Mejia Debate Applesauce - Martinez homers, Mejia question lingers, Mets to play in Puerto Rico

by Joe Budd on Mar 18, 2010 12:10 PM EDT in Applesauce Comment 38 comments

Meet the Mets

Some good signs from yesterday's 4-2 win over Boston. Fernando Martinez homered. Mike Pelfrey pitched decently and Jenrry Mejia continued his amazing spring.

I'll use that as a launching point. Mejia news: Count Mike Cameron as generally unimpressed. The Post had a real life edition of Point-Counterpoint about Mejia with Kevin Kernan comparing him to Mariano Rivera. Joel Sherman ~~calls Kevin an ignorant slut~~ disagrees.

Pelfrey stuff: Pelfrey's sinker doesn't appear to be doing its job. Pelfrey wants a bounce back 2010.

General rotation stuff: God Bless Buckner thinks that the Mets rotation will improve from last year's performance. And Surviving the Citi takes a look at what on Earth is going on with Oliver Perez.

Some things that might make you feel slightly better. Tim Marchman thinks the Mets have the third best core talent in baseball. And this guy managed to make a video of all the good things that happened to the 2009 Mets. It's about 2 minutes.

Something that might make you feel bad. The Mets had Darren O'Day at one point last year.

Two bits of semi-important news: Mets and Marlins to play in San Juan. Anderson Hernandez has been claimed by Cleveland.

Around MLB

Texas Ranger manager Ron Washington admitted to recently using cocaine. Here's what people are saying. Washington apparently was being blackmailed by a disgruntled former employee.

The Nationals made a somewhat surprising move yesterday by releasing Elijah Dukes. Howard Megdal argues the Mets need to be in on this guy. Fire Jim Bowden doesn't mind the move, but hates the process.

Lenny Dykstra is suing JPMorgan for predatory lending.

Joe Posnanski laughs off the Albert Pujols/Ryan Howard trade talk.

Derrick Turnbow, apparently in Spring Training with the Marlins, was released after a serious arm injury.

Cliff Lee has been suspended for the first five games of the regular season.

Anna Benson has been signed by Arizona to a minor league deal. Also in former Met transaction news, Yusmeiro Petit has been released by Seattle.

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Comments

i hate to be the one to give the news to MLB

but there are many people all over the league that use cocaine once in a while.

I fail to see how his using cocaine a lil’ bit has anything to do with anything.

by gbaked on Mar 18, 2010 1:02 PM EDT reply actions

But,

drug use is ruining MLB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Brian. on Mar 18, 2010 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions

This is true.

I heard Fay Vincent on the radio a day or so ago and he said that PEDs were the biggest problem facing all sports, because sports are not supposed to be entertainment and, if we’re not careful, everything will become pro wrestling.

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

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Mar 18, 2010 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions

do you consider cocaine

a PED?

by gbaked on Mar 18, 2010 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Well since

it’s both a stimulant and a painkiller, it could well be, if applied properly. It was certainly a PED for Captain Scott, for example.

by deadspy3 on Mar 18, 2010 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Exactly.

Maybe I need a little boost after a night on the town and I’m greenie-averse.

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

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Mar 18, 2010 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions

what is a PED?

"Never throw a slider to The Glider."

- Ed Charles, No. 5

by The Glider on Mar 18, 2010 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions

performance enhancing drug

"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 18, 2010 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Well

it is a felony. I think it’s reasonable that an employer might wanna know that.

by SoCal Metfan on Mar 18, 2010 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, exactly.

"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 18, 2010 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions

It's not a felony till they catch you.

by SuperT on Mar 18, 2010 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions

And... didn't they?

by JoshNY on Mar 18, 2010 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Nope. He's not been arrested, nor sentenced.

It was a positive test, not a convicted crime.

by SuperT on Mar 18, 2010 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Regardless

Probably not a great idea to have a guy that’s used cocaine managing a superstar who is still a risk for a heroine relapse.

by keithprime on Mar 18, 2010 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Or maybe it is

At least Hamilton knows Washington has some experience in what he’s gone through, even if he doesn’t have the same addiction issues.

Who cares how bad the Bay deal will look in 2013, the world is going to end in 2012 anyway

by Schmidtxc on Mar 18, 2010 10:35 PM EDT up reply actions

RIght

Of what particular use would a manager who has no experience with substance demons be?

