A Fruitful Spring
In case you haven’t seen it yet, OnTheBlack.com has a new video every day, with each one featuring comments on the Mets’ offseason and predictions by Kerel Cooper, Dave Doyle of Mets Report, and yours truly.
In related news, the eagle-eyed Dave Singer of NYSportsReport took notice of the citrus wedge in what he assumed was my beer.
First of all, if said citrus wedge was indeed in what is alleged to be “my” beer, perhaps I have a completely logical explanation. For example, perhaps it was a certified organic orange shipped directly from a grove in Port St. Lucie, and therefore a small but genuine declaration of support for that wonderful little city housing the Mets’ spring training facilities.
Or, it could be that the orange was a symbol of the Mets enjoying a “fruitful” spring … or that their goal to make the postseason in 2010 would come to “fruition”.
Or maybe the citrus fruit is not an orange, or a lemon, but rather a GRAPEFRUIT, in appropriate honor of the “Grapefruit League”.
Or, maybe the beer containing the offensive orange was not mine at all, but rather that of the cameraman, or some random person sitting at the table next to or across from me (and out of the range of the camera’s wide-angle lens).
Or, maybe the placement of the fruit was a coy attempt to enter Omar Minaya’s subconscious, with the intention of placing the thought that he should immediately replace Jerry Manuel with former Indians manager Eric WEDGE.
Better still, the citrus wedge in question may have been inadvertently attached to the brim of my glass by the bartender as a force of habit, rather than by request, not realizing that a man of mucho machismo would be imbibing the otherwise glorious blend of Belgian hops, wheat, malt, and barley.
On the other hand, maybe I actually like an orange wedge in my beer, because it brings out wonderfully delicious nuances of coriander and spice — is that a crime? (Before you answer, consider the fact that I’m probably bigger than you.)
Perhaps the key point in regard to the glass is this: does the subject matter get perceptibly better or worse in relation to the sinking level of the suds?
You be the judge.
Check out OnTheBlack.com all this week and next to develop your case. I plead “no contest”.
Note to the kiddies: I do not condone the consumption of alcoholic beverages — with or without citrus wedges — by anyone under the age of 21. Furthermore, I do not condone blogging under the influence of alcohol (BUI), nor blogging while intoxicated (BWI), regardless of age, race, or sexual orientation.
ST Game 7 vs. Nationals
Mets 6 Nationals 5
Let’s not read too much into the win nor the Mets’ 5-2 record; it’s spring training.
But, I would like to share my thoughts on some of what we saw on channel 11 on Sunday.
Oliver Perez
His stat line was awful — 7 hits, a walk, a HR, and 5 ER in 3 IP. But, evaluating his pitching mechanics, there were good signs. What I saw was Ollie doing a decent job of staying in a straight, efficient line to the plate from the stretch (which he was throwing from for most of his outing). From the stretch, he was displaying a good, straight-up leg lift, fairly straight stride, and a balanced follow-through that left him in position to field the ball on comebacker. From the windup, however, he is still struggling, and I feel it stems from where he starts his feet. He is standing on the third-base side of the rubber, which allows him to easily start his right foot back and toward third base on a 45-degree angle. This in turn causes his body to go slightly sideways and “off line”, which then causes a slight over-rotation / close of the front hip, and then results in an over-rotation / premature opening of the front hip. That rotation then causes his follow-through to be off-balance and toward third base — you’ll see him facing third base after the release. That over-rotation is inefficient and is the reason for inconsistency in his release point. There have been periods in the past when both Rick Peterson and Dan Warthen had him beginning his windup by stepping straight back — which resulted in him staying more on that efficient, straight-lined path toward home plate — and I’m not sure why Warthen has allowed Perez to deviate from that habit.
Daniel Murphy’s New Stance
Murphy’s batting stance is now more upright. I’m not sure I understand the reasoning behind the change, but Howard Johnson knows a thousand times more about hitting than me. I guess what confuses me is the fact that once the pitcher starts his motion, Murphy hunches right back into the same crouch he started from last year. So maybe it’s a timing thing? The one potential negative is with this new stance, Murphy’s eyes start at one level, then move to a lower level as the ball is coming in — which seemingly would make the ball more difficult to see and track.
