16 Games Left Applesauce - Reyes and Delgado likely done, more Nick Evans, 2010 schedule, 1969 Hoax

by Joe Budd on Sep 17, 2009 8:15 AM EDT in Applesauce

There's no need to knock Daniel Murphy at this point. It should be clear by now that he's a utility player for a good team and we can't get too angry when he botches a play here and there. The thing that I don't get, however, is the news that the Mets are thinking of making Ike Davis, by all reports a smooth fielding first baseman, an outfielder because he has a strong throwing arm. First base is looking to be a gaping hole in 2010 and beyond for the Mets. Why would they move an in-house solution to the outfield where they are already crowded with platoon players?

Meet the Mets

Let's start off with injury news: Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado will most likely not return to action this season.

Ted Berg cites Sam Page and urges more Nick Evans.

Jeff Francoeur says that Tommy Hanson will "look good in [Yankees] pinstripes in six years." Looks like we've found the real Metsradamus.

More Hardball has fun with Photoshop at the Mets' expense.

In the same spirit, Jon Lewin asks if the 1969 World Series run was a hoax like the moon landing.

In case you can't wait to start thinking about next year, MLB has released the preliminary schedule. Mets open at home against the Marlins on April 5.

Around the NL East

AA favorite Javier Vazquez made public his desire to remain with Atlanta during the offseason. Bobby Cox, however, has remained unusually quiet about next year.

The Nationals followed up getting shut out by scoring 1 run against the Phillies. Well done. How will the Mets ever land Bryce Harper with this type of competition?

Philly reliever Chan Ho Park is out indefinitely with a hamstirng injury.

Around MLB

Beyond the Box Score released some pretty graphs about players.

Tommy Lasorda is going to be featured at the National Portrait Gallery. Why?

Carl Crawford screamed at Pat Burrell in the clubhouse yesterday, just the latest in people getting mad at Pat Burrell.

The Astros have shut down Roy Oswalt with back problems. Omar, are you paying attention to this?

Mike Hampton: a story of what might have been.

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Comments

"just the latest in people getting mad at Pat Burrell"

haha

by James Kannengieser on Sep 17, 2009 9:03 AM EDT reply actions

"Why would they move an in-house solution to the outfield where they are already crowded with platoon players?"

Because they’re the Mets? Are you seriously surprised?

by Dapoil on Sep 17, 2009 9:51 AM EDT reply actions

You're right

I shouldn’t be surprised by anything at this point.

by Joe Budd on Sep 17, 2009 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions

to up his potential trade value?

"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin

by dcrockett17 on Sep 17, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions

maybe, but that assumes that the FO is brain dead enough to trade him.

Aside from the Putz trade, they’ve been pretty good about not selling the farm this season. Davis is one of a good group of players who in a year or two (depending on who) could be a huge addition to the major league roster. Could we get a reasonable return for Davis? possibly, but I don’t trust Omar to get it. So, I’m just gonna hope really hard that they aren’t trying to trade him or up his trade value. Bad idea all around. Of course, this being the Mets, they probably will anyway, and probably for a bag of balls too. knocks really hard on wood

"I reject your reality and substitute my own"
-Adam Savage

by blueandorange4life on Sep 17, 2009 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Because it makes him more versatile.

Imagine it’s July 2010, LaRoche is our 1B, doing an okay job, Ike Davis is raking in AAA and a bunch of our starting OFs get injured (it happens to us every year). Gives us more flexibility in our future plans and more plan B’s in case of injury.

by TheBigStapler on Sep 17, 2009 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions

This

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

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on Sep 17, 2009 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions

It's still a stupid thing to do.

You want your players to develop both with the bat and in the field, and moving Ike back and forth to the outfield and firstbase stunts his growth

"We must win and we must know how to win rather than win because we have statistical people."

by Evan_S on Sep 17, 2009 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions

True

But couldn’t having more defensive reps at first base help him become an even better first baseman?

Like Metstradamus noted, we’re developing a whole team of utility players.

I understand the point about flexibility, but maybe sometimes it’s better to concentrate on learning one position the best one can. I’m not sure where the tradeoff is.

by mnbv on Sep 17, 2009 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions

You make a good point

to be honest, I would be totally speculating if I guessed how much it would or wouldn’t help though it does intuitively seem like a tradeoff.

I suppose when it gets down to it, he’s lauded for his bat and we know he’s a competent 1B already. If we can discover, though, that his bat will fit in any other part of the field, we may find more good excuses to use it.

by TheBigStapler on Sep 17, 2009 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on Sep 17, 2009 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Last night's loss

was the first time I didn’t even curse or anything when Murphy booted it. I just laughed uproariously like a crazy person for a good few minutes. It felt good.

by David G on Sep 17, 2009 12:54 PM EDT reply actions