Not that we know it’s an abuse issue for Washington, it may have been purely recreational. (Though I’ve got to be skeptical about the 57-year-old first time using story.) If it was just recreational, at least he has some acquaintance with the attractiveness of it, which helps him understand what Hamilton is fighting.

by SuperT on Mar 18, 2010 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Possession of a small amount of cocaine is not a felony

"Never throw a slider to The Glider."

- Ed Charles, No. 5

by The Glider on Mar 18, 2010 9:08 PM EDT up reply actions

That's IF he "possessed"

It’s not illegal to have done it so long as it’s not while you’re driving.

"Never throw a slider to The Glider."

- Ed Charles, No. 5

by The Glider on Mar 18, 2010 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Here, in New York,

Possession of more than 500 mg of coke is a Class D felony. In the majority of states, blanket possession, regardless of amount, is a felony. In Texas, it’s a felony for any amount.

"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 19, 2010 1:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Applesauce

Did anyone else chuckle, reading Mike Cameron’s commentary? I did. Not that he’s necessarily lying through his teeth or anything, but it just sounded funny.

Mike Pelfrey “beating himself up”, I wonder if that’s good or bad. In any case, realistically, he was only slightly below average (by like .04 FIP points) in 2009, and, in 2008 and 2009 combined, was a little above average.

Darren O’Day. Who’d be switch him for? Casey Fossum? O’Day sure would be useful in the bullpen right now…

Cliff Lee being suspended is BS.

"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 18, 2010 3:02 PM EDT reply actions

I can't be with you on the Cliff Lee thing

He threw at a guy’s head, I really think he should be suspended for longer.

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 Schmidtxc on Mar 18, 2010 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed.

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

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Mar 18, 2010 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions

I think it's pretty obvious that he didn't do it intentionally.

He said he was throwing inside, and that the ball got away from him. Even if he was lying, there’s no real history between him and Snyder that I know of, other than that weird play at first where Lee tripped, which he didn’t blame Snyder for, and has no reason to go after him maliciously like that, and there’s no history between the Mariners and the Diamondbacks (like there is between the Yankees and the Red Sox, for example) that would “support” plunking a guy like that on purpose for no reason. And, at the end of the day, he didn’t even hit Snyder.

Being ejected from the game, I guess that’s reasonable. Being suspended for five days, I don’t think that’s reasonable at all. If he actually hit Snyder, or if he has a history of going after Snyder, or other exacerbating factors, fine. But, none of that exists.

Likewise, why wasn’t Snyder penalized for charging the mound (more like moseying on down, but…)? Not that that really has an effect on what happens to Lee, but…

"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 18, 2010 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Also

that means I lose one of Lee’s starts on my fantasy team. The commissioner’s office is clearly ignoring this very important repercussion!

by SoCal Metfan on Mar 18, 2010 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Per this Fangraphs article

Link

Lee was steamed because Snyder had knocked him over in a play at the plate two innings earlier.

Seems like it wasn’t a random pitch (actually 2 pitches – 1 almost hit him, 1 went behind him) slipping away from Lee.

by James Kannengieser on Mar 18, 2010 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Lee said specifically he wasn't trying to hit Snyder, and that he didn't know who was at fault for him tripping and falling (and as such, you can't blame anybody).

“All I know was I was rolling on the ground,” Lee said. “I got knocked down. I didn’t see it all. I was looking at the play.”

He could be lying, yes, but he could also be telling the truth.

"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 18, 2010 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Watching it, I don't know how you'd believe him.

I can see it possibly being an accident if it was one pitch…but two in a row at his head just doesn’t lend him any credibility. And just look at where the 2nd one was…completely unacceptable.

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 Schmidtxc on Mar 18, 2010 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions

The first pitch was inside. Nothing wrong with that.

The second pitch, obviously, was over his head. Not cool. Grounds for being ejected, even if it was unintentional. Grounds for being suspended, though? I don’t agree with that.

The first one was an inside pitch. If Lee was trying to go back inside- and, it’s a little hard to see, but the catcher does indeed look like he’s set up inside before the pitch- I don’t see it being very far-fetched that it got away from him, and by virtue of him setting up inside, it being tossed above Snyder. If the catcher was set-up the other way, and it got away from him like that, it would have gone into the stands, and there probably wouldn’t be any problem. Especially when Lee has been a bit spotty with his command in Spring Training as compared to normal Cliff Lee.

"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 18, 2010 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions

His first start will likely just come April 10th now, slotting him in right before King Felix instead of right after him.

It’s really not much of a punishment, as he’ll likely still make 34 starts if he stays healthy. At least it’s sending a message that throwing at someone’s head is unacceptable (and I’m more concerned with that after DW’s concussion last year).