Hisanori Takahashi
I like Takahashi’s fluid, stress-free motion and balanced mechanics. It looks as though he can throw low strikes in his sleep. He reminds me a bit of Jamie Moyer, in that he pitches “backward” (setting up the fastball with off-speed pitches), stays around the plate, and can occasionally sneak a fastball by a hitter. He topped out at a surprising 89 MPH on the fastball, which was mixed with a 81 MPH changeup and a 78 MPH breaking ball. Already I’m convinced he’ll be more effective than Ken Takahashi. Whether he’ll be able to keep MLB hitters off-balance the second time around the league will remain to be seen, but I like his chances.
Ike Davis
There has been a lot of buzz around Davis, and he’s been scorching the ball in spring training. But if I hear one more person compare him to John Olerud, I’m going to scream. He doesn’t remind me at all of Olerud, other than the fact he stands in the left batter’s box. At some point, Davis is going to be in the big leagues — no question. This year? Hard to say. There are two glaring issues about his swing that concern me — first, the fact he “steps in the bucket” and commits his front hip before starting his swing; and second, the loopy length of his swing. It’s a long, long swing — one that will and does generate power. That’s why I’m not getting the Olerud comparisons — Olerud in contrast had a short, compact stroke. In fact, Davis looks to me like a hitter who can turn into an Adam Dunn-type, rather than an Olerud — someone with prodigious power, good strike zone judgment, but perhaps not a .300 average. If he comes close to evolving into either Olerud or Dunn, we will certainly be happy.
The Nationals
This team scares me a bit. They have a ton of exciting, talented, young ballplayers on their roster. I don’t see the Nats making the playoffs in 2010, but with a little luck they could surprise people. They will be a team to reckon with in 2011 and beyond.
Mets Sign Kiko Calero
Omar Minaya held firm on his minor-league offer to Kiko Calero, and came out the winner in the negotiations.
Calero signed a one-year, minor league contract that will pay him $850,000 plus incentives if he makes the Major League roster.
According to the The New York Times:
Calero was so eager to join the Mets that he was seen walking through the clubhouse before the team had a chance to announce the signing.
As you read a few days ago, I supported an MLB contract for Calero — so for me this is outstanding news and a very smart, low-risk gamble. It is surprising that Calero has been available for this long after a fine comeback season in ‘09 — kudos to Minaya for waiting him out.
Next on the docket is Joe Beimel, who would fit right in as a second LOOGY to Pedro Feliciano. It appears that Minaya is sticking to the same strategy of waiting — and several sources report that Beimel is indeed on the Mets’ radar. Hopefully it works out as well — and it might, because every day that goes by is another day lost for a guy like Beimel to make a team. The only risk is that there are at least a handful of teams who could use an extra veteran LOOGY — and one of them could be the Phillies.
Jose Reyes is Not Pregnant
Good news, Mets fans: Jose Reyes is NOT pregnant.
Steve Popper was the first to report that news on Twitter early yesterday, and further blood work evaluated last night confirms it.
Whew! That would have been a major issue for the Mets, who already are without Carlos Beltran for the first few months of the season.
Though, I imagine Jose would have been able to stay on the field for the first trimester … but almost certainly would have been out of uniform by June. Even if he felt great, you’d have to think that his belly would have gotten in the way of reaching down for ground balls — not to mention the weight gain putting a strain on his already suspect legs.
In other good news for Mets fans, Hisanori Takahashi has cleared up his visa problem and can now take the mound in exhibition games. No word on whether he’ll be wearing Ken Takahashi’s old jersey.
Additionally, the Mets signed Kiko Calero — full post coming soon.
But there’s still more to cheer about — Ike Davis hit a grand slam and David Wright hit a homerun in his first at-bat as the Mets pounded the Cardinals 17-11.
Finally, things are looking up for the New York Mets!
Josh Thole’s Catching Stance
RED FLAG ALERT!
Take a look at the above photo, taken in Port St. Lucie from yesterday’s intrasquad game by Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog. It’s Josh Thole in his “runners on” catching stance.
Notice the flat back, weight forward on the balls of the feet (and off the heels), arms extended out in front. It’s classic, 1970s positioning, made famous by the likes of Johnny Bench.
And it’s wrong.
That’s right — Johnny Bench, the greatest catcher who ever lived — used an improper, inefficient catching stance.
