Mets 6 Marlins 4
It’s games like this that keep me watching baseball.
jon niese
Niese Nice
A few random notes regarding the most recent televised Mets spring training game …
Jon Niese was
Mets Beat Up Bosox Farm Team
The Mets looked formidable in their spring training action on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, it didn’t provide much information for us, since the Mets had more or less their starting MLBers facing a combination of players who will split their time between Pawtucket and Portland in 2011.
Still, there were some things we could glean from the afternoon …
2010 Analysis: Jon Niese
Young lefthander Jonathon Niese made great strides in 2010, emerging as a capable MLB pitcher with mental toughness and competitive fire.
His final numbers didn’t fully tell the story; he posted a 9-10 record with a 4.20 ERA, 148 Ks, 64 BB, and 192 hits in 30 starts covering 173 innings – pretty ho-hum and not necessarily indicative of a star on the rise. But in truth, Niese probably wasn’t ready to pitch a full season at the MLB level after missing the second half of 2009 and winter ball with a torn hamstring.
At times, Niese was spectacular – for example, his one-hit shutout of the Padres in Game 60. At other times, he looked overmatched, struggling to find the strike zone and getting hit hard when he did. Over the course of the season, his performance was uneven, mainly due to his occasional overuse of the cutter (which is actually a slider), which in turn was partially the cause for inconsistency with his mechanics and arm angle.
Niese’s fastball didn’t have enough movement to rely on heavily against MLB hitters, so the “quick fix” was to
Mets Game 157: Loss to Brewers
Brewers 8 Mets 7 For a while, it appeared that the Mets would pull out another exciting, come-from-behind win. But it was not to be. The Brewers jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the third against starter Jonathon Niese, and the Mets clawed back with two in the bottom of the frame and then … Read more
Mets Game 152: Loss to Marlins
Marlins 7 Mets 5 The Fish swept the Mets, but at least the pain was quick. A two-game sweep is less painful than a three-game sweep, isn’t it? I feel like I haven’t written a meaningful game recap post since early June. Is that the reality? Do you really care about any of these games, … Read more
Game 148: Loss to Braves
Braves 6 Mets 4 After playing 4 games in Class C against Pittsburgh, the Mets were quickly reminded that Major League teams make few mistakes and usually have to be beaten; the better ones don’t beat themselves senselessly at every opportunity. Ironically, it was a 21-year-old kid (Jason Heyward) who delivered the fatal blow — … Read more
Mets Game 143: Loss to Phillies
Phillies 3 Mets 0 As Mets fans we are blessed to have the Phillies in our division and in turn the opportunity to see two of the best righthanded starters in baseball pitching over the course of a weekend. Roy Oswalt was spectacular, spinning a complete-game, 4-hit shutout. He completely stymied the Mets hitters, and … Read more