Reese Kaplan -- The Mets Best Managers

Buck Showalter is doing something to help make the Mets fans and the media understand the importance of having a strong manager in place.  In the past we often wondered about decision making, lineup decisions, riding the cold hand instead of the hot hand as well as various other moves the manager makes to help win ballgames.  

Certainly Mickey Callaway, Luis Rojas and (yes) Terry Collins failed to do so effectively.  In the short period during which the Mets have employed Showalter they are seeing why he was twice named manager of the year.  

Prior to Buck's arrival, if you'd asked folks who was the best ever Mets manager, if they were old enough to have seen the games they would almost uniformly answer Gil Hodges.  The former first baseman was brought over to the Mets in 1968 to
take over the perennial losers to see if he could turn chicken poop into chicken salad.  

During his first year at the helm he finished with a losing record of 73-89, but if you look past those numbers you would see that in previous seasons the Mets' high water mark for victories was just 66, so that improvement was significant.  The very next season Hodges led the Mets to their first ever World Series championship.  His players marveled at how he contended with really just 4 regular players and 4 positions that were being platooned.  

He had a very green group of young pitchers that he manipulated masterfully and he was able for the first time to bring respect to the New York Mets.

During his Mets managerial career Gil Hodges was a winner, sporting a record of 339-309, a .523 winning percentage.  That was an incredible improvement over what folks had come to expect and had witnessed by the Mets since their inception.  

Unfortunately, it all came to an early and unexpected end on April 2nd of 1972 when after a foursome of golf with his coaches, he had a massive heart attack and passed away at just age 47.

In 1983 the Mets had a combined total of just 67 wins between manager George Bamberger and his interim replacement Frank Howard.  The Mets took a chance, bringing in a 41 year old former All Star player in Davey Johnson for his first ever managerial gig.  

Apparently they rolled the dice accurately because in his rookie season at the helm he finished in second place with a huge improvement to a total of 90 victories.  The next year in charge was even better with 98 wins and only 3 games out of first place.

All the pieces fell together for Johnson in his third year when the Mets won 108 games on their way to the 1986 World Series.  To be fair, he had quite a bit of talent on the roster including newcomers Darryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden, Sid Fernandez, Bobby Ojeda, Ron Darling, Kevin Mitchell and others.  Still, he shepherded the team to their best-ever record.  They sailed through the playoffs and engaged in the forever memorable Game 6 against the Boston Red Sox en route to a Game 7 World Series victory.

For his Mets career Davey Johnson delivered quite well, never falling further down in the standings than second place.  Yet somehow Frank Cashen felt it was time to axe the man as he started the 1990 season 20-23.  Bud Harrelson was hired as the new manager and things went from great to bleak in a big hurry.  Johnson finished his Mets career going 595-417 for a stellar .588 winning percentage.  Some might advocate he was even more productive than Gil Hodges.

The third contender in this pre-Buck bunch is former outfielder Bobby Valentine.  He certainly had the personality to deal with the New York media.  He seemed poised to motivate his players to win and engaged in a few memorable moments (such as sneaking back into the dugout when he'd been thrown out of a game wearing glasses with a fake mustache).  

Unlike Johnson, Valentine was not a rookie skipper.  He'd been handed the reins to oversee the Texas Rangers for a period of eight years.  He performed just below .500 during that era but apparently the Mets saw enough in him to take a chance to hire him as the head honcho in the dugout starting with the 1996 season.  

In the early going it was a bit rough starting off that first season with a 4th place finish.  The highlight to his managerial stint was a World Series against the crosstown New York Yankees.  Unfortunately, it was downhill after that resulting in his termination with a 5th place finish in 2002.  For his Mets seven years in charge he was a winner with a final managerial record of 536-467, a winning percentage of .534.

The list of bad Mets managers is quite long and sometimes you were left wondering why they kept any of them around as long as they did.  The biggest loser, of course, was Terry Collins whose managerial record in New York was 551-583, a percentage of just .486.  Even Casey Stengel without legitimate ballplayers only lost 402 games.  

Any other managers worth noting in the positive?

Tom Brennan and Mack Ade - Mets Recap

 

Questions of the Day:

Who is the fastest throwing Mets' minor league reliever?  

Is it one of these 2 AA relievers?

Bryce Montes de Oca?  1-1, 2.93, 15.1 IP, 23 Ks, 26 year old righty.

Michel Otanez? 0-1, 1.38, 13 IP, 17 Ks, 24 year old righty. W

Or someone else?

Second question: 

The new Noah Syndergaard threw an 8 inning gem the other day for the Angelos - 4 hits, one run, just 5 Ks. Now 38 innings in 2022, just 27 Ks, but 4-2 record.  Clearly, he has altered his game.  Can Jake deGrom follow suit, throttle down, and stay on the diamond?  First, of course, he has to get on the diamond.

Observation: 45 games played thru Tuesday, Francisco Lindor now has 32 RBIs, 30 Runs.  So he is on pace for 108 runs scored and 115 RBIs.

- Should we get off his back now?

METS GAME:

Baseball can at times present the most unusual scenarios.  The Mets have a guy who has been in their system since 2015, started 49 games and relieved in 7 others, and has 6 career wins.  Remarkably, that same guy got to start for the Mets against the Giants Wednesday. THOMAS SZAPUCKI.

A big reason for just 6 wins in that many starts is he rarely gets to 5 innings.  This season, after his 2021 nerve shift surgery in his previously repaired pitching elbow, he had 7 starts in AAA, totaling 22 innings, in which he fanned 30 and had a solid 2.86 ERA.  But he was 0-3 because he only had one game where he went 5 innings, in his May 15 start, so it is the only start he could have even gotten a win in.  He gave up 1 unearned run, but lost.  His team, Syracuse, hasn't scored very much.