If you didn’t think I was off my rocker when criticizing Sandy Koufax last week, then surely you believe I’ve gone bonkers on this one. (more…)
Living in the Past
According to those with access to the innards of Tradition Field, the phrase “Prevention and Recovery” is painted on the walls throughout the clubhouse in Port St. Lucie. This is an additional slogan to the “We Believe in Comebacks” spun out by the Mets’ PR department in early January.
Hmm … PREVENTION … AND …. RECOVERY !!!!!
Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. Not much “ring” to it. Certainly not something you’d expect to hear booming from the rafters of Citi Field during a tense moment near the end of a playoff game (if Citi Field had rafters, or if the Mets were in a playoff game).
Rather, it sounds like someone who has been spooked by injuries. While most teams are concerned with playing the game, the Mets are focused on staying healthy. Like most of what this organization has done for the past decade or so, it’s reactive — the Mets had a ton of injuries last year, so this year they’ll try to prevent them.
We touched on this early in the offseason, when we discussed The Big Fix and the General Consensus. In that post, we surmised that the Mets believed they were only “one piece away” from a championship. But it’s clear there’s more to it than that — they believe they can get where they want to be by merely fixing what went wrong last time.
That’s no way to build a championship team, and it’s not the attitude of a winner. Winners don’t concern themselves with what went wrong last time, they don’t become fixated on what held them back from their goals. Rather, winners focus on the here and now, and think about what they need to do to get where they want to go — not where they’ve been.
Yes, it’s true that the Mets suffered a rash of injuries last year. Some believe — incorrectly — that injuries were the sole cause for their disappointing season. Even if that were true, focusing on staying healthy should not be what is on the players’ minds — what they need to do to win should be on their minds. Injuries are going to occur, no matter what, and the great teams rise above them.
It’s also true that the Mets have been deluged with questions from the media on how they plan to stay healthy, so there was a need to address the issue from that standpoint. But again, it should not be “top of mind”, or an internal mantra. Combining “Prevention and Recovery” with “We Believe in Comebacks” is living in the past. Why re-hash the misery of 2009? The Mets should have done everything they could to erase the negative images of last year, and move the mindset to a completely new and different place.
Don’t dwell on the past, don’t tell me you’re sorry, don’t tell me what went wrong. If something needs fixing then go ahead and fix it — and then MOVE ON. Forge AHEAD. Move FORWARD, toward your goal.
That’s a better mantra, don’t you think? “Fix it and move on.” Has a ring to it, at least.
Mets Like Beimel, Calero, But Not the Price Tag
According to various reports, the Mets are interested in LOOGY Joe Beimel, but not for the $2M he wants. Further, the team is also looking into Kiko Calero, but he prefers an MLB contract rather than the minor league deal the Mets want to offer.
Without question, Beimel is the best lefthanded specialist available on the free agent market. The Mets have been seeking such a LOOGY to pair with Pedro Feliciano ever since Scott Schoeneweis crapped the bed. Two million dollars is not a huge commitment for someone with Beimel’s skill set and experience — compare it to the 3-year, $10.8M insanity-driven deal handed to the aforementioned Schoeneweis. Considering that Beimel would likely appear in 70-85 games, the Mets will get more value on the dollar for him than for the $2M given to utilityman Alex Cora. So the question is, if the Mets need Beimel, and Beimel is interested at a fair price, what’s the delay?
As for Calero, I can understand the trepidation — sort of. When Calero is healthy, he can be “lights-out”, but staying healthy has been a problem in the past few years for the 35-year-old. With the Mets already dealing with injury issues this spring, they’d ideally sign a more durable pitcher.
At the same time, Calero was outstanding in 2009, appearing in 67 games and setting career bests in innings (60) strikeouts (69), and ERA (1.95), while posting a stingy 1.10 WHIP and allowing only one homerun. There’s no guarantee he’ll repeat those numbers, and he did spend 15 days on the DL in June with a shoulder inflammation. But you tell me what makes more sense: giving $1.25M guaranteed to Kelvim Escobar — who threw 5 innings last year — or Calero?
What’s hurting the Mets in these negotations, of course, is Escobar’s status (and the fact that Brian Stokes was dealt to the Angels). Both Calero and Beimel deserve MLB deals regardless, but have the upper hand as long as the Mets have neither a legitimate setup man nor a reliable second lefty.
