7
2013
Morning Update: Collins Concerned With Offense, Santana Making Progress, No Timetable For Murphy’s Return
An article by Hojo's Mojo
Johan Santana will make his first Grapefruit League next Thursday, March 14, when the Mets play the Detroit Tigers, according to John Delcos of Metsmerized Online. That would leave three starts before the start to the season.
Pitching coach Dan Warthen told Delcos that Santana is making progress after throwing a long-toss session on Monday and that notable gains have been made on velocity and arm strength.
Terry Collins said that both he and Johan Santana are on the same page now, though the left-hander was silent yesterday after learning of the death of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.
Regarding the slow start by some of the players expected to head North with the team, Collins has expressed concern about the offense. “We’re not swinging the bats very good,’’ he said. “But, we still have around 40 at-bats (per starter) to go.’’ He’s hoping to see some improvement across the board with three weeks to go, but particularly with hitters making more contact. Collin Cowgill and Jordany Valdespin are the hottest hitters in camp and yesterday against Venezuela, Spin was in center field after playing mostly second base with the absence of Daniel Murphy in Grapefruit League play.
Murphy, sidelined with a strained right side muscle, played catch, took grounders and hit in the cage on Wednesday. He followed that up by saying he didn’t have a timetable for when he’d take live batting practice and appear in a game.
About the Author: Rob Johnson
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 24 | 18 | .571 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 20 | .535 | 1.5 |
| Phillies | 20 | 23 | .465 | 4.5 |
| Mets | 16 | 24 | .400 | 7.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 32 | .256 | 13.5 |
Last updated: 05/18/2013
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SA doesn’t get us a real offensive in the outfield and we have a catcher who can’t hit,Wrights off to the Crusades (when he should have stayed at home defending his crown) and TC’s worried! Thank god for Cowgill( I don’t care if Byrd hit’s 500 in the spring I’m not a big Byrd
fan and I don’t think he will keep it up into the season)
Craig, but byrd have done it before, you seem to love cowgill, yet, don’t care that byrd (The proven major leaguer with successs) is hitting 500? i don’t get that analogy. IMHO, you go with the veteran guy who’s suceed before in the bigs versus putting the unproven guy who very well may suck once the big show begins ala brad eamus.
I like them both and hope they both make the team… but I have to wonder if Byrd’s PED suspension has something to do with it. Like it or not, any player coming off a PED suspension will be looked at differently than a kid like Cowgill.
Taking Byrd’s “history” into account unfortunately for him doesn’t matter to some because he got that suspension so its almost like it wipes everything out – whether that is fair or not… I’m not sure. But I’ll bet its in the back of any Byrd critics mind
I am with Alex…I dont follow your thought process. What is the difference between Cowgill and Byrd? I can understand if you said something to the effect “I dont care if Byrd is hitting .500 it is early and I dont see him keeping it up through the season”. That is a statement which cannot be argued. However, the same would apply to Byrd. Nobody knows what will be produced by either of them.
Personally, as a Met fan, I am happy that Byrd, Valdy, and Cowgill are hitting. Hopefully they keep it up because then at least 3 OFs will wield a bit of a bat. The guy I am happiest about is Valdy since I thought it insane that he was “predetermined” to either be a bench or AAA player. He has athletic skills the team lacks yet someone in the organization (Collins or Alderson) made the dumb decision to only play him in the IF. He can be a major league OF…he has the instinct and the athleticism.
Byrd is a professional hitter. If he stays healthy and in shape he will produce. Not power, but consistent hitting. He will get guys in from third with less than two out. And he can ccatch the ball in the OF. You may want 30 HRs there but you are not going to get it this year. The guy that drives me bonkers is Duda. Firendly Giants usually stay friendly giants. Not sure he will ever get over the hump.
Jdon, exactly. i think that him being a good hitter, can use the big stadium to hit a bunch of doubles. i like this pick up by sandy alderson, because this guy as you stated is a true proffesional
“Thank god for Cowgill”. Of course Cowgill will cool off but he can be a .290 hitter with spark at the top of the of the order with very good defense at CF. Better than Bourn and Victorino? It is possible as much as 50%-50%. Yes,TGF Cowgill.
For those of you he think Cowgill is a dud you shall see, his swing is no fluke and he had very respectable AAA numbers. Yes he is almost 27 same age as as Duda; but Cowgill is no dud.
but Cowgill is no dud.”
Ok, copy and paste. Hotstreak March 7, 2013 at 8:29 am For those of you he think Cowgill is a dud you shall see, his swing is no fluke and he had very respectable AAA numbers. Yes he is almost 27 same age as as Duda; but Cowgill is no dud.
Got it……
We shall see my friend. That is way they play for real in less than a month.
I forgot to say Bourn and Victorino were late bloomers too just around Cowgill’s age. I did not check stats so you can prove me wrong. For that matter Pagan was a late bloomer too.
Byrd, Byrd, Byrd is the word….yeah everybody knows about the Byrd
Byrd has had success in the past and may be able to sustain it for a while as by his own admission this is last shot. Seeing the end of the line at his age could be the motivator.
Alex68 what don’t you get? Byrd is 36 years old and last full and good year was 2010! Three
years later and at 36 he’s making a comeback? In his last good year he hit 12 HR’s and knocked in 66 RBI’s not exactly impressive totals for a RF that hits fifth to protect Davis! Cowgill hit well in the minors and he’s 27 not 36 and even if Cowgill cools of a bit his scrapy and intelligent play hopefully will rub off on the rest of the team but I can’t see 36 old Byrd lasting long into the season without breaking down or going into a prolonged slump!!
Byrd won’t be 36 until the last day of August but I hear you.
He’s having a good spring but I too wonder how long he’ll keep that up at 35.
Sigh… Moving on…… My thing is, if cowgill was such a crappy, inteligent player who is good and cheap, why did the A’s AND dbacks got rid of him??? Hmmmmmmmmm, makes you wonder…. oh wait i know, is that they saw enough from him to believe he’s not gonna be that good, even though their team are not that good 473 PA is enough for both of them to see what he’ll be…. But hey, best of luck cowgill, hope you tear it up (key word hope)
216 PA.
sorry, 216… moving on……… IDK why i kept saying 473. Ugh.
Because that’s his 162 game average.
Ohhh, and btw, when andres torres was brought in here, EVERYONE was wishing the guy to revert back to the 2010 form he had, yet it didn’t. The only advantege cowgill has over byrd is advantage. that’s it. While 36 is old i get that, he is a proven major leaguer who can hit for BA, power and has some decent speed, should i remind all of you that is 473 PA cowgill has 2 HR and a 311 Slug % (even castillo’s was higher)?
Cowgill and Byrd are NOT competing with each other. I don’t get why you keep comparing the two.
Alex, I’m not comparing Cowgill to Byrd all I’m saying is Cowgill might just be a good player who leads off or hits second in the lineup not fifth in an important RBI position when Byrds way past his prime and hasn’t done anything since 2010! I hope I’m wrong and Byrd has
a big year because that would help the mets have a better year and thats what we all
want right! I have been a MET fan since 1964 so I have seen everything from 1969 to 1986
to 2000 and want the mets to be a good team again as much as anybody on this websight!
We are in this alltogether!!
Craig, being an old timer like you i’d say hear hear!!!!!!!!!!!! LEt’s go mets…….
I thought I’d offer up an RZ notable and quotable. Those who enjoy looking up my previous quotes and publishing them, please archive this one:
How torrid a spring training any particular ballplayer has or has ever had predicts the real season’s results about as well as Nostradamus forecasting the world’s end.
No “actual” leadoff hitter, no Murph, no David, no Hairston, oops! forgot he is not here anymore
, Duda working on new stance, grip, etc so of course you have no consistent offense on this team.
Hopefully Murph returns, David comes back and the OF situation is settled, I like both Cogwell and Byrd but going forward into 2014, Cogwell would be the answer if he pans out and is the RH power bat Mets need.
Maybe Lutz gets hot and makes the team as spare OF/1B, backing up Ike.
I’m not lending any weight to ANYTHING that has happened so far in Sprint Training….
Kids always do great and look like keepers in the first coulpe of weeks in ST and the Vets always seem to take it easy and spend as much effort in not getting hurt as they do in impressing someone….meanwhile…The Bubble guys come out fighting for a job
Then as the season gets closer it tends to flip…as player’s game readiness and effort evens out and the MLB pitchers start pitching more like MLB pitchers not ust guys working on getting thier breaking ball over the plate!
So really whoever is hot now could be the goat that gets cut two weeks from now….
It’s not how you start in ST it’s all about how you finish it!
Anyone who views 2013 as a “punt” year has to be on board with Den Dekker getting the opportunity to develop at the Major League level, so he can become ready for 2014.
Even if you do NOT think 2013 is a punt year….You should be on board with him….
It’s shouldn’t be based on anything other than his readiness….
If he is looking overmatched at the plate then he probably starts off in AAA….If he can get the BA above 240 then maybe he makes the team and hope further adjustments will be made…
At this point he is hitting better than his competition for the CF spot (Kirk) but thats less about MDD and more about Kirk truth be told….
BOTH are candidates where sitting on the bench and not playing is a bad idea so it is going to come down to who is hitting better when Judgement Day comes with the other going off to Vegas to get regular playing time.
MDD may be the better fielder but that will be less of a factor in thier decision because Kirk isn’t really a liability with the glove and they will choose based on who is the biggest liability with the bat instead.