10/30/15

Mack’s Morning News – 10-30-15 – Jacob deGrom, Jeurys Familia, Bobby Ojeda, Yordano Ventura, Mets Tickets, Billy Joel



Good morning.


Fangraphs http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-mets-werent-throwing-swing-and-miss-pitches/ had a great analysis on the Jacob deGrom outing which featured far less strikeouts than we are all used to:

Here’s a lesson in baseball fundamentals you don’t need. You can, without doubt, get hitters to swing and miss at strikes. Really overpowering pitchers will do that, just to show off. It’s a great skill to possess. But, for everyone, there are more swings and misses out of the zone. That’s the whole idea behind the zone. The zone is supposed to represent the hitting area. Hitters will do worse outside of the area designed for good hitting.

Mack – Write all you want. It was a bad outing. DeGrom dominates when he overpowers batters and he simply didn’t do it Wednesday night. I’ve read a number of excuses why but I’m sticking to the theory that he simply is overpitched at this point in the season. I know it’s the World Series and all that, but adrenaline can only get you so far.


MLB.com http://m.mets.mlb.com/news/article/155819488 had a great story on how the Mets found Jurys Familia in the Dominican…

                       Sandy Rosario, now a top scout in the country for the Blue Jays, used to make the 2 1/2-hour drive every morning from his home in the capital city to this southern part of the island, searching for teenage prospects while with the Mets. Sometimes, he would take his buddy Guillermo "Penaco" Valdes with him to keep him company.

Mack – Rosario was one of the many talented international scouts under Omar Minaya.

I got to know Familia in 2009 when he pitched for Savannah (24-G, 23-starts, 10-6, 2.69). He was a quiet guy like many of the Latin players that suffered with a language disconnect, I also remember him being a little wild (17-WP), but he already had a fastball that touched 97 and we wrote a lot of positive things about him becoming a future part of the Mets rotation someday.


Bobby Ojeda http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ojeda-criticizes-mets-stop-pitching-scouting-report-article-1.2416279 had some interesting thoughts on Mets World Series pitching –

                                   “I’m watching two outstanding Mets’ pitchers pitch to a scouting report rather than be who they are. It’s been pretty frustrating to watch. “I love scouting reports but I am not going to go away from who I am because of them. Especially those guys, with the fastballs they have, they should make the Royals prove they can hit it before they go to Plan B.”

Mack – Look, I like Ojeda and miss him on SNY but probably the last thing Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom needs right now is an armchair quarterback on the phone with a beat reporter.

Just put the phone down Bobby and watch Mike Piazza throw the first ball out…


Here’s an entertaining story on the Royals starter in Game 3, Yordano Ventura http://grantland.com/the-triangle/2015-mlb-playoffs-world-series-yordano-ventura-mets-royals-mind-games/ -

                                   Luckily for the Mets, I have just the strategy. I know how to beat Yordano Ventura. To be clear, I don’t know how to hit Ventura. The Royals’ Game 3 starter can throw 100 miles an hour when he wants to, and I’m terrible at baseball. He struck out 22.5 percent of the batters he faced this year, has the second-highest fastball velocity among qualified starters, and offsets it with a curveball that’s good enough to make you lean out over the plate to chase it and allows him to come right back in on your hands with the heat. The only current Met who’s faced him in the big leagues, Yoenis Cespedes, is 1-for-7 off the 24-year-old righty, so Ventura will be a new experience for everyone else, and an unpleasant one for most. If the Mets are going to beat him fair and square, they’ll have to do it on their own.



                                   With the Amazin’s down 0-2 and on the verge of entering crisis mode, World Series tickets at Citi Field have started to fall in price on the secondary market. According to TiqIQ.com, the average price for Mets World Series tickets in Queens is now $1,534.99, down 5.6% from last week’s average of $1,626.70. However, the possible three-game stretch is still the third most expensive World Series home average recorded on the secondary market since 2010, when TiqIQ began tracking secondary market ticket data.

Mack – I was supposed to be at Friday’s game but had to pull back due to a family illness. Thank God my friend who offered to foot the tab for my trip home didn’t have to pay full ticket here.



Lastly, the husband of the daughter of a close friend of my wife is going to sing the Star Spangled Banner on Friday night… Billy Joel. The Mets also have Mike Piazza throwing out the first pitch. All stops being pulled out for this one.

16 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Temperatures will be cool in Citifield, but Thor and Ventura will bring the heat. May the best man (Thor) win.

You don't hit, you don't win World Series. Mets hitters arise.

Best of everything with family health issues, Mack.

Christopher Soto said...

I will be at the stadium tomorrow with the 7 Line Army for Game 4!

Mack Ade said...

The 7 Line Army... I was so wrong about these guys.

bgreg98180 said...

Bobby Ojeda does make a good point though.

Going with what each of the Mets does best, is what allowed the team to reach the World Series.
Now that they are here, they should go with their strengths.
Stop worrying about what the other team might do to you, before they do it.

Make the other team worry about what you will do to them until they prove they don't have to.

The worst thing is to fail without allowing yourself to show off your strengths.
If the other team beats your strengths, then tip your cap. At least that nagging doubt of what you "could have done" won't gnaw away at you.

Mack Ade said...

Bob -

Oh, Ojeada knows his baseball and, specifically, his pitching, but I just feel his comments after only 2 games are a little uncalled for

Unknown said...

Luck would help as we need all hands on deck. Seems Harvey and Degrom are showing the wear and tear of a long season the FO didn't expect and neither did we. It will be very intereting to see how all this plays out next year because if either regresses we'll never hear the end of it. It will be: see we were right to pull Strasburg when we did. Ah the joy of pitch counts!

Mack Ade said...

Gary -

Are we already back-stepping and beginning the #MetsTwitter-like banter?

It's game 3 in the 2015 World Series and it's being played in CitiField.

Come on really. Isn't this enough for this season even if the team loses?

Mack Ade said...

Bob -

One more thing...

The secret tonight is the same it's been since the All-Star break... seven great innings from the starter

Anonymous said...

Mets have to hit. That's the story of this Series. A team OPS of .432.

Some folks want to make it a referendum on "the approach," but that's absurd. Since July 31, the Mets have been the far better offensive team -- but you couldn't tell from the first two games. That has to change.

JP

bgreg98180 said...

Hey, anytime a starting pitcher goes 7 innings in a World Series game, it is a good sign.

Best thing I can hope for is that Syndesgaard goes out there tonight and does what he does best while enjoying himself and maintaining his killer instinct focus.

Mack Ade said...

Bob -

It's game 3 in the World Series and it's being played in Queens. Billy Joel is singing, Mike Piazza is throwing out the first ball, and the Mets are wearing NYPD hats for BP... I already have my Mets shirt on...

You can't put me in a bad mood regardless of the outcome tonight

bgreg98180 said...

Mack.

I'm really confused now by what you are responding to me.
I am not being negative in any way. Not trying to put you in a bad mood.

On the contrary.
I am being very supportive and extremely Positive in that all Syndesgaard and the rest of the Mets have to do is play the way they play naturally.
Just go out.
Enjoy competing and showing off all of their best abilities.

In my eyes the Mets have beat the best that have been put in front of them at each step of their journey through the playoffs.
They have done this by doing their best and playing how they play naturally.

Now they are one of the 2 best that are left standing.
Trust what has gotten them to this point.
Give all that they have and enjoy the competition and opportunity to prove they are the Best.

Tom Brennan said...

Hopefully Billy Joel is not singing his song "PRESSURE".

Here are some of the lyrics:

Don't ask for help, You're all alone - Pressure
You'll have to answer, To your own - Pressure
I'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationale

But here you are in the ninth
Two men out and three men on
Nowhere to look but inside
Where we all respond to - Pressure - Pressure

Tom Brennan said...

Remarkable Yordano Ventura stat. in his career, he has given up 151 runs. Only 6 of them are unearned - how is THAT for defense.

This guy has a career 1.30 WHIP and a homer every 11 innings - Thor is clearly better. Let's win tonight - and tomorrow - and Sunday.

Mack Ade said...

Bob -

I'm not responding to you negatively.

I just was making a general statement

bgreg98180 said...

Ahhhhhh
Ok
My bad