, shutting out the O’s through six on four hits and two walks, striking out five. Does this mean he’s out of the woods in regard to the no-hitter afterglow? Let’s hope so.

Nice to see three members of the bullpen not bungle the victory.

All of the firepower came from Lucas Duda and Jordany Valdespin. Even though Daniel Murphy also drove in a run, you have to wonder: shouldn’t Valdespin be given a shot to take the second base job? What has Murphy done through nearly 70 games to earn ownership of the position? What has he done lately to suggest he is the answer there? Though, I have just droppEd Murphy from my fantasy team, which means he is guaranteed to go on a hot streak and erase all doubts.

Next Mets Game

The Mets go for the sweep on Wednesday night at 7:10 p.m. Dillon Gee goes against Brian Matusz.

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Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
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  1. joe bourgeois June 20, 2012 at 12:56 am
    I think a better time to have dropped Ed Murphy would have been before he died in 1935. Do you have some kind of macro that links to Baseball Reference for every name it recognizes?
    • Joe Janish June 20, 2012 at 7:48 am
      Bingo!

      I’d fix it, but isn’t nice that Ed Murphy lives on ?

  2. Crozier June 20, 2012 at 8:24 am
    Good result, though Santana’s pitch count was high for 6 innings. Averaging 17 PPI isn’t going to win many ball games. Not with this bullpen.

    Say, how about letting Dickey close a game or two between starts?

    • NormE June 20, 2012 at 8:52 am
      Re: letting Dickey close between starts. Not the craziest idea in this firmament. Did you catch the Richard Sandomir article in today’s NY Times? He goes back to the ’50’s when it was not uncommon for starters to make brief relief appearances between starts. Ford, Spahn, Reynolds were just some of those who did it.
  3. Crozier June 20, 2012 at 8:44 am
    I hadn’t weighed in on the Murphy issue because it seemed pointless: you’re trading one mediocrity for another. It would be another story if Murphy were holding back a rising star in AAA or on the bench. His past suggests a better hitter will emerge, just as seems to be happening (finally) with Davis. Mind you, unlike Davis, Murphy isn’t a future anything, so it would be awesome to see a talent at 2B someday. Valdespin isn’t it, and though I’d take no issue with him assuming the role, I don’t see it making a difference.
  4. DaveSchneck June 20, 2012 at 9:13 am
    Joe,
    It isn’t wise to make judgments when a player is playing extremely well or extremely bad. In Murphy’s case, history suggests that his bat will rebound some, and that he will eventually increase his HR rate above that of Luis Castillo. He also has great intangibles – stand up guy, hard worker, etc. However, it is clear to even my untrained eye that Valdespin has some tools that are in very short supply on this team – namely speed, defensive “potential” at 2B. Yes, he has a history of being immature, but he is not 20, and may be bright enough to know that this could be his “shot”. I say stick him at 2B for a couple of weeks without interruption and see how he does. He will make a few mistakes, but it is not like this is a team that doesn’t make mistakes.
    • Walnutz15 June 20, 2012 at 10:12 am
      Obviously, Valdespin will have to hit to keep himself within the lineup – but his speed is so very obviously something that this lineup has absolutely none of.

      Kid’s pretty quick…..as evidenced by a (more or less) bad bunt in the 1st inning of last night’s game. It went right back to the box, when he tried to push it a bit past the mound — but he still made it a pretty close play at 1B.

      Like that he’s hungry, for now…..and just hope that he keeps at it.

      They did get into a bit of what Backman had said to him upon landing back at Triple-A on the broadcast. I had read a month or so ago that Valdespin wasn’t happy at all with being optioned back earlier on in the season; and Backman gave him a talking-to.

      Hopefully, that will stick with him……though, it’s far from the 1st time he’s been spoken to by people within the organization – having read this kind of thing attached to Valdespin’s prospect status since 2009 or so.

      We’ll see what happens, but he’s obviously full of natural talent – while Murphy has to use every fiber of his being just to be mediocre without a defensive position.

      • Walnutz15 June 20, 2012 at 10:17 am
        Joe – tell me this doesn’t feel vaguely familiar to the “rise” (and Willie-Orchestrated) fall of Ruben Gotay.

        Granted, Gotay was setting the batter’s box ablaze during his string of success – and fitting in very well with the winning team around him at the time…..but who knows w/Valdespin? He’s got some good assets, and seems to be very confident in himself.

        The good thing about the situation is that Randolph isn’t around to mandate veterans be acquired, to play over “babies”.

        So, at this point – we’ll find out.

  5. gary s. June 20, 2012 at 9:39 am
    Murphy is born to be a DH/supersub/pinch hitter.Time for Valdy to get a chance at 2nd base
  6. Joe June 20, 2012 at 10:36 am
    Yes, fairly strong six innings, no runs.

    The Mets got two runs from a fielding blunder.

    V. can fill in for Bay. Let’s see how he does consistently playing before getting on his bandwagon. I’m fine with giving him an extended look. I think Bay won’t be back right away. I personally think it’s time for him to go.

    If Murphy is in a slump, I don’t think just having him as a sub will do him any favors. His role might be as a DH, but this is the NL. If in trading season, someone offers something worthwhile, I’m open to trading him.

    • Joe June 20, 2012 at 10:37 am
      And, I believe Duda’s HR was from the new dimensions. I wonder what the plus/minus has been — other teams runs vs. Mets runs — in that department.
      • Quinn June 20, 2012 at 11:51 am
        11-9 mets favor with new dimensions
    • Walnutz15 June 20, 2012 at 10:50 am
      From my viewpoint, there’s no way Bay doesn’t land on the 60-Day D.L. – seeing as how he attempted to come back from the cracked rib……yet wound up right back on the shelf, with a 2nd concussion.

      All this latest injury does is eliminate any kind of resurgence, in the hopes of moving him somewhere by the Trade Deadline. (I figured his days with the Mets were going to be numbered, anyway…..you’re not getting anything for him now; especially with a NTC he doesn’t have to waive.)

      I had read some dumb comments from people wanting to release him on the spot, My question to any of those dolts is – how does dropping him now look any better than say, this off-season?

      Or better yet – what does it accomplish?

      It’s not like he’s a poster child for laziness, or where he’d become a problem within the club’s team element…..and on the 60-Day D.L. – he’s not blocking anyone from getting an opportunity to play LF.