First round of Mets sent to minor league camp

Josh Thole, Shawn Bowman, Eric Niesen, Jack Egbert, Josh Fogg, R.A. Dickey, Travis Blackley, Bobby Livingston, Arturo Lopez, Eddie Kunz, Andy Green, Mike Hessman, Mike Cervenak, Jesus Feliciano, Luis Hernandez, Clint Everts, Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

almost 2 years ago Stephen Schmidt 29 comments 0 recs |

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Nobody surprising

At least they won’t screw up Thole like they might with Meija.

by Brittannia on Mar 15, 2010 12:03 PM EDT reply actions

Ugh

Thole sent down right away. I can understand not having him break north with the team but I would think they would want a longer look at him. I have a feeling he is not Jerry’s type of ballplayer. Which makes him look better in my eyes.

by Endys Game on Mar 15, 2010 12:03 PM EDT reply actions

I wouldn't read much into it

If they want him to start getting regular ABs it makes sense to send him down now; plus, they have 2 new catchers (Barajas/Blanco) that presumably need to work with the pitchers likely to make the major league roster. I know that most of us have been conditioned to assume the worst regarding the Mets’ roster management but assuming that they’ve decided that Thole’s not going to make the roster, this is the right move.

by dontstopbelieving on Mar 15, 2010 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Agreed. Chillax.

by Dan Lewis on Mar 15, 2010 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed,

I’ve been a loyal Thole supporter for two years now and have no problem with the move. He needs time in AAA and he needs PAs, so this is the right move, right now. When Blanco’s shoulder acts up and Barajas is hitting below the mendoza, then we can discuss if Thole should be brought up, but from Jerry’s previous quotes, calling Thole a gamer and such, I don’t foresee this as being a problem.

by Sokojoe on Mar 15, 2010 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions

You guys are probably right

but keep in mind Thole may already be a better hitter than Blanco. I would like to see him get some time working with major league pitchers. Maybe even catch a game with Johan. That is how you learn, not just by catching Eddie Kunz in triple AAA.

by Endys Game on Mar 15, 2010 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions

You learn by starting and by working with coaches

a) Blanco’s a backup.

b) Thole may be better offensively than Blanco already, but so are many AAA players. That doesn’t mean you want them catching.

c) Thole will get real reps and experience as a AAA backup and with Chris Coste tutoring him

by Dan Lewis on Mar 15, 2010 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Can't they send

Eddie Kunz to the Siberian League, rather than Buffalo?

Oh, the butcher and the baker and the people on the street: wheredotheygo?!?!?

by CharlieH on Mar 15, 2010 12:13 PM EDT reply actions

Beirut.

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Mar 15, 2010 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions

read in a couple places

that francisco pena, kai gronauer and mike nickeas have all also been re-assigned to the minor league side.

by Rob Castellano on Mar 15, 2010 12:21 PM EDT reply actions

Damn. R.A. Dickey.

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Mar 15, 2010 12:45 PM EDT reply actions

Beam me down, Omar

Says Captain Kirk

by deadspy3 on Mar 15, 2010 2:25 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Just a matter of time

for poor Nick Evans. Who?

by theflicker on Mar 15, 2010 2:37 PM EDT reply actions

How can they send someone down

who they don’t even know exists?

by Evan_S on Mar 15, 2010 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions

If Nick Evans

falls in a forest and nobody knows who he is, does he make a noise?

by deadspy3 on Mar 15, 2010 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Everts wasn't given much of a look

His stuff looked pretty good to me.

by Mackey Sasser on Mar 15, 2010 5:17 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah it's weird they would sign him

then send him down so fast when losing Escobar opens up a hole in the bullpen.

"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'

it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.

by Gina on Mar 15, 2010 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions

I got the feeling he was signed more with the future in mind.

He’ll at least be an interesting one to watch in Buffalo

Pinella: Where th f*ck was that pitch at?
Ump: Lou, don't you know that you're not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition?
Pinella: Where the f*ck was that pitch at, a$$h*le?

by Stephen Schmidt on Mar 15, 2010 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions

But they'd save Evert for the future?

and send Meija to the 8th inning?

"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'

it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.

by Gina on Mar 15, 2010 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions

yes

because they’re stupid

by JoshNY on Mar 15, 2010 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions

This.

That’s one of the strangest things in this whole “debacle”. There are plenty of alternatives for the bullpen! It’s not like we’re stretched beyond bad, vis-a-vis relievers. None of them that we have, who are in AAA now, or are being slotted in the pen right now are world beaters, but we have enough depth to find someone to stick instead of possibly damaging Mejia.

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Mar 15, 2010 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm still holding out hope that they don't let Jerry have more than a token say in it.

Omar seems to be insistant about Ike and Fernando seeing AAA, so I can only hope he’s planning on the same with Mejia.

Pinella: Where th f*ck was that pitch at?
Ump: Lou, don't you know that you're not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition?
Pinella: Where the f*ck was that pitch at, a$$h*le?

by Stephen Schmidt on Mar 15, 2010 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions

I've been wondering that out loud, too.

Omar did say that Mejia would be starting in the minors, before the whole “campaign” to put him in the bullpen began, or just when it was beginning. Is he going to put his “foot down” on the issue, so to speak, regardless of what Jerry wants? I sure hope so.

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Mar 15, 2010 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions

The problem:

Jerry isn’t giving Jenrry the appropriate workload to start. At this point, he should be going 3 IP every 5 days

by Dan Lewis on Mar 15, 2010 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't agree with that.

At some point his innings will likely be scaled back during the season anyway, I can’t see the harm in scaling them during spring training as opposed to resting him in august. That schedule should still have him capable of doing 5 innings on opening day.

Pinella: Where th f*ck was that pitch at?
Ump: Lou, don't you know that you're not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition?
Pinella: Where the f*ck was that pitch at, a$$h*le?

by Stephen Schmidt on Mar 15, 2010 8:35 PM EDT up reply actions

I happen to think you're correct Dan

I think that if Jerry gets his way, Jennry will be the 8th inning set up man when the team heads north. And, if he continues to pitch well, I think that’s ok. Actually, it’s better than “ok.” I think it could really be great. If Mejia has the mental fortitude to do this, then, with his stuff, I think he’ll thrive.

I know I’m in the minority on this, and I usually err on the side of caution – having witnessed the Mets ruin Tim Leary’s career on that rainy cold April day at Wrigley field way back when. So as long as Jerry can resist the temptation to overuse Jennry or put him out on the mound without proper time to warm-up on a cold rainy day/night, I think it’ll be ok.

I really do.

"Never throw a slider to The Glider."

- Ed Charles, No. 5

by The Glider on Mar 16, 2010 3:02 AM EDT up reply actions

But if he's the setup man,

he won’t be developing his secondary pitches. Without developing them more, he’s never going to fulfill his potential as a pitcher.

by BobbyV_Incognito on Mar 16, 2010 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I see it like this:

It’s like if you have a smart kid, a real smart kid- honor roll, National Honors Society, a high average/GPA, the whole nine yards-, and his parents/guardians/guidance councilors/whoever enroll him in a program in which he becomes a nurse at the end. Sure, nurses are very important people, and becoming a nurse isn’t necessarily anything to sneeze at (though, I know a few who, I don’t think, really should be nurses, but that’s neither here nor there), but why curtail his development? With his talent, he could have become a full-fledged doctor.

Or, since I recall you’re in the legal field, it’s like steering a kid to become a paralegal, when he really seems to have the ability to thrive as a lawyer.

To me, it’s like backwards development. If you’re a med student, and you can’t handle the knowledge/workload/whatever, then you move a notch down (no offense) and become a nurse. If you’re a law student, and you can’t handle the knowledge the knowledge/workload/whatever, then you move a notch down (no offense) and become a paralegal.

I don’t think anyone would be disappointed, per se, with the fact that, in theory, Mejia can become a possibly plus reliever. I think everyone would be disappointed with the fact that, in theory, can become a possibly plus reliever, but he could have been more, if fostered “correctly”.

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Mar 16, 2010 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions

No argument with your point on Mejia

But I think your metaphor is quite off-base. Doctoring and nursing are really quite different things, not levels of the same thing. Nurses are carers, and doctors are fixers. Doctors become doctors because they want to examine and fix; nurses become nurses because they want to care for people. (Speaking in general terms and allowing exceptions, of course.) A nurse isn’t a nurse because becoming a doctor was too difficult, but because he or she wants to take care of people.

I’m not a nurse, but this is the case for those I know. They had no interest in being doctors, they want to be nurses.

by SuperT on Mar 17, 2010 2:13 AM EDT up reply actions