Ollie's Still Here Applesauce - Perez's Met days still numbered, Izzy will retire if not on team, Citi Field dirt

by Joe Budd on Mar 4, 2011 10:35 AM EST in Applesauce

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 03: Pitcher Oliver Perez #46 of the New York Mets throws against the St. Louis Cardinals at Digital Domain Park on March 3, 2011 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Meet the Mets

A good day for the Mets as they beat the split-squad Cardinals 3-0. Oliver Perez pitched two scoreless innings, but it still seems unlikely that he will make the team; his velocity and breaking pitches are just not up to snuff. Terry Collins insists that Perez just has too much going on upstairs when he's on the mound.

Jason Isringhausen also made an appearance in yesterday's victory and it appears as though he's putting all his eggs in this Spring Training's basket.

Francisco Rodriguez appeared "sedated" after his Spring Training debut.

The Mets are trying to pamper their infielders in Spring Training by trucking in the same dirt used at Citi Field's best infield in MLB.

Jenrry Mejia was supposed to go home to the Dominican Republic to be with his mother for an important surgery, but it has been postponed.

Let's take a trip on the way-back machine to a time when the Mets were on top and the Yankees sucked: 1991. That lasted long.

How awesome was Cleon Jones in 1969?

Greg Prince teases us younger fans with what it was like being a Met fan in 1986. One word: invincible.

Around MLB

Phillies Nation throws cold water on the "Phillies' lineup is too left-handed" complaint.

The Marlins rotation is getting overshadowed by Philly's and Atlanta's.

John Thorn was named MLB's new historian which may mean that MLB will finally move on from their Abner Doubleday mythology.

Elijah Dukes in trouble again.

Billy Beane talks with Yahoo! about his contributions to the new health care legislation.

If he makes the National roster, Matt Stairs will have played for a record 12 MLB teams. Somehow, the Mets were never on that list.

Carlos Ruiz is a proud father, 9 months after Roy Halladay's perfect game.

And, finally, Pedro Martinez may have had the greatest season of all time in 2000.

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Comments

Looking at the photo above

It may be just be a camera angle illusion but aren’t you supposed to point your front foot towards home plate?

by TheBigStapler on Mar 4, 2011 11:18 AM EST reply actions

Are you questioning Ollie's pitching mechanics?

After all, he is the next Sandy Koufax.

"The Mets are gonna be amazin'!" - Casey Stengel
"Bounding and astounding!" - Clyde Frazier

by Russ on Mar 4, 2011 11:29 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

As funky as his delivery looked

Koufax’s front foot planted perfectly and his back foot ended up parallel and in fielding position.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDgMXFBHLP0

by TheBigStapler on Mar 4, 2011 11:42 AM EST up reply actions

Kinesitically (is that the word?), Koufax had one of the most perfect deliveries

Well balanced, no lost motion/energy, no excessive stress on the knees/elbows/shoulders/wrists/anything else.

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

AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 453 posts (10/03/10)

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Mar 4, 2011 12:10 PM EST up reply actions

while Ollie is off balanced

I think you are right, that foot placement says a lot

Any task BIG or small, Do it well or not at all

by Rickfansince76 on Mar 4, 2011 3:42 PM EST up reply actions

you can counter the foot pointing at first base, by having your face look at the 3rd base coach as you deliver the ball to home plate, because home plate is in the middle of those 2 locations, and how can you not hit the target ?

by fxcarden on Mar 4, 2011 11:35 AM EST up reply actions

wow,

font fail……

“you can counter the foot pointing at first base by having your face look at the 3rd base coach as you release the ball towards home plate, because everyone knows home plate is exactly in the middle of those 2 locations, and how can you miss ?”

by fxcarden on Mar 4, 2011 11:37 AM EST up reply actions

oh man that's great

sounds like perfect logic to me

Any task BIG or small, Do it well or not at all

by Rickfansince76 on Mar 4, 2011 3:43 PM EST up reply actions

He's pointing his foot towards the exit.

So he knows which way to go when he gets his pink slip.

by SFloridaMetsFan on Mar 4, 2011 11:49 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

How many times did they go over with him to have his foot point towards the mound?

