Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Sean Avery hospitalized with a lacerated spleen
It just goes to show you that sometimes bad things happen to bad people. Get well soon Mr. Avery, just not TOO soon.
It's a mystery wrapped in an enigma
Wrapped inside a big pile of stinking shit. As I type this, the Mets find themselves down 8-0 to the Pirates. Oliver Perez obviously had no interest in pitching this afternoon, so he chose not to. His final line on the day was 1.2 innings pitched, 7 runs, 2 earned, at least 5 walks. Apparently Luis Castillo made an error so Perez decided it just wasn't worth trying anymore. He actually gave up 2 runs before his first hit, which is always a good sign.
Now less than a month into the season it is too easy to overreact and panic about the team's performance. It was a little cold, a little blustery, and the game was delayed nearly an hour at the start because of a water-main break. Pitchers are creatures of habit and throwing that little wrench into their routine is sometimes enough to ruin the entire game. That being said, the offense is entirely out of sync. Even with a better than expected start to the season from Ryan Church, the Mets find themselves struggling to score runs and put together the big innings that powered them to the 2006 NL East title.
Part of the problem is the continuing struggles of Carlos Delgado, who except for the occasional flash of brilliance looks to be far down the back slope of his career. It has been suggested in some circles that without a fearful presence behind him, Carlos Beltran is struggling to get good pitches to hit. Jose Reyes' mysterious struggles at the plate seem to have carried over from last year, despite going 3 for 3 last night with 3 walks. You like your leadoff batter to get on base 6 times, but you also expect them to score a lot more runs when a player as dynamic as Reyes is on base that often.
Is it possible that the team's struggles could be traced to the absence of two oft-injured stars? Pedro Martinez is nearly a decade removed from being the most dominating pitcher in baseball. Still, his array of off speed pitches that he can throw for strikes nearly at will is more than enough to keep most lineups off balance, especially in the National League. What the Mets miss even more is his presence in the clubhouse. Never shy when faced with dozens of microphones, Pedro has always been on the front lines in deflecting the criticism from the fans and the media away from his teammates. With him on the disabled list, a greater burden falls on the shoulders of less savvy men such as Delgado and Beltran.
In addition Moises Alou was a gigantic presence in the lineup last season...when healthy. His range was far more than the advertised step and a dive. He often took two or three steps before the dive. That being said, he still pounded the ball all over the field with his pee hands and was a major force in protecting the middle of a lineup bereft of right-handed power.
So the question hangs, is it too early to panic? Reyes will probably come around because he is too young and too good not to. David Wright is just going to continue to improve. Beltran will probably hit around .270 with around 30 home runs and around 100 RBI because he does that EVERY YEAR!. Johan Santana will give up his fair share of home runs but will still win tons of games, assuming the bullpen can hold onto the leads. Billy Wagner has looked better than he has in a few years, and Duaner Sanchez is working his way back into the dominating 8th inning role he provided in 2006. The rest of the lineup is filled with question marks. Is Delgado done? Can Castillo play through his knee pain? Will Ryan Church be able to continue hitting left-handed pitching? Will Moises Alou EVER be healthy? Can Oliver Perez and John Maine find any semblance of consistency? Where the fuck did Brian Schneider put his hands to get a staph infection in his fucking THUMB? Will anyone in the bullpen pitch well outside of Sanchez and Wagner? How many of these questions do I have to ask in a row before I decide that maybe this year is not truly the year of the Mets?
Now less than a month into the season it is too easy to overreact and panic about the team's performance. It was a little cold, a little blustery, and the game was delayed nearly an hour at the start because of a water-main break. Pitchers are creatures of habit and throwing that little wrench into their routine is sometimes enough to ruin the entire game. That being said, the offense is entirely out of sync. Even with a better than expected start to the season from Ryan Church, the Mets find themselves struggling to score runs and put together the big innings that powered them to the 2006 NL East title.
Part of the problem is the continuing struggles of Carlos Delgado, who except for the occasional flash of brilliance looks to be far down the back slope of his career. It has been suggested in some circles that without a fearful presence behind him, Carlos Beltran is struggling to get good pitches to hit. Jose Reyes' mysterious struggles at the plate seem to have carried over from last year, despite going 3 for 3 last night with 3 walks. You like your leadoff batter to get on base 6 times, but you also expect them to score a lot more runs when a player as dynamic as Reyes is on base that often.
Is it possible that the team's struggles could be traced to the absence of two oft-injured stars? Pedro Martinez is nearly a decade removed from being the most dominating pitcher in baseball. Still, his array of off speed pitches that he can throw for strikes nearly at will is more than enough to keep most lineups off balance, especially in the National League. What the Mets miss even more is his presence in the clubhouse. Never shy when faced with dozens of microphones, Pedro has always been on the front lines in deflecting the criticism from the fans and the media away from his teammates. With him on the disabled list, a greater burden falls on the shoulders of less savvy men such as Delgado and Beltran.
In addition Moises Alou was a gigantic presence in the lineup last season...when healthy. His range was far more than the advertised step and a dive. He often took two or three steps before the dive. That being said, he still pounded the ball all over the field with his pee hands and was a major force in protecting the middle of a lineup bereft of right-handed power.