AAA hitters were hitting .247 and he allowed 9 walks.  This year, in AAA, that qualifies him as being at the head of the starter class when David Peterson hasn't been temporarily sequestered there involuntarily.

So Big Tom gets his first major league start against a team that just scored 13 runs last night against three studs named Bassitt, Smith, and Diaz, and which won 107 games last year.  Piece of cake? 

Well, he did fan the first batter…before surrendering 5 runs faster than you could say Szapucki. Bad luck to have the wind blowing out. Shaky control. Nice pick off.

Second inning, 1 more out, 4 more runs, 2 more HRs, 60.75 ERA.  OUCH.

All I can ask Szapucki is, what did you learn that can make you better?

GREAT relief after his 1.1 innings was done, and a double and HR for Lindor.  Francisco is HOT!  Shutting mouths everywhere.

McNeil runs into a brick wall and left injured? In a 9-0 game.  DUMB! We need you, Jeff!  Only Pete can run through brick walls.

 

MINORS:

SYRACUSE - Righty Connor Grey threw 6 scoreless. Three straight starts of 6 innings and no runs.  Next one called up?  

Mark Vientos homer (6) and double, but no place in Queens  for him right now, and smoking hot Jake Mangum garners 3 more hits.  If shirt man Jankowski does not hit for the Mets, Mangum could get a shot later this year if he keeps on doing everything well.

BINGHAMTON - another dreary night of not hitting.  Downed 5-1, on a mere 3 hits.  Even Wyatt Young went hitless, somehow.  Carlos Cortes (.165) is hitting as if he is completely lost this year.  This time last year, he was tearing up AA.

BROOKLYN - Jaylen Palmer (2 for 5) seems to have figured something out. In game one, DH Jose Mena (.315) had 4 hits in an unusually high offense, 11-9 win.  

Sixteen hits - used them all up.  In the nightcap, though, shut out on 1 hit by Sherveyn Newton.  Nick Zwack gave up one earned run in 3 innings, enough to earn an "L"..  Ouch!

ST. LUCIE - Hitting pants back on our boys tonight.  12 hits - but 16 Ks, too.  Them thar Lucies sure can hit, hey Pa?  Consuegra HR (3).  Wold, Beracierta, Villalobos and Guerrera also went deep.  5 HRs in all.  Shaky 8-6 win, but they held on in the 9th.  Fending off a potential calamity is part of the learning experience.

Mack  -  My Thoughts

St. Lucie LHRP, Javier Atencio, was added to the team's roster on Monday.

He pitched his first stateside start on Tuesday, giving up only one run in four innings, striking out four, and producing a 1.00-WHIP.

He was signed in 2018 as an UDFA, out of Ocumare del Tuv, Venezuela.

He pitched 2019 and 2021 for the DSL Mets, going, last year, 1-3, 2.44, in 15 games (14 starts). He also posted 76-K in 48-IP, for a remarkable 14.25 K/9 ratio,

The Bleacher Report tagged Atencio as a the Mets breakout player to watch, saying:  

        "On the older side (20) of the prospect scale, Atencio has a good fastball, but the jump to a full season will determine his future."              

He's off to a great start.

-By my count, the Mets are starting to create a very worthy group of quality starter pieces in the lower levels.

Right now, I have:

        Brooklyn - Matt Allen, Mike Vasil

        St. Lucie - Calvin Ziegler, Dominic Hamel, Joel Diaz, Javier Atencio

        GCL Mets - Richard Britto

This should only increase after the July draft.

We currently have an eight man rotation, with three (Jake, Max, Megill) of our top starters on the shelf.

Both Megill and deGrom are now long tossing on grass and Trevor should be ready to go in early June, and Jake by the end of that same month.

My guess is, with good health going forward, and Steve's wallet, we should be okay at this critical position until the talented guppies swim up stream.

- Going into this game, Francisco Lindor was ranked 7th in the NL for RBIs.

-3B Kris Bryant (.270), was placed on the IL with a back strain. Probably dodged a bullet here.

- Syracuse OF Daniel Palka is now ranked 5th in the league with 10 home runs

- Since May 1, 3B Mark Vientos leads the Syracuse team with a .294 batting average.

- I guess it is time to realize that, going forward, Thomas Szapucki is not a viable option for the Mets rotation.

For now, Bassitt, Walker, Cookie, Peterson, and Williams.

- One has to wonder at this point why the Mets didn't just start Trevor Williams, even though he only had 3 games of rest. The Mets shut the Giants out, 3-0, past Szapucki.

-Jeff McNeil doesn't know how to quit, does he? He said his bruised knee will not prevent him from playing on Friday.

-Geez. We left a lot more than our heart in San Francisco.

Tom Brennan: Long Ball Lindor, or Line Drive Lindor?

Line Drive Lindor > Long Ball Lindor

(This was written Monday morning - over the past few days, Lindor has gotten HOT.  VERY HOT.  But this article, I think, still makes worthwhile points, so here goes....)

Just wondering...

Some think Francisco Lindor is in multi-season decline.  

There was an article recently in a major publication discussing such.

And it's crossed my mind from time to time.

I wonder if that is true, though....

Or if all he needs is a course change.

Let's assume for a moment it is BALDERDASH.

He's in the peak of his prime, let's presume. If so...

His career, to me, seems to fall into 2 basic parts:

1) His first 2 MLB seasons, where he hit just 27 homers in 1,122 plate appearances, but hit a stellar .306 over those 2 seasons.  

 - He hit for average in those 2 years.

2) All the years since, when hit 137 HRs in 3,003 plate appearances, while hitting .256.  