Geeze…

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

AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 453 posts (10/03/10)

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Mar 4, 2011 12:04 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, pointed towards home plate or just slightly closed is optimal

Or so Rick Peterson told me

by James Kannengieser on Mar 4, 2011 12:52 PM EST up reply actions

Name dropper

Dave Duncan told me breath through your eyes and it won’t matter.

by wobatus on Mar 4, 2011 12:58 PM EST up reply actions

Just kidding btw

shoulda used the :).

by wobatus on Mar 5, 2011 10:00 AM EST up reply actions

Oh I got it, no worries

Other fun Rick Peterson info: he wears a leather jacket and rides a motorcycle.

by James Kannengieser on Mar 5, 2011 11:42 AM EST up reply actions

The baseball establishment generally acknowledges that the Doubleday story is a myth, does it not?

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

AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 453 posts (10/03/10)

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Mar 4, 2011 12:06 PM EST reply actions

Dunno about the establishment

but I think it’s been well rebutted for a long, long time.

by Kepler on Mar 4, 2011 12:47 PM EST up reply actions

Wait, hold on

too much going on upstairs?

by JoshNY on Mar 4, 2011 12:29 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Billy Beane <3 Burberry scarves

In lobby for: Jaime Cevallos, Zack Lutz, orange unis
The Unwritten Rules of AA

by Michkin on Mar 4, 2011 12:43 PM EST reply actions

Too much going on upstairs

Psychologically speaking, yeah, he could be entering into cyclic thinking that is affecting his performance on the mound. Now, I am assuming a lot here, but I would venture to say that Ollie’s lack of production is making him nervous on the mound, causing him to “think” too much, thus negatively affecting each pitch. He could be in a downward spiral of negative thinking. Compound this with “boo’s” and bad press. He could be an anxious mess right now. There is no doubt in my mind that being a MLB pitcher is one of the most stressful positions in sports. All eyes are on you and expecting you to be perfect. Ollie may just not have the resilience to cope with it. Look at Pelfrey, was highly publicized this week when his sports psychologist passed away and speculation began as to how he would handle such a loss. We were all talking the other day about his drastic decline in velocity, here is my potential explanation: he’s scared. He knows that the fans have turned against him, I am sure he was embarassed about being asked to take a minor league position. Omar really put him into a bad situation. He is not a $36 million dollar pitcher, but with a decent season leading into FA, he was offered such a contract. Give him my business card. I can help with his some resilience training and to gain some focus.

by CCE718 on Mar 4, 2011 12:44 PM EST reply actions

I suffered many of the same"Demons" as Ollie when I sat down with my Accountant

doing my 2010 Tax Return.

by Putnan Prince on Mar 5, 2011 11:10 PM EST up reply actions

I remember reading that Beane/Gingrich/Kerry NY Times piece a few years ago about health care

It’s outstanding. Well, at least this portion of it is. I won’t comment on the rest of the ideas:

Evidence-based health care would not strip doctors of their decision-making authority nor replace their expertise. Instead, data and evidence should complement a lifetime of experience, so that doctors can deliver the best quality care at the lowest possible cost.

by James Kannengieser on Mar 4, 2011 12:55 PM EST reply actions

This quote basically covers everything, with a few minor adjustments.

Baseball:

Evidence-based roster construction would not strip GM’s of their decision-making authority nor replace their expertise. Instead, data and evidence should complement a lifetime of experience, so that GM’s can deliver the best quality team at the lowest possible cost.

Food:

Evidence-based cooking experimentation would not strip chefs of their decision-making authority nor replace their expertise. Instead, data and evidence should complement a lifetime of experience, so that chefs can deliver the best quality dishes at the lowest possible cost.

~~Ahem:~~ This is a family site.

Evidence-based sex would not strip dominatrix of their decision-making authority nor replace their expertise. Instead, data and evidence should complement a lifetime of experience, so that dominatrix can deliver the best quality performance at the highest possible pain.

In lobby for: Jaime Cevallos, Zack Lutz, orange unis
The Unwritten Rules of AA

by Michkin on Mar 4, 2011 1:06 PM EST up reply actions