Draft 2012: - Avery Romero, Ty Hensley, Jake Stewart, Austin Aune, Nick Dolsky

9-18-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/09/18/avery-romero-2012-draft-profile  - Player:  Avery Romero

                Position:  SS/2B

                School:  Pedro Menendez HS, FL

                Date of Birth:  5/11/1993

                Height/Weight:  6’0/195

                Bats/Throws:  R/R

                Class Of:  2012

                Committed To:  Florida

                Scouting Report: -  Avery Romero is one of the top prep prospects from talent rich Florida. Romero has a smooth balanced swing that produces power to all fields.  He has good bat speed and makes consistent hard contact.  Pitch recognition is another strength for Romero. Romero shows good actions in the infield.  He has soft hands to go along with a strong accurate arm.  Some see a move to third base in the future due to Romero lacking ideal quickness for a middle infield spot. Romero is a competitive player with a very strong work ethic.  He looks to be a high round selection in the 2012 draft

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments

Ty Hensley, Santa Fe HS, Edmond OK, 6’4 1/2 220, tall righty with plus arm strength, fb very straight and no deception, delivery out of synch on this day, up to 93 on fb, most were 91, cb has proper bite not much deception as he slows delivery down to get it over, will be someone to watch. Good bloodlines.

9-8-11: - http://www.gacksports.com/65590/2012-mlb-mock-draft-update - 19. San Francisco Giants Jake Stewart Outfielder Stanford Jake Stewart is an outfielder for Stanford.    His dad James played baseball at Virginia Tech before being a minor league player for the Minnesota Twins. His high school team won 3 straight state championships before being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 14th round following high school.  He won state championships in 2007 and 2008 while playing football and basketball in high school.  Williams had a .511 batting average during his senior year of high school.

9-21-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6253 – Comment From Larry - Who is the top 2012 HS player out of Texas. Williams and Hawkins both seem to have very high ceilings. Anybody else?  - Texas is loaded this year, even with the probable withdrawl of SS C.J. Hinojosa, a Anthony Rendon clone, from the 2012 draft to enroll early at Texas. Williams and Hawkins certainly stand out, but there is a depth of players around the state. One of my favorite sleepers is Argyle HS 3B/CF Austin Aune, who is also a top QB going to TCU. He has first round tools in my opinion if everything falls right for him next spring.

9-1-11: - http://xmlbscout.angelfire.com   Nick Dolsky, Nebraska, 6'7 235, tall righty, draft eligible due to age, turns 21 in December, comes downhill from H 3/4 arm slot, has some life on his fb down on the knees that will touch 91-92 on occ, most fb upper 80's, had a very solid summer thus far in the N'woods League and seems to have found his breaking ball over the summer. With new pitching coach Silva working with him this fall, the sky is the limit with this kid. Right now projects to be a 4-7 rounder but could move up with added velocity and better command next spring. You don't get many tall righties with good coordination like this kid has.

My 50th Year With The Mets

I feel like I should have thrown out the first pitch today.

I attended my first New York Met game on April 13,1962. The Mets lost 4-3, behind Sherman “Roadblock” Jones. LF Frank Thomas hit the first home run in the Polo Grounds and Roberto Clemente went 1-4 for the Pirates.

I was hooked.

I lived in Ozone Park, but the trip was simple. Walk the four blocks up to Liberty Avenue, get on the A train and stay on it until the last stop in Manhattan. I went to most of the games with a guy named Norman Shoemaker, who rooted for the Houston Colt 45’s. Tickets were $1.50 and hot dogs went for a quarter.  I was 15-years old and was thrilled to once again have a National League team in “the city”.

I’ve always been a Mets fan and never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever write about them “for a living” (sic). I started this whole blog thing seven seasons ago and have enjoyed every minute of it.

I’ve told you a number of times that I became a better writer a few years ago when I stopped being a fan. You write better when you aren’t emotionally attached to things, and, trust me, it’s best to keep your distance from this team and the organization.

