Thursday Applesauce

by James Kannengieser on Mar 19, 2009 9:34 AM EDT in Applesauce

I'll be filling in for the News Guru for a few days, so hopefully I can live up to his high Applesauce standards. Here goes:

Around Port St. Lucie

The Mets lost 7-4 to the Braves yesterday, and Freddy Garcia was the big reason why. Looks like Freddo's days with the team are numbered, after giving up five runs in just two innings. His spring ERA is 16.71 and he hasn't looked good. On the other hand, Livan Hernandez pitched a fine game, giving up one run with three strikeouts in five innings. His spring ERA is now 3.07. Fernando Tatis cracked a home run off Braves young'n Tommy Hanson, and Jose Reyes stole a base.

The Mets take on the Astros today at at 1:10. Mike Pelfrey will be pitching.

Brian Schneider was scratched from the lineup because his knee is acting up. It doesn't seem too serious.

It appears that Jose Reyes will be batting leadoff permanently. That's fine with me, but Luis Castillo should not be batting 2^nd if Reyes is 1^st.

Jerry Manuel and Howard Johnson were asleep during David Wright's game winning hit in the WBC on Tuesday night. Were they really asleep or just passed out after some St. Patrick's Day revelry?

"TLC" at MetsGeek thinks the Mets should give Nelson Figueroa serious consideration for a roster spot. Figgy has looked good in the WBC and was serviceable in 45 innings last season, but it doesn't seem likely he'll be on the Opening Day roster. However, I bet he logs ~30 innings for the Mets this season, between the rotation and the bullpen. He is an easy guy to root for, and it was nice to see him do well representing his country over the last few weeks.

Also at MetsGeek, Mike Newman profiles Ryan Church, and concludes the following on Church's 2009 season: "At this point, to expect anything more than borderline average offensive production would be little more than blind faith."

David Singer of NY Sports Dog closely followed Oliver Perez's appearances for Mexico in the WBC. He noted that Ollie's motion was "more inconsistent than ever." Hopefully reuniting with Dan Warthen will get him back on track (if he was ever "on track" to begin with). The Mets probably aren't too pleased that Mexico manager Vinny Castilla let Ollie throw 85 pitches in his final start.

Around the NL East

The Nationals signed lefty reliever Joe Beimel to a 1-year, $2 million deal. Not a bad signing, but the Nats would have been better off spending their money on some starting pitching this offseason. Maybe Willie "Endy" Harris can pitch?

Long Island native John Lannan was named the Nationals Opening Day starter. I played against him in high school, and he's certainly come a long way since then. Good for him.

Hanley Ramirez has asked to be the godfather of Jose Reyes's newborn child. Hanley hates the Mets, but apparently gets along famously with Jose.

It's a "longshot" that Cole Hamels starts Opening Day for the Phillies. Brett Myers would likely get the nod.

The readers of Talking Chop want prospect Jordan Schafer to be the starting centerfielder for the Braves. Josh Anderson is the other major option.

World Baseball Classic

The United States fell to Venezuela, 10-6. David Wright went 0-4 with a walk, but Frank the Closer pitched a scoreless inning and has yet to give up a run during the tournament. Next up for the U.S. is Korea or Japan in the semifinals on Sunday.

Anyone else see Endy Chavez's fine catch to rob Derek Jeter of extra bases early in last night's game? He went 0-5 last night, but is hitting .368 for the tournament. The Mets, and I, will miss him this season.

Greenpoint Ian posted this great story in FanShots yesterday, about a United States Army soldier attending the U.S victory over Puerto Rico Tuesday night.

Around MLB

Rob Neyer says that signing Pedro Martinez for the $5+ million he's seeking is not a good idea. I think most rational Met fans would agree with this assessment, as he simply isn't worth more than $2-3 million guaranteed at this point.

Aaron Boone is undergoing open heart surgery. Best wishes to Tim Wakefield's nemesis.

Andruw Jones will likely be cut by the Rangers, after striking out 14 times in 31 AB's this spring. What a fall from grace it's been.

Jeremy Greenhouse at Baseball Analysts looks at the outstanding defense stat UZR, freely available at Fangraphs.

Good news for Miller High Life enthusiasts: Miller has introduced a loyalty program where customers can earn reward points by purchasing High Life, and redeem the points for baseball-themed merchandise. Some former major leaguers are participating in the program's promotion, including Ryne Sandberg, who has this to say: "Fans have known for a long time that beer and baseball go together pretty darn well."