 - He decided, I surmise, to be a long-ball hitter and end up in ESPN highlights.  You see, frequent ESPN highlights = more notoriety = bigger contract.  Mission accomplished.

His HR rate went from 2.4 per every 100 PAs in his first two seasons, to 4.6 HRs over every 100 PAs thereafter.  Not that much more, frankly, but not trivial.

So, he has hit just 2 more HRs every 100 PAs over his past several seasons than he did in his first 2 seasons...

But dropped 50 points in the process.

So, I would think there is a ready solution to Lindor's Mets .233 career BA, which is a great lightning rod for criticism for the lad from the rabid dogs know as Mets fans.  

STOP TRYING TO HIT HOMERS.

YOU'VE ALREADY GOT THE BIG CONTRACT.

YOU DON'T NEED TO HIT A LOT OF HOMERS HOPING FOR A BIGGER CONTRACT ANYMORE. 

YOU'VE GOT ONE.

Just hit the ball - like you did at ages 21 and 22.  Base hits.

It really worked back then.  No, really, it REALLY worked.  

Do it, and...

Your average will go up 50 points - and almost all the fans still on your back right now (some have gotten off, but some are still there) will get off your back - and cheer you.

They will have no other choice - you'll be....GREAT.

It seems the last several games that might be sinking in.

That's my advice for the day - take it or leave it.  I accept all forms of health insurance, but cash for counseling is good, too.  

If you do take the advice, resist the urge to switch back to the "Big Fly Swing" once you've hit your next HR or two.  

Line Drive Lindor > Long Ball Lindor.

Emulate a Squirrel near you, and prosper.

If for no other reason than NY fans WANT to love you.

Before I go:  White Sox IF Tim Anderson through Monday had just 5 extra base hits in May - but was hitting .397 in May.  A model for Lindor to follow, since several years ago, Lindor was the better hitter of the two.  Not anymore.  He got enamored with the big fly, while Anderson didn't.

Tom Brennan and Mack Ade - Mets Recap

Interesting stuff - to me anyway...the top 6 starters for the Mets this season - Max, Chris, Cookie, Tylor, Taijuan, and David - were a combined 21-6 through Monday. 

Another weird stat grouping: 

Tomas Nido had thrown out 1 of 11 this year after nailing 12 of 21 in 2021. In all years but 2021, though, he has nailed just 10 of 80.  Can anyone explain that?

Saw this positive tweet, presumably from Trevor May today: 

“I know I’ve been MIA. But I thought I’d update. I’m crushing rehab. my body feels like it’s moving better, and is stronger, than it’s been in a minute. The arm feels way better and we’re quickly approaching imaging to see if we’re good to ramp up. Can’t wait to contribute.”

Oh yeah, the game...it sure was a game.  

Chris Bassitt signs a contract extension and allows 8 runs - well, the Giants ARE good.

Down 8-2 into the 7th, another infield hit by speeding Starling Marte was followed by a Lindor HR, his 7th.  8-4.

In the 8th, though...

McNeil's 2nd hit, Escobar's 3rd hit, Canha's infield hit, a seeing-eye 2 run single up the middle.  8-6.  Guillorme grounded out.  Nimmo beats out yet another infield hit, bags full, Marte bad hop hard infield hit. 8-7, bags jammed.  Lindor 3 run ground ball triple to left, 10-8.   Pete hits a bullet to center that Yaz tracked down barely, for a sac fly, 11-8.  McNeil 2nd hit of inning, Escobar, too, giving him 4 hits.  Canha, though, grounded out to end the frame.  NINE run inning.

BUT...ain't over til it's over.  Bottom 8, Drew Smith fanned the first batter (normal), next a slow ground out, but Yaz got a hit, Smith walked Ruf, Joc Peterson turns on an inside fastball for his THIRD HR of the evening to tie the score, and Joely Rodriguez gave up 3 more dinky hits (infield hit, bloop, bloop) to load them up and Adam Ottavino fanned his one hitter to keep the bags full. Still 11-11.

Mets score in the 9th to go ahead 12-11, led off by a Dom Smith 410 foot triple, which he was fortunate to get since he was not running hard until he was 20 feet past first base for some reason. Jankowski runs, Nimmo sac fly.  

But...no, still not over.  The Giants - well, they're GIANTS.

The normally brilliant Edwin Diaz was not so tonight - he got 2 quick outs ON A DP, 2 OUTS, NONE ON!!!!  

But he didn't have it tonight.

ARGHH!!! JUST ONE OUT FOR A SAVE!!  

DON'T TURN OFF THE TV, THOUGH...

Walks Yaz (no!!!!!!), allows 4 hits.  NO KS!

Loses.  The tying run comes in on a lined hit from Joc Peterson (8 RBIs).  Winner later scores on a close play at the plate.  Beat Canha's throw by less than a half step.  3rd blown Diaz save.

Amazingly, the Mets' 2 best pen arms (Smith and Diaz) had two outs and none on in their respective innings, but allowed 5 combined runs.

Mets lose!   Mets lose!   13-12 final.  

Kind of like watching a Mohammed Ali - Joe Frazier bout.

Sometimes you lose a classic.

BUT...Given the team's starter injury situation, you hate to lose ANY games like this. 

Mets had 18 hits, just one walk.  Unusual, to say the least. 

36 hits in two games, which the hitters look at their batting averages and LOVE.  TV subscript noted this was the most runs scored by the Mets in a loss, ever.

Best pitcher of the night for the Mets? Steve Nogosek, who went 2.1 scoreless and fanned 4.

Team ERA had to jump, huh?

Braves beat Phillies late, one run game, too.

MINORS - BORING BY COMPARISON:

Jake Mangum got on base 3 times in his post-promotion debut in Syracuse.  They got close late, but lost.

