Has anyone noticed that there is only one game separating the NY Knicks and the "big 3" Miami Heat?
With all the hype and news surrounding them, so far, Miami is just "an average" NBA team with a record of 9-8. So Stoudamire and Felton have worked out better then Bosh and Lebron?
Is anyone surprised that the Heat have all but alienated their young inexperienced head coach Spoelstra? How long do fans think it will take for Pat Riley to come back to the bench and demote Spoelstra back to water boy?
Most NBA fans outside the Miami area, are just fine watching this expensive experiment fail. It was such an unpopular and greedy choice for Lebron James and Chris Bosh to join the Heat, so watching that come back to bite them has been a delightful holiday gift. Does the saying, "too many cooks in the kitchen" sound familiar?
How long will it take for the NY Jets to gain some respect around the NFL? Unfortunately, it will take exactly one week for the real haters/lovers of gang green to make their minds up. Because exactly one week from today, in misspelled Foxboro (Foxborough), the Boston Patriots will host the New York/New Joisy Jets. A battle of the two best records in the NFL, the two best in the AFC and a battle for first place in the AFC East. How much bigger can one game get? Not much!
A lot of uneducated NFL fans (Jet-haters) have screamed and complained that the Jets have gotten "lucky". Try telling that to the undefeated Miami Dolphins of 1972. The 2010 Jets are no 1972 Dolphins, but they do have high rankings in almost every category. And when the game is on the line, the Jets have made the right play and have put themselves in position to win the game. Mark Sanchez has flourished as a bona-fied starting NFL quarterback. He has shown tremendous athletic ability, evading would-be defensive players going for the sack. He has thrown far less interceptions then last year. He is going deep, while recognizing the true talent that he has around him (Santonio Holmes, LaDanian Tomlinson, Braylon Edwards and Dustin Keller). Most importantly, he has grown as a player and a person, making more mature decisions, effectively keeping his team in the game.
Rex Ryan is a big personality, trimmed down from last year in stature, but still big enough to take on the brunt of the scrutiny or attention the team gets. He is just that smart. He knows that if he can do anything, it's keep the pressure off his team as much as possible. And if that means making a fool of himself, or saying loud and controversial things, then so be it. Rex Ryan is the type of coach that loves his players. He hand picked all of them for a reason, because he knows which kind of guy will be there for the other one. Some people outside of the organization might look at some of the personnel and say that they are trouble makers, but the reality is that each player on the roster has a role to fill and Rex has carefully cast those roles in the hopes of putting together a super bowl team. People can say anything they want, but when it comes down to what matters in the NFL, its records. And at 9-2, the NY Jets so far, are at the top.
Terry Collins.....anyone know who he is? Wrong, he is not a mixture of Gin, Club Soda and Sour Mix, garnished with a lemon and cherry. He is the new manager of the NY Metropolitans (Mets). So, Tom "er" Terry Collins has not managed since 1999 (Anaheim) and his reign with the Angels ended abruptly with his resignation, due to player unrest and dissatisfaction of his managerial skills. He has worked with the Houston Astros and a Chinese Team in Japan??? Oh yeah, he was hired by the Mets new General Manager, Sandy Alderson. A California guy, previously with the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics. Alderson's track record is paved with much more gold then Collins' is. He is seen as a quiet, behind the scenes guy with good eye for talent, but more unwilling to spend on big names. There is no doubt that Alderson has had much success in Baseball, but will that laid back, west coast swagger translate well here on the east coast in NYC?? He has a lot of work to do with the current roster of misfits and the bleak free agent market. Alderson probably will take the approach that the Mets need 2 years before they can be relevant again and if the fans will just bear with it, things will start to look brighter by 2013. Realistically, the NY media and fan base will give him 6 months before they look for a new GM call for his head on a stick. Sorry Sandy, but that's just they way it is here. Unfortunately, the NY Mets are a complex and cursed organization, thanks to horrendous contracts, horrible free agent signings and one Adam Wainwright fastball that made it's way past a sleeping Carlos Beltran, into the glove of Yadier Molina, closing the book on a great season with World Series written all over it and essentially sending the organization into a downward spiral ever since.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
You Gotta Pay Your BILLS!
