A must read for you today is Greg Prince’ piece on his Faith and Fear in Flushing site where he lays it all out about this season and about who we, as Mets fans are.   Remember Mets fans, “we’ve got no place else to go” Classic Greg, Classic!

I’m in the middle of Red Sox Nation here on Cape Cod as many Bostonians are here on vacation. They are all hopped up for the four game series this weekend with the Highlanders which as a Mets fan puts me at a big disadvantage. Just a about every  reastaurant here shows Red Sox games on tv and I mean from big formal places to the fish joints on the side of the road the “Sawx” are a way of life out here. I’ve been wearing my Mr. Cap and I get some looks, some head shakes and some “we’re sorry’s” as well. I’m thinking of sitting outside a store on Main St in Hyannis with a cardboard sign that says METS FAN PLEASE HELP with my Mr. Met cap on the ground and see how much money I can make.

Dickey (7-4) was able to stretch his scoreless streak this afternoon, to a career-best 17.0 consecutive innings, which dates back to the fifth inning of his start on July 20^th at Arizona. Along with stretching his scoreless streak Dickey helped to lead the Mets to their major-league leading 14^th shutout of the year.

It was noticed by Dickey along with young catcher Josh Thole saw that sometimes the knuckleball wasn’t going to always make the other team swing and miss, so instead today the two were able to have a game plan which kept the Cardinals off balance.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel was impressed with how the starter could recognize that saying, “Yes, especially for a pitch like the knuckleball, which is difficult to tell what direction it is going to go, even for the catcher. He and Josh have worked very well together to identify what makes them successful.”

Thole who has had the opportunity to catch Dickey in Triple-A affiliate Buffalo noticed one change in the starter, “His secondary pitches make the difference.  It helps to have those secondary pitches and he has really worked on them and it has made him a more successful pitcher.”

“I tried to change speeds and was able to keep them (the Cardinals off balance today,” Dickey said of his start. “The trend for anytime a pitcher has a shutout is when that pitcher has command of the strike zone and I was able to do that today.”

For St. Louis starter Blake Hawksworth was the recipient of a tough loss in this afternoon’s game (4-7) going six innings, giving up seven hits and four runs along with three walks and three strike outs.

In a game which featured many ground balls along with some fine defensive plays neither team was able to get on the board until the bottom of the third inning. Jose Reyes got the Mets going by ripping a double (18) to right field. Reyes was able to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, which dates to July 19^th 2010. Outfielder Angel Pagan followed with a ground ball infield single, which thanks to his speed he was able to beat out and set the stage for rookie sensation Ike Davis.

Davis lifted the first pitch in his at bat over the Nikon sign in center field for his 15^th home run of the season, and gave the Mets a comfortable 3-0 lead. For Davis, who had a day off in yesterday’s game,  the 15 homers are the fifth-most by a Mets rookie in franchise history, holding the overall record is the future Met Hall of Famer Darryl Strawberry with 26 in 1983.

On being able to provide clutch hitting in his first year with the club Davis said, “It is all about the confidence you have as a hitter, you need to be able to go up to the plate and have confidence in your swing. You can have that exact same swing but if you don’t have confidence it won’t go very far.” The first baseman continues by saying, “If I hit it well enough I expect the ball to go out of the park. If I am able to get the barrel of the bat to center or to right, I know for sure it will go out. I just wanted to stay through it and not roll it over.”

Dickey would continue to keep the Cardinals guessing in the top of the fifth inning. One huge ground out was when second baseman Skip Schumaker to hit into a infield double play, along with getting  Yadier Molina to hit into another ground out on a nice backhanded play by rookie Mike Hessman, who was playing third base for New York in the game. Hessman looked good making two nice backhanded grabs in the hot corner in this afternoon’s game.

The Mets would get on the board one last time in the bottom of the fifth inning as Angel Pagan ripped a triple (7) to the right field crevice. Center fielder Carlos Beltran would plate that fourth New York run by lacing a single to left field to give New York the 4-0 lead.

“I am good to go and I just want to be out there and help the team win,” Beltran said after the game. “The main thing for me is that I need to come into the ballpark before the game and do my pre-game routine, which started in St. Lucie, and it will be something that stays with me for the rest of my career.”