So the question hangs, is it too early to panic? Reyes will probably come around because he is too young and too good not to. David Wright is just going to continue to improve. Beltran will probably hit around .270 with around 30 home runs and around 100 RBI because he does that EVERY YEAR!. Johan Santana will give up his fair share of home runs but will still win tons of games, assuming the bullpen can hold onto the leads. Billy Wagner has looked better than he has in a few years, and Duaner Sanchez is working his way back into the dominating 8th inning role he provided in 2006. The rest of the lineup is filled with question marks. Is Delgado done? Can Castillo play through his knee pain? Will Ryan Church be able to continue hitting left-handed pitching? Will Moises Alou EVER be healthy? Can Oliver Perez and John Maine find any semblance of consistency? Where the fuck did Brian Schneider put his hands to get a staph infection in his fucking THUMB? Will anyone in the bullpen pitch well outside of Sanchez and Wagner? How many of these questions do I have to ask in a row before I decide that maybe this year is not truly the year of the Mets?
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Come on Montreal!
Act like you've been there before! If you peruse the list of Stanley Cup champions, you might notice the Montreal Canadiens appear once or twice. Or, you know 22 times! So when I read the fans rioted after eliminating the Boston Bruins in game 7 of their opening round series, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Look, I know it was a big win and a thrilling end to the series, but it was the first round! And the Canadiens were the #1 seed! And they nearly blew a 3-1 games lead in the series! You know how many times the Bruins have ever come back from that kind of deficit in a playoff series? How about none! That's right Canadiens fans. Your team just beat a team they are much better than in a series that went far longer than it should have. Let's light some police cars on fire! Asshats.
If the Washington Capitals are able to complete their own remarkable comeback from a 3-1 series hole tonight, the Canadiens will face the New York Rangers in another matchup between Original Six teams. Believe me, a team with leaders and champions like Brendan Shanahan, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, and oh yeah Jaromir Jagr might be a little tougher than a bunch of fucktards from Boston. Get your act together Canadiens fans, there's no trophy for losing in the second round.
Look, I know it was a big win and a thrilling end to the series, but it was the first round! And the Canadiens were the #1 seed! And they nearly blew a 3-1 games lead in the series! You know how many times the Bruins have ever come back from that kind of deficit in a playoff series? How about none! That's right Canadiens fans. Your team just beat a team they are much better than in a series that went far longer than it should have. Let's light some police cars on fire! Asshats.
If the Washington Capitals are able to complete their own remarkable comeback from a 3-1 series hole tonight, the Canadiens will face the New York Rangers in another matchup between Original Six teams. Believe me, a team with leaders and champions like Brendan Shanahan, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, and oh yeah Jaromir Jagr might be a little tougher than a bunch of fucktards from Boston. Get your act together Canadiens fans, there's no trophy for losing in the second round.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Crisis in Flushing
Walking out of a dejected Shea Stadium Sunday afternoon after the Mets had dropped their second straight game to the Milwaukee Brewers, I was accosted by an irate fan. And by irate I mean drunk. He was screaming and yelling at how much the team sucks and they have to blow everything up. "Send that bum Santana back to Minnesota!" Are you serious? He's only the best pitcher in baseball, let's give up on him after 3 starts! "Yeah, but he's 1-2!" I'll grant you that he did not pitch well on Saturday. It happens. It also happens that the Brewers have one of the best offensive lineups in all of baseball. In Santana's other loss, he gave up 3 hits and 1 run. Sometimes you just get beat.
What is of more immediate concern to me is the bullpen's utter inability to give Willie any sort of consistent outing. He calls on them in close games to keep the Mets within striking distance, and without fail one of his relievers will give up a few extra runs. The Mets offense is good enough to scrape together a run against just about any team in the league, but it is disheartening to watch 1 or 2 run games turn into 3 run or greater deficits. Hell, it even gives Eric Gagne the confidence to pitch well!
Fuck it, on to more entertaining news, the Stanley Cup playoffs are in full swing. Sidney Crosby and his fellow Penguins have taken a commanding 3-0 lead in their series with Ottawa. The longer Crosby remains in the playoffs, the better it is for the NHL. Detroit coughed up a game to Nashville, giving the Predators hope in that series. The Rangers did the same to New Jersey in a series that has seen the road team win all 3 games so far. Montreal lost a game to the Bruins, who I suspect had a hard time filling the place with their asinine alcohol serving policy, as the crowd seemed nearly split between Bruins and Canadiens fans Sunday night.
To me, the most exciting series so far has been between Minnesota and Colorado out west, and not just because Peter Forsberg is skating for the Avalanche in the postseason again. All three games have been won in overtime by identical 3-2 scores, with Minnesota holding a 2-1 lead in the series going into game 4 tonight. This is what playoff hockey is all about. Two teams so evenly matched, the slightest of bounces can be the difference in a series. You can never take a shift off and you can never sulk on the bench with your dark visor covering the fact that you're asleep while your team fades out of the playoffs like a little bitch.
What is of more immediate concern to me is the bullpen's utter inability to give Willie any sort of consistent outing. He calls on them in close games to keep the Mets within striking distance, and without fail one of his relievers will give up a few extra runs. The Mets offense is good enough to scrape together a run against just about any team in the league, but it is disheartening to watch 1 or 2 run games turn into 3 run or greater deficits. Hell, it even gives Eric Gagne the confidence to pitch well!
Fuck it, on to more entertaining news, the Stanley Cup playoffs are in full swing. Sidney Crosby and his fellow Penguins have taken a commanding 3-0 lead in their series with Ottawa. The longer Crosby remains in the playoffs, the better it is for the NHL. Detroit coughed up a game to Nashville, giving the Predators hope in that series. The Rangers did the same to New Jersey in a series that has seen the road team win all 3 games so far. Montreal lost a game to the Bruins, who I suspect had a hard time filling the place with their asinine alcohol serving policy, as the crowd seemed nearly split between Bruins and Canadiens fans Sunday night.