That's three straight AFC East Division wins for the New York Jets. And at least 2 out of the 3 games were significant victories. Beating the Bills in Buffalo is a tough road game, but in reality it is the Bills and their level of competition falls under that of the Canadian Football League (coincidentally, the Bills might move to Toronto). A lot of very good things are happening for the Jets right now.
Through the first four games, Mark Sanchez and the offense have had no turnovers, none. Sanchez threw 20 picks last year and coming into this year, there had to be an important step forward for him in his growth process to keep his turnovers down. He has not only done that so far, but he has been hitting his targets for 8 scores already in four games.
The defense has suffered some serious blows through injuries, losing NT Kris Jenkins for the entire season (again) and Ropati Pitoitua as well, DE Calvin Pace has been out since the pre-season, all pro holdout, Darelle Revis has only played in one game so far and yesterday against the Bills, DE Shaun Ellis sprained his left knee and is day-to-day. Yet, the Jets defense is getting it done, playing hard nose football and doing it the Rex Ryan way.
Another aspect of the Rex Ryan way of football, is the pound it out, ground game. Prior to this season, skeptics were all saying that LaDainian Tomlinson is washed up and that relying on second year RB, Shonne Greene, was going to be a gamble. As of yesterday, LT is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and complementing him is Greene, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. They have combined for just under 600 yards rushing and LT has 3 TD's. Opposing teams have to respect the Jets running game, which in turn, has given way to the play action for Sanchez and the "Seminole" formation, featuring the most versatile player in the NFL, Brad Smith.
One other thing that the Jets should be proud of, is the discipline that they showed on the field, limiting the amount of penalties they had. Against the Dolphins last week, the Jets played sloppy football, keeping Miami close with their 9 penalties. Yesterday however, the Jets reversed that trend and were efficient, smart and only penalized 4 times.
It then begs the question, how good can the Jets be?? Next week, the Jets are playing in their 3rd Nationally televised game, once again on MNF at the New Meadowlands against one time Jet, Brett Favre and the Vikings. The Jets are about to get stronger as a team, with Super Bowl MVP wide out, Santonio Holmes set to return from his 4 game suspension and Calvin Pace and Darrelle Revis also expected to be back from injuries. Adding those three players to the team at this point in the season, should only spell more success for the Jets.
Through the first four games, Mark Sanchez and the offense have had no turnovers, none. Sanchez threw 20 picks last year and coming into this year, there had to be an important step forward for him in his growth process to keep his turnovers down. He has not only done that so far, but he has been hitting his targets for 8 scores already in four games.
The defense has suffered some serious blows through injuries, losing NT Kris Jenkins for the entire season (again) and Ropati Pitoitua as well, DE Calvin Pace has been out since the pre-season, all pro holdout, Darelle Revis has only played in one game so far and yesterday against the Bills, DE Shaun Ellis sprained his left knee and is day-to-day. Yet, the Jets defense is getting it done, playing hard nose football and doing it the Rex Ryan way.
Another aspect of the Rex Ryan way of football, is the pound it out, ground game. Prior to this season, skeptics were all saying that LaDainian Tomlinson is washed up and that relying on second year RB, Shonne Greene, was going to be a gamble. As of yesterday, LT is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and complementing him is Greene, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. They have combined for just under 600 yards rushing and LT has 3 TD's. Opposing teams have to respect the Jets running game, which in turn, has given way to the play action for Sanchez and the "Seminole" formation, featuring the most versatile player in the NFL, Brad Smith.
One other thing that the Jets should be proud of, is the discipline that they showed on the field, limiting the amount of penalties they had. Against the Dolphins last week, the Jets played sloppy football, keeping Miami close with their 9 penalties. Yesterday however, the Jets reversed that trend and were efficient, smart and only penalized 4 times.