Binghamton won 4-3 in 10. Montes de Oca threw 2 scoreless for the victory and Hayden Senger popped a 2 run shot. The demoted Carlos Cortes and Quinn Brodey both played and had a hit apiece.

St. Lucie wasted no time - they had just promoted Atencio, and he’s the starter. 4 IP, 3H, 1BB, 4K, 1 run.  And Omar de los Santos picked up 2 hits and his 22nd steal, but the Lucie relievers coughed up 5 runs in a 6-2 loss.

Brooklyn's weather woes continued - rained out in Bowling Green.   I think the etymology of "Brooklyn" is "postponement."

Finally, apparently the plan for Tylor Megill (fingers crossed) is a rehab start soon, then back to the Mets.

AND...THEY SAY DEGROM COULD BE BACK BY LATE JUNE.

 Mack - My thoughts

- Today's minor league player focus is on 25-yr. old Rumble Ponies 6-3 RHRP Michel Otanez.

Otonez was an IDFA in 2016 and signed with only a $35K bonus

Simply put, he has been a failure as a starter, mainly due to his inability to find the plate.

He also went down with TJS and lost the entire  2017 season.

But this year..

He has been a successful reliever for Binghamton

The stat line is:

13-IP 17-K O-1 1.38/1.08 11.77 K/9 and, most importantly, a vastly improved 2.77 BB/9 ratio.

Oh, the fast ball that the MLB said was the best Mets fastball in the minors?

Still topping at 98.

- Per Christopher Soto:

    David Peterson is under team control thru 2026

    The Mets have spent $74.9mil so far this season in new payroll. That is more than the entire payroll of Oakland (60.9m), Baltimore (64.8m), or Pittsburgh (74.6)

- Some more minor league moves (most happen around the Monday day off so logistics can be accomplished):

    RHP Colby Morris was released.  2022: Brooklyn 1-1, 6.43, in 9-apps

    RHP Dan Goggin was released. 2022: St. Lucie 0-0, 5.40, 6-apps.

    RHP Evy Ruibal was released. Brooklyn 11.2-IP, 6.94

    RHP Jaison Vilera was released. St. Lucie 0-2, 10.80, 3-games.

    Syracuse Tommy Hunter was put on the 10-day IL. Hunter is 0.00 in 8 innings this year for the Mets. 

- The Big-12 Player of the Year goes to Texas 1B Ivan Melendez. 28 big ones.

- Walked the dog today and ran into a Dodger fan neighbor. 

He said "boy, you guys have a real rotation depth problem".

I said "oh yeah, three of our top four starters are out on extended leave and we currently have the most wins in the league."

Shut that boy up.

- Going into today's games, Pete Alonzo had 7 more RBIs than anyone else in the league 

- St. Lucie LHP Javier Atencio made his first stateside start and faired well, giving up only one run in 4-IP, while striking out four and producing a 1.00 WHIP

- After yesterday's event in Texas, I had a hard time finishing this up.

The Mets scored.12 runs. Lindor had a great night. Eduardo had even a better one, rookie reliever Stephen Nogosek went lights out  and the Mets came back from being down 6 runs.

And they lost.

Lots of bad news but I'm gonna pass on breaking that out. 

I'm just going to label this one of those shit happens games on a day that America will not forget.

Reese Kaplan -- The Best Mets Relief Pitchers

When the game is on the line in the 9th inning, you want to be able to turn to a shutdown closer to make it as difficult as possible for the opponents to push a run across the board.  For the most part these top-of-the-list firemen were strikeout artists, though some made their bones using funky deliveries or oddball pitches that were instinctively challenging to the hitters.  Let's see some of the Mets' best.

Known as much for his smile as he was for his screwball and his "Ya Gotta Believe!" mantra, Tug McGraw was the first Mets closer who really captured the fans' hearts.  Arriving first to the big club all the way back in 1965, for his first three years in the majors Tug bounced back and forth between starting and relieving, not really establishing himself as excellent at either.  In the World Series year of 1969 he converted to reliever pretty much from that point forward and offered up a 9-3 record with a 2.24 ERA and a dozen saves.  

The relief specialty didn't really blossom until midway through McGraw's playing career but no one doubted his ability on the mound.  In his best season he notched 27 saves during 1972, posting his second consecutive season with a tiny 1.70 ERA.  During his "Ya Gotta Believe" year of 1973 he was not quite as sharp, finishing with a 5-6 record with 25 saves but a higher 3.87 ERA.  He finished his Mets career with record of just 47-55, but sporting an impressive 3.17 ERA to go along with 86 saves.  

He was traded to the Phillies after 1974 along with Don Hahn and Dave Schneck for Mac Scarce, Del Unser and John Stearns.  Scarce was a non-entity, Unser hit .294 in his first year in New York, but it was John Stearns who was the long term asset.  He played from 1975 through 1984 and was a four-time All Star for the Mets.  

McGraw finished his career with the Phillies with a winning record, a 3.10 ERA and 94 saves.  That trade looks like a wash.  

Another player who generated cheers and jeers was longtime closer John Franco.  Brought over in the trade for Randy Myers, Franco did well for his hometown team.  He was 48-56 with 276 Saves and a 3.10 ERA.  

Given his approach to making batters nibble at pitches around the strike zone, he didn't have the overwhelming strikeout force of guys like Myers, but you can't argue with results.  He finished his career with a 2.98 ERA and 424 Saves.  There are guys in the Hall of Fame with inferior stats to that.  Lee Smith went 71-92 with a 3.03 ERA.  

As a reliever Dennis Eckersley had a higher ERA and fewer Saves.  Bruce Sutter had a losing record and only got 300 Saves.  Face it -- Franco was very, very good.  

