Cubs 5, Mets 3: Lackluster Game Gets Lackluster Headline
by James Kannengieser on Sep 4, 2010 4:47 PM EDT
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The matchup of Jenrry Mejia and Carlos Zambrano promised some electricity but this one turned out to be a snoozer. Mejia was impressive early but mediocre overall (five innings, eight hits, four runs, two strikeouts and two wild pitches) while Zambrano was effective but didn't do anything insane (seven innings, four hits, two runs, eight strikeouts).
Mejia sent the Cubbies down 1-2-3 in the first inning, punctuated by a Marlon Byrd swinging strikeout for out number three. After that, things got a little dicey for the 20 year-old. He allowed ten baserunners over the next four innings, resulting in four Cub runs via Geovany Soto RBI double, Xavier Nady sacrifice fly, Byrd RBI double and Byrd eventually scoring on a wild pitch. I suppose it will be nice to have a look at Mejia-as-starting-pitcher this final month but hopefully he spends a full year at Triple-A in 2011. His ability to finish off major league batters is not refined. Aramis Ramirez added a solo home run off Elmer Dessens in the seventh inning.
There was some brief excitement on the basepaths -- Carlos Beltran stole second and Luis Castillo stole home as part of a delayed double steal in the fourth inning and Ruben Tejada added a rare stolen base as well. Beltran went 3-for-4 with a double. Ike Davis also had a day for himself, hitting a solo home run off Zambrano in the seventh inning and going 2-for-4 overall. Carlos Marmol struck out three in the ninth inning around an Ike single, and has now tallied an outrageous 118 strikeouts in just 65.1 innings. That's 16.3 strikeouts per nine innings. League average is 7.1.
Jon Niese will do his best to help the Mets avoid a Chi-town sweep against Ryan Dempster, Sunday at 2:20 PM.
Poem by Howard Megdal
All hail Mejia! With fastball that blazes
His secondary pitches still in awkward phases
I ask all Mets officials who have some clout
A debut in Chi-town with wind blowing out?
SB Nation Coverage
* Traditional Recap
* Boxscore
* Amazin' Avenue Gamethread
* Bleed Cubbie Blue Gamethread
Win Probability Added
Big winners: Carlos Beltran +16.7%, Luis Castillo +4.2%
Big losers: Jenrry Mejia -17.9% (as pitcher), David Wright -14.9%
Teh aw3s0mest play: Carlos Beltran single +10.6%
Teh sux0rest play: Geovany Soto RBI double -10.7%
Total pitcher WPA: -18.7%
Total batter WPA: -31.3%
GWRBI!: N/A
Game Thread Roll Call
Nice job by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan; his effort in the game thread embiggens us all.
| Num | Name | # of Posts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan | 166 |
| 2 | KeithsMoustache | 110 |
| 3 | jdon | 104 |
| 4 | MookieTheCat | 83 |
| 5 | aparkermarshall | 76 |
| 6 | HELLYEAHGARYOAK | 68 |
| 7 | Gina | 59 |
| 8 | MetsFan4Decades | 41 |
| 9 | itsmetsforme | 35 |
| 10 | lstorie1971 | 31 |
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Mejia looked ok
His fastball is a good pitch, and at least he threw a bunch of curves and changeups. I’m with you that he needs to start 2011 in AAA, but if he’s developed his breaking stuff to some extent and put in quite a few innings by the trade deadline, I wouldn’t be against a David Price like promotion. I just hope over his next few starts that he doesn’t go to just the fastball.
Reyes, Thole, Wright, Beltran, Bay, Davis, Martinez, Tejada...
If only there had been a way to develop his breaking stuff even more and increased his confidence as a starting pitcher
…wait
John Olerud, Hall of Famer. Got a nice ring to it.
You mean such leagues exist?????????????????
What does it mean???????????
by aparkermarshall on Sep 4, 2010 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions
I really don't buy into the building confidence argument.
It’s certainly not a great thing for players to constantly be in over their heads, but I dont think putting them in a position where they are going to mow down the competition is really all that helpful mentally. All that is really doing is setting the player up for failure when they get to the big leagues, and then they may not be able to deal with it. I think it’s important to aggressively promote your best prospects at least once while they are in the minors just to force them to face competition they may not be ready for, espescially when you consider the fishbowl environment in NY. That’s certainly not to say that we’ve done things well, as Omar is far too aggressive in his promotions, but I don’t think it helps to go too far the other direction either. Either way, judging by his return to the minors, Mejia’s confidence didn’t suffer too badly.