It then begs the question, how good can the Jets be?? Next week, the Jets are playing in their 3rd Nationally televised game, once again on MNF at the New Meadowlands against one time Jet, Brett Favre and the Vikings. The Jets are about to get stronger as a team, with Super Bowl MVP wide out, Santonio Holmes set to return from his 4 game suspension and Calvin Pace and Darrelle Revis also expected to be back from injuries. Adding those three players to the team at this point in the season, should only spell more success for the Jets.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Winning with Mistakes
On a hot and humid Sunday night in Miami, the NY Jets added some more value to their young season by escaping with a big victory that could have easily been an embarrassing loss. In three games this year, the Jets have had 29 penalties. With a team that prides itself on being the LEAST penalized in the NFL, this season the Jets are getting more yellow sandbags thrown at them then a carnival game. They had 9 more penalties in Miami on Sunday, most of which negated their own score or scoring drive, or it gave the Dolphins new life on a dead drive. The new players on the team that have replaced the experienced veterans, have had the hardest time staying out of the referees view. Even though the Jets organization has preached week after week, that they were right in letting go players that were integral parts of last year's run to the AFC Championship, it is still up for debate and becomes more noticeable each time the same guys make dumb mistakes. The Jets have been undisciplined on and off the field so far this season, which is evident from all the penalties and now with DUI arrests, female reporters being harassed and suspensions. The most frustrating part of that, is the fact that Mark Sanchez, minus the home opener, has performed beyond expectations. He has been a bright light, during these dark times. Dating back to last year, he hasn't thrown a pick in 5 straight games. He also has been efficient and has scored at will, throwing 6 TD's in the last two games. But the problem is not with the Southern California native, it is with his teammates and coach. With Rex Ryan, you know what you get, big personality, big statements and big emotions. But some of that is bringing backlash to the team. The players, on the other hand, are just not being controlled and others have come with their own baggage that has also effected the Jets image.
Beating Miami and moving into a three-way tie for first place was huge for the Jets, especially with the over hyped expectations and F-bomb ladened reality series hovering over them this season. If they can start to stay out of the negative spotlight, i.e. penalties, arrests, controversial comments and substance abuse, this team can be very dangerous. Now, especially with some players coming back soon from injuries and suspensions, things can begin to click on all cylinders and the Jets can be a balanced juggernaut in the NFL.
Beating Miami and moving into a three-way tie for first place was huge for the Jets, especially with the over hyped expectations and F-bomb ladened reality series hovering over them this season. If they can start to stay out of the negative spotlight, i.e. penalties, arrests, controversial comments and substance abuse, this team can be very dangerous. Now, especially with some players coming back soon from injuries and suspensions, things can begin to click on all cylinders and the Jets can be a balanced juggernaut in the NFL.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
18 games? Why not 22? Why not 30?
The NFL met yesterday to discuss a potential expansion of the regular season, from 16 games to 18 games. Doing that will either subtract 2 pre-season games or it will add two more games to the regular season. If it does get approved, one thing the NFL could do, is reduce the amount of pre-season games. Doing that would alleviate some of the problems surrounding the situation with having more games and with the pre-season structure. If the pre-season were shortened to 2 or 3 games, teams could then avoid some potential injuries and season ticket holders wouldn't feel so bad when they saw the bill for their Personal Seat Licensing charges for their season tickets. Ticket prices are unfortunately the same for regular season and pre-season, which begs the question, why should season ticket holders be charged that much to see pre-season games featuring 2nd and 3rd string players who most likely won't make the final roster? Injuries are always a problem and lots of times key players go down in a pre-season game that doesn't count, so if you reduce the number games, you reduce the chance of injury during a meaningless game. This all supports reducing the number of pre-season games, it doesn't however support adding 2 more to the regular season. If the NFL decided to just add the games on, bringing the total of games purchased for a season to 22, then some people would end up being priced out for the whole season. Adding more games also puts the players at risk of getting fatigued, hurt and if they end up in the playoffs, payroll will go up as well.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Come on Le Bron!