It is at this point that I would like to hear from all the people who, back in November, didn’t think it was a “big deal” that the Mets wasted $2M on the aforementioned Cora. Additionally, I want to hear from those who supported the Stokes – Gary Matthews trade, which cost the Mets another $1M – $1.5M net. The argument was that a measly $1M or $2M shouldn’t make or break the Mets’ season. Yet here we are in a situation where the Mets are desperate to plug holes in the bullpen, there are two worthwhile, fair-priced solutions available, but the Mets don’t seem to have the financial flexibility to get the deals done.
Put it this way: if Matthews and Cora get on the field often enough to truly earn their pay in 2010, then something (once again) went horribly, horribly wrong for the New York Mets. In contrast, if Beimel and Calero are signed and earn their salaries, two roles in the Mets’ bullpen were filled quite efficiently and effectively. You tell me which is more likely to have a significant impact on a successful season — overused bench players or effective relievers?
Slow Start for Kelvim Escobar
In a shocking turn of events, Mets reliever Kelvim Escobar has suffered a setback in his recovery from shoulder problems — to the point where he is expected to begin the season on the disabled list.
It is stunning news, considering that Escobar proved he was completely capable of picking up, gripping, and softly tossing a baseball only a week ago. But he felt some “weakness” and has been shut down from throwing activities.
Per The New York Times:
Escobar, who is experiencing weakness and discomfort in his right shoulder, is not even playing catch on flat ground. The plan is to start again on Monday and then see what happens. That means he will almost certainly not be ready for opening day.
Hmm … if he’s “not even playing catch on flat ground” does that mean he’s playing catch …. underground?
In all seriousness, this is really bad news for Omar Minaya, who rolled the dice on Escobar. Truth is, it wasn’t a bad idea to gamble on Escobar for only $1.25M. The bad idea, was to COUNT on Escobar to fill a significant role in the bullpen.
From John Harper’s column in the Daily News:
According to one baseball executive who spoke with GM Omar Minaya about it, the Mets were immediately penciling Escobar in as a key to their bullpen, and only a couple of weeks ago Johan Santana was praising him as an important addition to the club, saying that his toughness would help set the right tone for a comeback season.
Santana’s statement was partially right — Escobar has set the tone for the season.
Harper also noted that Japanese import Ryota Igarashi — the next reliever in line for the setup role — “was less than impressive, unable to control his splitter, his signature pitch” in a bullpen session on Saturday. Certainly not good news, but it’s still early; sometimes people have bad days. Though, I am mildly concerned that Igarashi will have trouble adjusting to the size of the baseball.
With Carlos Beltran and Kelvim Escobar missing Opening Day, Francisco Rodriguez suffering from pink eye, and Jose Reyes being questioned by the FBI, the spring has not exactly gone off to the best start. However, there must be a light at the end of the tunnel — things can only get better from here, right?
Video from PSL Training Room
MetsBlog isn’t the only website with video coverage of Mets spring training … we have some of our own available below, which is purportedly recorded from the trainer’s room at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie.
I say “purportedly” because the person with the camera isn’t exactly an expert on baseball, nor even a Mets fan. But he was the best cameraman we could hire on the meager MetsToday budget … and, well, you get what you pay for.
The quality isn’t great, so it’s hard to tell who is getting the back rub, but the videographer claims it’s “one of the Mets catchers” (a good bet, considering that half the players in camp don the tools of ignorance).
My money is on Rod Barajas or Henry Blanco … though, for all I know this is re-used video of Ramon Castro from last spring.
If you can positively identify exactly who this is, please let us know in the comments.
Is That a Balk?
Check out the video of Japanese hurler Ryota Igarashi posted by Matt Cerrone at MetsBlog:
OK, watch it again.
One more time, please.
Is it me, or is “Gimme Three Steps” by Lynyrd Skynyrd running through Igarashi’s head when he comes to the set from the stretch position?
All that footwork ain’t gonna fly come game time. He’s balking, and umpires will call it. I vaguely remember other Japanese imports having similar hitches and hesitations in their motion, which caused problems in their MLB rookie seasons. Apparently the rules are a little different in NPB.
I don’t bring this up to be negative, but in the hopes that someone (Dan Warthen) takes note and adjusts his routine accordingly now rather than later. Left uncorrected all spring, it could turn out to be a major issue.
By the way, big kudos to Matt Cerrone for his massive, multi-channel, multimedia coverage of spring training. He’s like James Brown — the hardest-working man in the Mets blogosphere.
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