My hero will always be Gil Hodges and my biggest thrill was interviewing David Wright in the clubhouse. My biggest disappointment was the 2007 flop and the loss of my press credentials last year.

There have been 50 Mets seasons. This included two world championships. 2-48.

2011 was an interesting year for me. I tried to stretch this site with a subscription fee, and it simply didn’t work. I lost an excellent writer, Teddy Dziuba, and chased off a loyal good friend, David Rubin.  The readership grew due to a heightened awareness of the minor league players and the fact that new, exciting writers joined the site in mid-season.

Today felt a lot like the day Tom Seaver was traded. I simply can’t imagine Jose Reyes not returning next season to camp. I know this is a business, but there has to be a way to makes Reyes happy wearing this uniform and making almost two million bucks a month.

I can’t predict the future. No one can. I wish I could be around for 50 more seasons, but, at this point, I’d settle for one.

We’re going to continue to try and make sense out of the Mets minor league system and help the players get their unfair share of publicity. That’s the role of Mack’s Mets. And that’s the role of me.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this every day.

Cutnpaste: - Manny Acosta, Gary Carter Update, Mets 2012 Closer, Retro Ratliff, Blocking The Yanks

Michael Baron: For most of the month, or really, most of the time since Francisco Rodriguez was dealt to the Brewers, I’ve said it’s been a time of learning about the current pieces in the Mets bullpen. It hasn’t been so much about finding out who these players are so much as it’s been about learning who they aren’t. In the case of Acosta, there has been a lot of growth with him as a player this season. Having said that, I think it’s clear he isn’t consistent enough to close on a regular basis. However, Acosta has most definitely proven he can be a very good setup man and a guy who could be mixed-and-matched in the seventh and eighth innings, depending on the matchups. While nothing is set in stone, I expect him to not just be back next season but to figure prominently in that role. Since June 28, Acosta has pitched to a 1.89 ERA in 38 innings. - http://www.metsblog.com/2011/09/25/what-to-make-of-manny-acosta

Medical staff treating Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter for cancerous brain tumors discovered "an abnormal and unusual spot" on his right temple, his daughter Kimmy Bloemers wrote in the family's online journal Sunday night. He was immediately dispatched to get a biopsy. "When I saw the look on my dad's face, I just wanted to cry," Bloemers wrote. "This journey has been so emotional when there has been just one thing after the next that dad has to conquer. Dad did not complain; he just had look of sadness. I really hate that dad has to go through such a tough road. Dad got the biopsy and actually had several spots removed in various places. We hope to find out the results soon." - http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7021281/hofer-gary-carter-suffers-setback-cancer-battle

 The Rays took the much-maligned Kyle Farnsworth and turned him into an effective closer this season. I wonder, if someone studied the issue deeply, if relief pitchers are actually more effective working as a closer than as a setup man. Are the best relief pitchers used as closers because they’re the best relievers, or is there something about the usage pattern that makes closers the best relievers? Because the closer role is the only relief role in history that has a regular usage pattern associated with it, and there might be something to that. I guess the point is that the Mets might be better off signing a non-closer on the cheap, sticking him in the ninth, and then watching him transform into an elite reliever. Maybe it’s just the usage pattern. - http://www.patrickfloodblog.com/2011/09/26/the-search-for-a-closer/#comment-3367

 June 18, 2008 - OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Sean Ratliff homered and Cord Phelps tripled in Stanford's four-run fifth inning, and the Cardinal ousted top-seeded Miami from the College World Series with an 8-3 victory Wednesday night. The Cardinal (41-23-2) advanced to the Bracket 1 finals against Georgia, needing to beat the Bulldogs twice to return to the best-of-three championship round for the second time since 2003. Ratliff's 22nd homer of the season and fourth in 10 NCAA tournament games ended Miami starter Enrique Garcia's night after 4 1-3 innings. Garcia (7-3) had worked at least five innings in eight of his nine previous starts, but was tagged for five runs on eight hits - the last being Ratliff's high fly into the stands in right-center. - http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/stories/061908aaf.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cstv%2Fheadline-rss+%28CSTV+Headlines%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