Today is the day our country turn it's eyes to ESPN to watch the "chosen one", Lebron James, announce his decision of where he will cash his exorbitant pay check. Leading up to this special show, the teams in the running for landing the biggest free agent in the history of the NBA are already trying to throw out their bait, attempting to hook the big fish. The Miami Heat, moving in the direction most assumed, re-signed Dwayne Wade and added Chris Bosh. The New York Knicks gave Amare Stoudamire one of their available maximum contracts. The Chicago Bulls signed Carlos Boozer, having him join a young and promising roster. The other two teams, the NJ Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers, have both remained stagnant in their free agent and roster moves. With all of these moves, who ends up with the prize?
Some idiots at ESPN are saying that they are confident that Lebron will join Wade and Bosh in Miami. They are idiots, because if Lebron is as smart and savvy as he seems to be, he would never share the spotlight of a championship with Wade, ultimately the same type of player. If Michael Jordan is Lebron's idol, which he is for most, then one thing he should have learned from Jordan is that there is only one Batman and one Robin on a winning team. Kobe and Shaq in LA were different positions and complemented eachother. Having Wade and Lebron on the same team, with Bosh, will be too crowded, too confusing and problematic. There will always be the question there, of who gets the rock? Lebron takes 40 shots a game, Wade takes 40 shots a game, Bosh takes 30 shots a game. How will that work? There are too many stars on one team. In Boston, Garnett, Allen and Pierce all play different positions and have different roles, if Lebron and Wade were to play together, who would take the secondary role?
If Lebron wants to set up his legacy and leave a lasting impression close to what Jordan and Kobe have done, he will have to be the star, not the other guy. If he went to Chicago, he would have a full roster and he would be the main ingredient, but he will always live in Jordan's shadow in the windy city. In New York, all he would need to do is win one championship to be a superstar. Other then the Yankees players, sports stars who have won in NY, and remained popular have all done it by just winning that first trophy. That's all you have to do in NY. For example, Mark Messier has only one Stanley Cup trophy with the NY Rangers, and he is an icon in NY. Walt Frazier has two rings and he is still a huge star. NY Mets stars, Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling, Gary Carter, etc. only have one World Series ring, but they are favorites around the five boroughs. The point is, winning just one championship at Madison Square Garden will be bigger for Lebron, then him winning three in Cleveland. And it seems as though Cleveland is banking on Lebron's love for his hometown, because they haven't made any moves to improve their roster and surround Lebron with complimentary players.
No matter where Lebron ends up, his legacy will always be measured against those of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and now Kobe Bryant. Hopefully his decision is to play for a franchise that he can call his own, and stand alone as the so called "chosen one". Everyone has an ego, and everyone, deep down inside, wants to be the brightest star in sports. Lebron James is no exception. He is and he should be focused on winning a championship, because up until this point, he has zero rings and when it comes down to it, that is the only way to be remembered.
Some idiots at ESPN are saying that they are confident that Lebron will join Wade and Bosh in Miami. They are idiots, because if Lebron is as smart and savvy as he seems to be, he would never share the spotlight of a championship with Wade, ultimately the same type of player. If Michael Jordan is Lebron's idol, which he is for most, then one thing he should have learned from Jordan is that there is only one Batman and one Robin on a winning team. Kobe and Shaq in LA were different positions and complemented eachother. Having Wade and Lebron on the same team, with Bosh, will be too crowded, too confusing and problematic. There will always be the question there, of who gets the rock? Lebron takes 40 shots a game, Wade takes 40 shots a game, Bosh takes 30 shots a game. How will that work? There are too many stars on one team. In Boston, Garnett, Allen and Pierce all play different positions and have different roles, if Lebron and Wade were to play together, who would take the secondary role?