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Comments

It's Milla Time!

by Sokojoe on Mar 19, 2009 12:11 PM EDT reply actions

Lineup thoughts.

I think this would be a fun lineup, but it would never happen:

Reyes
Beltran
Church
Wright
Delgado
Castillo
Murphy
Castro
Pitcher

by SQUAD on Mar 19, 2009 1:26 PM EDT reply actions

Nelson Figueroa

re: Nelson Figueroa, you write it “doesn’t seem likely he’ll be on the Opening Day roster.”

The 7 times Figueroa was called in to relieve on the Mets in September 2008, after a 3 month absence in AAA New Orleans, he did well, unlike other relievers who are no longer Mets: 1.35 ERA.

Pitching 7 1/3 innings in the 2009 WBC for Puerto Rico, in four games (two games vs. USA), he allowed 0 runs and two back-to-back hits and would have been the winning pitcher if David Wright had hit into a double play. Wright went 3 for 4 – the only PR pitcher to retire him was Figueroa on a ground out. He also struck out Jeter.

Counting the 3 innings he pitched in Spring Training before the WBC, he’s gone 10 2/3 innings with a 0.00 ERA.

Maybe not as a starter, but I think Nelson Figueroa deserves to be and will be on the 2009 Mets Opening Day roster as long relief/short relief and spot starter.

In the Venezuelan Winter League playoffs, he pitched into the 10th inning with a no hitter, was taken out after a leadoff single in the bottom of the 10th, with his team ahead 1-0, and won the game. Figgy can give you innings as well. Who’s going to make the roster instead of him?

by hdarvick on Mar 19, 2009 1:36 PM EDT reply actions

I'd rather have Parnell.

I want guys in the bullpen who have good stuff. Parnell can pitch long relief if needed, and I think he can also be used in higher leverage situations if need be.

by SQUAD on Mar 19, 2009 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Endy!!

great catch, I saw it last night and it was the first time I realized he was even in the WBC.

by Endys Game on Mar 19, 2009 2:56 PM EDT reply actions

JamesK

where’d you go to high school, that you played against Lannan?

by cjmulrain on Mar 19, 2009 2:59 PM EDT reply actions

Garden City. Scrimmaged Lannan’s team, Chaminade, multiple times.

by James Kannengieser on Mar 19, 2009 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions

ah ok

I was wondering if you went to another CHSAA school. I went to St. Mary’s – I’m pretty sure we scrimmaged against Garden City one year. Did you guys have a kid named Burke (he was a pretty big guy, I can’t remember his first name though)?

by cjmulrain on Mar 19, 2009 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Haha yeah

Fat-as* lefty. Ridic waste of talent.

by James Kannengieser on Mar 19, 2009 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions

nice

yea, we definitely played you guys either my junior or senior year (2001 or 2002) and it was a pretty decent game, if my memory serves and we had a lead going into the bottom of the 7th but you guys beat us anyway. I knew about Burke b/c his mom worked with my dad, and we’d heard that he was supposed to be really good. I remember not being too impressed.

by cjmulrain on Mar 19, 2009 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Because I've been a stat nerd since birth and keep all old game records

The game was in 2001, non-league which we won 8-7 in the manner you described. I was a sophomore: 30 IP, 11 K’s, 4 BB’s, 4.15 ERA, but probably a FIP around 6, haha. I was basically Livan that year.

by James Kannengieser on Mar 19, 2009 10:41 PM EDT up reply actions

As I read this I hear

Bruce Springsteen’s Glory Days playing in the background.

“I had a friend who was a big baseball player, back in high school,
He could throw that speedball by ya, make you look like a fool boy…”

" (Stewie) Wait a minute. Germany is building WMD's? Then, why doesn't America go in there and kick their a$$e$? (Brian) I don't know. Maybe it's because they don't have any oil? (Stewie) Ohhhhhhh. Clap, clap, clap, clap, claaaaap. "

by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Mar 19, 2009 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions

haha that's awesome

I wish I had kept detailed stats like that. Then again, the results probably wouldn’t have been too flattering unless I figured out UZR for high school. I was in the lineup for my glove, not my bat. I was easily the best infielder on our team, but outside of a 4 week stretch my senior year, I didn’t hit a lick. Curveballs killed me.

by cjmulrain on Mar 20, 2009 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions