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August 25, 2011 Mets Minors Dan Capwell

To the Bat(ista) Phone!

He’s started a World Series game at Yankee Stadium, once dissed Miss Iowa and is a published author and poet. He is Miguel Batista and if the Mets at all want to add a little interest to the remainder of another season of broken dreams, they should call him up from Buffalo to take the rotation spot for the recently DL’d Jonathon Niese.

No, Batista won’t log many quality innings, nor at age 40, is he auditioning for a spot in next year’s rotation. What he might bring is a little quirkiness and character to a team that has been beaten down recently by injuries, bullpen meltdowns and mental mistakes. Batista is the author a 2007 thriller called The Avenger of Blood, a novel about a serial killer. He is also known for his love of philosophy and poetry—imagine a combined shut out by Batista and R.A. Dickey, now there would be some post game quotes! If nothing else, the Mets could urge him to slight other beauty queens the way he did Katherine Connors — then reigning Miss Iowa — back in 2010. (For those who have forgotten, Batista was booed when he replaced Nats phenom Steven Strasburg as a starting pitcher last year when Strasburg turned up injured. Asked later if it bothered him, Batista replied “no, I understand how the fans felt. It’s like going to see Miss Universe and getting Miss Iowa.” To which Connors replied, “I can pitch but I’d like to see Batista walk down a runway in a bathing suit and high heels.” They eventually made up and Connors was invited to throw out the first pitch at a later Nats game). Perhaps a bevy of beauty queens tossing out the first pitch for the remainder of the home schedule might bump attendance up slightly and make Jose Reyes more affordable to the Mets next year. If not, well there’s always Pat Misch.

The injuries to Niese and Scott Hairston might mean an early jump on the expected September call ups. Mike Nickeas has already been activated to replace Niese on the roster. In addition to Batista and Misch, some other names include Zach Lutz, Chris Schwinden and Jordanny Valdespin. As has been reported elsewhere, don’t expect Matt Harvey, Jeurys Famila or Reese Havens.

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A Mets fan since 1971, Dan spent many summer nights of his childhood watching the Mets on WOR Channel Nine, which his Allentown, PA cable company carried. Dan was present at Game 7 of the 1986 World Series and the Todd Pratt Walkoff Game in 1999. He is also the proud owner of two Shea Stadium seats. Professionally, Dan is a Marketing Manager in the Bulk Materials Handling industry. He lives in Bethlehem PA with his wife and son, neither of whom fully get his obsession with the Mets.
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  1. Joe August 25, 2011 at 7:09 am
    That Iowa thing is silly — it wasn’t a dis on the woman but the ranking — one state over the whole universe.

    Let’s not forget that Paulino had to be pinch ran for yesterday. Nickeas could have been most directly replacing him. Injury central again.

  2. Tommy2cat August 25, 2011 at 9:57 am
    I think the comments by Batista and Connors are both hilarious, one funnier than the other.

    Connors comeback was a classic.

  3. Mic August 26, 2011 at 9:55 am
    Hmmmm.
    My Random thought on batista. He is exactly the sauce that could the mets need. In place of igrashi, have batista as swingman – auditioning if with his experience, make-up etc he can shorten games i’d like to see him.
    • Joe August 26, 2011 at 1:27 pm
      Well, you have I., you figure you should use the guy, but yeah, I concur on Batista — seems like someone who can be useful, and he is a character to boot. But, I did read that they picked him specifically to give a bit of experience to the minors, so they had a reason to keep him down there.