MASHed Applesauce

by Joe Budd on May 15, 2009 9:29 AM EDT in Applesauce

I may not have seen yesterday's game, but I do get to read a lot about it. Here's what I've found.

Meet the Mets

Who would've thought that a lineup without Jose Reyes would set the Met record for stolen bases in a game (7)? Wright had four of the steals and Beltran, once again, stole third in the 9th on a questionable call by the third base umpire. Reyes was a scratch along with Delgado and Putz in last night's 7-4 victory over the Giants.

Could Reyes's injury be an "injury"? Jon Harper thinks it's getting a little late in Reyes' career for the mistakes we're still seeing.

Delgado's injuries are now being called "career-threatening." It sounds like it will take a miracle to get Delgado back on the field this season. That means the Mets will be relying more on Sheffield.

Strange move in the minors, as the big league club told AA manager Mako Oliveras to sit lefty starter Michael Antonini. This suggests that Antonini is on the move somewhere.

Are the Mets thinking of bringing up F-Mart with all these injuries?

Andrew Vazzano has had enough of Willets Point.

Around the NL East

After their 11-1 start, the Marlins have dropped below .500 for the first time this season after getting swept at Miller Park by the Brewers. Josh Johnson lasted 4 innings, walking 5.

Cole Hamels showed some promise for a beleaguered Philly starting staff, but Philadelphia still fell to the Dodgers at home in 10 innings. Charlie Manuel doesn't think his team his hitting the ball "good". That be gritty talk.

A World Series victory leads to lots of ticket sales, not necessarily wins, however.

Around MLB

The Pittsburgh Pirates are close to spending $4 million on Dominican Republic shortstop prospect Miguel Angel Sano. Sano is 16, 6'3" and 180 lbs, bats right handed with power and a strong arm.

Last year's golden boy Rays are having a tougher time this year at 16-20.

Eric Milton is back, this time with the Dodgers.

Not something you see everyday, but Howie Kendrick has been stripped of a home run, giving an error to Jose Guillen and lowering Gil Meche's ERA.

In a bizarre and sad story, former Yankee catcher Jim Leyritz is suicidal.

The Diamondbacks are 1-5 since their managerial switch.

Enjoy the weekend everyone! Stay injury free!

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Comments

It's quite nice

to fall asleep in bed with the radio playing the Mets game.

by TheBigStapler on May 15, 2009 10:08 AM EDT reply actions

charlie manual must have studied at the center for kids who cant read good

coincidentily he was also an ant at the time.

HELLO HELLO MR WILPON. WE WANT THE MANSION NOT THE CONDO.

by kendynamo on May 15, 2009 10:31 AM EDT reply actions

how is he expeected to read if he can't even fit inside the building?

by dulciusEXasperis on May 15, 2009 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Grr, now there's trade talk about Jose Reyes being a head case.

Just kill me.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on May 15, 2009 10:46 AM EDT reply actions

This basura never ends!

by TheBigStapler on May 15, 2009 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions

John Harper of the Daily News, idiot of the day

A couple gems:

At some point, then, the Mets may have to seriously consider the question of whether Reyes’ penchant for costly mistakes outweighs his game-changing ability. Depending how this season plays out, trading Reyes may be the best way to remake a ballclub that leads the world in exasperating its fan base.

And a quote from a “rival GM”:

You could get an impact hitter or maybe a front-end starter for Reyes, and then go out and get a shortstop. Last winter a guy like Orlando Cabrera was out there forever. Obviously he doesn’t have the same talent, but he’s a heady player and that’s what you want from your shortstop.

Except Reyes is a fucking “impact hitter.” Give me a break.

by James Kannengieser on May 15, 2009 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions

hope the mets havent yet started considering whether reyes' mistakes outweigh his production

it’s pretty effing easy to do that literally at any time the mets front office wants. i can go on 4 or 5 different websites right now and know to an extraordinary level of preciceness what reyes’ net baseball contribution is. that is factoring in his ‘penchant for costly mistakes’ and his ‘game changing ability’. and im quite sure that the latter vastly out weighs the former. what a g.d. stupid thing to say. who is reading this dumb ass paper anyway? so long newspapers, i wont miss you.

HELLO HELLO MR WILPON. WE WANT THE MANSION NOT THE CONDO.

by kendynamo on May 15, 2009 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions

Yup I briefly read that article

And all I could come up with: Mr. Harper is a dummy.

And as for the “phantom” injury, Reyes was clearly a little shaken up in his last game, I was sitting on the Pepsi porch and I could see him wincing while running the bases.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 15, 2009 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions

lose Delgado for the season?

That’s just what this team needs. FML

2009 Mets: maybe its the Phillies turn to have a terrible bullpen?

by Greenpoint Ian on May 15, 2009 11:02 AM EDT reply actions

Yeah

And what’s worse, no one here seems to care.

by Prince on May 15, 2009 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions

What does that mean?

