Mar
8
2010

The Morning Grind Is Back: Ollie, Dead At 50, Demi Moore, Omir-acle Part Deux?

An article by Joe D

As the season slowly inches closer day by day, it’s time to resurrect our daily feature entitled, “The Morning Grind”. As we did last season, I’ll give you my reflections on the latest Mets and MLB stuff and give you something to ponder and sound off on. Jump right in and give us your two cents.

Oliver’s Story

After three weeks of hearing how great Oliver Perez looks, and how balanced he is, and how he has found his groove, and how the ”Institute” has transformed him, and… You get the idea. Now judge the early results from yesterday’s first official appearance of the spring. Perez allowed five runs (should have been six) and seven hits in three innings against the Nats “B” squad. The enigmatic left-hander issued just one walk (a vast improvement)and struck out two (Dan Warthen was thrilled). Apparently he threw plenty of strikes, but when the fastball comes in at 89-91 mph, he all of a sudden becomes more hittable. Is anybody else out there as pleased as Jerry Manuel was with his performance?

Omir-acle Part Deux

Omir Santos does it again… well not really… Last year he provided the Mets with their biggest highlight of the season when he homered off of elite Red Sox closer Jon Papelbon in a big Mets win. Yesterday, he hit an inside the park grand slam when Nats outfielder Willy Taveras couldn’t get the umps to call the ball out of play after it got stuck under the padding in the outfield wall. Hopefully, this won’t be the Mets biggest highlight this season, but it was fun to watch nonetheless.

Craig Carton Is Such An Ass

Craig Carton, of WFAN’s “Boomer and Carton” show, really proved this morning why he is the biggest buffoon on sportstalk radio. While speaking about Jose Reyes this morning, he said,

“I have no doubt that they are pumping him full of HGH like he’s the second coming of Secretariat and I don’t need anyone to tell me this had everything to do with the hyperactive thyroid gland.”

As crazy as that sounds, the worst was yet to come.

“Personally, this is the way I feel about it. I couldn’t care less if he’s dead by the age of 50, as long as the Mets pump these guys up with HGH and win us a World Series. What the hell do I care if they all die after that.”

Wow… Are you freaking kidding me???

Parting Shots and Quick Hits

I don’t care how much plastic, Pilates, botox or silicon it took, but Demi Moore is still smoking hot after appearing as a presenter at last nights Academy Awards…

Jeff Francoeur still has a gun for an arm as evidenced by the two runners he nailed at home plate which put the Mets on the winning side of a game decided by one run. Afterward, he said, “King Kong has got nothing on me!” while pounding his chest in the clubhouse…

After getting a glimpse of Pelfrey and Perez this weekend, I’m more inclined to do whatever it takes to not risk losing Nelson Figueroa or Fernando Nieve to waivers should they be designated for assignment…

Left-hander Hisanori Takahashi followed Perez with three brilliant scoreless innings that has me looking forward to watching his progress for the rest of the spring. He allowed one hit, struck out six and walked none. Hey, you never know… Maybe we caught lightning in a bottle… We’ll know more in about three weeks…

So whatcha got for me?

About the Author: Joe DeCaro

Went to my first Mets game, a Mayors Trophy game at Shea, in '73. We beat the Yankees 8-4 and I was hooked. I marched in two Banner Day parades, and before the Grand Slam single, there was the "Hendu Can Do" grand slam - I was there. I've collected Mets memorabilia all my life and started Mets Merized Online to feed my addiction.

25 Comments + Add Comment

Mykey March 8, 2010 at 9:14 am

I don’t think we can write off Perez just yet. I think the main thing to take from the game yesterday was that he threw mostly strikes. That alone is good news. It was his first game since early last season. Let’s let him pitch a couple more times this spring before we write him off as being the same old Ollie.
- METS62FAN March 8, 2010 at 10:06 am
  
  I concur, Mykey, and I guess Joe D. missed the graphic showing Ollie’heat @ 92MPH & today’s papers pointing out 2 of every 3 pitches were for strikes.I’m glad to see I wasn’t te only one who thought he’d struckout the guy who eventually walked; but this is ST for umps also & guys with Ollie’s rep typically don’t get that call in season either. Most imprtant was the Post’s report that while Jerry & Dan were enthusiastic, Ollie was disappoointed & THAT’S A VERY GOOD THING!
  - Colonel_Kurtz March 8, 2010 at 11:13 am
    
