Highlights From Brian Costa's Live Chat

by James Kannengieser on Mar 16, 2010 3:19 PM EDT

Click here for the full replay. Some snippets with brief commentary:

On the new-and-improved clubhouse: "Jason Bay and Jeff Francoeur have been tremendous additions from a clubhouse standpoint, so it has improved in that sense from where it was a year ago." -- Yay!
On the final rotation spot: "Niese, Nieve or Takahashi for the fifth spot. Maybe Figgy for the last spot in the bullpen, but they're not looking at him as a potential fifth starter right now." -- Niese and Figgy seem like the best options. Give Fig a chance.
In response to questions about who will be on the bench: "Tatis, Jacobs, Cora (when Reyes returns), Pagan (when Beltran returns), Matthews Jr., Blanco... I think that's everyone." -- No Chris Carter? Costa did address a question about Carter later on, writing "if he keeps hitting this way, he'll definitely earn strong consideration".
Opening Day bullpen prediction: "K-Rod, Igarashi, Parnell, Takahashi, Feliciano, Nieve, Green." -- Parnell and Nieve are the biggest question marks. The remaining five sound about right, with Kiko Calero something of a wild card right now.
On keeping a positive clubhouse atmosphere in perspective: "Francoeur is definitely a good clubhouse guy. I don't think "the right attitude" is more important than good seasons from Maine, Pelfrey and Perez, and the return of Reyes and Beltran, but it helps." -- Yep.
On John Maine's somewhat controversial comments after his recent poor outing: "People made too much of Maine's comment the other day. It's spring. Relax." -- Agreed.

Thank you to Brian for taking the time to field some questions today.

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Comments

"It's spring. Relax."

I think that can go for a lot of things right now.

"He's definitely mixing it into his repertoire. That's French for 'repertoire' " - Keith Hernandez

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Mar 16, 2010 3:23 PM EDT reply actions

Did he point out that the characteristic Bay and Francoeur share

Is that they haven’t been beaten down by the unrelenting media and fan bombardment since the ’07 collapse?

by SuperT on Mar 16, 2010 3:28 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

I can think of another characteristic they share too

by DoctorK16 on Mar 16, 2010 9:08 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

They both have names that start with the letter 'J'.

"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 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions

No Mejia

:-D

by Dan Lewis on Mar 16, 2010 4:13 PM EDT reply actions

Is there something wrong with Kiko?

How is he not a favorite to make the team?

by Brittannia on Mar 16, 2010 4:22 PM EDT reply actions

I know

he has all the qualities Omar should like: Low ERA, one home run allowed

"We're investigating the investigative procedure of the investigation of Tony Bernazard"---Omar Minaya (he really didn't say it but he would"

by firejerrynow on Mar 16, 2010 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Coming off of injury, later off-season signing and on a minor league contract.

It isn’t particularly surprising that he might start out the season somewhere other than in Flushing.

"He's definitely mixing it into his repertoire. That's French for 'repertoire' " - Keith Hernandez

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Mar 16, 2010 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah I'd agree with those factors

Hopefully he can put together a nice showing in spring training, if he can return to form he’d be a great asset. And if at some point both and Escobar are pitching the way they can, then you’ve got a very nice bullpen… but that will probably never happen.

Travis Hafner is made of gold

by Super Mario on Mar 16, 2010 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Yup

A few weeks at AAA can’t hurt especially if Kiko can’t go back-to-back days at this point (which I’m guessing he can’t).

by dontstopbelieving on Mar 16, 2010 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions

When in doubt, don't DFA the pitchers (SP).

In lobby campaign for Chris Carter.

by Michkin on Mar 16, 2010 4:44 PM EDT reply actions

5th Starter

Figgy has displayed the best stuff in spring training. Of the other possible starters, Takahashi has the 2nd best numbers. Niese and Nieve have both been giving up 2-3 runs per outing. I really do think Fig deserves the last rotation spot, or if not,Takahashi.