I’m pretty sure everyone here cares, but what are we supposed to do? Stand outside SNY studios chanting about how Delgado’s not allowed to feel pain?

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 15, 2009 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions

No

I’m just surprised that hardly anyone commented on it. Instead of talking about how our star first baseman might miss the rest of the season, we’re picking apart a random article some guy wrote for attention. The Daily News is a tabloid paper. Why bother analyzing and criticizing it when we have much more pressing issues?

by Prince on May 15, 2009 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Well there was a fanshot about it

And really what is there too say? Pretty much everyone, but the mets front ofifce apparently, new going into the season depending so much on Delgado to stay healthy/produce consistently was an awful awful move. Now the worst case scenario has happened and we’re sol, no matter what we there’s going to be a massive opportunity cost or hole opened up somewhere else.

by Gina on May 15, 2009 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions

what dangerous nonsense this Harper article is !

By Harper’s logic, the Yankees should have traded Bernie Williams in 1996 before they ever won anything. And of course while they could have gotten an outfielder back, the Mets won’t get a shortstop that is 1/10th the player Reyes is. Orlando Cabera?? Are you serious???
Also no mention of Reyes clutch numbers RISP etc, which have been great. far better than Jeter’s for example.
Plenty of players make mistakes on the basepaths by being overly agressive. It can be a flaw in Reyes’ game but I don’t think his age or maturity have anything to do with it. Its part of his game, It can lead to good things and sometimes bad results as well. Reyes was safe by the way on that play at third because Chipper blew the play and Reyes was able to slide under the tag. That is part of agressivie base running, force the defense to make a play and /or a mistake.

I think this whole thing is overblown but it is going to now become an issue and affect Reyes’ game and relationship with his manager. I totally beleive that this calf strain is a smokescreen. I think he was benched last night. And I think if the Mets listen to Harper and talk radio about this, they could lose Reyes and lose any chance this team has of a world chamionship in the near future

by Endys Game on May 15, 2009 11:14 AM EDT reply actions

I didnt see the game live

But my brother reported to me the goings-ons. Perhaps he wasnt benched for the overly aggressive play going to third, which I think can be forgiven, if not excused. Perhaps instead it was the jogging he did out of the box on his late game blast when he thought it was gone to tie the game. Maybe if he busts it out of the box, its a three-bagger, maybe not, but by thinking it was a homerun right off the bat, he puts the team in the situation where they have to waste the out getting him to third. At any rate, that IS something to be benched for, a little reminder that the team comes before pimping.

by TBlz on May 15, 2009 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions

I saw the game

he had no chance at a triple.

by Endys Game on May 15, 2009 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Does that warrant not busting out of the box?

The point is, you never give yourself a chance when you assume that the play will unfold just so. Tie game, bottom 9 or 10, or whatever it is, that’s the time to put some pressure on the defense, no?
Its the same mentality as going to third when you make a mistake and then pull up because you’re meat. Mistakes can be forgiven. Lack of hustle cannot.

IMHO, of course.

by TBlz on May 15, 2009 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions

Before you go gearing up

I would never advocate trading Reyes. Never.

by TBlz on May 15, 2009 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Fine

then we are basically in agreement. I am not excusing the play although if there is ever a reason to think a ball was gone and slow down, that play was it. Everybody in the ballpark though that was a home run including Howie Rose and the Braves pitcher who slamed his glove onto the ground. But you are right, you can’t assume anything. I just think because its Jose Reyes, pople pile on more than they would with other players.

by Endys Game on May 15, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Bingo

He gets so much crap. Sure, he can be bone-headed. That’s part of who he is. But he has gotten so much grief, when to my mind he’s been a pretty damn cooperative, hard-working, and ~~scrappy~~ player since he came up. There was the nonsense when they tried to change the way he ran, for pete’s sake — and he tried to do what they asked. He needed to learn patience at the plate – he worked at that. People wanted his personality toned down – he tried to do that.

Somebody should make a clip reel of Eckstein’s flubs on the bases. You can’t play this game without them, and Reyes doesn’t have more than his share.

I suppose baseball wouldn’t be baseball without the moralizing. But Jose is a gem. The joy he takes in the game is one of the great things about this team.

by SupT on May 15, 2009 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions

exactly

but that joy may be sucked out of him by all of this. I am wondering if somewhere down the line he won’t demand a trade.

by Endys Game on May 15, 2009 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions

WWDED?