    He hit 92 ONCE and that was a ball he basically spiked into the ground! The guy was hitting 88-90 consistently. Yes he was throwing strikes, but when you “baby” the ball like that, I expect anyone could. His pitches were flat and really had nothing other than that 89-mph fastball.
- K Maxx March 8, 2010 at 10:22 am
  
  I wrote off Perez in 2008 when he led the MLB in walks and still we signed him for more than four times what he was worth. How long does it take some of you to realize that if it acts and sounds like a dog than it’s a dog?
theonlymaskman March 8, 2010 at 9:38 am

As much as I detest Ollie’s past failures, let’s focus on the bright side at least for now. He showed improved control with only 1 BB and 2 K’s. If his major weakness was inadequate speed on his fastball allowing for the offensive attack against him, let’s remember that it is the first week of ST. Pitchers coustomarily do not rev up to full speed this early in ST. They focus on control and fire up speed after they are sure their arms is sound. You don’t want an arm injury on day 1. So perhaps it is mission accomplished for now. It is onlt the start of ST and the objective is not to win games, but to get the playeres ready for competition. On the other hand, Takahashi2 certainly showed he is ready to go. Let’s hope both of them arry through to realize their potential. Then, perhaps the season can get off on the right foot.
- kevin March 8, 2010 at 9:55 am
  
  I thought it was reported that Oliver Perez was throwing at full strength back in January where Kevin Burkardt reported that Oliver Perez spent the winter in Arizona working out, training and working on his dellivery? It would seem that he’d be at full throttle by now. Parnell was bringing at 98mph and Mejia at 96mph with no such training two days earlier.
- METS62FAN March 8, 2010 at 10:08 am
  
  OK, u imposter, what did u do with the real MASK?
kevin March 8, 2010 at 9:56 am

I can just see Omir who is out of options, being dfa’d shortly before openning day and picked up by the Yankees or Dodgers and becoming a tremendous backup for them.
Little Nicky March 8, 2010 at 10:14 am

Why Craig Carton is till employed by WFAN is a mystery to me. Not only is he an ass, but he knows absolutely nothing about baseball, football or any other sport. I stopped listening to the morning show months ago and I’m glad I did. I lost a lot of respect for Boomer who sits alongside him rather than just getting up, taking off his mic, and walking out the studio. I always thought he was a classy guy, but I guess I was wrong.
- Bob Pajer March 8, 2010 at 10:56 am
  
  I gave up listening to WFAN over a year ago because of Carton. The guy never stops talking and his voice in annoying (male Rachael Ray). I love Boomer and you’re right Little Nicky, why is he staying with the worst sports talk host on radio? Glad I’m not alone in this.
  - Colonel_Kurtz March 8, 2010 at 11:17 am
    
    “Male Rachael Ray”
    
    HAHA! Never thought of that.
    
    Reading what Carton said, the guy really comes off as, well, stupid. I have listened to that show in the morning and it isn’t all that bad to me, but what he said it pretty pathetic. Dead at 50? Pump him with HGH? So now he wants us to be just like the Yankees of the late 90s? Whatever.
    
    But yes, lets have Santana die at 50 just so us fans can be happy. Beyond selfish and beyond pathetic.
K Maxx March 8, 2010 at 10:20 am

I told all of you all offseason that Omar screwed up big time choosing to go with the same slugs we had last season in the rotation instead of signing Lackey, Wolf or Pineiro. And you Joe, had no problem with it so you should remember that all season long while we sit mired in 5th place.
- METS62FAN March 8, 2010 at 10:27 am
  
  k? does that stand for karl? is that a double x or an rx to end yr last name as Marx instead of Maxx. Can we get out of the first 2 wks of camp before u pull ther pin? Sheesh, I just know you’ve been waiting for a bad outing to come along, just dying for that “I TOLD U”
  - K Maxx March 9, 2010 at 11:30 am
    
    METS62, take off your rose colored glasses and see the light or as I like to call it “the coming gloom”. The Mets have 4 starters in their rotation that have never even pitched 200 innings in a season. NEVER!!!! The bullpen will be burned by early June. Santana will be left in longer than usual to try and save the worn out bullpen, and he’s the last guy you want pitching after the 7th inning when batters hit .325 against him. And of course we already know, Johan may be our ace, but Halladay had more complete games in 2009 thant Santana has logged in his ENTIRE CAREER!
    - METS62FAN March 10, 2010 at 10:25 am
      
