Mack Ade – Morning Report – 5-1-13

I only have two things to say about last night’s Mets game.

1.       The sooner this team tanks below the Marlins in the standings, the sooner ‘Plan 2014’ can begin to be executed.

2.       2014 will be the last year for Mack’s Mets. I’ve targeted everything on next year and, if this doesn’t work out, I’m going to turn this over to a younger man, or just go write for Joe over at Metsmerized. I just can’t keep putting up a stronger effort every day than the team I write about.

SP Alex Panteleodis returns to pitch St. Lucie on Thursday.

The LA Dodgers signed SP Aaron Laffey to a minor league contract.

Former Mets third baseman Brandon Brown was suspended for 50 games on Tuesday after testing positive for an anabolic steroid.

Chris ‏@tpgMets

The #Mets are 7-1 when scoring at least 7 runs, and 3-13 when scoring 6 or fewer.

I’m sure Binghamton 1B Alan Dykstra didn’t start off this season a happy man. First, he has to constantly be reminded that the guy picked with the next pick in the draft (Ike Davis) has the real job in this organization. This is followed with finding you you aren’t going to get promoted to Las Vegas. Then, the Mets sign nobody Rhyne Hughes and give him Dykstra’s job with the B-Mets. Well, Dykstra is back in a big way, leading the team in hitting (43-AB, .326), producing a 1.009-OBP, and hitting .353 over the last 10 games.  I liked this pick over Ike on draft day and I haven’t changed my opinion a bit. Another wasted player like Josh Satin. Jeez


Wow. Jack Leathersich gave up four earned runs. 

We talk so much about how wins and losses don’t matter in the minors. Everything you do at these levels is about learning how to play the game better at the next level. Sometimes, your problems are physical. Other times, it’s all in your head. Yesterday, Las Vegas SP Zack Wheeler got his head strengthened out. There was no talk of rarified air or other atmospheric bullshit. Nope, this was one on one pitching to the Reno roster that included big time bats like Chris Owings, Kila Ka’aihue, and Matt Davidson. According to Michael Baron, this was simply throw fastballs for strikes. It sure looks like he accomplished what the Mets wanted him to do and, if he he does this for a couple more outings, there really isn’t much more he can accomplish in that fucked up AAA league. Final stat line: 6.2-IP, 1-ER, 8-K, 108-P, 65-strikes.

According to his sister, former Jays draftee(twice) Jake Eliopoulos has passed away at the age of 21. Eliopoulos, a lefty, was reportedly offered around $500,000 as a signing bonus back in 2009, when the Jays made him their second round pick. He was then drafted by the Dodgers the following year in the 15th round, and did not sign again. In 2011, Eliopoulos was again drafted by the Jays, this time in the 43rd round of the draft. He did not sign. Cause of death has yet to be reported.

The Collins clock has begun to tick. I can’t see him returning in 2014 under any circumstance, though I will go to my grave knowing that it was Sandy Alderson who put the first nail in the coffin of my 2014 plan when he didn’t pull the trigger on J-Up. This was such a necessary step to fill in this team that has no viable outfielder coming through the system until possibly 2016. The walls are crumbling in around TC. Take last night. This team has the worse bullpen in baseball and yet, only one pitcher was available for more than one inning (Robert Carson). Plus, there is absolutely no one in Las Vegas to put on an airplane. No, it will be Collins that takes the bullet here, but it’s Alderson that didn’t do his job. This has been a two-year operation of no progress and, frankly, if it wasn’t for the players that Omar Minaya signed and drafted, there would be no system at all. Some of my critics have probably turned to the Beltran and Dickey deals to applaud Alderson and, I will give you that; the boy can make a trade; however, it’s the ones (and free agents) he didn’t make (sign) that will haunt this team for years. The last two drafts have not produced a single top line prospect that looks like a sure bet and the International market seems to have gone away. All of this falls on the shoulders of Collins who must come up with a lineup every night of mildly talented bats backs by two starters and one reliever. My softball team at P.S. 62 had more depth than this. It’s going to get a lot worse starting last night folks. Tick tock.