Another player who served the Mets well deserves Cooperstown consideration -- Billy Wagner.  The diminutive lefthander was brought it to save games for the club and he was outstanding when healthy.  

During parts of 4 seasons playing in Queens he went 6-6 with 101 Saves and an eye popping 2.35 ERA over the course of 198 games.  Had he been healthier, he would have been regarded as one of the all-time greats.  He finished his career with a 47-41 record, a 2.31 ERA and 432 Saves.  Those numbers are even better than Franco yet he's not yet made it.  That's a travesty.    

The next big player in the Mets bullpen to consider was fireballer Armando Benitez.  Obtained from Baltimore for solid catcher Charles Johnson, Benitez started off like a house afire.  In his first season in 1999 he went 4-3 with 22 Saves splitting time with John Franco while sporting a tiny 1.85 ERA.  The next season he took over closing duties and the Save numbers kept growing.  

He posted consecutive seasons of 41, 43 and 33 Saves while delivering an ERA of just 2.63.  He pitched just under 300 innings for the Mets and struck out over 400 batters.  That was terrific quality pitching and he made the All Star team in 2003 which was split between the Mets and the Yankees for which the Mets received bupkis.  He finished his career a notch below his best time which was spent with the Mets.

Kind of a clone of Benitez was hard thrower Jeurys Familia who now plies his trade for the Phillies.  The first time around for the team Familia was like watching Armando in his prime.  He went 9-13 but had an identical 2.63 ERA and racked up 106 Saves.  He struck out better than a man per inning pitched, but was often bedeviled by bases on balls which resulted in a WHIP of 1.208.  He was traded in essentially a salary dump during the 2017 season to the Oakland A's, bringing back a lackluster return of Bobby Wahl, Will Toffey and some international bonus slot money.  

He was brought right back as a free agent in 2018 and accumulated another 3 years at Citi Field but it was hardly memorable.  His aggregated numbers for that period of 2019 through 2021 showed an impressive won-lost record of 15-6 but with a horrific 4.62 ERA, a WHIP of 1.555 resulting primarily from his giving up well over 5 walks per 9 IP.  No one shed a tear when he left the second time, but the first time around he was as good as anyone.  

During the beginning of his very long career reliever Jesse Orosco was indeed a weapon on the mound.  He joined the Mets back in 1979 and was the face of the World Series victory after game seven against the Red Sox. During that period in a Mets uniform he was in 372 games, saved 107 of them, and sported an impressive 2.72 ERA.  

He was part of a multi-team trade that sent him across the country to the Dodgers and the Mets received very little in Kevin Tapani, Wally Whitehurst and Jack Savage.  Orosco went on for another 16 years primarily as a setup man, going 40-33 with a 3.52 ERA.  He finished his long career in 2003 having pitched in an unbelievable 1252 games which is a major league record (besting John Franco who finished with 1119).  

During his first five years in the majors the Mets got some great innings out of Roger McDowell as well.  He finished that period with a 36-32 record, 103 Saves and an ERA of just 2.91.  In the seven years that followed the ERA went up and the Saves went down but he pitched credibly for the Phillies, Dodgers, Rangers and Orioles.  

He was a part of another of those head-scratching Mets trades in June of 1989 when he was sent along with teammate Lenny Dykstra to the Phillies for Juan Samuel whose Mets career was highly forgettable.  

We'll get some loud objections to this final entry, but despite his lackluster first year for the Mets, closer Edwin Diaz is a special breed when his strikeout pitches are working.  In Queens for the team he has a record thus far of 10-14 which does not sound very good (nor does his carryover 3.86 ERA from that bad 2019).  However, look closer and he's already saved 68 games and struck out 255 in 156 innings pitched.  

He's averaging 14.7 Ks per 9 IP and his WHIP is a respectable 1.196.  If you leave out 2019 then the numbers look dramatically better.  For the period 2020 through 2022 thus far his ERA is 2.84 and the WHIP is just 1.088.  Yes, he belongs on this list and the Mets will have a very hard decision to make when he hits free agency at the end of this season.  

There were other relievers who did well for the Mets such as Jeff Innis who was not a closer and Doug Sisk whose name elicits instant heartburn despite pitching to a 3.10 ERA during his time in Queens.  Is there anyone else who deserves a nod here?

Tom Brennan and Mack Ade - Mets Recap

 

Tonight, now-you-see-him, now-you-don't 1-0, 1.89 David Peterson takes the mound against , the Stalker, 3-1, 5.61 Alex "Corn" Cobb.  Peterson's ERA is 1/3 as high as Cobb's going in.  

Would it stay that way?  Would Pete Alonso sing, "I Left the Park, in San Francisco"?

An 8 game lead coming into the series - was a double digit chasm sitting ahead just a few days away?

Interestingly, going in, the quartet of Alonso, Lindor, Marte, and McNeil had 104 combined RBIs through 43 games, a roughly 400 RBI pace from 4 guys.  Remarkable.  Then...they added a bunch more.

In the first 3 innings alone, Lindor got 2 RBIs on a pop double, and Pete Alonso then hit a pop 3 run HR.  

For Lindor, he hit the 500 career RBI threshold, and Pete jumped to 40 RBIs in game 44.  Score at Mets, 5-3, after 2 1/2 innings.  

What made the 5 run inning possible, though?  A slow grounder.

A SUPER hustle infield single by Brandon Nimmo that virtually no one else in baseball would have beaten out. Instead of a 3rd out and no runs, the Mets scored 5.  

SIGN THE MAN!! (Next time up, ANOTHER infield hit for Nimmo).

Peterson had a great night, professional hitter JD Davis had 4 hits, Alonso (.288) had 3, Jeffie Mac and "Yes He Canha", both homered, the Mets scored 13, had 18 hits in all, and lest we forget, Colin Holderman had 2 more scoreless innings in relief, and the Mets won 13-3.  

