Mack Ade – Morning Report – 3-29-13

Another $25 came in the donation box from someone that wishes to remain anonymous (as most do). Once again, I want to thank this person and also thank the rest of you that have participated this month. It looks like we’ll fall short of our goal, but it’s been the best donation month in the history of the site. Again, God bless to all of you.


It was nice to see P Domingo Tapia get a start on national television, but all it did was confirm the vast difference between a potential relief pitcher and a starter. Anyone with the proper arm angle and the ability to consistently throw a 2-seamer above 94 can someday win a job as a relief pitcher, but you need a lot more if you are going to pitch through an entire lineup 3-4 times a game. Every change-up he threw was all over the place, which just hasn't been developed yet. He does have two great pitchers... fastball and slider... and it will take at least two more seasons in the minors to see if he can develop a third, control it, and remain confident on the mound. What you saw yesterday was a kid who lost it mentally and followed it with poor pitching.


Joel Sherman and I are on the same page here... link  

From: Michael Scannell - So....first a report comes out that Tulowitzki may be available and now it appears the Mets aren't as in love with Tejada as once thought.  I know the contract is big but I'd love to add him to the lineup.  I'd start with Duda (I could see him hitting 30+ HR playing at Coors and the Rox need a 1B of the future) and some young pitching and go from there.  No point sending Tejada over as Trevor Story would take over SS if Tulowitzki is dealt. – 

                    Mack:  don’t always believe everything you read by one of the beat reporters. Mets officials for years have tried to light a fire under the ass of a slumping player by planting some bogus story with a reporter. Remember, there are three more new reporters on the beat all trying to out-do Yoda Rubin. Mets officials know this and this team has bigger fish to fry than shortstop. I will say this. Omar Quintanilla is more than willing to step in at any given moment, but this is a bad team with multiple problems. This ship will only get back on course with a stellar 5-man rotation (which might be now put off until 2015).

Brian Costa‏ - Dan Warthen told me Saturday he was very encouraged by Santana's progress, was optimistic based on improvement over previous week. Either symptoms just started in recent days, or there was some disconnect between team and pitcher as to his health.

          Warthen was never in the loop and, as we learned last night, Santana has still not talked to Alderson. There is a tremendous amount of disconnect on this team that will flow over to (eventually) new management on all levels. 

It was interesting reading the tweets from the SNY-MetsBlog staff about the addition on Bobby V to the pre-post on-air show.  Boy, did they sound excited (sic) to have someone like him placed ahead of them in the pecking order. The good news for the staff is the ‘V’ will eventually implode and things will get back to… well, are things ever normal over there? Oh yeah, do you think this is the camel that breaks Ron Darling’s back?  Details to follow…

I think we got a look-see at how ticket sales are going this season. The Mets are now offering a free ticket for an opening week game if you buy a ticket for opening day. What this tells you are two things… opening day is far from being sold out and the rest of the week sucks as well. We already know this is going to be a long season win-loss wise. Now we are confirming there will be an echo in the house.

I do have to say one thing. The Mets are finishing the ST season as if they can really compete this year for a playoff spot. Lucas Duda, Marlon Byrd, Ike Davis, John Buck, and Jordany Valdespin are all hitting over .300 (warning: spring stats), while Jon Niese, Mike Harvey and a handful of relievers look great, especially Bobby Parnell (it’s the curve and change-up that’s been the difference). You add to this a productive David Wright, Daniel Murphy, Shaun Marcum, and Dillon Gee and this could easily be a .500 team up to the all-star break. Then, here comes Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud and…  wake up Mack and get your head out of the clouds.

Marty Appel - After Yanks and Mets openers Monday, hope you might want to come to Barnes & Noble (150 E 86 St in NY) to meet Larry Ruttman, author of American Jews and America's Game, a terrific oral history (chapters with Selig, Miller, Youkilis, Randy Levine, Fehr, Al Rosen, Art Shamsky, Dershowitz, ME!, many more). Larry will be discussing his book and engaging in discussion in which I'll participate (copies of Pinstripe Empire also available). 7 PM. Hope to see you there Monday

Bullpen Banter on Zack Wheeler –

Sandy Alderson heisted Wheeler from the San Francisco Giants after less than two years of professional experience for two months of relatively ineffective Carlos Beltran; Wheeler has blossomed into a healthy arm with great stuff showing strikeout per inning, front of rotation potential with only his command (4.15 BB/9) keeping him from potential ace-hood.

Wheeler will start the year in the minor leagues, although the destination is unknown. He would be ticketed for Triple-A, but that would mean pitching in Las Vegas of the PCL, which is one of the best hitters destinations in professional baseball. He may start the year in Binghamton (AA) with an eye on working him up to the big league roster in September (similar to what the Blue Jays did in Las Vegas). However, if he does end up in Sin City, realize that, other than strikeouts and walks, numbers from Vegas should be largely ignored as park effects.

His fantasy value in 2013 will be limited since the Mets may not want to start his service clock until September, but look for him to make the jump around the All-Star Break if Shaun Marcum is out long term and Wheeler’s Triple-A season progresses well.

Tim Teufel on:

Ike Davis - "Ike’s going to be a lot better this year. He’s moving around great. He’s going to his glove side really well. Last year that was a weakness. I think (the ankle) affected his range and his quickness. It limited his ability to push off (and get to that ball). He has good hands, a soft glove. We’ve shortened his stroke on throwing to convert the 3-6-3 a little better. I think that will work."

Daniel Murphy - "From June on, he was an average to above average second baseman. We want him to increase his range to his glove side. He’s very good on his backhand. And he played in the shift really well. I don’t think he’ll go through the growing pains he went through last year. He looks a lot more comfortable."

Ruben Tejada - "Ruben is still working his way into game shape (for a shortstop). It’s a demanding position. Positioning is key with him because he’s not as gifted range wise as some other shortstops. We’re working on getting him to understand hitters, the mental part of the game, things like what guys do in RBI situations and with two strikes."

David Wright - "I actually felt like his backhand was one of the best in the league last season. I think the numbers may be because we overplay some hitters, so we shade him off the line a little bit. We’ve worked with him in the past on his throwing technique, but I think he’s got that wired right now. David is a step ahead of the other guys, but remember he’s got eight years at third base and all our other (infielders) have two years. He makes pretty good adjustments."

Baltimore options P Kevin Gausman

Houston OD rotation -  R Bud Norris, R Lucas Harrell, R Philip Humber, R Brad Peacock, L Erik Bedard.

Washington re-assigned first baseman/outfielder Micah Owings and

 infielder/outfielder Carlos Rivero to minor league camp

Rockies To Designate Ramon Hernandez For Assignment

Marlins Agree To Terms With Miguel Olivo

This is a feel good Scott Kazmir story – link - Kazmir was very good in 2008, but you could see he was in a dangerous place. He was relying heavily on a single pitch, and it was the only one he could consistently throw for strikes: his slider was a ball 45 percent of the time, while his change-up was out of the zone at a 43 percent rate. So, in 2009, Kazmir added a sinking two-seamer to his repertoire, and began to work that in more often than in the past. His four-seamer usage dropped to 44 percent, sinker usage shot up to 20 percent, and he finally had a second pitch he could throw for strikes.