The last time the Mets blocked a minor league team from coming into the Tri-State Area it led to the wildly successful Long Island Ducks and the Atlantic League. Seventeen years later the Mets play the baseball grinch again by blocking the Scranton Yankees from playing their 2012 International League home schedule at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark. This time, however, I don’t believe baseball in Newark will have a happy ending. Newark baseball has a rich tradition that dates back to 1902. There were the Newark Indians, Newark Pepper of the Federal League, and the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League. Effa Manley was their owner and she was the first woman to own and operate a professional baseball team. The current Newark Bears edition, which plays in the independent Can-Am League, is a spinoff of the Yankees minor league affiliate of the same name that existed from 1926 to 1949. - http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=40312

Q and A with Mack and... C Miquel Leaf

Mack:  We're back with our continuing series of interviews with Mets ballplayers and today we're speaking with catcher Miquel Leaf, who just finished the 2011 season with the DSL1 team. Hola, Miquel. How are you doing?

Leaf   Hi .. I'm fine ! I'm at home, happy with my family. I am very happy to be in my country again and even more thank God I had a good 2011 season.

Mack: Yes you did! Tell us a little about the great season you had.

Leaf:    This season I wanted to improve all my faults as well as my strengths and focus more on each at-bat . Thank God everything went as expected everything went well.

Mack:  Miquel, you increased your OBP from .302 in 2010 to .351 in 2011. OBP is the one stat all scouts look at. Did you feel like you "saw" the ball better this year?

Leaf:   This year I felt much better physically, more prepared, more experienced and that helped me a lot to have a good year

Mack: Miquel, what are you working on in the off-season to improve your game?

Leaf:  In the offseason I'm working on the block the ball and the speed of my hands when batting and on the strength of my arm throwing





Mack:    Miquel, I'm sure I don't have to tell you how few prospect catchers there are in the Mets system right now. Has anyone told you that you might be coming stateside this spring?

Leaf:  The truth is nobody has told me if I'm going this spring, but I have the hope to travel to play there in United States.

Mack:  Miquel, thank you for spending a few minutes with us and we're all rooting for you. Trust me, we need catching. Anything you want to say to your fans out there?

Leaf:  Thanks to all my fans for following me. And thank you, Mack, for giving me the opportunity to interview and taking me into account . Thank you very much to all

Mets Analysis – 2012 Full Season Relievers

Josh Edgin – It’s hard to think that someone could have a better year than Josh had in 2011. Savannah stats were: 24-G, 0.87, 0.77, 2.26-BABIP, 1.85-FIP. He followed this in St. Lucie with: 24-G, 1.57, 1.19, .307, 2.95. I expect him to start off in Binghamton, but this soon to be 25-year old could move quickly up the chain. Looks like a real find.

Brad Holt – First of all, this could be a moot point if the Mets don’t protect Holt in the Rule V… err, okay… FIVE Draft. I’m assuming here that they will. You’re not going to see great 2011 stats here. His relief ERA was 4.09, while he posted 5.04 as a starter. The good news was his K/BB ration as a reliever… 35-K/33.0-IP. My hope is thye protect him and let him try this again at the AA-level. There’s no rush for a reliever.

Nick Carr – Speaking of no rush for a reliever, all the Mets have to do is figure out a way to keep Carr healthy and they have a live one here. Carr has already been in the system for six years, but has only pitched in 120 games. A failed starter, he had outstanding numbers this year at three levels (30-appearances, 3-0, 2.27, 39.2-IP, 41-K, 20-BB). Carr still sits in the high 90s and will play 2012 as a 25-year old. Look for him to be in Binghamton.

Jeff Kaplan – Kaplan spent most of the season in St. Lucie (45-G, 3.45, 44-K, 24-BB, ,57-1-IP), but did appear in Binghamton as well (3-G). He had an incredible April in which he went 0.71, 1-ER, 12.2-IP, in 11 games. Things blew up in May (5.28) and June (9.39), but he finished up the season strong. All Kaplan has to do is be a ittle more consistent and cut down on the walks. Another Binghamton reliever in April.