Reyes, Thole, Wright, Beltran, Bay, Davis, Martinez, Tejada...
by Stephen Schmidt on Sep 4, 2010 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions
can we just have the agressive promotion
being the jump from AA to ML, rather than from A ball to ML to AA to AAA to ML?
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
In fairness, it was AA to the ML
It was just stupid to do so in the bullpen if they thought there was any chance he could be a starter. I still would have had an issue with him starting the season in the major league rotation, but not nearly as much issue as I had with putting him in mop up duty. At least as a starter he’d still be throwing his offspeed stuff.
Reyes, Thole, Wright, Beltran, Bay, Davis, Martinez, Tejada...
by Stephen Schmidt on Sep 4, 2010 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I didn't really even mean "confidence" as much as exerience.
He’s only been pitching for a few years; if we’re trying to make him a starter, don’t jerk him around for god’s sake.
John Olerud, Hall of Famer. Got a nice ring to it.
exactamundo
baseball graveyards are littered with the careers of prospects who were pushed for all the wrong reasons. The reason I like the least is the desperate, incompetent, completely self-centered manager with horrible judgment wrongly deeming a young player to be necessary to his professional salvation. And the equally desperate general manager, also equipped with faulty judgment, agreeing with him. Are there no checks and balances on the side of players in this so called system?
Omar apparently didn't agree with him
most reports said it was basically Jerry vs the front office and the front office wanted him in the minors.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
well, with almost every team
it’s the GM who signs off on who stays. He is the guy who oversees the roster. Considering a GM is even more involved with player development, what does that tell you about the way this team is run?
? I think it tells us there's no hierarchy or order of power
which seems to already widely known and nothing really new.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
You know who else?
Mike Hessman. Rushing that guy to the majors just to take advantage of his incredible pinch hitting skills is disgusting and inexcusable,
May I assume the question comprising your last sentence
was rhetorical?
Let's see how Mejia performs...
when his catcher is not playing his first major league game. Start Blanco with Mejia’s next start.
Not sure
I’m a proponent of playing Thole as much as possible, but I’d really like to see Mejia with a seasoned catcher.
Well, I was trying to think if they had established any sort of rapport.
Because if they had, I would definitely prefer seeing Thole in there.
John Olerud, Hall of Famer. Got a nice ring to it.
Plus, if you suspect Thole's gamecalling skills
why not have the game called from the bench?
...cause then Jerry would be calling it??
obvious answer is obvious
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
why?
If the plan for the future is Mejia and Thole, why wouldn’t you want them to play together? I guess Blanco must have some magical confidence-building ability that you can quantify, right?
And if they don’t have a rapport, wouldn’t it be smart to give them the chance to develop one?
ain't had enough...
Because Meija's really not that close
if he was a pitcher we’d expect for next year it would be one thing but he’s, hopefully, going to be in the minors all year next year. It’s probably more important to have someone with more game calling experience who can get him through tough spots than building a rapport with someone he likely won’t be working regularly with for another year. And since Meija’s fairly rough around the edges he’s probably going to need veteran catching more than someone like Niese this year.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
A few games at Bingo last year I believe, and likely in spring training several times.
That would be about it.
Reyes, Thole, Wright, Beltran, Bay, Davis, Martinez, Tejada...
by Stephen Schmidt on Sep 4, 2010 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions
16.3 K per 9
is just not human. That’s like Lee’s 12 BB’s and 161 K’s.
Ryan Miller was the true MVP.
I really hate Jerry.
i seriously always pause when i see that stat
i keep thinking it’s a typo or something
John Olerud, Hall of Famer. Got a nice ring to it.
Insane
Consequences will never be the same.
by NetsMets4Life on Sep 4, 2010 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I saw that commercials became a topic in the game thread. I thought I'd show you guys this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxVH5sKUlPg
Johnson as in ‘Dickey’, and you’ll understand.
Consequences will never be the same.
All good except for....
The “you, your kids and your Johnson.” That part is just kinda wrong.
jerry being jerry
why not play luis hernandez at 2nd today?
Anyone see Rosenthal's latest on potential
GMs and managers?