To me, the most exciting series so far has been between Minnesota and Colorado out west, and not just because Peter Forsberg is skating for the Avalanche in the postseason again. All three games have been won in overtime by identical 3-2 scores, with Minnesota holding a 2-1 lead in the series going into game 4 tonight. This is what playoff hockey is all about. Two teams so evenly matched, the slightest of bounces can be the difference in a series. You can never take a shift off and you can never sulk on the bench with your dark visor covering the fact that you're asleep while your team fades out of the playoffs like a little bitch.
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Mets win!!!
Well, they won a series from the Phillies, which is a rarity given that in doing so they broke a 9 game losing streak to the Phillies dating back to the end of last season. Of note in the game was Jose Reyes getting a two out double in the bottom of the twelfth and Angel Pagan following with a game-winning single. I guess there was some controversy about whether or not Reyes tagged the plate before he was tagged by the catcher. While the catcher successfully blocked the plate preventing Reyes from sliding across with his foot, he clearly tagged the bottom of the plate with his left hand just ahead of the catcher slapping a tag on his sweet, sweet ass.
Early in the season Pagan has been impressive filling in for the oft-injured Moises Alou in left. He had a monstrous spring and earned his starting spot in the lineup, and now finds himself in a position to drive in game-winning runs in extra innings at the top of the lineup. Good for him. I hope he's able to continue his success as he is a young player, something the Mets are hurting for after Reyes and Wright.
I didn't see any of the Stanley Cup playoff games, and honestly nothing terribly noteworthy happened that I'm aware of. I will say that Montreal trounced Boston in game one 4-1, which just goes to show that if you're a bunch of worthless assholes who throw people out of your home building for drinking while they are legally old enough to do so, bad things will happen to you. Let's go Habs!
Something that everyone definitely missed was the two big upsets in college hockey last night. Relegated to Thursday night on ESPN in an effort to not conflict with the basketball tournaments, BC annihilated North Dakota 6-1. The midwest has long dominated the college hockey scene. This year only 5 of the 16 teams in the tournament were from the East. Of those 5, only BC and Clarkson made it out of the opening round. Clarkson fell to #1 overall seed Michigan in the quarterfinals, but BC prevailed through to the Frozen Four by taking out #2 overall Miami of Ohio. BC showed that New Englanders can still play hockey by stomping North Dakota. At least they showed New Englanders can still recruit enough Canadians to come to our area and represent our cities in college hockey.
The big upset of the day was Notre Dame taking out Michigan. In their first ever trip to the Frozen Four, the fourth seeded Fighting Irish (think a 16 seed in the basketball tournament) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead then regrouped and won in overtime after blowing it to the mighty Wolverines. Literally dozens of Irish fans rejoiced that they could at least beat Michigan in SOMETHING. The finals are Saturday at 7 PM and no, I will not be watching either.
Early in the season Pagan has been impressive filling in for the oft-injured Moises Alou in left. He had a monstrous spring and earned his starting spot in the lineup, and now finds himself in a position to drive in game-winning runs in extra innings at the top of the lineup. Good for him. I hope he's able to continue his success as he is a young player, something the Mets are hurting for after Reyes and Wright.
I didn't see any of the Stanley Cup playoff games, and honestly nothing terribly noteworthy happened that I'm aware of. I will say that Montreal trounced Boston in game one 4-1, which just goes to show that if you're a bunch of worthless assholes who throw people out of your home building for drinking while they are legally old enough to do so, bad things will happen to you. Let's go Habs!
Something that everyone definitely missed was the two big upsets in college hockey last night. Relegated to Thursday night on ESPN in an effort to not conflict with the basketball tournaments, BC annihilated North Dakota 6-1. The midwest has long dominated the college hockey scene. This year only 5 of the 16 teams in the tournament were from the East. Of those 5, only BC and Clarkson made it out of the opening round. Clarkson fell to #1 overall seed Michigan in the quarterfinals, but BC prevailed through to the Frozen Four by taking out #2 overall Miami of Ohio. BC showed that New Englanders can still play hockey by stomping North Dakota. At least they showed New Englanders can still recruit enough Canadians to come to our area and represent our cities in college hockey.
The big upset of the day was Notre Dame taking out Michigan. In their first ever trip to the Frozen Four, the fourth seeded Fighting Irish (think a 16 seed in the basketball tournament) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead then regrouped and won in overtime after blowing it to the mighty Wolverines. Literally dozens of Irish fans rejoiced that they could at least beat Michigan in SOMETHING. The finals are Saturday at 7 PM and no, I will not be watching either.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Now that's a level of ineptitude I hadn't seen since...the day before!
The Mets beat the Phillies last night 8-2. The Philadelphia starter Kyle Kendrick didn't make it out of the 3rd inning. His line was 2.1 innings pitched, 4 hits, 7 runs, 1 earned. ONE earned run out of seven? You have to TRY to be that bad. I've read in a lot of circles that David Wright should have won the MVP last year. I'm not even trying to be a homer there. All the numbers point to Wright as the true MVP. Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies won it instead. He missed last night's game with a sprained ankle. His replacement committed two of the three errors in the third inning. Maybe Rollins is a little more valuable to his team than we thought...
