Mets Rebound From Getting Fukudome'd: Beat America's Team

Meet Screech. Yes America, the Gnats named their mascot after a lovable Dustin Diamond character.

The Fukudome jokes will flow from now until he retires, I envy Cubs fans for that reason alone.

The good news: Filthy in the 8th inning, Wagner in the 9th, Johan going 7 without his best stuff.

The bad news: Castillo batting 2nd, Reyes looking silly, Castillo batting 2nd.

Highlight of the game: Wright's AB in the 9th inning. After getting embarrassed on the 0-1 pitch (he was almost down on one knee swinging at the slider), he showed great discipline and fouled off a few tough pitches before working out a walk and eventually scoring on Church's screamer. I know it's been beaten into the ground, but I don't think I've ever seen a hitter more comfortable in a 0-2 count than Wright.

Worried Yet?

Despite all the feel good "he broke down his swing and built it back from scratch" articles, Delgado still can't catch up with an inside fastball. And he's hurt again.

El Duque's many root canals are catching up with him. He hasn't even thrown batting practice yet.

Luis Castillo may not ever play in a spring game because his knees are held together by bazooka and masking tape.

Ruben Gotay's ankle may been broken and now we have to be ready to cross our fingers that Stache can make a much speedier recovery than expected and be on the bench for Opening Day.

Filthy Sanchez had an "underwhelming" fastball when he threw on Friday and hasn't even long tossed since. The Professor says that he's "still building arm strength."

Ryan Church had his possibly anti-semitic clock rung by Marlon Anderson and has to wear sunglasses to protect his sensitive eyes from the light.

And as if it couldn't get any worse, Wally Matthews ripped off an idea from the Mets blogosphere and penned a column suggesting "funny" slogans for the Mets to adopt this season. To add insult to injury, his final "witty" suggestion is "Wake Me Up When September Ends." Way to stay on top of those pop culture references Wally...but Benigno and Screech used the song for their fantastic montage of the final day of the season's highlights.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2008 New York Mets!

A Tale of Two LOOGYs

JP's recent post examining the Mets bullpen over at Blastings! Thrilledge got me thinking about the state of the 2008 bullpen. Besides overpaying for Jorge Sosa and the return of the Sanchez not much has been written on the relief corps. I found that to be ironic, seeing as the bullpen played a large role in the Collapse® of 2007.

From a - very - cursory look at the stats it looks like carrying both Pedro Feliciano and Scott Schoeneweis this season will be a mistake that will likely cost Joe Smith, Matt Wise, or Filthy Sanchez a roster spot.

While many people claimed that Feliciano solidified his spot last season as a legitimate reliever, his numbers against RHB proved that while he wasn't terrible against RHB - there were still far better options in the pen:

Feliciano vs. RHB:   BA   OBP   SLG   OPS
                .221  .325  .371  .697 

He was much, much better against LHB (.168 BAA, .211 SLG, .483 OPS) - his problem like in 2006 was walking too many batters.

Compare the numbers of the other members of the bullpen against RHB last season to Feliciano's numbers against righties.

                 BA   OBP   SLG   OPS
Heilman:       .218  .263  .305  .568
Sosa:          .202  .253  .296  .549
Smith:         .266  .361  .359  .720
Sanchez ('06)  .179  .275  .226  .501
_____________________________________

                 BA   OBP   SLG   OPS
The Show:      .316  .390  .574  .963
Wagner:        .209  .268  .318  .587

It's clear that Feliciano holds RHB to around the same BA as the better RHP in the Mets pen, but when the RHB make contact they hit it a lot harder and further (he also walks a bunch of them). In fact, the only RHP in the bullpen that was worse against RHB was Smith, and PECOTA and ZiPS project him to be much improved in 2008.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that while Feliciano isn't terrible against righties - he isn't great either, and he shouldn't be facing them with so many other viable RHP options in the bullpen.

Because Schoeneweis' numbers against righties are so awful his value would be maximized by making him strictly a LOOGY as JP pointed out over at BT. If you need anymore proof check this out (hat tip to BT).

It would appear, however, that carrying him as a LOOGY would force Feliciano into bigger spots (non 1-2 out situations) against RHB. As we have seen, RHB reach base against him at a far higher clip than they do other members of the pen.

However, Omar did sign Schoeneweis for way too much money and Willie will probably give him another shot to get everyone out this year so we should probably all brace ourselves for more moonshots exiting Shea over the head of a angry and frustrated Scotty Show. I, for one, can't wait.

Sorry for the rambling. None of this matters anyway - the manager doesn't know how to use the bullpen. Thank you Joe Torre.

Filthy Sanchez Redux

Fear not Miami Dominican food vendors, Duaner will be making at least 9 trips to Joe Robbie in 2008. In all seriousness this is a good move. If Filthy can return to two-thirds the man he was for the first few months of 2006 the Mets should have a solid arm to rely on in 7th/8th inning situations.

In other news...well the same story, the man who once hit two grand slams in a single inning was also resigned to play 3B in N'awlins in case the unimaginable...nevermind I won't even mention it.

Angel Pagan? Meh. Metsradamus wrote a great post on the move here.

W. Roger Clemens and the Crypt Keepe...Mike Wallace? Meh. More on that tomorrow after I peruse the lawsuit that Clemens filed today.

It's a Fact, The Mets Are Good For Business

<-- Aaah, memories.

According to Newsday, ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball opener featuring the Mets and Cardinals was the highest rated opening day/night game since 1994, drawing a 6.9 share in New York and attracting 3.5 million viewers nationally. Not quite football, but better than bowling.

Tonight's game may be the most anticipated of the early season for one reason: Braden Looper. Not too many people have forgotten the waste of a closer's taunting of the Mets last season after Game 7. If only this game was at Shea...Here's hoping when the Cards visit Queens the rotation falls in such a way that Mr. Looper can receive the worst all-around booing since John Rocker was good.

In fact, here's a heck of a suggestion from Metstradamus "Maybe instead of a ceremonie, Braden Looper can sing the "Jose Jose" song in front of the sold out Wednesday crowd. Am I a bad person for being a little extra excited that Looper is pitching tonight?" I for one certainly don't think so.

• The Mets are thankful that Heilman is not Brad Lidge...yet.


• The full-effects of searching for Dominican food in Miami at 2AM are still being felt.


• Mike Vaccaro doesn't care that the front of the rotation is a combined 82-years-old.

Mets, Cards 8:05 SNY & WFAN. Maine and Looper...I'm excited.

"You Know, I Won 18 Games in 2000!"

<-- Possibly the worst Christmas present...ever.

I've never been happier that Chan Ho is so upset. David Lennon is reporting in Newsday that Mike Pelfrey has all but been named the fifth starter. Mr. Ho Park isn't too thrilled with the news.

"To be honest, I feel more comfortable as a starter," Park said. "That's who I am. I've been here 13 years. Yes, I have experience as a reliever and have had some success with it.

"But I came here looking for a job as a starter, that's for sure. If they ask me to be a reliever, honestly, I'm unhappy. I'm not happy. I have to figure out what is best for the team."

If you discount last season's 4.81 ERA in San Diego's HR graveyard, Mr. Ho Park has not posted a sub-5.00 ERA since 2001...But, yeah, he's allowed to complain after his stellar 14 IP, 9ER, 14 H, 7 BB, 6.57 ERA spring campaign.

But the good news is our favorite Korean mop-up man will have some veteran company in the Mets' class of the NL...eh frighteningly suspect bullpen....Oh, and Filthy Sanchez had a "precautionary" MRI on his surgically repaired, "what was that popping sound," right shoulder.
The 2007 Mets! Your Season (with a paper-thin bullpen and suspect rotation) Has Come!
----------------------------------------------

In other news...Pelfrey cruised through the first two innings before having a rough third. Overall he still looks better in that #5 spot than Chan Ho Sele.

The bright side? Jose Valentin is not dead. He smoked a two run double to the fence in left-center before collapsing of exhaustion at second base...Mets team doctors defused any worries by explaining that a player's first physical exertion of the spring may result in similar phenomena.

Finally On-Time, Filthy Sanchez is Still Going To Be Late

Filthy Sanchez felt a pop in his shoulder in his first bullpen session since roaming the streets of Miami in search of Dominican food.

Thankfully, it's nothing more then some scar tissue that was tardy in breaking loose from his surgery. As your elementary school nurse would tell you, Mets doctors put some ice on it.

In other news Juan "Goggles" Padilla felt soreness in his surgically-repaired right elbow and won't be throwing for two weeks. The alpaca farmer's back is already tired.

Cross Your Fingers, Stick Out Your Tongue, & Pray...

That management has some common sense and Pelfrey is the #5 starter come April. After another solid performance against the O's on Tuesday (5 IP 1 ER 0 BB 7 H) Pelfrey should have all but penciled his name in as Willie Randolph's fifth starter.

The most encouraging of all the numbers so far this spring for Pelfrey is his walk total. After being a bit wild in his stint in Flushing last season, Pelfrey has calmed down it seems, along with establishing his slider as a legitimate out pitch. With only 1 walk so far this spring, Pelfrey appears to be in command of the strike zone. As long as he stays around the plate, with his stuff, there shouldn't be any hesitation in naming the fifth starter.

Notes:

It looks like Filthy Sanchez is going to be late again...this time for the season - Mets.com

The Mets other Italian catcher has no qualms about New Orleans - Mets.com

R.I.P. Generation K Part II - ESPN.com

David Lennon agrees with me! - Newsday

The sportswriters son has apparently made the team - NY Daily News (Adam Rubin)