He’s linking Wally with the Marlins and this:
Mets general manager Omar Minaya is telling friends that he knows his time is running out. The Mets are likely to move Minaya to a scouting role and promote assistant GM John Ricco. However, if they go outside the organization, some names to remember are former Rangers and Indians GM John Hart, and Dan Jennings, a longstanding Marlins executive.
John Hart seems like an incredibly random choice
I don’t really know much about him though. That being said the rangers apparently have no interest in letting him out of his contract.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
So according to google Hart handpicked Daniels and is a big proponent of stats and geeks
and progressive front offices and wanted as many of those types in his front office as possible when he took over the Rangers.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
So......
There’s no chance we get him :(
by Mike Clemente on Sep 4, 2010 10:24 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
pretty much
it’s gonna be ricco and omar basically switching positions, rinse dry repeat of the last 5 years.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
Ricco?
Why the hell would you promote from within? It just makes so sense.
this
if they promote Ricco, all that means is they’re making a change for PR purposes only.
John Olerud, Hall of Famer. Got a nice ring to it.
yeah but as for Hart
he’s actually intriguing, the number of current gms who worked under him in either Cleveland or with the Rangers is pretty inspiring at least, DePodesta, Byrnes, Huntington, O’Dowd (Rockies gm), Byrnes, Daniels obviously, and apparently he hired Daniels himself because he was fascinated with the young geeky stats guys taking over baseball and wanted to fill his front office with them, Shapiro and Antonetti (Cleveland’s gm once Shapiro became president). If nothing else maybe in 3-4 years when they reshuffled again he’d have brought in a bunch of better choices to choose from. Hes apparently very pro mixing of old school scouting and new school academics.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
This could be the AA staff's dream GM...
Jobs for all!
Sounds like a winner to me.
Save Jenrry Mejia!
In lobby for Josh Byrnes/Chip Hale as Mets 2011 GM/Manager.
Here's a future problem...
Imagine that a bunch of geeky stats guys take over the Mets FO and run it accordingly. Then imagine that the various curses that have plagued the Mets over the years continue and the team continues to be awful. This good process, bad result outcome might make the Sitebot explode, and render us unable to, well, be us. Although I think stats are useful, I retain a sense of dread about this team on a daily basis.
The dread-feeling will only go away after a 10 year run of success (meaning many runs at a pennant, often successful)
Save Jenrry Mejia!
In lobby for Josh Byrnes/Chip Hale as Mets 2011 GM/Manager.
Look,
it can’t get any worse, and besides the pons will never hire geeky stat guys, just geeky dumb guys.
I feel it can get worse
and John “I traded for Jeff Francoeur” Ricco might just be worse.
Save Jenrry Mejia!
In lobby for Josh Byrnes/Chip Hale as Mets 2011 GM/Manager.
well Hart himself isn't a stats guy
he’s an old scout. He wouldn’t let any of his stats guys make decisions without getting an okay from two old scout types.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
I had a lot
of laugh aloud moments. And also I clapped several times during the movie. I was in the zone.
You're making me mad.
Cuba is closer to me than the closest theater where this movie is playing. No exaggeration either.
If you have a reasonably sized TV
I imagine this will be fine on DVD. It was kind of funny seeing people’s reactions to different bits though. (Well, hearing more than seeing, since it was dark).
if you want hilarious, watch From Paris With Love one of these days.
Sorry the quality’s so bad, but yeah.
That movie’s hysterical.
John Olerud, Hall of Famer. Got a nice ring to it.
Watch Troll 2
nothing beats it in terms of hilarity, well maybe except Vampire’s Kiss, Riki-Oh, and The Room.
by secret defense on Sep 4, 2010 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter is also a classic
Hey, wait! I'm having one of those things. You know? A headache with pictures?
by KeithsMoustache on Sep 5, 2010 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions
It was funny.
Especially Jessica Alba.
Save Jenrry Mejia!
In lobby for Josh Byrnes/Chip Hale as Mets 2011 GM/Manager.
Can this team finish above 500?
This is my big concern. Can the METS finish above 500, and, stay out of the basement?
why you gotta hate on basements
IMO if the mets spend more time in basements these disasters could be avoided.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
Exactly
True pitifulness, not just mediocrity, is needed to change the way teams do business.
Save Jenrry Mejia!
In lobby for Josh Byrnes/Chip Hale as Mets 2011 GM/Manager.
Also
I assume Gina is referring to the fact that computers full of useful statistical analysis are to be found in basements
let's hope the Mets finish in the basement!
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
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