What would David Eckstein do?

by i gave chipper's wife a hot carlos on May 15, 2009 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions

He definitley should have been running hard

I was upset that he wasn’t, and I wasn’t even really watching him run out of the box, I was watching his ball travel and praying that it made it over the LF fence. But the fact was, he was already clearly shaken up from his last trip around the bases. Its not an excuse, but I don’t think the injury is illegitimate, and probably had more to do with the lack of hustle than stupidity. The really bad play in that game was when he tried to advance to third on the groundout to the SS and got nailed. That was boneheaded, but its not like its something that happens with frequency.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 15, 2009 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Why did we think it was okay to rely on a 37 year old so heavily again?

by Gina on May 15, 2009 11:25 AM EDT reply actions

Meet the Mets

King of the bling come to lay down the evidence//Not George Bush, L-Millz be da president

by Sam Page on May 15, 2009 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Well in their defense

it’s not like we’ve been burned by older players before…or recently at least…

this is what the mets front office makes me:

by Gina on May 15, 2009 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions

+1

And now we may be looking at a trade to replace Carlos Delgado. Goodbye Reese. Goodbye Niese. Goodbye future. Goodbye Youth.

Hello Julio Franco.
Hello Marlon Anderson
Hello Jose Valentin
Hello Shawn Green
Hello Damion Easley
Hello Paul LoDuca
Hello Tom Glavine
Hello Orlando Hernabdez
Hello Gary Sheffield
Hello Billy Wagner

I will not allow the denigration of the life essence

by GenJackRipper on May 15, 2009 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Well I'm okay with them trading Niese

I just doubt we’d get anything particularly useful back. If they trade Havens I’m probably going to sit in a corner and cry. There are plenty of trades I’m okay with, usually ones that involve impact players under 30/31, like I probably would have been okay with a F-mart & Niese for Bay trade last year, although Bay is sort of an enigma, but I we put together some huge package for an overrated/old player I’m just gonna give up on ever caring about prospects again.

by Gina on May 15, 2009 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions

I just pray

Omar decides to do business with another “old school” GM, who might look at Havens’ .260s average and go “nah, not interested”.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 15, 2009 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Trading Havens would make me pissed.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on May 15, 2009 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Speaking of Jose Valentin

Anyone else notice we picked up his brother? I guess someone in the organization isn’t totally sold on Mr. Santos. The downside, this will probably keep Thole out of Buffalo for a while longer, which I can’t say I’m happy about.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 15, 2009 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm hardly an authority

But what I’ve read, particularly from Rubin and Hyde, says that Thole is still struggling with the fundamentals of defensive catching and game-calling.

by TheBigStapler on May 15, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Its possible

I haven’t seen him, but isn’t that just more reason to get him to Buffalo? There’s veteran pitching there he can learn from, and offensively he’s clearly done as much to master Double-A as possible. I don’t think he should move to Triple-A to improve his offense, I think its the best place for him to learn defense.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 15, 2009 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions

For sure

I also misread your post. I thought you meant Valentin is keeping Thole out of the majors not “out of Buffalo.”

by TheBigStapler on May 15, 2009 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Ah fair enough

Yeah I don’t think he’s a consideration for Major League duty yet, but its a position of need, especially for next year. The free agent options aren’t particularly inspiring. I’d much rather gear towards something like Thole/Castro than sign a 35 year old Bengie Molina for $5 million or so. If V-Mart’s out there, he’d be an interesting choice, but considering cost its worth doing everything you can to get Thole ready. The money you save with Thole could be the difference between Adam LaRoche and Jason Bay, which could be as much as a 2 or 3 win difference. If Thole’s defense can become adequate, I don’t think Molina would be a 2 or 3 win upgrade.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 15, 2009 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Speak of the devil

I just posted a quote from Kevin Goldstein in the fanshots that seems to disagree with this sentiment, at least to the extent that KG has heard from scouts that Thole is legitimately improving defensively.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 15, 2009 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Barf.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on May 15, 2009 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions

AdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunn

AdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunnAdamDunn

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on May 15, 2009 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions

What was the WPA story for the last game?

I will not allow the denigration of the life essence

by GenJackRipper on May 15, 2009 12:37 PM EDT reply actions

60% of the time

it worked every time.

by TheBigStapler on May 15, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions

You know what they say. When life hands you lemons

Just say fuck it and bail

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 15, 2009 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Let's go bowling

by Joe Budd on May 15, 2009 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Anyone see this on Matthew Cerrone's MetsBlog?

Tomorrow on SNY’s Mets Weekly, I will talk with fans and reporters about the idea of playing with ‘grit.’

I’ll, uh, not be watching.

by jasondg on May 15, 2009 4:43 PM EDT reply actions

Are you kidding? I'd LOVE to watch that

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on May 15, 2009 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions

We all know number 7 on my List of Things I Don't Care About, right?

7. Whatever Matt Cerrone has to say.

"But it's not over yet, everybody thinks it over, but if we can just get the Earth to reverse rotation...this thing can be played again. So there you go, New York Mets......motherf*ckers." - Jon Stewart

by pingel on May 15, 2009 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions