CUTNPASTE: - Ike Davis, Hornets' Nest, Band-Aid, MLB’s least efficient team... and Hisashi Iwakuma

photo by Michael G. Baron

Ike Davis:



fangraphs  - I’m not going to lie and say I saw this coming. Davis has been very good this year, and has gotten overlooked quite a bit. He has the Mets job going forward, and will be a big part in their rebuilding plan. - Crude 2011 Projection: .270/.365, 23 HR - Verdict: Keep. He may never be a superstar, but he’ll put up good numbers.

Hornets’ Nest:


nj.com  - The events of yesterday represented both a monumental step in reshaping the franchise and the creation of an opportunity to correct the perception. The Mets relieved Minaya of his duties as general manager and, for at least the time being, eliminated his input into club decisions. The team declined to exercise the option on Manuel’s contract for next season. Minaya could return, should he and the incoming general manager want to work together. Minaya leaves a hornets’ nest. Fan unrest morphed into outright apathy by season’s end. The roster remains soaked with players in line for nine-figure salaries next season. Baseball America rated the farm system 25th in all of baseball at the beginning of the season. One game away from the World Series in 2006, the Mets have not returned to the playoffs since.

Band-Aid:


BGWW  - One reporter was so on point to ask just how the Wilpons plan on finding the right individual to run their “baseball department” (gasp, I hate when the Wilpons use that term to describe the Mets…kind of like a hobby). This obviously implies that they must do something different from what they have done in years past since the process they have used thus far is an obvious failure. Fred Wilpon even took a reporter’s suggestion under advisement in regards to the GM search. I don’t know about you, but this does not fill me with much confidence. One thing is for sure, pushing Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel out the door just puts a band-aid on this festering wound. After all, it was the Wilpons that gave Minaya the position in the first place. Minaya did not hire himself, did he? I will continue to state what I have always stated since I began this blog. Until the Wilpons accept the blame for THEIR inept decision-making, this team will continue to be a mess. Why should we be naive enough to think anything differently?

MLB’s least efficient team:


Forbes  - The criteria for the ‘least efficient’ teams is combining high ‘costs per win’ with a non-winning season (i.e. 81 or fewer wins). By this criteria, the 5 least efficient teams from the 2010 MLB season are:


1) Chicago Cubs (75 wins…$1.96 million per win)


2) New York Mets (79 wins…$1.68 million per win)


3) Seattle Mariners (61 wins…$1.61 million per win)

Hisashi Iwakuma:


MWOB  - He won the equivalent of the Cy Young award in 2008 overcoming shoulder woes and then an elbow surgery in October 2007 to come from nowhere to finish with 21-4, 1.87 numbers. Minor injuries have prevented him from repeating those numbers in subsequent seasons, falling to 13-6 with a 3.25 ERA in 2009 but bouncing back last year to string together 10-9, 2.82 numbers for a last place club. Yuniesky Maya and Hisashi Iwakuma are probably myworld’s two favorite pitchers outside the United States. Maya is now pitching for the Nationals. Perhaps the Orioles will be lucky enough to post Iwakuma. Iwakuma is not an overpowering pitcher, but he locates his pitches well, keeping the ball down in the strike zone. Like Koji with a K Uehara, his out pitch is the splitter that he mixes with his slider. He used to throw in the mid-90s, but he pitches more on guile similar to Greg Maddux. Keeping the ball low does create a lot of double play opportunities and myworld had an opportunity to see him spin a shutout live in Japan. He does make it look easy as he works his way through a batting order. The barrel of the bat rarely hits the ball flush.