Jack Leathersich – Leathersich signed late this year and only got into nine games for the Cyclones, but made one hell of an impression: 12.2-IP, 26-K, 0.71-ERA. Jack’s a college boy, so he should be ready for a full schedule team. I’m expecting to see him in Savannah this season.

The Gamers vs. The Gifted: Schwinden vs. Harvey

I want everyone to take a wild guess who is gonna win this. Go ahead.

Full Name: Christopher Schwinden

Born: 09/22/1986

Birthplace: Visalia, CA

College: Fresno Pacific

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Chris Schwinden was basically a huge 2011 surprise for me and most Met fans. He was never "Bad" but he was also not supposed to be THIS good. let alone this good at AAA.

The nice thing to see with Schwinden is that he does have some "Stuff" to go along with his command. I'm not sure... but he might actually be better than Dillon Gee in terms of "Gifted-ness" He'll have a shot of winning a rotation spot with the Mets. Though... depending on who they sign he might have a lot or only a little competition. If he's a starter... he'd better prove it quick with Harvey, Familia and Mejia looming.

Schwinden's Scouting Report:

What Schwinden lacks in overall power and velocity, he makes up for with movement and command. His fastball usually falls between 90-92 MPH and he uses his control of the pitch to take control of the count. His go-to secondary pitch is a changeup that sits in the 80-84 range. He also shows a slider and a curveball. The slider is a solid pitch he can command but the "swing and miss" pitch is the curve.

Full Name: Matthew Harvey

Born: 03/27/1989

Birthplace: New London, CT

College: North Carolina

Height: 6' 4"

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Right... so before the season I was annoyed at how highly everyone rated Matt Harvey. He hadn't pitched a single frame for a professional team and he was suddenly better than guys who HAD been pitching... and pitching pretty well.

Then... he exploded onto the scene in Port St. Lucie and I kinda got a bit too excited about him. I realized the Mets would put him on the "Fast-Track" and that he had the potential to be an Ace.

Then... he got to Binghamton and came back to earth. My expectations of his ceiling didn't diminish but I was no longer dreaming of a 2012 debut.

Then... he finished the year strong and I began to wonder if Harvey was indeed going to have an outside shot of impacting the 2012 ball club. Also... I wondered if I might be bi-polar.

My actual prediction for Harvey's 2012 is pretty tame. He'll start the year in AA... follow Familia to AAA and... if the Mets are "In It" see only a taste of the bigs. If the Mets drop out of the race I could see him getting more than a taste.

Harvey's Scouting Report:

MECHANICS

Harvey generates mid-90s velocity from a high three-quarters release point with relative ease. Plagued by mechanical inconsistency as a sophomore, Harvey now operates with a simpler and better-paced motion. Previously, he would rush toward home plate with a forceful stride, causing his arm to play “catch-up”, which produced varying release points and a cross-body finish. This season, he has shown more consistency in getting his pitching arm-side forearm to a vertical position as his glove-side foot lands. As a result, he has eliminated that cross-body action, increased his hip-shoulder separation, and improved his tempo, which explains why he is now pitching with the best velocity and fastball command since he arrived on campus. He has a tendency to pull his shoulder out as he swings his arm into the high-cocked position, making it more difficult than necessary to repeat his arm path, but suggesting that he could improve his command still further. The adjustments Harvey has made to this point are a testament to his work ethic and aptitude, which have been questioned in the past.

PITCH REPERTOIRE
MECHANICS

Harvey generates mid-90s velocity from a high three-quarters release point with relative ease. Plagued by mechanical inconsistency as a sophomore, Harvey now operates with a simpler and better-paced motion. Previously, he would rush toward home plate with a forceful stride, causing his arm to play “catch-up”, which produced varying release points and a cross-body finish. This season, he has shown more consistency in getting his pitching arm-side forearm to a vertical position as his glove-side foot lands. As a result, he has eliminated that cross-body action, increased his hip-shoulder separation, and improved his tempo, which explains why he is now pitching with the best velocity and fastball command since he arrived on campus. He has a tendency to pull his shoulder out as he swings his arm into the high-cocked position, making it more difficult than necessary to repeat his arm path, but suggesting that he could improve his command still further. The adjustments Harvey has made to this point are a testament to his work ethic and aptitude, which have been questioned in the past.