If Lebron wants to set up his legacy and leave a lasting impression close to what Jordan and Kobe have done, he will have to be the star, not the other guy. If he went to Chicago, he would have a full roster and he would be the main ingredient, but he will always live in Jordan's shadow in the windy city. In New York, all he would need to do is win one championship to be a superstar. Other then the Yankees players, sports stars who have won in NY, and remained popular have all done it by just winning that first trophy. That's all you have to do in NY. For example, Mark Messier has only one Stanley Cup trophy with the NY Rangers, and he is an icon in NY. Walt Frazier has two rings and he is still a huge star. NY Mets stars, Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling, Gary Carter, etc. only have one World Series ring, but they are favorites around the five boroughs. The point is, winning just one championship at Madison Square Garden will be bigger for Lebron, then him winning three in Cleveland. And it seems as though Cleveland is banking on Lebron's love for his hometown, because they haven't made any moves to improve their roster and surround Lebron with complimentary players.
No matter where Lebron ends up, his legacy will always be measured against those of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and now Kobe Bryant. Hopefully his decision is to play for a franchise that he can call his own, and stand alone as the so called "chosen one". Everyone has an ego, and everyone, deep down inside, wants to be the brightest star in sports. Lebron James is no exception. He is and he should be focused on winning a championship, because up until this point, he has zero rings and when it comes down to it, that is the only way to be remembered.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Well, well, well....
If it isn't our old friend, Winning Streak. It's great to see ya, it's been a long time since we've had you around these parts. What's that you say, "coming home to Citi Field was blessing in disguise". Oh really! And "Ike Davis is the real deal, home grown, first baseman, that the Mets have been looking for". That's what Mets fans love to hear, Winning Streak. Yes, we agree, "Mike Pelfrey is awesome!" How long do you plan on staying around here in New York?
Oh, "Just until Oliver Perez pitches" you say. Well that's too bad, because he pitches tonight against the Dodgers.
Mike Pelfrey has been nothing more then solid, effective and dominating, winning his first four starts and throwing 24 consecutive scoreless innings. He got his 4th win last night, even with his splitter and fastball not working during the rainy night against the Braves. The Mets unfortunately haven't been scoring many runs for their pitchers. Their defense has been superb and when they do score, it hasn't been from the long ball, the Mets actually are manufacturing runs with stolen bases, sacrifice flies and smart base running. Hopefully the Mets bats will get hot, and when Carlos Beltran gets back in the lineup, who knows how many runs they will score. But for now, 1 or 2 runs seems to be enough for the Mets pitching, but everyone knows that can't last very long.
Oh, "Just until Oliver Perez pitches" you say. Well that's too bad, because he pitches tonight against the Dodgers.
Mike Pelfrey has been nothing more then solid, effective and dominating, winning his first four starts and throwing 24 consecutive scoreless innings. He got his 4th win last night, even with his splitter and fastball not working during the rainy night against the Braves. The Mets unfortunately haven't been scoring many runs for their pitchers. Their defense has been superb and when they do score, it hasn't been from the long ball, the Mets actually are manufacturing runs with stolen bases, sacrifice flies and smart base running. Hopefully the Mets bats will get hot, and when Carlos Beltran gets back in the lineup, who knows how many runs they will score. But for now, 1 or 2 runs seems to be enough for the Mets pitching, but everyone knows that can't last very long.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Opening Start
1 down, 161 to go. Opening Day in baseball has such an amazing feeling, no matter where you are. Spring is in the air, it's a new beginning and that long anticipation ends after a cold winter. Every team starts out the same way, the stadiums are all filled to capacity and for one day, fans can cheer on their team without any negativity. For some teams, after opening day, they would love to just call it in, go out with a bang and avoid the disaster that is about to occur during the next 161 games. For others, they will build off the momentum of a fresh start and keep their stadiums packed until October.
The New York Mets, without sounding too dramatic, desperately needed to win this year's Opening Day. After a horrendous 2009, one in which we all want to forget about forever, the 2010 season has to be better. So, without Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran starting on opening day, two of the Mets big name stars, the rest of the team stepped up and played error-free defense, had timely hits and effective pitching, especially from the staff's ace, Johan Santana. The Mets bullpen, which Manager Jerry Manuel has said is his biggest concern, cam up with 3 scoreless innings to finish out Santana's strong outing.
