Mar
5
2013

Mets Matters: Marcum, Feliciano, Hawkins Will Work In “B” Game; More WBC Nonsense

An article by John Delcos

mets matters The majority of the Mets are off today, except for those who have a “B’’ game in Jupiter later this afternoon. Pitchers Shaun Marcum, Pedro Feliciano and LaTroy Hawkins will each log some innings.

The projected fifth starter, Marcum, raised concerns when he didn’t report to camp in shape. Here is a guy trying to hang onto a major league job and got a $4 million guaranteed contract from the Mets. He doesn’t come to camp ready to pitch and says he only needs four exhibition appearances to get ready for the season.

Guys like that are hard to cheer for and you only hope he’s right about the four games. Somehow, I doubt it. Hawkins, 40, is competing for a bullpen spot, and as a veteran supposedly requires only a minimum amount of innings.

Feliciano, once a Mets’ workhorse out of the pen, was sidelined with a heart ailment and is required to wear a monitor.

Considering all three could make the staff, that’s not a good sign for the Mets’ pitching.

MORE WBC NONSENSE: It’s one thing when a player leaves a team to participate in the World Baseball Classic, but a coach? Bullpen coach Ricky Bones left the Mets to be Puerto Rico’s pitching coach.

Here is a team, the Mets, whose biggest concern is arguably its bullpen, and with a handful of new faces, I would have hoped Bones’ priority would have been with the Mets.

I realize this is about marketing the sport globally, but I am waiting for a team with enough guts to call out Major League Baseball and say: “Enough, our priority is getting ourselves ready to play and not to sell T-Shirts abroad.’’

WHEELER UPDATE: Zack Wheeler, out with a strained oblique is tentatively scheduled to throw on the mound on Thursday, and possibly get in a game in seven days. For those scoring at home, it is now three starts and counting Wheeler will have missed.

SPRINGING INTO ACTION: I’m in Florida today and I’m going to speak with Joe who wants to do some new stuff here at MMO including a live chat perhaps on Monday. I will field questions from the readers here about your Mets spring training concerns along with Joe.

I have several series features I am researching along with some interviews we will be posting shortly. I have also reactivated a Twitter account, or as my friend Joe said, I have joined the 21st Century. My handle is @jdelcos and I hope you sign on as followers. It has laid dormant since I began it over a year ago, but Joe has configured it to my phone so I can provide live tweets as things happen and the occasional picture or two.

I spoke with the Mets a few times in the last few days and am happy to say I am back on the beat and will again have a regular presence at Citi Field this summer. Joe had wanted to do away with game recaps and leave them for the other sites to dabble with them. However I insisted that they are an essential part of covering the beat and to let me take care of them from MMO. My game summaries will be much like what you recall from my time at The Journal News or what you see now from my friend Adam at ESPN. I hope you enjoy them as I would like to prove my know-it-all friend, Joe, wrong on this. Much more to come later.

About the Author: John Delcos

I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.

18 Comments + Add Comment

VitaminCM March 5, 2013 at 9:19 am

On an unrelated side note: Ricky Bones replaces Razor Shines for the title of “Best Coach Name EVER”.
- Midas Touch March 5, 2013 at 9:30 am
  
  I can see a character with the name Bones in a post Apocalyptic thriller. “Hey Bones, leave the gun, grab the can of gasoline.”
Donal March 5, 2013 at 9:40 am

“I realize this is about marketing the sport globally, but I am waiting for a team with enough guts to call out Major League Baseball and say: “Enough, our priority is getting ourselves ready to play and not to sell T-Shirts abroad.’’”