PITCH REPERTOIRE

Harvey’s four-seam fastball sits in the 92-96 mph range and touches 98, but has proven very hittable over his college career because it lacks for life. This prompted he and pitching coach Scott Forbes to develop a two-seam fastball this spring, a heavy ball that arrives at 91-93 which he keeps in the lower-third of the zone. Harvey has relied on his two-seamer often – particularly late in games – to consistently generate weak contact and limit his pitch count, which helps explain why he has pitched deeper into games with greater frequency this season. His breaking pitch of choice is his slider, which comes in at 83-85 and flashes plus right now. The pitch gets good rotation and tilt when thrown well, but it will occasionally flatten out and give the appearance of a slow cutter. He has lost the feel for his power curveball, which had plus potential coming out of high school as a third-round pick of the Angels in 2007, often failing to stay on top of it and hanging way up in the zone. But he has previously demonstrated the requisite hand speed to spin a good one, so this degradation should just be temporary. Harvey exhibits feel for a changeup, a 79-83 offering with some tumble, although his motion is noticeably more deliberate from a side view.

Duh... Matt Harvey wins but keep in mind that Harvey needs to have another good year before the Mets will throw him into the mix for a starting job. Schwinden is already under consideration.

The Keepers: - #84 - 3B/1B/O - Joe Bonfe

84.  Joe Bonfe

4-5-11 - Up: - 3B – Joe Bonfe –Bonfe returns to Savannah next week to play three positions… third base, the outfield, and third base. I believe he is ready for A+ ball; however, the Mets are a little deep right now in prospect third baseman. Bonfe knows you can’t play enough positions if you want to get to the Bigs some day and the 6-4, 220 pound Bonfe is much more suited to his new positions. 

82 – OF/1B – Joe Bonfe – Bonfe is a smart dude. He was a 2009 21st round pick that played third base and was basically going nowhere in the organization. He then decided to add the positions of first base and corner outfielder with an obvious eventually goal to snag a future utility position in Queens. Right now, he’s hitting .259 and will have to step it up both hit and power wise if this plan is to work. I’ll send him to St. Lucie to continue the journey. ETA: - TBD

Draft 2012: - Ryan McNeil, Ralph Garza, Gavin Cecchini, John Kilichowski, Chris Taylor

9-21-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6253 – Ryan McNeil is a solid guy, a physical innings eater 3rd starter type with good present stuff and command. I just got an update on him this morning saying that he's been 90-94 early this fall pitching for scout teams and is smoothing out his mechanics (he tends to fly open early). I don't think he's a first round guy but he doesn't fall much after that.

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Ralph Garza, New Braunfels HS, Tex 6’1 180, showed nice rotation on cb, fb up to 90 very straight, easy delivery with average control, not real deceptive just yet.

9-8-11: - http://www.gacksports.com/65590/2012-mlb-mock-draft-update - 16. Toronto Blue Jays Gavin Cecchini Short Stop Barbe High School Louisiana People are saying Cecchini is a top ten pick.  My top baseball source who gives me helpful advice that I apply to future MLB Mock drafts has Cecchini listed as a 2nd to 3rd round pick.

9-19-11: - http://xmlbscout.angelfire.com  - LHP, John Kilichowski, Jesuit HS, Tampa FL, 6'5 180, smooth lefty from stretch, 3/4 slot, some lower 3/4 slot with good 7/1 cb action and fb that touches 90 on occ, most are 87-88 with late life when middle out vs RHH. Show good command for his size and must keep his body back some to allow arm to catch up with front side during delivery. A work in progress, reminds me of Chris Sale some, but not quite that arm speed Sale possesses. 2013 hopeful!!