It helped that SFG is having injuries too.  Mets are excelling in spite of it all.

So, for all you "let's get rid of JDD" folks, I say to you, "come on, dude."  He's been hitting in bad luck - until tonight.  He hits!

Of course, the secret weapon last night was Patrick Mazeika, who had a hit and an RBI, and has Tomas Nido feeling like Wally Pipp.  Mazeika is a lucky charm.

Let's roll, yo.  Who needs those two Cy Young dudes, really?

ELSEWHERE: 

A quiet day in the minors, as Mondays these days almost always are, with zero games anywhere in minor league ball.  

Quiet, that is, except for a rumor that a Francisco Alvarez promotion to AAA might not be too far off (hopefully, red hot Jake Mangum and hit machine Wyatt Young would join him).

Syracuse needs reinforcements, but then again, so does Binghamton.  What makes me say that?  Their combined .333 win-loss %, that's what.  An un-scintillating 26-52.

I think Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio both need another several weeks to go from decent to dominating in AA before getting a promotion to AAA.  No huge rush, since Mets' hitters are hitting.

Also, rumors that the Wednesday starter will be....innings eater Tom Szapucki.  

May he get called up AND go 9 innings.  It would, of course, be a Giant challenge.

Brooklyn (17-19) is scoring just 3.2 runs per game.  But a few signs of bat life of late.

St Lucie has slowed a bit but is still 26-13 (.667).  26-13?  Nice.  

Oh, when the Saints, Go Marching Up...to Brooklyn.  Promotions ought to be coming in June.  

Well, as my dentist might say, you've been re-capped.

Paul Articulates - Misery Loves Company

We (OK, mostly Steve) paid a lot of money to bring one of the premier shortstops in baseball to the New York Mets.  He had a great spring followed by a lousy first year and Mets fans let him hear about it in every media outlet imaginable.

After a lost season, we all healed over the winter, and then watched Francisco Lindor light it up during the abbreviated spring training season.  A hot start in April had Mets fans beaming; feeling like last year was just an anomaly.  He was driving the ball, running the bases aggressively, and generally playing baseball with a high IQ.

Then May happened.  Lindor has slashed .176/.292/.270 in the month of May through Saturday night.  If last year didn’t happen, we would call it a slump.  If it wasn’t for his super-sized contract, we would dismiss it because the rest of the team has been hitting enough to win more than the rest of the NL.   He is now sporting a sub-par stat line for 2022 that looks like .241/.337/.389. The Citi faithful are not happy.

But wait; do I hear misery elsewhere in baseball?  Yes I do.  The last few years have seen a plethora of high profile shortstops take on big new contracts with new teams.  Few, if any, have had the kind of season that their teams “paid for”.  Let’s look at some of the high-profile “SS” names that have signed big contracts in the last two years:

Trevor Story: Currently playing 2B with Boston, slashing .230/.314/.444 after a very poor start.

Corey Seager: Currently making $$$ with Texas, slashing .248/.319/.436 but with 8 HR so far.

Javy Baez: Glad we passed on this contract – now slashing .200/.238/300 with Detroit.

Carlos Correa: Took a smaller contract with the Twins, and is currently slashing .271/.330/.393.

Trea Turner:  Hitting the best of the bunch at .281/.347/.405 as the Dodger’s second baseman.

How about Marcus Semien who everyone wanted to sign with NY? An unimpressive line of .184/.246/.237.

So I guess misery loves company – all those fan bases are complaining about the value they are getting for their dollars on these big name free agents just like we are.  I suddenly feel a lot better.  Lindor may not be hitting like Mister Smile used to in Cleveland, but he is at least playing solid defense, running the bases with abandon, and playing smart baseball.  None of these other guys has a fielding percentage above .977 except Semian who is playing 2B.

There are some shortstops in the league who are performing.  The top two are Sox: Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox is slashing .350/.393/.493 and Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox is slashing .325/.381/.457.  JP Crawford of the Mariners is also playing well.  

Bogaerts is making some good bucks, staying home with the Red Sox for 6 years/$120M.  Anderson and Crawford make less than $10M/yr.  Should we mention to Eric Chavez (Mets batting coach) and the analytics team that a fat wallet alters the hitting stance and affects the $/hit metric? 

I know that the mental game plays a huge factor in athletic performance, and guys that get big contracts are under pressure from their fans to perform well.  But it just seems odd that there are so many busts this year among those two storied classes of free agent shortstops in 2021 and 2022.  Maybe it will straighten out by year end.  Maybe one or two go on a tear.  

I hope Lindor is one of them because NY fans want the best, and are relentless with criticism if they don’t get it.  I also think that if he does go on a tear, it will help the team through this pitching crisis until our two aces return.  No pressure, Mr. Smile – I’m just sayin’.

Tom Brennan - Older, Detailed Articles on Folly of Playing Yanks in Inter-League Games

 I did an article that published at 8:00 AM today on the above subject.

After It published, I decided to dig up some articles I did over the past 7 years on this very subject, so it adds a factual underpinning to today's opinionated premise - that inter-league games annually against the Yankees is foolhardy for the Mets, even if exciting for some fans.  

Here goes:

Tom Brennan - METS INTER-LEAGUE DISADVANTAGE

(An article written in 2019.)

The Mets expect to be in a dog fight to get to the playoffs.

One would hope for fairness in inter-league scheduled games.

Once again, inter-league play begins, this time against the Twins in early April.

And once again, in my opinion, laid out logically below, the Mets screw themselves with a harder-than-division-opponents' inter-league schedule, making it relatively harder for our Mets to reach the playoffs.

But you be the judge. You're smarter than I am.  

See if you agree with my calculations and conclusions below. 

I will add my comments as to opponent quality going into the season - a "1" being a playoff-caliber opponent, a "2" being a wild card contender, a "3" being mediocre, and a 4" being bad.  

So, the lower the number, the tougher the inter-league schedule - let me analyze the intra-league schedules of the four teams vying for the NL East title, going from hardest to easiest:

Hardest - The NY Mets:

4 against Minnesota: "2" X 4 = 8

3 against Cleveland: "1" X 3 = 3

3 against Detroit: "3" X 4 = 12 

4 against the Yanks: "1" X 4 = 4

3 vs. the White Sox: "4" X 3 = 12

3 against the Royals: "4" X 3 = 12

Total score: 51.  Divided by 20 games, average score is 2.55.

Second Hardest - The Phillies:

3 against Minnesota: "2" X 3 = 6

3 against Cleveland: "1" X 3 = 3

4 against Detroit: "3" X 5 = 15 

3 against the Royals: "4" X 3 = 12

4 vs. the Red Sox : "1" X 4 = 4

3 against White Sox: "4" X 3 = 12


Total score: 52.  Divided by 20 games, average score is 2.60.

Easy - The Braves:

3 against Minnesota: "2" X 3 = 6

3 against Cleveland: "1" X 3 = 3

3 against Detroit: "3" X 3 = 9 

4 against the Royals: "4" X 4 = 16

4 vs. Toronto : "4" X 4 = 16

3 against the White Sox: "4" X 3 = 12


Total score: 62.  Divided by 20 games, average score is 3.10.

Easiest - The Nats:

3 against Minnesota: "2" X 3 = 6

3 against Cleveland: "1" X 3 = 3

3 against Detroit: "3" X 4 = 12 

4 against the O's: "4" X 4 = 16

4 vs. the White Sox: "4" X 4 = 16

3 against the Royals: "4" X 3 = 12

Total score: 65.  Divided by 20 games, average score is 3.25.



Perhaps my tortured calculation method is unclear: let me give a simple example.  

If you as a team play 4 games, 1 against a "1" rated team, one against a "2", one against a "3", and one against a "4", the average score for those 4 games is 2.50.

That is essentially an average score, 2.50.

So the Mets' 20 inter-league games, at a calculated difficulty score of 2.55, are essentially against a collectively average group of opponents.  

I'll guess that one could expect the Mets ought to go 11-9 against those.  

The same goes for the Phillies, who have (at 2.60) almost the same exact calculated average score as the Mets...let's say they go 11-9 in their inter-league games too.

But the Nationals and Braves have relatively favorable inter-league schedules.  Putting the Mets, as i see it, at a competitive disavantage.

For the Braves, I have calculated a 3.10 factor, which means they are playing a collectively below average group in their 20 intra-league games.  So let's say they go 13-7.

The Nationals, with a 3.25 score, are playing a collectively significantly worse than average inter-league contingent.  

As a "4" rating is a 100 loss team, essentially; and a "3" rating essentially applies to an opponent who will win 75 games,   I see no reason to think the Nats won't go at least 14-6 against its intra-league opponents.

Every year, it is the same nonsense:  

The Mets draw a tougher overall inter-league schedule than division rivals.

Let's say my calculations are correct - major league baseball is essentially giving the Nats a 3 game lead in the foot race that spans the other 142 games against NL opponents.

I'd imagine if you asked Vegas bookies, and I'm not a betting person, so I'm guessing a bit here: if you gave one of two equally matched baseball teams over the other before playing 142 games against NL teams, what would be the odds that the team favored by 3 games would win the division, Vegas bookies would probably say 60% odds for the favored team, 40% for the team not favored.

That is where the Mets find themselves this year and, really, almost every year: with an unfavorable inter-league schedule as opposed to their peers.

Which, frankly, is insanity for a team that wants to win.  

The Mets should insist that it get easier than average inter-league schedules for a change for a few years - if that means the Mets play NO intra-league games against the big box office Yankees, so be it.  

Why? I want to get to the post-season, not get to see the Mets play the Yankees in mid-season. 

Put another way, look at the Nats' inter-league schedule and the Mets' schedule - and forget about current things like the Yankees' recent injuries - think what each major league team's outlook for 2019 was when the powers that be made up the 2019 MLB schedules.  

Which schedule would you and I want the Mets to have?  I'd take the Nats' inter-league schedule and give them the one the Mets got.  Because in my view it would give the Mets a clear edge in winning the division title.

Brodie, I hope you see this - and do something about it for 2020.  

I will repeat: the Mets always seem to have a very tough inter-league schedule, and historically lose a lot of those games, making it HARD to get into the post-season.

You don't believe me?  

Audit the past inter-league win-loss results yourself, fellas.

Don't make me do all the work here.

Between this issue, and my other gnawing issue - the poor Citifield hitting environment that results in poor Mets' win-loss results over time at home (the subject of other earlier articles I've written), it is frankly a wonder that the Mets EVER get to the post-season.  

In the most recent article I did on the lack of a Mets home field advantage, I noted that the Mets over the past 7 seasons won just ONE more game at home than on the road, while (for comparison purposes) the Orioles won 65 more at home than on the road.  Just a fluke, I know.

As a fan, though, seriously, these two issues really tick me off. 

Both factors (inter-league schedule and Citifield hitting environment) lead to a Mets' competitive disadvantage.  So:

PLEASE FIX THEM.

THANK YOU, BRODIE.

I KNOW YOU WILL.

A 2015 Article Follows:

OWNER GREED VS. FAN INTERESTS - Tom Brennan

So the Yanks beat the Mets.

Again.

44-60, in fact, since interleague play began in 1997, if I have the facts correct. 

As a Mets fan, I do not like it.  But I am far more upset with Mets ownership GREED that, in my view, has put the almighty buck ahead of a Met fan's goal 1: winning pennants.

As an avid Mets fan since 1962, my concern, once they won the World Series in 1969, has been for them to WIN MORE OF THEM. Playoffs at least, and hopefully, win several World Series too. 

And while the Yanks have been in the playoffs and won World Series numerous times since then, it has been bleak for the Mets since 1969: a single World Series win, two Series losses and just a few more early playoff departures in the 46 years since 1969.

So it would seem to me that playing a team (the Yankees) that ever since interleague play began has been arguably baseball's dominant team has the potential of thwarting Mets' runs at multiple playoffs.

It has certainly put the Mets’ playoff hopes in jeopardy in 2015.

When the Mets first played the Yankees this year, they had just tied a franchise high of 11 straight wins and were 13-3. The Mets lost of 2 of 3 and spiraled downward from that point until late July.

The Mets just concluded another 3 game series as they attempted to bury the unexpectedly bad for 2015 Nationals, a dangerous team that had drastically underperformed expectations, while at the same time the Mets have been trying to manage pitchers’ innings limits. 

We all know this weekend’s result. The Mets lost 2 of 3 and saw their lead cut to 6, with 3 games left with that very same Nats team that, like a shark, smells blood in the water, Mets blood, and is riled up, and Mets fans are left wondering if we can make it to shore before the shark catches up to us. And the Nats get to play the weaker Orioles, a clear competitive advantage for them over the Mets.

What if those 6 games were against, say, the 64-86 Athletics? Would the Mets have instead won 4 of 6 & have the playoffs essentially wrapped up?

Why play 6 interleague games a year vs a team in the Yanks that is strong and in contention every....single....year? When all a team has to do to miss the playoffs is....miss the playoffs by one game.

Let's say the Mets do still make the 2015 playoffs. Losing 4 of 6 to a strong Yankee team could cost them playoff home field advantage. Which could be a deciding factor in whether one wins in the playoffs or not.   

I hate the Mets playing the Yanks in interleague play for two reasons:  

1)   impact on playoff contention, and

2)  sand being kicked in the Mets' faces in years when the Yanks were great and the Mets were not. 

The Yankees are an astounding 1811-1249 since interleague play started in 1997.  Why would you want to play 104 games during that time against a team that is 512 games over .500 during that period?

The answer is two-fold: Mets owners love the money from those games, and at the same time they hope and pray that it does not keep them out of the playoffs.  Fingers crossed.  Tightly. 

While it would be in the true fans’ best interests to not be playing the best team in baseball over that time span at all in interleague play, much less 104 times.  How about a little history:

·       In 1997, Major League Baseball scheduled interleague games between the AL and NL for the first time.  The Yankees won 2 of the 3 games.

·       Mike Piazza joined the Mets in 1998; they were eliminated from playoff contention in the last regular game series of the season by Atlanta. The 1998 Champ Yankees won the interleague series 2 games to 1, the first of 3 straight World Series titles for them. So had the Mets played a lousy AL team instead of the world champs, maybe the Mets sweep and make the playoffs that year.

·       1999 resulted in expanded interleague play, and the Mets and Yanks went 3 and 3 in their face-to-face.  Mets made the playoffs but lost.

·       In 2000, the Mets lost the interleague 4-2, and with that backdrop of losing to the Yanks, also lost to them in the World Series.

·       In 2001, the Mets finished 6 behind the Braves. The Yanks won 99, so they remained a formidable opponent.  While the teams split the 6 games, had the Mets faced a weak opponent instead, maybe they win the pennant – they were close enough where perhaps 2 more wins would have swung momentum.

·       In 2002, the Mets finished 26.5 games out. The Yanks won 103. In 2003, the Yanks swept the Mets 6 games to none. But the Mets were terrible, finishing 34.5 games out, so it did not matter, other than giving the Mets' fans a very huge inferiority complex.

·       In 2004, the Mets won 4 of 6, shockingly, against a Yankee team that won 30 more games than they did.  No playoff impact, but a head to head reminder for the 3^rd straight season of Mets’ marked inferiority, no matter how the 6 Yank-Met games came out.

·       In 2005, the much improved Mets finished 7 games out at 83-79. The Yanks won 95 games. The Mets split the 6 games. Perhaps, again, had they played a team that was 14 under .500 instead of 14 over, they win 5 of 6 and are close enough to the Braves to result in a different season outcome. What if, what if.

·       The Mets went into a talent tailspin after a few collapses, and in 2009, finished 23.5 games out – but were only a half game out of first place when they played the mighty Yanks in late June.  The start of free fall.

·       In 2011, when Reyes was electrifying the baseball world and one got the sense they might be able to be put on his shoulders for a run, they lost 4 of 6 to the Yanks, and Reyes got hurt in – what else – the 2^ndYankee series in June.  Jinx?  Whatever, that killed that season’s chances. 

I’ll stop there.  Except to say three things:

1)   The Mets play 4 games against the Yanks in 2016.  Let’s hope that is not 4 too many. Zero to me is a much better number.

2)  I liked the Mayor’s Trophy game better – one game a year, no effect on the standings.

3)  To put fans, and not owners’ pocketbooks, first, baseball should figure its interleague schedule by calculating in such a manner that the collective records of a team’s opponents for the upcoming year is based on those teams’ prior year combined records being as close to .500 as possible – so if the Mets did play 4 against the mighty Yanks, they get several games against teams that had finished under .500 to balance things out.

But maybe you don’t care, and if the Yanks beat them, so what, it was fun watching the games.  Not me.  My focus is on getting to the post-season. Period.  

Let’s hope we make it this year.  Or the Mets' owners will be a lot poorer.