How does this good start translate into season long success???
David Wright continued his power surge from spring training, homering in his first at bat of the season yesterday. He looked patient and much more comfortable at the plate.
Johan Santana had great control and high velocity and he showed no signs of change after having surgery in the off-season.
New acquisitions, Gary Matthews, JR., Jason Bay and Rod Barajas all contributed with their bats and gloves, filling holes in the lineup left open by Beltran and Reyes. Turning a weaker lineup of last year, into a competitive, higher scoring one for 2010.
Relief pitcher Fernando Nieve, who was up for the 5th spot in the rotation, looks like a viable candidate for this season's long reliever and spot starter out of the bullpen. He pitched two scoreless innings, opening the door for K-Rod.
But, what about the rest of the bullpen? What about first base? Jerry Manuel is still concerned about his bullpen, and with a 7-1 win, he still feels that way having not been able to see any of his other pitchers in action. Daniel Murphy, this years starting first baseman, is on the DL and his replacement, Mike Jacobs, went 0-4 at the plate. That position still remains to be a problem for the Mets. Murphy will need to come back from this stint on the DL and contribute immediately to push aside any doubts.
Mets fans should be happy today. They are undefeated and will stay that way for at least another 24 hours. All things considered, the team looked great! If the Mets play this way until Beltran, Murphy and Reyes get back, they should theoretically be a contender in the National League.....theoretically.
The New York Mets, without sounding too dramatic, desperately needed to win this year's Opening Day. After a horrendous 2009, one in which we all want to forget about forever, the 2010 season has to be better. So, without Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran starting on opening day, two of the Mets big name stars, the rest of the team stepped up and played error-free defense, had timely hits and effective pitching, especially from the staff's ace, Johan Santana. The Mets bullpen, which Manager Jerry Manuel has said is his biggest concern, cam up with 3 scoreless innings to finish out Santana's strong outing.
How does this good start translate into season long success???
David Wright continued his power surge from spring training, homering in his first at bat of the season yesterday. He looked patient and much more comfortable at the plate.
Johan Santana had great control and high velocity and he showed no signs of change after having surgery in the off-season.
New acquisitions, Gary Matthews, JR., Jason Bay and Rod Barajas all contributed with their bats and gloves, filling holes in the lineup left open by Beltran and Reyes. Turning a weaker lineup of last year, into a competitive, higher scoring one for 2010.
Relief pitcher Fernando Nieve, who was up for the 5th spot in the rotation, looks like a viable candidate for this season's long reliever and spot starter out of the bullpen. He pitched two scoreless innings, opening the door for K-Rod.
But, what about the rest of the bullpen? What about first base? Jerry Manuel is still concerned about his bullpen, and with a 7-1 win, he still feels that way having not been able to see any of his other pitchers in action. Daniel Murphy, this years starting first baseman, is on the DL and his replacement, Mike Jacobs, went 0-4 at the plate. That position still remains to be a problem for the Mets. Murphy will need to come back from this stint on the DL and contribute immediately to push aside any doubts.
Mets fans should be happy today. They are undefeated and will stay that way for at least another 24 hours. All things considered, the team looked great! If the Mets play this way until Beltran, Murphy and Reyes get back, they should theoretically be a contender in the National League.....theoretically.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Injuries, Shminjuries!
Hopefully, Omar Minaya did his job right and the injuries (again) to two of the Mets big name stars (Beltran and Reyes) won't affect the team because the replacements he hired can hold it down until they come back. Realistically, the Mets are asking too much of bench players to fill the holes left open by all star caliber players. If the injuries go deep into the season like last year, it is going to be another long one. The Mets pitching staff is giving up home runs to the Nationals like its a stadium give away and Jerry Manuel and his staff still have not decided on the 4 and 5 spots in the rotation nor have they solidified the bullpen. How do they expect to compete against teams like the Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, Rockies, Braves and Marlins?
Three years straight, pivotal stars on the Mets squad have had significant injuries to start the season and/or have had injuries that have made you say "hmmm?". How does Jose Reyes always seem to have some type of injury? First, when he came up from the minors, the Mets staff taught him the wrong way to run the bases and he had leg problems, then when Reyes figured out how to run and steal bases, he had hand and leg injuries, now his thyroid is messed up...huh? And Carlos Beltran is either a hypochondriac or the doctors that he is seeing aren't really asking him the right questions, like "do your knees hurt?" or "how long have they been making a clicking sound when you walk?". Mets fans are allowed to be frustrated by all these injuries. Imagining a full roster of the Mets stars is really just that, a figment of the imagination. It has been too long since the Mets were at full, healthy capacity and were able to compete with other healthy teams. What's left?....A brand new stadium, pricey tickets and concessions and a makeshift lineup with sub-par pitching behind Johan Santana....sorry to sound so negative and gloomy, but after a while you just can't take anymore.
Three years straight, pivotal stars on the Mets squad have had significant injuries to start the season and/or have had injuries that have made you say "hmmm?". How does Jose Reyes always seem to have some type of injury? First, when he came up from the minors, the Mets staff taught him the wrong way to run the bases and he had leg problems, then when Reyes figured out how to run and steal bases, he had hand and leg injuries, now his thyroid is messed up...huh? And Carlos Beltran is either a hypochondriac or the doctors that he is seeing aren't really asking him the right questions, like "do your knees hurt?" or "how long have they been making a clicking sound when you walk?". Mets fans are allowed to be frustrated by all these injuries. Imagining a full roster of the Mets stars is really just that, a figment of the imagination. It has been too long since the Mets were at full, healthy capacity and were able to compete with other healthy teams. What's left?....A brand new stadium, pricey tickets and concessions and a makeshift lineup with sub-par pitching behind Johan Santana....sorry to sound so negative and gloomy, but after a while you just can't take anymore.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Coveted 5th Starting Spot Goes To.....
Nelson Figueroa pitched 2 solid innings for the New York Mets yesterday, in their Spring Training opener against the Atlanta Braves. He even struck out the side with 2 men on base in the 2nd inning. However, it is widely believed that Jon Niese, not Figueroa, will fill the final spot in the Mets starting rotation, barring any injuries or disastrous outings, but Figueroa is doing his best to keep the competition alive. So, if Figueroa and Niese both have strong pre-seasons, who should come out with the 5th spot??
Figueroa is 35 years old, and Jon Niese is 22. It seems much more logical to keep Figueroa in the bullpen as a long reliever and give Niese the chance to live up to his potential, but it's hard not to notice the hard work Figueroa has put in dating back to the end of last season. Having a veteran like Figueroa, coming out of the pen and straight out of Brooklyn, is a huge asset for the Mets since everyone other then Johan Santana is under the age of 30. Most Mets fans are just hoping for healthy pitchers. It's been a long time since all 5 of the Mets starting pitchers stayed healthy together. That has been the main problem for the organization, having to replace starters with a makeshift rotation from relievers and journeymen, that is something that they want to avoid this season. So whomever secures the 5th spot, his health will be the main focus because then the Mets can have a full strength bullpen backing up a 5 man rotation ready to compete for the NL EAST title.
Figueroa is 35 years old, and Jon Niese is 22. It seems much more logical to keep Figueroa in the bullpen as a long reliever and give Niese the chance to live up to his potential, but it's hard not to notice the hard work Figueroa has put in dating back to the end of last season. Having a veteran like Figueroa, coming out of the pen and straight out of Brooklyn, is a huge asset for the Mets since everyone other then Johan Santana is under the age of 30. Most Mets fans are just hoping for healthy pitchers. It's been a long time since all 5 of the Mets starting pitchers stayed healthy together. That has been the main problem for the organization, having to replace starters with a makeshift rotation from relievers and journeymen, that is something that they want to avoid this season. So whomever secures the 5th spot, his health will be the main focus because then the Mets can have a full strength bullpen backing up a 5 man rotation ready to compete for the NL EAST title.
