Jose De La Torre, Declassifying First Base, Rushing Prospects, Igarashi's MRI...and Vin Scully

Jose De La Torre:


Stock Up: De La Torre has picked up where he left off last season going 0-0, 1.04, in 8.2-IP for the B-Mets. It also includes 12-K’s, four of which were last night in his two perfect innings pitched.


Many of us thought we might have seen the last of him when he was operated on for TJS and missed the entire 2008 season, but Jose came back strong last year, first going 3-3, 2.77, 26-G, 3-SV, 35-K, 39.0-IP for St. Lucie, followed by late season stats of 3-2, 2.67, 18-G, 2-SV, 37-K, 30.1-IP for Binghamton.


De La Torre is playing 2010 as a 25-year old, and features a 4-seam 90-91 fastball, a 2-seam FB, a change-up, and, his go-to pitch, a nasty slider. Oh yeah… he’s a right handed reliever… know anybody that could use one?

Declassifying First Base:

We talked about this position yesterday morning and I promised to get back to you regarding where Nick Evans will wind up. As it turns out, Evans (the official version was he had the flu) either remained in Binghamton or was called back from the airport after the injury to the starting first baseman at AA, Marshall Hubbard, in the second inning last night. There is no report on Hubbard’s injury, but Lucas Duda returned to first base last night for the first time since last year (I think…). Evans DH’d… while up in Buffalo, Chris Carter was on first and Mike Hessman DH’d there. BTW, Carter is currently in a miserable slump which probably has cost him any chance of coming to Queens this month.


The point of all this is everybody, including me, should stop worrying about first base for, oh, I don’t know… let’s say five years.


As said over and over yesterday, the Ike Davis era has begun. And, for the sake of argument, let’s say that Ike doesn’t get another hit between tonight and the day Daniel Murphy comes off the DL. Then, you’see see Murphy and Tatis (remember, whether you like him or not, Tatis is the only real 3B in the system that could step in for David Wright in an emergency) for the remainder of the year until next spring, when it will be the Davis show again.


First base is done, folks. The only person that might benefit from this, other than Davis, could be Evans as a utility backup at first and in the outfield. Oh yeah… he was drafted by the Mets as a third baseman.

Rushing Prospects:

The New York Mets have long had a reputation for rushing their very best prospects. Both Jose Reyes and Fernando Martinez made it to the majors before they were even allowed to have a beer legally, and while most of their prospects don't make it quite that fast, the Mets have rarely gone one level at a time with their most talented youngsters. Things have changed little this season, as the team has continued to call up its best prospects at a borderline alarming rate. It started with the decision to place the team's best pitching prospect, 20-year-old right-hander Jenrry Mejia, in the big league club's bullpen in spite of the fact that it's just his third season professionally and he has just 44 innings of experience above Single-A. By most accounts, Mejia has the makings of an ace with the proper development. Keith Law rated him as the game's No. 23 prospect, saying of him, "If the Mets slow him down a little and let him spend all of 2010 (and maybe some of 2011) in the minors to improve his command and the consistency of his changeup and curve, they have a chance for a No. 1 or No. 2 starter." - link

Ryota Igarashi:

Mets reliever Ryota Igarashi is to be examined via MRI Wednesday. The right-hander strained his left hamstring in the eighth inning of Tuesday night's 4-0 victory over the Cubs when he squatted to field a bunt.
Igarashi faced two additional batters after hurting himself, but he was then removed after a visit to the mound by the trainer.

Vin Scully:

The start to today’s Dodgers game against the Giants was just like any other for broadcaster Vin Scully. In fact, when someone went into his booth to congratulate the 82 year-old Scully on the 60th anniversary of calling his first game, he wasn’t aware that he had reached the significant milestone. And in typical Scully fashion, he brushed it off and continued about his business, preferring that all attention be focused on the players on the field, rather than himself. And, Dodger fans, if you think we have it great now with Scully, imagine back to April 18, 1950 when the rookie Scully switched innings on the radio with Red Barber and Connie Desmond.

http://dodgerfan.net/scully-celebrates-60th-anniv-of-first-game