9-26-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/9/24/2446224/sullys-2012-mlb-draft-top-70-prospects#comments - I liked what I've seen of (Chris) Taylor. Saw him for UVA against BC in the spring and then again on the Cape. I’m not all that confident in the bat, but he has a nice broad skillset… no real major flaws in his game and a nice body for a (big) middle infielder (or possibly 3B). Could still add more strength and I think he’ll hit for more pop than he is now, too. I thought “major leaguer” when I saw him, but probably not an impact guy. A lot could change with how he does this spring but I think 2nd to 3rd round makes sense.

Baseball: Alexander Massengill, Grant Green, Kila Ka’aihue, Rudy J. Ledesma, Joe Nathan

The University of Cincinnati baseball team has adopted 10-year-old cancer survivor Alexander Massengill as an honorary teammate through The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, head coach Brian Cleary announced Wednesday. “We’re glad to have Alex as a part of the team,” said Cleary. “I expect his involvement will be a great benefit to our players.” Alex, an avid baseball fan, was diagnosed with a medublastoma brain tumor in April 2010. After eight months of procedures and treatments at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Alex has been free of cancer since December. He recently returned back to school and was healthy enough to rejoin his little-league baseball team over the summer. - http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/09/24/cincinnati-welcomes-alex-massengill-to-bearcat-family

Grant Green is the best hope that A’s have in the minors right now to be an offensive minded SS. His power was on display last season but has been lacking in 2011 until recently. He’s certainly behind last years pace by a great distance which must be disappointing for both he and the A’s. But he still is showing the skill set to make him an average defender and hitter inside of the next year. But a 20/20 SS is probably not who Green will ever be. The search for the SS of the future will continue. ETA: 2012 - http://baseballinstinct.com/2011/09/25/prospect-instinct-grant-green-of-oakland-athletics

Kila Ka’aihue – Despite being given a full-time job in Kansas City and some very optimistic third-party projections heading into the season, the Kila Monster not only saw himself lose his job with the MLB team, but also his employment all-together.  He’s spent time in AAA since 2008 and has averaged just short of 29 HR per 162 games at that level in his professional career, so by now no one doubts the power that the Hawai’i native possesses.  Now that he’s been DFAed, Kila can essentially be acquired at no cost by any team of the league and, at age 27, he’s still got a few seasons before his ‘old man’ skills will likely begin to decline.  At the very least, Ka’aihue can provide some organizational depth for teams like the Giants (as long as Belt can still play LF or remains the reasonless red-headed step-child of the organization), Dodgers, Mariners or Orioles, if not start for those teams.  Worst case, as can be said for most of those who appear on this list, he could probably make some sort of Dan Johnson-like resurgence in Japan. - http://www.replacementlevelbaseball.com/2011/09/who-will-be-the-next-mark-trumbo

An 18-year-old man who died when he crashed a pickup into an Riverside (91) Freeway overpass pillar was identified today as a California Baptist University baseball player from Anaheim. Rudy J. Ledesma Jr. was believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel before his eastbound Dodge Dakota pickup crashed into a guardrail, overturned and hit a pillar supporting the Buchanan Street overpass about 3:05 a.m. Saturday, according to The Orange County Register.  The young man, who had played baseball at Cypress High School, had just moved to Riverside this month to attend Cal Baptist. - http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/58890

Joe Nathan: He may not want to leave Minnesota, but whether or not the Twins bring him back remains to be seen. Nathan had Tommy John surgery in 2010 and returned to the mound with Minnesota in June. He's made forty-five appearances since then, posting pretty good rates of 8.86 K/9 and 2.81 BB/9. His fastball is a bit slower than it was pre-injury, which might partially explain why Nathan has given up home runs many more often than he did in the past. He's turning 37 in November, which makes his odds of injury higher but potential salary lower for next season. - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/9/22/2441932/the-search-for-the-mets-2012-closer-recently-injured-pitchers