Mack Ade – Morning Report – 4-20-13

Buster Olney ‏@Buster_ESPN38s

The Mets don't have a lot... but they've got Matt Harvey. He is becoming to their franchise what Felix is to the Mariners.

The Marlins Designate John Maine For Assignment


Steven Matz passed another critical test for the Sand Gnats. He pitched five scoreless innings, striking out five and walking only one. More important, the arm remains sound.. In Vegas, Zack Wheeler continued to have control problems (3-ER, 6-BB) bit he left gave giving up only one run (4.1-IP, 108-P, 61-K, 4.42). The B-Mets Erik Goeddel was bombed (4.1-IP, 8-H, 5-ER, 5.2) and St. Lucie' Angel Cuan went to hell with himself (3.1-IP, 11-H, 9-ER, 8.25). Not your best night for starters in the system.

Boston Bombing: April 15

 Oklahoma City Bombing: April 19

 Waco Siege: April 19

 Columbine Massacre: April 20

BA Hot Sheet

Wilmer Flores, 3b, Mets. Against the backdrop of Triple-A Las Vegas teammates Zack Wheeler (blister on middle finger) and Travis d’Arnaud (broken foot) dealing with injury woes, Flores just keeps hitting. The 21-year-old went 12-for-30 (.400) with a homer and four doubles this week, but more remarkably he has just three strikeouts in 15 games this season.

Going into Friday’s game,  Savannah has three of the top eight hitters in the league… Kevin Plaweck (.353) at #8, Jayce Boyd (.377) at #4, and Brandon Nimmo (.411) at #1. Rainey Lara (0.62) is #2 in WHIP.

I’ve come to learn ... err...

1. NEW RULE - no more inside info passed on to Mets fans on Twitter/MMs/Facebook - done - fini.

Kevin Kernan on Matt Harvey – link

Before the Mets officially opened camp, Collins was asked what kind of year he was hoping for from Harvey. Collins said if Harvey could pitch 200 innings, he might win 17 games. Relaying that information to Harvey, he smiled and said: “I’d like to add three to that. That’s where my head is always going to be at — 20-plus is what I’m going to strive for every year.’’ He is a pitching beast who will accept all challenges. He is locking up hitters with his high fastball. As he said that day in Port St. Lucie, “Mediocre is not OK for me. It’s never been OK. That’s how I play, that’s how I was raised.’’

It seems that the Mets beat reporters are concentrating on what’s good about the 2013 NY Mets and, right now, that’s John Buck and Matt Harvey.

Brando Nimmo – link

“I didn’t get burnt out on baseball. I got to play different sports in high school, which was good for me,” he said. “I got plenty of experience against really good competition.”In 70 games for his American Legion club in 2010, Nimmo hit .448 with 15 home runs and 34 stolen bases. Unfortunately, those numbers didn’t exactly translate over to his time with the Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York Penn League last season, when his average slumped to .248. “I think I put a bit too much pressure on myself in the beginning,” he admitted, “and then when things didn’t go well, it was a bit pressing.”

                This is your new number one prospect folks…

Omar Minaya on Mike Harvey -  link

“Rudy Terrasas (a Mets scout who was scouting director at the time, overseeing the draft) was the one who brought him to my attention. Rudy deserves a lot of the credit for this one. “Harvey wasn’t a guy who was on a lot of people’s lists at first, because his sophomore year (at UNC) wasn’t great. What I saw was your classic power pitcher. "My impression of him was of a durable righthanded power pitcher, and an aggressive guy who attacked the zone. In that way, he reminded me of a guy like Roger Clemens. “We only had like three first-round picks when I was there, and the last power pitcher we had taken there was Mike Pelfrey. Harvey had Pelfrey’s velocity, but he also had very good secondary pitches. They were advanced. His curveball, his slider, his change-up. He had four pitches.“I saw him in Miami (pitching for the Tar Heels). The thing that impressed me most about Harvey was the way he sustained velocity. He was throwing 96, 97 late in the game. He’s doing that now, and he had that when I saw him in college. That’s what impressed me. “We use in scouting the phrase ‘attack mentality.’ He has that attack mentality. He was like Clemens. He just came at you."

               I will never bring up the name of Yazmani Grandal again…

We’re looking for a couple more writers… would love someone that attends either the St. Lucie or Binghamton games, but, frankly, anyone is invited to join the site. There’s no writing test here. We just invite you in and off you go. Email me at: macksmets@gmail.com and we’ll star you up!