Its like this team has a #1 Starter, a Bunch of 3/4’s and a Bunch of 5’s.. but no true 2’s (cough, nice off season, cough)

by VinnyG917 on Mar 16, 2010 4:56 PM EDT reply actions

Our options this year are more inspiring than last year (The Beard, Livan).

In lobby campaign for Chris Carter.

by Michkin on Mar 16, 2010 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Man I had comfortably forgotten Beardy

until you brought him up.

Travis Hafner is made of gold

by Super Mario on Mar 16, 2010 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Wow

Me too. And that’s a really really nice thing.

by dontstopbelieving on Mar 16, 2010 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Bringing up Beardy

Good name for a bad sitcom. Although the connotations of hairballs aren’t very nice.

by deadspy3 on Mar 16, 2010 8:06 PM EDT up reply actions

And, as was mentioned at least once or twice every time he pitched,

he has acting in his blood, with his aunt being Joyce Randolph (Trixie), from the Honeymooners.

"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 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Hypnobeard is attempting to make the Rockies' rotation

poor rockies fans

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

by blueandorange4life on Mar 16, 2010 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree.

Tak or Figs for the 5th spot. Niese in AAA. Nieve in the BP.

you know what I'm sayin' ?

by fxcarden on Mar 16, 2010 7:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Fuck Takahashi.

Put him in the bullpen. I’d like to keep Figgy around, but I’d rather have Niese in the rotation. He could end up being the 3 best pitcher out of the starting 5, this year. Niese looked like a legit starting pitcher when we saw him last year. Let’s go, it’s time to see what he can do.

"Relax, all right? Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring; besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. It's more democratic."
- CRASH DAVIS

by nrmax88 on Mar 16, 2010 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Why not maximize the use you get out of a limited comodity (a pitcher's ability to pitch as a starter)?

That’s the problem with having one spot for Figueroa and Tak2. They are both starters who can relieve. Putting them in the bullpen, you still get to use their skill, but (assuming either can pitch decently), I’d rather have, say, 5 or 6 innings out of Figueroa, or Tak2, for however many starts they’d get in the season than 1 inning or so out of them a whole lot more times throughout the season. The whole value of a starter vs. value of a reliever “question”.

"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 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't even care about all that,

even though I know you’re right. To me it just comes down to Niese vs Figs for the last spot, and I’d rather see Niese pitch. I think he will probably out pitch Figueroa, and it’s time to just give him a year to develop. He has the 3 pitch repertoire, he looks like a starting pitcher. In a year we probably aren’t winning anything, why give the job to a journeymen swing man type over a kid who may be a part of the rotation for the long haul? I like Figgy, but I’d prefer to see Niese in the last spot, with Takahashi in the bullpen.

"Relax, all right? Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring; besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. It's more democratic."
- CRASH DAVIS

by nrmax88 on Mar 17, 2010 2:07 AM EDT up reply actions

That's a couple of beat writers...

… who dismiss Figs out of hand for the 5th slot. How is that, exactly?

by LeiterMilnerFasterStronger on Mar 16, 2010 8:07 PM EDT reply actions

I imagine because the perception of the front offices intentions

is that they don’t have any interest in him being the 5th starter.

"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 16, 2010 8:26 PM EDT up reply actions

which is unfortunate

I think he proved that he can be a reasonably dependable 5th starter but Jerry/Omar doesn’t seem to notice or care

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

by blueandorange4life on Mar 16, 2010 10:20 PM EDT up reply actions

I've always liked him

and I was glad to be at Citi for his CG shutout last year, that was a really cool day in among all the late-season misery.

by deadspy3 on Mar 16, 2010 10:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Anyone who catches with Rick Nevins catches Rick Nevins syndrome.

You get forgotten, and overlooked. It’s a very contagious problem. Sadly, there isn’t an effective cure.

"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 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I think Figueroa is best used as depth

he has shown an ability to fill in admirably, but once he is in the rotation for any prolonged stretch, he seems to get hit harder and harder the longer he stays. Why give him the job over Niese?

"Relax, all right? Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring; besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. It's more democratic."
- CRASH DAVIS

by nrmax88 on Mar 17, 2010 2:10 AM EDT up reply actions