Teams have been doing that. The deal was carefully negotiated to give teams control over their personnel.
Javi March 5, 2013 at 10:18 am

All this opposition to the WBC is the reason why Team USA hasn’t come close to winning it the last two tournaments. Players should be jumping at the opportunity to represent their country in a competition like this and not giving these lame excuses about why they’re not showing up. the big story for Team USA this year is about all the star players who AREN’T playing rather than the people who are playing for their country. There was an article on ESPN from Jim Bowden that I totally agree with. He argues that just like it’s mandatory for a healthy player to go to the All Star Game, it should mandatory for players to go play for their country in the WBC. If the USA sent all their best players, we would probably win the tournament. Baseball is supposed to me America’s pastime and yet these other countries are embarrassing us on the global stage because they all care and are passionate about representing their countries!
These international games are played at a higher level than spring training exhibitions so they’re a better way of seeing what a player can do than meaningless Grapefruit and Cactus league games.
- Alex68 March 5, 2013 at 10:26 am
  
  You can say the same thing about the dominican team no??? I agree with you to a certain point. i think the timing is bad for players, i think it should be done right after the WS or during the WS, that way all players are still fresh from baseball related activities, most of the players are out of shape when it begins. Japan has won it twice because by the time they play the WBC, they’re in baseball shape already
  - TRS86 March 5, 2013 at 10:32 am
    
    I agree, you only have a few options. Pull the old Olympics idea and play it with amateurs or play it immediately following the season and make it mandatory unless you can provide a medical doc to say you are unfit.
    - van March 5, 2013 at 5:02 pm
      
      or the new NHL olympics idea. every 4 years, shorten the season by 10 games, cancel the ASG, and spend the 1st 2 weeks of July having the WBC while MLB goes on a break.
      
      Only way I can see to have the players actually in playing shape
      
      side benefit, you can play games in the US in all those empty stadiums!
      
      and yes, I know that it won’t happen (due to $$ issues), but logistically, it makes the most sense.
- Heybatter March 5, 2013 at 11:02 am
  
  If you go by how much money they are making, other than pitchers, the USA team couldn’t get much better!
ray sadecki March 5, 2013 at 10:25 am

John, Is bullpen coach really that important a position? I think there are too many coaches anyway. I like the WBC myself and its a small sacrifice IMO. It sounds like your health is much improved, Delcos and thats good to know. Your contributions here are more than welcome, friend.
- Met Maniac March 5, 2013 at 10:27 am
  
  Here’s a better question. Is the bullpen important? Because I read that under Alderson it’s seen the worst two year stretch of ERA/WHIP in team history. Why don’t they give all the relievers a break too while Bones is gone. SMH
Alex68 March 5, 2013 at 10:29 am

For those intersting:

Today’s USA lineup vs CWS, 3ET:
Rollins SS
Phillips 2B
Braun DH
Mauer C
Stanton RF
Tex 1B
Wright 3B
Jones CF
Victorino LF

Holland is the Starting Pitcher
- srt March 5, 2013 at 1:55 pm
  
  Interesting as I saw a mention yesterday that Torre had selected RA Dickey as his starting pitcher in the WBC. Wonder what changed?
  - srt March 5, 2013 at 1:59 pm
    
    Here it is – must have seen it today:
    
    http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/03/05/r-a-dickey-to-start-wbc-opener-for-torre-team-usa/
    - srt March 5, 2013 at 2:02 pm
      
      Ah….never mind. I see this is an exhibition game today.
      - Alex68 March 5, 2013 at 2:03 pm
        
        Lol, they play friday SRT. that’s when the USA group stars.. i think 3:00 pm is the game…
        
        srt March 5, 2013 at 2:05 pm
        
        So I see….
        I haven’t seen a schedule and I guess I just assumed since Wright is already there, and you gave the lineup today, it was the first of the real games. My bad…..lol.
        
        Alex68 March 5, 2013 at 2:15 pm
        
        Lmao, it is fine… BTW, hamels was shelled by the dominican team… 8 runs allow. good thing it was not a regular game!
MetMongrel March 5, 2013 at 1:52 pm

If I were Ricky Bones, why wouldn’t I want to have some fun and potentially win some games with the Puerto Rico sqaud. There’s no fun to be had in Mets-ville this year.

NL East Standings

Team	W	L	Pct.	GB
Braves	42	28	.600	-
Nationals	34	35	.493	7.5
Phillies	34	37	.479	8.5
Mets	25	40	.385	14.5
Marlins	22	47	.319	19.5

Last updated: 06/18/2013

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