Ground balls would continue to greet the Mets infielders as Dickey would induce seven alone in the later innings to keep the Cardinals off the board. In the top of the eighth inning the starter found some trouble as the rain started to come down as Schumaker hit a single to right field to try to start the Cardinals offense, a wild pitch placed the runner on second for pitch hitter Randy Winn. Dickey was able to get out of trouble by getting a hard hit ground ball to Alex Cora to end the inning.

“It is great for us to play behind Dickey,” Davis said after the game. “It is hard sometimes when the pitchers throw the balls outside the strike zone then we stay on your heels a little, but Dickey works so fast and he keeps us on our toes.”

New York would try to add one last run in the bottom of the eighth as Hessman was hit in the shoulder by Cardinal reliever Mike MacDougal. Jose Thole worked a walk to have runners on first and second for Jeff Francoeur. Unfortunately for the 40,087 the outfielder hit a high pop up to first base for the first out. Alex Cora worked a walk, before Dickey hit into a fielder’s choice for the second out. The bases were loaded for Jose Reyes, who hit a hard ground ball for the final out of the inning.

Top of the ninth inning was greeted by a huge cheer as Dickey took the hill to close out the game. Pinch hitter Colby Rasmus singled to center for the fourth St. Louis hit. Felipe Lopez advanced Rasmus on a ground ball to Ike Davis for the first out. A walk to rookie Jon Jay placed runners on first and second for the dangerous duo of Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday. Dickey would not find out how he would have fared against the two big bats as manager Jerry Manuel called for reliever Francisco Rodriguez who got the last two outs and sealed the 4-0 victory for New York.

“This is one of those wins that you point too and hope that it can turn your season around, “Dickey said. “Yesterday was a heartbreaker, but we had no time to think about it. Today you really saw the character of this team and we really have a shot until the end of the season.”

The Mets will now open a three game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks as righty Mike Pelfrey (10-5, 4.00 ERA) takes on Ian Kennedy (5-8, 4.10 ERA) in a 7:10 p.m. Friday night game at Citi Field.

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Trade News: The National League East got a whole lot tougher today as the Philadelphia Phillies acquired Roy Oswalt in a trade with the Houston Astros in exchange for pitcher J.A. Happ and minor league prospects Jonathan Villar and Anthony Gose.

Story originally posted on www.latinosports.com

Prior to their game Tuesday against Detroit at Citi Field, Mets GM Omar Minaya addressed the media and said Beltran will begin his minor league rehabilitation assignment Thursday with the St. Lucie Mets of the Florida State League.

So here we are in the Mets clubhouse a half hour or so after the Mets pound the Tigers 14-6.  “You guys waiting for me,” said Pagan with a smile that has been seen more this season from him and his teammates. The waiting time for Pagan is over.  He has matured as a player and he will be the first one to admit that.

And despite Pagan’s continued references to just being a player holding his spot in the lineup until Beltran returns, the Mets should consider options for him with the expected return of Beltran to the lineup prior to, or after the all-star break.

There is every reason to believe that the Mets can use four outfielders. And hard to conceive manager Jerry Manuel not playing Beltran often, assuming he is healthy enough to play often.  Jason Bay, with the huge contract can’t sit on the bench despite his inconsistency to drive in runs.  Jeff Francouer has proved to have that ability to sit well at the bottom of the order and the arm ability to command right field.

Pagan could be the odd man out, not deserving of the talk about being a guy the Mets could use in a trade to obtain another front line starting pitcher. Nor should Pagan be part of an equation of a possible fourth outfielder used by Manuel.

Simply put, Pagan is now an everyday player. He has proved to be deserving of holding his spot in the Mets lineup, showing no signs of becoming the player that made constant mistakes at the plate, on the base paths and in the outfield last season.

Manuel has yet to address the issue of a possible outfield dilemma and surely there is reason to understand why the manager avoids the issue. The chemistry in the clubhouse is in place. More so, Pagan is one of the reasons for the improvement of these 2010 Mets.

“Angel is getting big hit after big hit, he’s been big for us,” commented Manuel late Tuesday evening.  No questions at the moment as to how the situation will be handled with the eventual return of Beltran who has to play with his huge contract in place until the end of 2011.

Pagan can’t be the odd man out here.  “What’s in my mind is to help the team offensively or defensively,” said Pagan when asked about his four-hit night. He will be the first to admit that covering Beltran’s spot has been a big responsibility.

He does not check to see if Beltran has left a text message.  Pagan is going about his business and helping the Mets win ballgames. And if indeed he is left out of the equation, as an everyday player, there has been no talk about being unhappy.

“Right now I am very confident because of the opportunity from last year,” he says, “just concentrating on staying healthy and helping this team.”  He extended his hitting streak to 10 games in the opening series against the Tigers and was a home run shy from becoming the Mets tenth player to hit for the cycle with his 4-for-6 night and four runs batted in.

There were times during the misery of a season lost in 2009 when the name of Angel Pagan became a target of bad news. He was making the Mets worse and not better.  He certainly has closed the door on many of the skeptics and is a valuable commodity in Manuel’s every day lineup. The injury prone Pagan is healthy, seeing the ball well at the plate, batting .304 with 35 RBI, five triples, 14 doubles and five home runs second in the order behind Jose Reyes.

Manuel and Minaya have decisions to make.  Four outfielders soon, three spots, and someone will be the odd man out as an everyday player. Certainly it should not be Angel Pagan who would sit and rust on the bench, though one way or the other it is inevitable that Pagan will play often

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

“That’s just his history,” commented Manuel “Just hoping it’s the same thing,” he said when asked about the usual strong second half that comes from his ace.   Santana still has about four more starts before the All-Star break next month after losing to the Yankees Sunday. The damage was giving up his third grand slam of the season to Mark Teixeira. That gave the Yankees their four runs and taking two of three from the Mets at Yankee Stadium.

“He’s a guy I’m never concerned with, said Manuel.  However the Santana fastball has seemed to have lost some speed. Teixeira off a 1-1 pitch hit a low fastball to left clocked at 89. It may have not cleared the wall at Citi Field.

The ball kept going to left and bounced off the wall into the stands, a typical Yankee Stadium home run. The home run by Teixeira, his 12^th of the season gave the Yankees the 4-0 lead. It was the Yankees seventh grand slam hit this season, the seventh given up by the Mets pitching staff.

“In this ballpark it’s a home run,” said Manuel. In defense of Santana Manuel added, “In out ballpark, it’s a different story.” But it was still a home run and it goes in the books. An inning that started with a Derek Jeter single, an infield hit, and the bunt by Nick Swisher that Santana and first baseman Ike Davis could not handle.

Those plays happen sometimes to Santana, who has allowed four runs in his last three outings, “We have a routine play, one we were not able to make it,” he said about the play at first that was followed by the Teixeira slam.

“I stayed focused after the home run and was able to throw my fastball,” added Santana who has allowed 17 earned runs in 16.2 innings pitched in three career starts , and a 1-2 record in games at Yankee Stadium.

If the Mets were going to send a message, or provide some dominance to this inter league subway series, the one to cement that was Santana.  With the exception of that home run Santana was able to hold the Yankees to eight hits, striking out three.

“He’s historically been a second half pitcher,” said Manuel “I think he’s starting to gear up for that and, not that he’s not trying but that’s been his history. But I’ll take what he’s been giving us. A few bloop hits and then he gives up a fly ball that ends up going out here because of the ballpark, I still see a guy who competes,”

For now Manuel will count on his ace to close out the first half with a strong finish.  Maybe it is the rubber game of a series that also hindered Santana, because the Mets are now 2-8 in those situations this season.

“When all is said and done, however, if you would have told me that we’d go 7-2 on this nine game road trip, I’d take it,” said Manuel when asked about coming into the Yankee series with a 6-0 trip and then Mike Pelfrey and Santana losing the last two games.

Manuel said putting that into perspective, he was satisfied. But the Mets can never be satisfied unless Santana gives them a solid outing.

ADDED NOTE: After the game the Mets optioned 20-year old right hander Jenrry Mejia to Double A Binghampton to prepare him as a starter and recalled right hander Bobby Parnell from Triple A Buffalo. Mejia threw a scoreless sinning of relief Sunday and it is obvious now that the Mets want to groom him as a starter.

“We felt that his development and progression kind of leveled off,” said Manuel about the move. “But to get him to the next level he needs to pitch on a regular basis.”

Added general manager Omar Minaya, “The only way he’s going to get better is to throw more.  We just feel we have to stretch him out a little bit more.”  Minaya also added it was something planned and Mejia was enthusiastic about the opportunity to pitch more that would help with his development.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Here we go again. Just when it looked like the season was slipping away the message out of $iti Field is “not so fast my pessimistic Mets fan” this could be the start of an exciting summer.

I want to dance up and down and shoot middle fingers at the rest of the NL but I can’t because this team still has needs and I’m not confident that ownership will provide it.

It’s safe to assume that Jeffey Skill Sets is calling all the shots around here that Omar Minaya not only is under a gag order when it comes to speaking in public but his ability to make baseball moves has been clamped down as well. In a way Omar and Oliver Perez have a lot in common both have been rendered insignificant.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying this recent run of winning and solid baseball being played by the Mets but as Bobby Valentine says “you’re only as good as your next day starting pitcher” so today we’re in good shape with Big Pelf and tomorrow Johan Santana against the Brewski’s looks great as well, but when does the clock strike twelve on R.A. Dickey and the mystery fifth starter (playing the role of Jon Niese this weekend will be Fernando Nieve)?

At this point as much as I feel, along with what looks like the majority of Mets fans, that Jenry Mejia should have been working on his starting pitcher apprenticeship in the minors, at this point now let him stay with the big club as a reliever. Mejia seems to be settling in role of late inning man and the rest of the pen has been solid now that Igarashi is back so adding a solid starting pitcher should be paramount to management to go out and get.

So who is out there? As much as Roy Oswalt would be a huge acquisition between the money and cost in personnel and trying to get a deal done with Drayton McClain is almost impossible, I doubt that Oswalt will be Queens bound. Cliff Lee as a rental could be cost prohibitive as well.  If the front office could land Kevin Millwood, Mark Buehrle, or even Jake Westbrook it make a huge difference in solidifying the rotation and sending a message to the players and fan base that there is a real commitment to winning.

We have not had much to be happy about around here in awhile and believe me I want to dance a jig in a blue and orange kilt but I have to step back a bit and look over this week of prosperity and critique it just a bit.

The play of the game last night was in the top of the 4^th inning, when Ollie Perez was imploding on the mound, and Jerry Manuel bolted out of the dugout and raised his left arm like he was hailing a cab to take OP to LaGuardia to get on a Delta Shuttle flight to Buffalo. The only thing missing was Manuel having a packed suitcase and plane ticket in his right hand. After the game, Manuel talked how Perez will make his next start but with Perez and today’s starter John Maine being ineffective, I’m sure Manuel is singing a different tune to Omar.

I know if I were the manager, I’d let the GM know, “if you don’t find me another starting pitcher, then get used to seeing me with a Grand Marshall sash across my uniform as I lead a parade of relievers to the mound” in fact if John Maine starts sucking in the 3^rd inning of today’s game, I hope J-Man comes out again with his arm held high.  Omar has a choice, let the manager run the bullpen into the ground or find a starter (Dillon Gee) in the bushes or make a trade for an at least league average starting pitcher.

I’ve never been a big fan of St. Joseph of Torre but watching him in the Dodger dugout last night, I felt sorry for him. With the towel around his neck and that slow gait of his, he looks like a guy at the end of the line and between the McCourt divorce and the poor play of his team, by July Torre could be ready to hand over the reigns of the team to Don Mattingly.

I’m not going to link to the story but if Ken Rosenthal has nothing else to write about  when it comes to the Mets but bat shit crazy Tony Bernazard,  then maybe it’s time Rosenthal thought about another line of work.

Toby Hyde has a great write up on the Mets minor league teams from last night. Two things stand out, Dillon Gee got roughed up for the first time this year and Fernando Martinez did not play as he has a strained back. One injury F-Mart will never get is a groin strain as the kid has no balls.

I don’t want to piss in the punch but I think a little bit of Angel Pagan is good, a lot of Angel Pagan ? Not so good. Problem is the alternative, GMJ, shouldn’t even be in the big leagues. Free Chris Carter.

Almost game time, better man up today John Maine!!!!!!

The Mets front office is trying to put a happy face on this team of theirs but deep down I’m sure they’re doing shots of Maalox over the pitching staff.

Big Pelf’ Long Balls on Parade has to be alarming to Mets decision makers so much so that the name Bronson Arroyo has come up again as a Mets trade target. A deal for Arroyo or any real life honest to goodness starting pitcher should have been done this off season but either money issued or stupidity prevented any such deal from happening.

The old saw is “don’t put too much stock in spring training” and that’s fine when your names is Santana, or Lincicum or Seaver. But when you are a struggling starter like Big Pelf, OP and Maine Man, you need to show me why I should have confidence in you on the mound and so far as we get to a week before opening day my confidence in this pitching staff on a scale of 1-10 is about a 3.

Am I being overly pessimistic? You tell me. Let’s play the Mike Francesa Approved “Unnda/Ovah Game with the pitching staff. Please go to the comments and leave your picks.

Number of games Johan Santana will win in 2010? Unnda/Ovah 14

Number of wins combined for Big Pelf/OP/Maine Man? Unnda/Ovah 27

Number of innings combined for Big Pelf/OP/Maine Man? Unnda/Ovah 450

Number of different starting pitchers the Mets will use in 2010? Unnda/Ovah 8

Number of appearances by Vitamin Pedro in 2010? Unnda?Ovah 75

Number of saves for Frankie Rodz in 2010? Unnda/Ovah 33

Number of pitchers total used by the Mets in 2010? Unnda/Ovah 21

 

In most sports, the person in charge of the team is called Coach. Coaches are a combination of motivator, evaluator and tactician. Football coaches run “Programs”, Basketball and Hockey coaches have “Systems” but what do Baseball Managers have? Well, they “manage”.

 

Baseball managers do more managing of personalities and keeping players happy than doing much tactical maneuvers. Sure they have to know when to go to the bullpen and when to go to the bench but it’s not like they are re-inventing the game or spending nights pouring over film to get an edge on their opponent. In baseball, your edge is your next days starting pitcher.

 

In his book “Evaluating Baseball’s Managers” (MacFarland) Chris Jaffe writes the ultimate book on the effect of baseball managers on their team’s success and failure. Jaffe uses a combination of statistics and in depth analysis to examine the role of mangers through out the history of baseball.

 

Jaffe takes each team in MLB and focuses on the role of managers who have worked in full seasons for their team. Jaffe was kind enough to send me an excerpt of the Mets managers in the book.

 

Jaffe makes the case for Casey Stengel never having players of talent until he was hired by the Yankees. Before his success in the Bronx, Stengel struggled in the NL with Brooklyn and Boston, to the point where he went to the Pacific League to run the Oakland Oaks to redeem himself.  Gil Hodges falls in a similar category as Stengel where he didn’t have much talent with the Washington Senators but was perfect for an up and coming young Mets team. Davey Johnson is portrayed as an underrated skipper and Bobby Valentine being the most active manager as it pertains to in game moves and the use of his 25 man roster. Jaffe makes the case that Art Howe and the Mets were not and should not have been a match as Howe was more suited to running a club of younger players and also suffered the stigma of being portrayed as a puppet of Billy Beane as seen through the pages of Moneyball.

 

Jaffe has taken on a subject that has not been fully represented. This book will appeal to both the stat head and the fan of the written word.

 

After reading the excerpt on the Mets managers, I look forward to picking up a copy of Evaluating Baseball Mangers just for the sections on Joe McCarthy, Connie Mack and the immortal John McGraw.

 

First, shut the fuck up about injuries. In public anyway.  I hate to be redundant here but does Omar and the rest of the short bus management team have a plan? If they do can we here about it or see it in action because right now I don’t if the organization is pro active or just sitting with a pat hand? Do they have a handle on the rehab of the injured players and a time table for their return? I doubt it very much. Just reading the reports from St. Lonesome on John Maine makes you shake your head and wonder what the fuck is going on here? 

 

If they are pro active it’s going to be tough to land what they need, a starting pitcher and a big bat as just about every team other than the Nats, A’s and maybe the Indians could be ready to deal right now.  So if you want Adam Dunn, Nick Johnson, Matt Holiday or Victor Martinez they could be had but ask yourself this, what do the Mets have that they can get back what they need ?

 

I tell you this if anyone wants Fernando Martinez they can have him. To say I’ve not been impressed is an understatement. F-Mart is like the girl you chased throughout high school to go out with you and when you finally land that date you find her company is underwhelming. The biggest factor in the kids favor is, he is only 20 years old and has time to blossom but after this audition in the big leagues he looks like Alex Ochoa to me.

 

So would you trade Bobby Parnell? As good as Parnell had been we have to remember he’s a reliever and it’s suspect if he will ever be more than a reliever and that’s not a knock as it take at least three pitchers to finish a game and Parnell has closer potential so I would be ready to deal Parnell. Ryan Church? Who wants him? Daniel Murphy? A little tougher to deal but if I go with my head and not my heart he’s not untouchable. In fact is there really an untouchable in the farm system? Is there a player who the Mets feel could not be used in a deal? Besides Bradley Holt I can’t see any.

 

So if I’m Omar Minaya I’d be ready to strike now that the Phillies are wounded and playing uninspiring baseball (Mets bloggers favorite Marco Scutaro walked in the 6th inning of yesterday’s Jays-Phillies game and ran to first and kept running as no one was covering 2^nd base and was credited with a stolen base. Larry Anderson on Philies radio flipped out calling out Ol’ Cholly to reams his team after the game ) before Ruben Amaro goes out and fortifies his team.

 

J-Man is a cool cat but how would I love to see him go all Dennis Green or Jim Mora during one of press conferences. I’m going to the WFAN  Breakfast with Jerry Manuel at the Hard Rock Café on Tuesday I hope to get J-Man’s ear for a minute or two. Should be fun!

Love this quote from Johan Santana on The Jacket acting like a yenta on the radio talking about Johan’s knee:

 “How did he know that my knee hurts?” Santana said before last night’s interleague series opener with the Orioles. “That’s the question that I have. You guys tell me, how did he find that out?  Because it is crazy. Not even the trainers know. Not even me. I didn’t know my knee hurts. Just put it that way.”

Okay, I’m convinced his knee is fine.

Dave Cameron at FAN GRAPHS did an analysis of Johan’s velocity this season and it seems it’s not the factor we are to believe it to be

The announced attendance at Camden Yards last night was 20, 626 but it looked as if there were maybe 15,000 ass’ in seats and of those 15K half were Mets fans.  Inter league play has reached it’s expiration date let it die a natural death.

 

Joel Sherman is 1000 % right that when you compare former Highlander and all around piece of shit Mel Hall being convicted of sexually assaulting a 12 yr old girl and Sammy Sosa’ name coming out on a list of positive test for steroids  it’s incredible there is more angst toward Sosa that a child molester. People need to get a grip.

Can we just release this fucking list of the dopers and get all the hand wringing and chest banging out of the way? Yes we know the era of the mid 90’s to 2003 will be known as the Steroid era and we all know the moralists out there who have never ever done anything to gain an edge on an opponent or co-worker are all up in arms. I know I’m supposed to get all hot and bother by players “cheating” (I still can’t figure that one out) but I’m not so can get move the fuck on already.

Ben Shpiel spoke with J-Man on the one year anniversary of Willie Randolph and the 3 AM Rub Out and Manuel taking over the Mets.  I like Warlord Jerry but he does some things that irks me like talking out his ass when it comes to Murphy and Church and the fact that this team is fundamentally retard when it comes to playing baseball is his responsibility and he never takes it, I like the job he has done so far in his year as skipper but I feel that anything short of an NL Pennant he will be relieved of his duties as I can see the wheels in motion for Bobby V the Sequel in 2010.