In more important news, the NHL playoffs started last night!!! I got to watch the games in stunning regular definition because my cable company does not carry the Versus network in HD. Personally I think it adds to the viewing experience when the picture gets choppy and pixelated every time the camera pans into the corner. Fuck you Charter! Fuck you in your worthless asses! Anyway, in the East second-seeded Pittsburgh stomped all over Ottawa 4-0 in a game that wasn't really that close. The fifth-seeded Rangers beat the fourth-seeded Devils for the first time in nine tries this season, stealing a game 4-1 in New Jersey. In the West, third-seeded Minnesota fell to Peter Forsberg, I mean the sixth-seeded Colorado Avalanche in overtime. I have to say, the NHL feels just a little better when Forsberg is wearing that Avalanche sweater. The seventh-seeded Flames took out the second-seeded Sharks 3-1.
A few notes from the games. First off a scary moment in the Ottawa v. Pittsburgh game. Midway through the second period defenseman Anton Volchenkov tripped over a skate trying to block a shot and fell face first into the puck. He was cut on the forehead and had to leave the game. Volchenkov was unable to return to the game because his head swelled too much to put on his helmet. That's right, his concern was not that he'd been hit in the face with a puck, but that he couldn't fit his helmet over the bruise it left! Hockey players, I mean real ones, are a different breed.
Secondly, Joe Sakic is fucking amazing. At 38 years old, which is a young whippersnapper these days but ancient in the world of professional sports, he scored his 8th career overtime playoff goal. That makes him the career leader in that stat. It helps to be in the right place at the right time, but after that many game-winners, it can't be an accident that the puck keeps finding him.
Third, Joe Thornton is one of the very best hockey players in the whole world. His combination of size, skating ability, and soft hands is nearly unequaled. Unfortunately he is missing that intangible something that makes the truly great players special. His numbers generally go down in the playoffs, indicating an unwillingness to sell out and push his body just a little farther than it wants to go in order to win. A man with no such qualms is Jarome Iginla. He is not quite as big, does not skate as well, and his hands are just a tad clumsier, but he is undeniably one of the very best playoff performers in the world. He carries nearly all of the offensive load on a primarily defensive team that season after season overachieves in the playoffs.
Fourth, the Rangers imported Chris Drury and Scott Gomez specifically for this time of year. After generally underachieving all season, Drury and Gomez were two of the key players in beating the Devils for the first time all season. Gomez had three assists and Drury won an astonishing 78% of his faceoffs.
In more important news, the NHL playoffs started last night!!! I got to watch the games in stunning regular definition because my cable company does not carry the Versus network in HD. Personally I think it adds to the viewing experience when the picture gets choppy and pixelated every time the camera pans into the corner. Fuck you Charter! Fuck you in your worthless asses! Anyway, in the East second-seeded Pittsburgh stomped all over Ottawa 4-0 in a game that wasn't really that close. The fifth-seeded Rangers beat the fourth-seeded Devils for the first time in nine tries this season, stealing a game 4-1 in New Jersey. In the West, third-seeded Minnesota fell to Peter Forsberg, I mean the sixth-seeded Colorado Avalanche in overtime. I have to say, the NHL feels just a little better when Forsberg is wearing that Avalanche sweater. The seventh-seeded Flames took out the second-seeded Sharks 3-1.
A few notes from the games. First off a scary moment in the Ottawa v. Pittsburgh game. Midway through the second period defenseman Anton Volchenkov tripped over a skate trying to block a shot and fell face first into the puck. He was cut on the forehead and had to leave the game. Volchenkov was unable to return to the game because his head swelled too much to put on his helmet. That's right, his concern was not that he'd been hit in the face with a puck, but that he couldn't fit his helmet over the bruise it left! Hockey players, I mean real ones, are a different breed.
Secondly, Joe Sakic is fucking amazing. At 38 years old, which is a young whippersnapper these days but ancient in the world of professional sports, he scored his 8th career overtime playoff goal. That makes him the career leader in that stat. It helps to be in the right place at the right time, but after that many game-winners, it can't be an accident that the puck keeps finding him.
Third, Joe Thornton is one of the very best hockey players in the whole world. His combination of size, skating ability, and soft hands is nearly unequaled. Unfortunately he is missing that intangible something that makes the truly great players special. His numbers generally go down in the playoffs, indicating an unwillingness to sell out and push his body just a little farther than it wants to go in order to win. A man with no such qualms is Jarome Iginla. He is not quite as big, does not skate as well, and his hands are just a tad clumsier, but he is undeniably one of the very best playoff performers in the world. He carries nearly all of the offensive load on a primarily defensive team that season after season overachieves in the playoffs.
Fourth, the Rangers imported Chris Drury and Scott Gomez specifically for this time of year. After generally underachieving all season, Drury and Gomez were two of the key players in beating the Devils for the first time all season. Gomez had three assists and Drury won an astonishing 78% of his faceoffs.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Running diary of the last opening day in Shea Stadium history
Yesterday marked the final time the Mets would open the season at Shea Stadium. Since it first opened its doors in 1964, it housed two world champions, two other National League champions, and some of the greatest players to have ever laced up their cleats. Unfortunately, most of those players played for the visiting teams, but that's not the point. Here's what transpired:
Stupid work won’t let me stream audio, so even though I’m willing to spring for MLB radio, I can’t listen online. So I will attempt to glean what happens through the static.
1:17 Two runners on and only one out with Ryan Howard at bat. I actually “heard” Chase Utley’s at bat, but I have no idea how he got on [editor's note: It was a hit-by-pitch]. And Howard pops out. It sounded like centerfielder Carlos Beltran had trouble tracking the ball. Still waiting for the first brutal string of curses of the day.
1:18 So I have a meeting today at 2:00. Guess how excited I am about that. Just guess. I think it’s perfectly reasonable for me to murder someone to get out of the meeting. I bet the cop will let me listen to the FAN on the way to jail.
1:21 After some technical difficulties, we’re back! Announcer Howie Rose got excited because Oliver Perez struck out Pat Burrell to end the inning. That’s like getting excited because the sun rose in the east this morning. Burrell averages 160 strikeouts over a 162 game season.
1:25 David Wright hits it back to the track…and caught. Down goes the erection.
1:29 Beltran grounds out weakly to end the inning. On the bright side, it saved me the disappointment of Carlos Delgado striking out. You take what you can get.
1:34 Pop foul out of reach of rightfielder Ryan Church and second baseman Luis Castillo. Let’s see if that comes back and haunts them.
1:35 The rare 3-3 double play. One hopper to firstbaseman Carlos Delgado who stepped on the bag and tagged out the runner from first who didn’t have a chance to run. Sweet. That’s probably better than getting the pop foul caught.
1:39 Just like I predicted, Delgado homered to right. 1-0 Mets.
1:40 Fly out to the wall by Angel Pagan. That’s the third well hit fly ball of the game, counting the homer and Wright’s long fly out in the first.
1:43 Apparently I missed Church getting hit by a pitch. Good thing Jamie Moyer can’t break glass with his fastball. I did, however, clearly hear Brian Schneider’s double play.
1:47 Just got my first reminder for the meeting at 2:00. I hate meetings.
1:49 Quick 1-2-3 inning for Perez, just what the Mets needed after taking an early lead.
1:56 1-0 Mets after two innings, and now it’s time for my meeting. Crud.
3:20 And we’re back. What did I miss? Scott Schoenweis is pitching, that can’t be good.
3:21 On the one hand, the bases are loaded with one out. On the other hand, they just hit Utley with a pitch for the third time, and that’s kind of funny. Hey, 2-0 Mets!
3:22 FUCK! SHIT! DAMN! Howard grounds to Delgado at first who throws to second to try to get the force there. He hits Utley right in the back, everyone’s safe, and Shane Victorino scores from second, tie game. Of course, that’s the second time this inning Utley’s been hit in the back with a throw, which is still pretty funny.
3:29 Jorge Sosa relieves and Burrell flies to deep right, caught by Church. Utley tags and makes it to third. I’m a little sad they didn’t throw the ball in and hit him in the back. 2 outs.
3:31 Base hit, 3-2 Phillies. That was an audible “goddammit” here at work. I should have stayed in the meeting.
3:33 Pop out, inning over. On the bright side, after this season Schoenweis is only signed for one more year, so at the most he can probably only cost the team 10 or 15 wins.
3:36 My friend Big Poppa just called a home run for Beltran to tie the game. I feel much better now.
3:37 Base hit Schneider on the first pitch. I hope Big Poppa is proved wrong by the Mets taking the lead before Beltran gets up.
3:38 They just said on the radio Perez had a great effort. He didn’t get out of the sixth inning. I guess the standards for a “great effort” have changed. He didn’t give up any runs, so he has that going for him.
3:39 And Endy Chavez grounds into a double play. Damn. Big Poppa’s still looking good on his prediction. Hey, single for Jose Reyes! Let’s see if he can steal his first base of the season.
3:42 Damion Easley flies out to left, not giving Reyes a chance to steal. The announcers got excited for a minute there. Damn.
3:46 And Aaron Heilman walks the leadoff guy. Sweet. Why would you want to face the bottom of the order with no one on base when you could face the best hitters with guys on? That makes perfect sense.
3:48 Sacrifice bunt and Rollins hits an RBI single under Delgado’s glove. I didn’t see it but I’m assuming he could have gotten that one.
3:49 Passed ball, Rollins to second. This is brutal.
3:51 And he walks Victorino because you need more runners on base for Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Good show.
3:55 RBI double. Gee, didn’t see that coming. Now to intentionally walk Howard to load the bases.
3:58 Infield fly. Don’t worry, I don’t know what that means either. Two outs, bases are still loaded.
4:00 Fly out, inning over, and for the second straight inning, the Phillies sent eight men to the plate. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, for the second straight inning the Mets were booed off the field by their fans. Hey, only 80 more home games to go!
4:03 David Wright is leading off. I’m predicting a lead off three-run homer. Hey, fuck you, it can happen!
4:04 Or, you know, strike out on three pitches. That’s practically the same thing.
4:06 They just announced that the Mets bullpen has given up 14 runs over the last three games so far. That’s not good. Trust me, I’m an expert. Hey, double for Beltran! Now it’s time for Delgado to strike out.
4:10 Delgado grounds out to second after a decent at bat. Two outs, Beltran to third.
4:14 And pinch-hitter Brady Clark walks bringing up Ryan Church as the tying run.
4:16 Slow roller to Utley who makes the play to first. 5-2 after eight.
4:22 Quick 1, 2, 3 inning for Carlos Muniz who was just called up to replace the injured Matt Wise. Maybe he should have pitched in the 7th or 8th inning!
4:24 Well one of the Mets last hopes went by the wayside. Enigmatic closer Brad Lidge is already dinged up and overworked, so they will face Tom Gordon instead.
4:25 Schneider leads off with a 3 pitch strikeout. At least he’s not making us wait around for this.
4:27 Endy Chavez grounds out to the pitcher. It’s all up to Reyes to keep the game going.
4:28 And Reyes flies out to the wall in right. Fuck this, I could’ve been working! Final score is 5-2 Phillies, and Scott Schoenweis gets a big L stamped on his record.
Stupid work won’t let me stream audio, so even though I’m willing to spring for MLB radio, I can’t listen online. So I will attempt to glean what happens through the static.
1:17 Two runners on and only one out with Ryan Howard at bat. I actually “heard” Chase Utley’s at bat, but I have no idea how he got on [editor's note: It was a hit-by-pitch]. And Howard pops out. It sounded like centerfielder Carlos Beltran had trouble tracking the ball. Still waiting for the first brutal string of curses of the day.
1:18 So I have a meeting today at 2:00. Guess how excited I am about that. Just guess. I think it’s perfectly reasonable for me to murder someone to get out of the meeting. I bet the cop will let me listen to the FAN on the way to jail.
1:21 After some technical difficulties, we’re back! Announcer Howie Rose got excited because Oliver Perez struck out Pat Burrell to end the inning. That’s like getting excited because the sun rose in the east this morning. Burrell averages 160 strikeouts over a 162 game season.
1:25 David Wright hits it back to the track…and caught. Down goes the erection.
1:29 Beltran grounds out weakly to end the inning. On the bright side, it saved me the disappointment of Carlos Delgado striking out. You take what you can get.
1:34 Pop foul out of reach of rightfielder Ryan Church and second baseman Luis Castillo. Let’s see if that comes back and haunts them.
1:35 The rare 3-3 double play. One hopper to firstbaseman Carlos Delgado who stepped on the bag and tagged out the runner from first who didn’t have a chance to run. Sweet. That’s probably better than getting the pop foul caught.
1:39 Just like I predicted, Delgado homered to right. 1-0 Mets.
1:40 Fly out to the wall by Angel Pagan. That’s the third well hit fly ball of the game, counting the homer and Wright’s long fly out in the first.
1:43 Apparently I missed Church getting hit by a pitch. Good thing Jamie Moyer can’t break glass with his fastball. I did, however, clearly hear Brian Schneider’s double play.
1:47 Just got my first reminder for the meeting at 2:00. I hate meetings.
1:49 Quick 1-2-3 inning for Perez, just what the Mets needed after taking an early lead.
1:56 1-0 Mets after two innings, and now it’s time for my meeting. Crud.
3:20 And we’re back. What did I miss? Scott Schoenweis is pitching, that can’t be good.
3:21 On the one hand, the bases are loaded with one out. On the other hand, they just hit Utley with a pitch for the third time, and that’s kind of funny. Hey, 2-0 Mets!
3:22 FUCK! SHIT! DAMN! Howard grounds to Delgado at first who throws to second to try to get the force there. He hits Utley right in the back, everyone’s safe, and Shane Victorino scores from second, tie game. Of course, that’s the second time this inning Utley’s been hit in the back with a throw, which is still pretty funny.
3:29 Jorge Sosa relieves and Burrell flies to deep right, caught by Church. Utley tags and makes it to third. I’m a little sad they didn’t throw the ball in and hit him in the back. 2 outs.
3:31 Base hit, 3-2 Phillies. That was an audible “goddammit” here at work. I should have stayed in the meeting.
3:33 Pop out, inning over. On the bright side, after this season Schoenweis is only signed for one more year, so at the most he can probably only cost the team 10 or 15 wins.
3:36 My friend Big Poppa just called a home run for Beltran to tie the game. I feel much better now.
3:37 Base hit Schneider on the first pitch. I hope Big Poppa is proved wrong by the Mets taking the lead before Beltran gets up.
3:38 They just said on the radio Perez had a great effort. He didn’t get out of the sixth inning. I guess the standards for a “great effort” have changed. He didn’t give up any runs, so he has that going for him.
3:39 And Endy Chavez grounds into a double play. Damn. Big Poppa’s still looking good on his prediction. Hey, single for Jose Reyes! Let’s see if he can steal his first base of the season.
3:42 Damion Easley flies out to left, not giving Reyes a chance to steal. The announcers got excited for a minute there. Damn.
3:46 And Aaron Heilman walks the leadoff guy. Sweet. Why would you want to face the bottom of the order with no one on base when you could face the best hitters with guys on? That makes perfect sense.
3:48 Sacrifice bunt and Rollins hits an RBI single under Delgado’s glove. I didn’t see it but I’m assuming he could have gotten that one.
3:49 Passed ball, Rollins to second. This is brutal.
3:51 And he walks Victorino because you need more runners on base for Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Good show.
3:55 RBI double. Gee, didn’t see that coming. Now to intentionally walk Howard to load the bases.
3:58 Infield fly. Don’t worry, I don’t know what that means either. Two outs, bases are still loaded.
4:00 Fly out, inning over, and for the second straight inning, the Phillies sent eight men to the plate. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, for the second straight inning the Mets were booed off the field by their fans. Hey, only 80 more home games to go!
4:03 David Wright is leading off. I’m predicting a lead off three-run homer. Hey, fuck you, it can happen!
4:04 Or, you know, strike out on three pitches. That’s practically the same thing.
4:06 They just announced that the Mets bullpen has given up 14 runs over the last three games so far. That’s not good. Trust me, I’m an expert. Hey, double for Beltran! Now it’s time for Delgado to strike out.
4:10 Delgado grounds out to second after a decent at bat. Two outs, Beltran to third.
4:14 And pinch-hitter Brady Clark walks bringing up Ryan Church as the tying run.
4:16 Slow roller to Utley who makes the play to first. 5-2 after eight.