Monday, March 1, 2010
More Home Runs for The Mets??
What will help boost the stat labeled "HR (homerun)" for the New York Mets in 2010?
Having hit the fewest "HR's" in the majors last season, the Mets' brass came up with one solution, cut the Center Field fence in half....hold your applause please. They also decided that adding a power hitter like Jason Bay was also a good first step.
But what else can an organization do to help it's team increase it's power?
Recently, Rob Neyer blogged about the Mets attempting to "pull back from opposite-field hitting"...and to focus more on pulling the ball. This seems to be a lot to ask of one team.....wait for it, now let the applause pour in.
The focus, however, should be on the players staying healthy and getting used to playing at Citi Field. The winds, the outfield walls, the odd dimensions and the obvious uncomfortableness of playing in a new place, coupled with all of the injuries, all seemed to contribute to the Mets lack of power last season. Pushing players to pull the ball more, in this bloggers mind, could have an adverse effect on how they approach hitting all together. It could put more pressure on the hitters to try different things, while they are returning from injuries and attempting to figure out Citi Field. Howard Johnson, the Mets hitting coach and former hard-hitting third baseman, feels that there needs to be a change in how aggressive the hitters are going to be. That is an understatement Ho-Jo!
Johnson said, "It would be like in football, and all you do is try to complete five-yard passes. You have to stretch the field at some point." Thank you Ho-Jo for explaining that, people have been running around, all very confused about how the NFL compares to hitting in the Major Leagues. Hopefully, Ho-Jo can make an impact on the players. Hopefully he is helping them hit for average as well, so that when this "surge" of power miraculously appears, there will be guys on base to score more then the one run the Mets were used to last season.
If the pitchers behind Johan Santana somehow come alive and execute, the Mets hitters should be more relaxed and aggressive at the plate. There are so many factors involved, when it comes to re-tooling an organization that has just gone through a serious drought. All the Mets fan around the world are hoping that the coaches, managers, trainers and players that have been put into place are going to (pun intended) "step up to the plate".
Having hit the fewest "HR's" in the majors last season, the Mets' brass came up with one solution, cut the Center Field fence in half....hold your applause please. They also decided that adding a power hitter like Jason Bay was also a good first step.
But what else can an organization do to help it's team increase it's power?
Recently, Rob Neyer blogged about the Mets attempting to "pull back from opposite-field hitting"...and to focus more on pulling the ball. This seems to be a lot to ask of one team.....wait for it, now let the applause pour in.
The focus, however, should be on the players staying healthy and getting used to playing at Citi Field. The winds, the outfield walls, the odd dimensions and the obvious uncomfortableness of playing in a new place, coupled with all of the injuries, all seemed to contribute to the Mets lack of power last season. Pushing players to pull the ball more, in this bloggers mind, could have an adverse effect on how they approach hitting all together. It could put more pressure on the hitters to try different things, while they are returning from injuries and attempting to figure out Citi Field. Howard Johnson, the Mets hitting coach and former hard-hitting third baseman, feels that there needs to be a change in how aggressive the hitters are going to be. That is an understatement Ho-Jo!
Johnson said, "It would be like in football, and all you do is try to complete five-yard passes. You have to stretch the field at some point." Thank you Ho-Jo for explaining that, people have been running around, all very confused about how the NFL compares to hitting in the Major Leagues. Hopefully, Ho-Jo can make an impact on the players. Hopefully he is helping them hit for average as well, so that when this "surge" of power miraculously appears, there will be guys on base to score more then the one run the Mets were used to last season.
If the pitchers behind Johan Santana somehow come alive and execute, the Mets hitters should be more relaxed and aggressive at the plate. There are so many factors involved, when it comes to re-tooling an organization that has just gone through a serious drought. All the Mets fan around the world are hoping that the coaches, managers, trainers and players that have been put into place are going to (pun intended) "step up to the plate".
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