      K, I’m certainly guilty of being a rose colored glasses, glass half full fan; but citing the one stat CG that’s DODO BIRD meaningless in the NL isn’t altering my outlook, regardless of how dominant Halladay may be the moment a late game AB comes up with a chance to blow a close game wide open his CG opportunity will be erradicated. While u obvuiously were sleeping u may not have noticed the absence of CG leaders from NL teams, The obnly reason to avoid one in the AL is ineffectivness of SP the only way to garner one in the NL is ineffectiveness of backgame bullpen. CG is the most endangered stat in the NL for good reason!
jon berger March 8, 2010 at 11:14 am

If this is true then I am finished with the morning show too. Cant understand why Boomer, who is a total class act, still sits next to that asswipe. I volunteer my services as a replacement for the jerkoff carton.
Marie March 8, 2010 at 11:15 am

Well nice to see Ollie’s in midseason form. And if that’s what Carton said then, wow what a jerk. I’m sure people will call for his head but the fact of the matter is he gets people to listen and that’s more important to the executives than the health of a married athelete with children to go home to. Sad but true.
andy March 8, 2010 at 11:43 am

For Oli, I think this was good. Its ST so u get free pitches and I think overall, they got what they wanted out of his outing. It was more about consistency with his delivery and mechanics. I believe if he can keep doing that, u will see a better oli in his first start. The guys busting his butt and people complain about the runs he gave up but its not about W-L records, even though u still want to see the Mets win

LET’S GO METS!!!!!!
- Shamik March 8, 2010 at 12:00 pm
  
  Very true. Get the proper mechanics down til its second nature. THEN ramp up the velocity and start working in various pitches/combinations. Really, really hope this guy can step up this year…
LI Met Fan March 8, 2010 at 1:34 pm

This no joke, but I turned my radio off this morning riding to work after I heard Craig Carton. I was disgusted with what he said, and he also made some disparaging remarks about Oliver Perez and Pelfrey who he actually had on as a guest not too long ago. If I had been at home instead of my car, I would have called in and lodged a complaint that is how furious and disgusted I was. To go on air and say he doeant care if they’re dead by 50? I think that’s as bas as what Imus said when he got fired from WFAN.
- LI Met Fan March 8, 2010 at 1:36 pm
  
  My apologies for the typos.
Pete March 8, 2010 at 3:20 pm

Boomer Esiason has to be quite the idiot for agreeing to work with that low-life, Craig Carton. It certainly doesn’t speak well for Boomer to commit slow professional suicide by associating with that piece of filth. I was once a daily listener of that morning show, but no more, I have long since moved on up the dial until 10:02 every morning when that f*cking Carton is finally silenced. That mindless boob! Not only does he know nothing about sports, he insults women constantly, every show, he will degrade half of humanity with total immunity. Carton is repugnant, repulsive, ignorant, egotistical to the enth degree, worthless, condescending, and highly obnoxious, every time he opens his stupid yap. What kind of a$$holes are running the show over at FAN anyway?
- jdecro March 8, 2010 at 4:08 pm
  
  I think Boomer sticks with him because it counters Boomer’s personality. You can’t have two of the same people on a show, cause then you have one too many. However, if Carton said that, he really crossed the line this time. That kind of stuff sells though, all you guys are talking about it, the best thing to do is ignore him.
  I think the worst thing that the FAN does though is let Mike Francesca whine about how he couldn’t put up his YES banners when he is down in Florida. Seriously, Mike is the biggest baby I ever heard in my life. I don’t know how he is a syndicate, his show sucks, he doesn’t let anyone talk and it just depresses me.
  I listen to Joe and Evan alot during lunch though, nothing better than 2 panicking met fans, makes me feel at home, lol
- Tomterif March 8, 2010 at 6:49 pm
  
  I second that emotion.
Dave [Retire #31] March 8, 2010 at 4:16 pm

Nope, let’s completely ignore the elephant in the room. By elephant I mean the beautiful Demi Moore. lol

Carton you suck dude, leave now before us Mets fan run you out of town.

And I couldn’t stop laughing when watching the Santos HR.