4:22 Quick 1, 2, 3 inning for Carlos Muniz who was just called up to replace the injured Matt Wise. Maybe he should have pitched in the 7th or 8th inning!
4:24 Well one of the Mets last hopes went by the wayside. Enigmatic closer Brad Lidge is already dinged up and overworked, so they will face Tom Gordon instead.
4:25 Schneider leads off with a 3 pitch strikeout. At least he’s not making us wait around for this.
4:27 Endy Chavez grounds out to the pitcher. It’s all up to Reyes to keep the game going.
4:28 And Reyes flies out to the wall in right. Fuck this, I could’ve been working! Final score is 5-2 Phillies, and Scott Schoenweis gets a big L stamped on his record.
Friday, April 4, 2008
I just had a thought that scares the bejebus out of me
So I was sitting in the bathtub last night reading my ESPN the Magazine. I'll wait for a second for that image to sink into your head. Got it? Good. Sorry. So I was sitting in the bathtub last night reading my ESPN the Magazine. One of the cover stories is on C.C. Sabathia, the hefty ace of the Cleveland Indians and the 2007 Cy Young award winner. If the Indians let him reach free agency, Sabathia is in line to earn the largest contract for a pitcher in Major League history after this season, especially if the Yankees get involved in the bidding. The Mag had a little chart showing the largest contracts ever given to pitchers. They were:
Kevin Brown - 7 years, $105 million from the Dodgers in 1999
Mike Hampton - 8 years, $121 million from the Rockies in 2001
Barry Zito - 7 years, $126 million from the Giants in 2007
Johan Santana - 6 years, $137.5 million from the Mets in 2008
Here are the pitchers career records after signing their monstrous contracts:
Kevin Brown - 72-45 in 164 starts (average 10 wins, 6 losses, 23 starts, and $15 million per year)
Mike Hampton - 53-48 in 134 starts (average 11 wins, 10 losses, 27 starts, $15 million per year, hasn't pitched since 2005)
Barry Zito - 11-13 with a 4.53 ERA in the hitter-friendly NL park in San Fransisco. He got shelled in his first start this season. Only 6 seasons to go including this one Giants fans, a bargain at $18 million a year! That's barely over a million dollars per win! At least he hasn't been to the DL yet.
That brings me to Johan Santana who in his first start for the Mets was dominating. Hopefully he will continue to be the 200 inning workhorse he's been for the past several years but based on recent history, signing good pitchers to mammoth long-term contracts has not exactly paid dividends.
Kevin Brown - 7 years, $105 million from the Dodgers in 1999
Mike Hampton - 8 years, $121 million from the Rockies in 2001
Barry Zito - 7 years, $126 million from the Giants in 2007
Johan Santana - 6 years, $137.5 million from the Mets in 2008
Here are the pitchers career records after signing their monstrous contracts:
Kevin Brown - 72-45 in 164 starts (average 10 wins, 6 losses, 23 starts, and $15 million per year)
Mike Hampton - 53-48 in 134 starts (average 11 wins, 10 losses, 27 starts, $15 million per year, hasn't pitched since 2005)
Barry Zito - 11-13 with a 4.53 ERA in the hitter-friendly NL park in San Fransisco. He got shelled in his first start this season. Only 6 seasons to go including this one Giants fans, a bargain at $18 million a year! That's barely over a million dollars per win! At least he hasn't been to the DL yet.
That brings me to Johan Santana who in his first start for the Mets was dominating. Hopefully he will continue to be the 200 inning workhorse he's been for the past several years but based on recent history, signing good pitchers to mammoth long-term contracts has not exactly paid dividends.
Big goals that you probably missed
David Beckham scored his first goal in the MLS on a beautiful feed from Landon Donovan proving once again aging Europeans and young American stars can tear shit up in the MLS. Here's the highlight:
Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, er the NHL team in our nation's capital, you know the pro hockey league? Fuck it, never mind. Alex Ovechkin is likely the league's MVP this season. In a pivotal game against divisional opponent Tampa Bay last night OV scored 2 goals, giving him 65 on the season. Admit it, "O.V. for MVP" has a pretty sweet ring to it. The second goal can be seen at about the 1:30 mark here:
The question is, who has the better celebration? Beckham's double knee slide or Ovechkin's windmilling fist pump? Both guys get pretty excited about their goals, and it's goddamned fun to watch. This is why every sport in the world is better than the NFL. Celebrations like that would force NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to execute a fan's puppy for the betterment of the league's image.
Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, er the NHL team in our nation's capital, you know the pro hockey league? Fuck it, never mind. Alex Ovechkin is likely the league's MVP this season. In a pivotal game against divisional opponent Tampa Bay last night OV scored 2 goals, giving him 65 on the season. Admit it, "O.V. for MVP" has a pretty sweet ring to it. The second goal can be seen at about the 1:30 mark here:
The question is, who has the better celebration? Beckham's double knee slide or Ovechkin's windmilling fist pump? Both guys get pretty excited about their goals, and it's goddamned fun to watch. This is why every sport in the world is better than the NFL. Celebrations like that would force NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to execute a fan's puppy for the betterment of the league's image.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Early season checkpoint
After one series, I can confidently say the Mets are much, much better than the Marlins. Of course, Johan Santana and Carlos Beltran are individually making nearly as much as the entire Marlins roster, but I'm sure that's not at all related to the talent disparity. Pedro's injury hurts the team, both from losing a 3 time Cy Young award winner standpoint and from a clubhouse presence standpoint. The man is a master of keeping people loose when times are toughest, a hugely important skill for a team still haunted by the specter of one of the great late-season collapses in baseball history. Having Santana pitch every fifth day will help a lot too.
Jose Reyes is driving the ball better, hitting line drives instead of popups which is nice to see. Beltran's creaky knees don't seem to be bothering him yet. Maybe his switch to the cleanup spot in the order is helping. Maybe the Marlins woefully inept pitching staff made him look like the Beltran of 4 years ago. Whatever. David Wright's steely good looks walloped a home run nearly to the upper deck last night. Well, that and a hanging breaking ball. Even Carlos Delgado looked like he has a little gas left in the tank. The Mets face a much tougher test this weekend, traveling to Atlanta to face ESPN's darling pick the Braves. Larry! Larry!
Jose Reyes is driving the ball better, hitting line drives instead of popups which is nice to see. Beltran's creaky knees don't seem to be bothering him yet. Maybe his switch to the cleanup spot in the order is helping. Maybe the Marlins woefully inept pitching staff made him look like the Beltran of 4 years ago. Whatever. David Wright's steely good looks walloped a home run nearly to the upper deck last night. Well, that and a hanging breaking ball. Even Carlos Delgado looked like he has a little gas left in the tank. The Mets face a much tougher test this weekend, traveling to Atlanta to face ESPN's darling pick the Braves. Larry! Larry!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Balls
Following the Red Sox 2004 championship, the Sox chose to retain Schilling over Pedro because Boston hates black people. The Mets swooped in and signed Martinez to a 4 year contract knowing that he'd been pitching for years with a frayed labrum that could tear with any pitch. At the time of the signing, the Mets were desperate for positive headlines, and needed solid veterans to build around budding superstars Jose Reyes and David Wright. The signing of Martinez was instrumental in bringing free agent Carlos Beltran into the fold, although the $119 million they gave him didn't hurt.
Many people scoffed at the length of the contract because of the risk of injury. Personally, I was all for it because if he gave them 2 Pedro-esque years the Mets would have a great chance to contend for a championship. The size of the contract was inconsequential in these days of paying players in Monopoly money. Pedro gave them almost 2 years, which is a damned shame because had he been able to pitch in the 2006 postseason, the Mets would have won the World Series that year.
After missing almost the entire 2007 season recuperating from surgery to repair his shoulder, Pedro came into '08 in better shape than he'd been in a decade, and full of optimism to prove that he was still a very, very good pitcher. This was doubly important to Pedro as this is the final year of his contract, and if he wants another one he has to prove he can stay healthy. So in the relative warmth of the Florida night, Petey took the hill against the anemic Marlins offense and promptly gave up 4 runs in 2 innings. Well shit. Settling into a groove, Pedro retired the next 5 batters he faced. Unfortunately, while inducing a ground out from that fifth batter, Martinez hopped off the mound clutching his left leg. You. Must. Be. Kidding. Me. Nope, early word is a strained hamstring and Pedro is day to day.
I can only hope that's all that's wrong with his leg. A torn hamstring likely means the end of Pedro's career, especially with the Mets. More selfishly, the Mets were counting on Martinez to take the mound against opposing team's #2 starters, allowing Oliver Perez and John Maine to square off against lesser pitching. Having Pedro spin his 6 innings of dominance every fifth day would probably have accounted for at least 2 or 3 extra wins over last season, hugely important to a team that fell one game short of the playoffs.
Adding insult to injury, the Mets lost 5-4 in 10 innings after rallying from an early 4-0 deficit, yielding a walk off home run to some asshole I've never heard of and who would probably struggle to crack the 25 man roster of your average AAA baseball team. Fuck the Marlins and their sorry excuse for a team!
Many people scoffed at the length of the contract because of the risk of injury. Personally, I was all for it because if he gave them 2 Pedro-esque years the Mets would have a great chance to contend for a championship. The size of the contract was inconsequential in these days of paying players in Monopoly money. Pedro gave them almost 2 years, which is a damned shame because had he been able to pitch in the 2006 postseason, the Mets would have won the World Series that year.
After missing almost the entire 2007 season recuperating from surgery to repair his shoulder, Pedro came into '08 in better shape than he'd been in a decade, and full of optimism to prove that he was still a very, very good pitcher. This was doubly important to Pedro as this is the final year of his contract, and if he wants another one he has to prove he can stay healthy. So in the relative warmth of the Florida night, Petey took the hill against the anemic Marlins offense and promptly gave up 4 runs in 2 innings. Well shit. Settling into a groove, Pedro retired the next 5 batters he faced. Unfortunately, while inducing a ground out from that fifth batter, Martinez hopped off the mound clutching his left leg. You. Must. Be. Kidding. Me. Nope, early word is a strained hamstring and Pedro is day to day.
I can only hope that's all that's wrong with his leg. A torn hamstring likely means the end of Pedro's career, especially with the Mets. More selfishly, the Mets were counting on Martinez to take the mound against opposing team's #2 starters, allowing Oliver Perez and John Maine to square off against lesser pitching. Having Pedro spin his 6 innings of dominance every fifth day would probably have accounted for at least 2 or 3 extra wins over last season, hugely important to a team that fell one game short of the playoffs.
Adding insult to injury, the Mets lost 5-4 in 10 innings after rallying from an early 4-0 deficit, yielding a walk off home run to some asshole I've never heard of and who would probably struggle to crack the 25 man roster of your average AAA baseball team. Fuck the Marlins and their sorry excuse for a team!
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