Mets Merized Online

Once in a while, I like to sit down, relax, and escape into the world of Mets baseball. It’s a beautiful time to do that right now as Spring Training is heating up, and there’s already so much swirling around Mets camp to consider and debate.

I love all the excitement that is being generated by our young Met prospects; Ike Davis, Jenrry Mejia, and Fernando Martinez. As for them, the position battles, and some of the other off the field stuff, here’s my take on all of it.

FBI Investigation: Way too much is being made of this. Reyes and Beltran did not take HGH, they just happened to be treated by a doctor who was being investigated for it. I strongly believe that Reyes and Beltran are clean, and I’m glad this is beginning to blow over.

Jose Reyes’ Health: So this is starting to bother me just a little bit. I understand Jose Reyes isn’t Cal Ripken Jr., but the guy isn’t Nick Johnson either. He was injured last year, and I understand that. However, once the news was out that he was going back for a check on the thyroid imbalance, people started freaking out even more. The condition is treatable. I understand that I might be minimizing the situation, but it seems as if the fan base is always looking for something to get on Mets brass about.

Ike Davis, Fernando Martinez, and Jenrry Mejia: So I will admit that I am happy to see the three of them looking sharp to begin spring training. Davis has shown nice XBH power, Martinez has 2 HRs and Mejia looks really sharp. However, we really can’t get carried away here. Davis looks lost fielding at 1B. Martinez has yet to prove he can stay healthy for a full year. Mejia has not pitched an inning in AAA. I like these guys, and I think  the future looks bright because of them, and I’ll be the first one to cheer for them when they put on a show this spring. However, I strongly believe they all need some minor league seasoning before we get our hopes up too much. The Mets rush prospects and I don’t want these guys to lose it because they were rushed.

The Mood Of The Team: Jerry Manuel is not, and will not be, a no nonsense type of guy, and the mood of the manager does tend to reflect on the players. That said, according to Matthew Cerrone, the team seems to be more serious and at the same time a lot more relaxed. Wait…what? My standpoint on all this, is that you take all the speculation you hear with a grain of salt, because even if Cerrone is the Metsblog man, he’s still not a player, and nobody can tell it like a player does.

Simply put, I may be glossing over some of the on and off the field concerns right now, I guess that’s just the way I want to react after waiting so long for Spring Training to get here. I just want to enjoy the feeling and take it all in from start to finish in April. Look, we may take apart our Mets in different ways, with sabermetrics or with what we observe on our own…but we’re still all Met fans. It’s time to act like that. I understand we all have the right to criticize, because you couldn’t call yourself a Met fan unless you thought you could do Minaya’s job better than he does. I know the team has its shortcomings, and we could sit here and whine about how Omar didn’t sign LaRoche or Sheets or Lackey… or we could start believing again. The latter sounds much better to me.

Welcome to the end of 2009, and the beginning of 2010. It has been a rough year for Mets fans, and it seemed as if things weren’t going to get any better until the Mets finally came to an agreement with Jason Bay, who will provide some excitement in the new year. However, there were still some things to be happy about in 2009.

I’m not going to lie to you. The stats weren’t pretty in 2009. Jeff Francoeur led the Mets in many of the offensive categories, and that was mainly because he spent half the year with the Braves, not to take away from his scorching debut in New York. No Met had 30 stolen bases, hit 40 doubles, smacked 15 homers(excluding Jeff), or scored 100 runs. On the pitching side of things, Pelfrey led the Mets in starts (31) and IP (184.1), and only three pitchers on the entire staff sported a record above .500.

It wasn’t all bad however, I promise you that. Met fans were able to see Francisco Rodriguez make his debut as the new closer for the Mets, and Jeff Francoeur became our new right fielder. We saw flashes of promise and a glimmer of hope for the future in Josh Thole, Fernando Martinez, Jon Niese, Robert Parnell, and Tobi Stoner. And of course, I won’t leave out the always lovable Nelson Figueroa, along with Pat Misch and Fernando Nieve who pitched successfully for the Mets.

Did I leave somebody out???

Oh, of course… The MetsMerized Player Of The Year!

Johan Santana. Just his name strikes fear into opposing lineups. Johan Santana is a true bulldog and the argument can be made that he is the only reason the Mets pitching staff was not a total failure last year. He is consistent, he is confident, and he is dominant. Santana is reliable, is a true ace, and is still one of the best pitchers in the Major Leagues.

The Mets would be nowhere without Johan Santana, and even though he was injured last year, he still put up decent stats. Here they are:

Johan Santana is, and most likely will continue to be, the man. He deserves a ton of respect for playing his heart out for a team that was ravaged by injuries and whose season was quickly going down the drain.

Fortunately, a new season with new faces and renewed hope will see the Mets rise to the top again, and leading the way will be our 2009 Mets Merized Player of the Year, Johan Santana.

A Summary Of My Award Winners This Year

Players Of The Week

One Hit Wonders: Ryan Church, Johan Santana,  David Wright, Fernando Tatis, Nelson Figueroa.

Been There, Done That Twice: Luis Castillo, Angel Pagan, Daniel Murphy.

Three’s Company: Jeff Francoeur.

Players Of The Month

Luis Castillo (July 2009), Angel Pagan (August 2009), Daniel Murphy (September 2009).

A Final Note On 2009, The Decade, And The NYM…

Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight we move on to 2010 after another amazing decade of Mets baseball. I would never trade it for the world. As each day passes, I’ve enjoyed reading all the differing opinions on the past, the present and the future of the Mets here at Mets Merized. The recurring theme is simple, and it is such : We love the Mets. Maybe we’re suckers… or maybe we’re the best fan base in the world. We, as a fan base, young and old, male or female, unite under the common love for this team. As 2010 approaches, I encourage all of you, bloggers and readers alike, to keep expressing your opinions and keep the discourse alive and well. I conclude simply with this…

We believe in 2010 and every year after that, because we are Met fans.

LGM and Happy New Year!

The title of this post works in more than one way. It’s been a while since I have sat down and wrote an article, and it’s been a while since we’ve seen a major move from the Mets. Of course, that hinders on what you consider a major move, but looking at what the opposition has done so far this offseason, it’s not exactly easy to sit back and stay calm. Now I understand the pain and the angst that any Met fan is experiencing right now, but I will play Omar for a few seconds and hope that you will stay patient.

The Mets tend to be good for at least one big signing or trade per offseason, big being a relative term (See : Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana, Francisco Rodriguez.), and I do think we’ll be seeing at least one big move. Personally, I feel it will be Jason Bay, and I agree with that course of action (Only because Lackey and Halladay are off the market.) In any case, I figured I’d take the time to weigh on current NYM activity and put my spin on things.

Jason Bay: The Mets need Jason Bay as much as Jason Bay needs the Mets. They seem to be his only suitor right now, and frankly, I am fine with that. I want Jason Bay over Matt Holliday, because I feel he’d be better suited for Citi Field. Now don’t get me wrong here, because I’ll make this clear. The Mets need pitching more than offense, and at that, good pitching. But right now, the biggest thing that can be done to help the team is bolstering the offense. Admittedly, five years is a long contract. My offer at the moment : 4 Years at 68 MM with fifth year vesting option.

Bengie Molina: Bengie Molina is a very interesting option because he can produce offensively at the C position, but he is aging and asking for a lot of length in his contract. He is reportedly seeking a three-year deal, but he might accept a two-year deal. Right now the Mets offer is one-year with an option, and I agree with this. We don’t need Molina, but he would be nice. Be wary however, Mets fans, because Josh Thole is no Mike Piazza.

Orlando Hudson: Orlando Hudson’s name always comes up because he reportedly always wants to play for the Mets. Honestly, even Kelly Johnson might be a better option at 2B for the Mets, because I personally consider Luis Castillo a liability in the Mets offense. I think the Mets need Brandon Phillips at 2B, not Hudson. However, I would take Hudson over Castillo. The Mets should revisit Castillo-Byrnes and Byrnes would make a decent 4th OF.

Joel Pineiro: I’ll keep this one simple. No. I don’t want him, and someone else can have him. He pitched 200 Innings for the first time since what, 2003? I don’t want him. Dave Duncan can keep him. Yes, admittedly, he won’t do horrible at Citi Field, but he wants 10 MM per year, and I don’t want to be the team that gives it to him.

Aroldis Chapman/Yuniesky Maya: Again, this one seems simple enough. Yes. I want them both. Chapman alot more than Maya, but believe me, these two could go a long way for the future of the Mets, even if they end up being traded. I like what I have heard about Chapman, and his price tag is definitely more appealing to me than Pineiro’s.

Ben Sheets/Erik Bedard: Yes, I’d be the guy to give Ben Sheets 12 MM if he proved to me his arm is healthy. I’m not kidding. I’d rather give Sheets 2/20 than Joel 3/30. Call me crazy, but if Sheets is healthy, he is an ace pitcher for any team. He’s a risk, yes, but he’s a gamble I would take. If Bedard could be had for less than 4 MM, I’d take him. He used to be somewhat of an ace for Baltimore, in a hitter’s park in the AL east. That’s something to think about.

Kelvim Escobar/Ryota Igarashi/Clint Everts: I love all of these signings. They were cheap, and a couple of these guys can be effective weapons for the Mets late in games. For about a combined 3 MM, the Mets may have found effective 7th and 8th inning relievers. I’m just going off upside, don’t quote me on that. Clint Everts was a coveted arm and may actually be of some use to the Mets in 2010.

Now this is all purely opinion and speculation, but I’d like to hear what you’ve got to say in response. Later this week, I’ll try to get something up about what players I feel the Mets should be going after for cost-effective solutions.

A met fan can only hope that when he’s praising a player for performance in September, it’s because he played well in the games that mattered. Obviously, that’s not the case. However, I still feel the need remains to identify and praise the players that showcase their skills over an extended period of time. It’s been a long season and there were a lot of ups, downs and downs…but as I’ve said before, what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger.

My choice for MetsMerized Player Of The Month For September is… Daniel Murphy!

Falling right in tune with the common name among Mets news, Daniel Murphy is quickly becoming a topic of interest. He hit well down the stretch in September which only complicates the whole idea. Murphy showed more power and ability to hit than almost the entire rest of the team combined (not including Jeff Francouer.)

Those are Murphy’s September stats. He hit 4 HRs, drove in 15 and scored 13 times. Out of Murphy’s 25 hits, 15 were for XBH. He put together 50 TB. His 9 2B, 4 HR, 15 RBI and 50 TB were all team leading. That’s not bad, considering he’s developing a line drive swing in a ball park where the fences seem to be impossible to reach if you’re wearing a Mets jersey. He only struck out 9 times and grounded into 3 double plays, which aren’t bad numbers at all.

When the games didn’t matter, Murphy hit. I don’t know what that means, but it seems to have followed the trend he set last year when he hit the ball well down the stretch. I believe that players improve as they get more and more playing time in the majors and I do think Daniel had a lot of pressure on him going into the year. He posted solid numbers and to that I give him kudos and note that I believe in Daniel Murphy.

Honorable Mentions :

Jeff Francoeur: .308(32-104; 8 2B, 3 HR), 10 RBI, 17 R, 6 BB, 49 TB.

Angel Pagan: .306(33-108; 8 2B, 3 3B), 6 RBI, 1 SB, 13 R, 49 TB.

Past Award Winners:

One-Hit Wonders : Luis Castillo(July 2009), Angel Pagan (August 2009), Daniel Murphy (September 2009).

September Notes And Other Facts

Someone please tell David Wright to stop striking out. 140 K –> 10 HRS? That doesn’t work.

Daniel Murphy was statistically the Mets best offensive player last month, while Tim Redding/Pedro Feliciano were statistically the best pitchers.

Daniel Murphy (4 HR) and Jeff Francoeur (3 HR) had a combined 7 HRS. The rest of the team had a combined 10 in September.

Pat Misch and Nelson Figueroa both threw impressive CG SHOs. Figueroa led Mets Pitching in K’s.

2010, here we come.

And then there were none. We did win 70 games, we’re guaranteed a top ten draft pick and we can all kick back and watch some football or so for the new few months. I’ll still be watching the playoffs with a decent amount of the Mets fanbase (and i’ll be cheering for the Rockies.) It was a season of ups and downs and downs and downs…but what does not killl you only makes you stronger. If we can bounce back from this season, the only way to go is up.

My Choice for the MetsMerized Player Of The Week is…Nelson Figueroa!

The final MMO Player Of The Week award had to go to Nelson. I’ve developed alot of respect for Figueroa. He’s a workhorse type pitcher and he may never really make it in the MLB. But he’s a good guy and he’s not a terrible pitcher by any regard. When the games didn’t matter, Nelson stepped in like a professional and did his job. Even if he’s not on this team next year, he should be respected by Met fans for the work he’s done over the last two years.

Nelson Figueroa started two games this week, compiling a 1-1 record. Of course, that’s not the whole story. His E.R.A.? 1.20 (2 ER in 15 IP) His win was a CG SHO on the last game of the season (WHERE WAS THAT THE LAST TWO YEARS?!). In 15.0 IP, he allowed 10 H and posted a 3/12 BB/K ratio. He only allowed one HR and pitched fairly well on teh week overall.

Random note is that Nelson was 2-2 in fielding opportunies this week. Folks, the season’s over for the Mets and it’s time to start focusing on 2010 and the future past that. With the final POW, I not only give kudos to Nelson, but to all the award winners and the effort they put in every week.

Honorable Mentions:

John Maine: 1 GS, QS. W, 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 7 K, 1.29 ERA.

Angel Pagan: .385(10-26; 4 2B, 1 3B), 6 R, 1 RBI, 16 TB, 1 SB.

Past Award Winners:

One Hit Wonders: Ryan Church, Johan Santana,  David Wright, Fernando Tatis, Nelson Figueroa.

Been There, Done That Twice: Luis Castillo, Angel Pagan, Daniel Murphy.

Three’s Company: Jeff Francoeur.

Of Note 9/27-10/4 (And of all MMO POTW awards)

Ryan Church is the only one of the list who is no longer with the team. Jeff Francoeur is the only player to win the award three times. Luis Castillo won the first award. Nelson Figueroa and Johan Santana were the only pitchers to win the award.

John Maine’s start was very encouraging.

Jeff Francoeur’s production down the stretch is worth something, right? The outlook is bright for next year, at least in his direction.

Josh Thole’s alright, but give him a year in AAA.

Daniel Murphy does deserve a spot in the Mets Organization. It may be in AAA to start the year, but I don’t think he’ll end it there.

What a season it’s been. I think Matt Cerrone put it best when he said “I’ll still be sad there’s no Mets game tommorow.”

5 games left. That should say enough about every Met fans feelings right about now. For anyone who’s looking at the glass half full, I think it’s a safe bet that we have more wins than the Knicks will have later on this year. You live and you learn, and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. So let’s hope the Mets can improve off this season.

My choice for MetsMerized Player Of The Week is… Jeff Francoeur!

I was hoping a few weeks ago that they would shut down Jeff Francoeur because of his injury. It doesn’t matter anymore with only 5 games left in the season. But please, somebody tell Jeff that the games don’t matter for the Mets anymore and that losing isn’t that bad because we’ll get a better draft pick.

Jeff batted .292 (7-24) on the week with 1 2B and 2 HRs. He scored 5 times and drove in 5 runs. His 2 HR, 5 RBI, and 14 TB led the team while his 7 H, 5 R, and 5 RBI were tied for the team lead. For a guy playing with an injury, he’s tearing it up.

I still don’t think the Mets handled this situation well, but you have to give Jeff Francoeur credit for playing his heart out and posting some great numbers with the Mets since the trade. He’s shown me that there is the potential for a .300/25/100 season. That may be asking for alot, but just think about it. There were no errors on the week for Jeff, and he is the first player to win the award for a third time. Kudos to Jeff Francoeur!

Honorable Mentions:

Luis Castillo: .389 (7-18, no XBH), 3 SB, 3 RBI, 7 TB

Nelson Figueroa: 1 GS. L, 7.0 IP, 2.57 ERA (2 ER), 2 H, 5 K, QS

Past Award Winners:

One Hit Wonders: Ryan Church, Johan Santana,  David Wright, Fernando Tatis.

Been There, Done That Twice: Luis Castillo, Angel Pagan, Daniel Murphy.

Three’s Company: Jeff Francoeur.

Of Note 9/20-9/27

5 games remaining folks…

Nelson Figueroa is seriously pitching for his life. The guy’s throwing out almost identical stats every game. Can he succeed as a major league 5?

Talk about extremes –> Pat Misch gets lit up one start, and then throws a complete game shutout. I can’t take the pressure of making decisions.

Jon Niese, where art thou now?

Parnell can succeed in the bullpen.

Mike Pelfrey disappoints me.

I wish we could trade for Felix Hernandez.

Justin Duchscherer <– Cheap option for a SP next year. I’d rally for him.

And the season continues to wind down. It’s odd, I remember looking at the Knicks as their season would wind down and my first thought would be “Don’t win! You can’t make the playoffs, get a better draft pick!” Obviously that’s selfish and random, but it’s a thought that crosses the minds of a few fans. The Mets do have a guaranteed protected pick so we’ll see what comes of that. I would prefer they draft a pitcher. Getting back to the topic, I’ll move on to this week’s award…

My choice for MetsMerized Player Of The Week is…Daniel Murphy!

Daniel Murphy’s season can be summarized pretty bluntly like this : Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Most people thought he was a diamond in the rough prospect after watching him hit .313 down the September stretch last year. Now don’t get me wrong, I still think Daniel Murphy is a good player and his baseball IQ has improved after a full season. Pitchers have adjusted to him but he’s shown adjustment to them, and he has also shown that he’s slowly returning to his selective strike zone that caught the eye of alot of scouts at the MLB level. Lately, to put it in short, he’s been tearing it up.

Daniel posted a .375 AVG on the week (9-24 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR) and I’m pretty sure he managed another HR as I’m writing this. He struck out only once, drove in 5 runs and scored 3, and ripped 17 TB on the week. .375/.400/.708 is a great line for a week, isn’t it? If Daniel can manage to use the massive amount of real estate in Citi Field to his advantage, he can become a solid doubles hitter. He doesn’t belong at 1B, but we’ll see what becomes of that.

Daniel Murphy has been under the microscope alot this year, but I believe every once in a while we need to sit back and remember he’s just 24. Not every player develops into a star so young, and I do believe that patience will pay off with young Murphy, in more than one way. So to that, I say Kudos To Daniel Murphy!

Honorable Mentions:

Jeff Francoeur: .360 (9-25; 4 2B), 1 RBI, 13 TB, 1 SB, 6 R.

Tim Redding: 1 GS, 1 QS. W, 7.0 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K.

Past Award Winners:

One Hit Wonders: Ryan Church, Johan Santana,  David Wright, Fernando Tatis

Been There, Done That Twice: Luis Castillo, Angel Pagan, Jeff Francoeur, Daniel Murphy.

Of Note 9/13-9/20

John Maine threw 5 shutout innings against the Nationals and no hit them through 4. He looked OK and he looked like he wasn’t trying to get strikeouts, but rather outs overall. I think he’s a better pitcher that way.

Tobi Stoner is a guy I’m very intrigued with. On one hand, I don’t see too much to get excited about but on the other, I like his control.

With the playoffs hopes also went Brian Stokes, who has not done so well now that the games don’t matter. Lack of adrenaline?

Someone tell me why we didn’t trade Gary Sheffield?

Josh Thole needs a year in AAA. Add Catcher to our list of needs.

And so the season continues, does it not? The Mets are still playing baseball and I guess since they’re sending out players with a pulse, I’m still finding ways to watch as many games as I can. Beltran and Wright are back and Thole’s looking good so far, although I hope it’s because of skill and not because he’s just the new lucky rookie bat up there. I wonder how much will be lost on a season like this…anyway. On to this week’s award! (I feel like I haven’t done this in a long while.)

My choice for MetsMerized Player Of The Week is… Jeff Francoeur!

So here I am again, discussing Jeff Francoeur. It’s disappointing to see how critical everyone has been of this guy, who I feel has done a great job since coming over and seems to have adjusted to New York fine. He always has a smile on his face and seems to be great for the team. Jeff Francouer is tearing it up, and he’s supposedly injured. You could jokingly call him Iron Man, but it’d be interesting to see Iron Man actually play baseball and square up a baseball. Superhuman strength would be a plus…

On the week, Francouer batted .487 (11-23) with 1 RBI, 1 2B, and 13 TB overall, which were team leading. His .565 SLG on the week led the team, and don’t scoff at the one RBI, because no Met not named David Wright had more than 2 on the week. He scored 2 runs and played all 7 games for the Mets.

I give him alot of credit for playing injured everyday in a lost season. He’s gaining alot of support from the Met fan base, although the criticism against him is still easily found and it does bother me. He enjoyed a perfect week defensively with an OF assist, and to that I say, Kudos to Jeff Francoeur.

Honorable Mentions:

Fernando Tatis: .438 (7-16; 1 2B), 2 RBI, 8 TB, 1 BB, 3 R

Angel Pagan: .348 (8-23; 2 2B, 1 3B), 12 TB, 1 BB, 2 R

Past Award Winners:

One Hit Wonders: Ryan Church, Daniel Murphy, Johan Santana,  David Wright, Fernando Tatis

Been There, Done That Twice: Luis Castillo, Angel Pagan, Jeff Francoeur.

Of Note 9/6-9/13

Kudos to Jeff Francouer. Now let’s put the guy on the DL before he gets himself really injured.

David Wright had a wonderful game, but a horrid week, batting .179 and striking out nine times.

Mets pitching staff did not do so well this week. Redding pitched pretty well, though. I’m ecstatic to see John Maine back.

Can we let Lance Broadway start over Parnell and let Parnell stick it in the pen a little?

I’d resign Delgado, so I support Phil Hoops in his case.

Note : The MetsMerized Player Of The Week articles may be on Tuesdays throught the rest of the season because I’m back on my normal high school schedule…(Just what I needed, to be surrounded by Yankee fans and disappointed Met Fans.)

So another month ends in what seems to be the never ending saga of the 2009 Mets. In a month where the Mets put together only 10 wins, it’s hard to find hope in a lost season. No Met pitcher had more than 2 wins in August. It’s a bittersweet twist because it’s much easier for me to find a standout player, but i’d much rather have the problem of not knowing who to choose because they all were succeeding. Cheer up, fans. Only about a month left.

My choice for MetsMerized Player Of The Month In August is… Angel Pagan!

Angel Pagan was a spark plug offensively for the Mets in August, as he batted .301 (31-103; 5 2B, 2 3B) and drilled 6 HRs which lead the team. He drove in 19 runs overall and scored 19 times, both team leading. He did not ground into a double play and he had 5 stolen bases as well. All together, he rapped out 58 TB.

In a year where Carlos Beltran had been down for a long time, Angel Pagan has done a great job filling in his shoes defensively.  Angel Pagan has only committed one error all season long, posting a solid .992 FLD percentage, and his hard-nosed play has been a bright spot in a season filled with dark ones. So Kudos to Angel Pagan!

Honorable Mentions:

Jeff Francoeur: .318 (35-110; 10 2B, 2 3B) 3 HR, 12 RBI, 16 R, 4 BB, 58 TB.

Daniel Murphy: .292 (33-113; 11 2B, 1 3B) 1 HR, 11 RBI, 9 R, 49 TB.

Past Award Winners:

One-Hit Wonders : Luis Castillo(July 2009), Angel Pagan (August 2009).

Of Note In August 2009

Angel Pagan led the Mets in HRs with 6; the Mets hit 14 overall. (9 were from Pagan and Frenchy.)

Those who dislike Daniel Murphy should give the kid some credit. He logged more innings and ABs than anyone else, led the Mets in doubles and was second in hits overall.

Jeff Francoeur led the Mets in hits and in August. He even drew 4 BBs.

However, he was second in AVG to Luis Castillo, who batted .352 and had an OBP of .412, the only met to post an OBP over .400.

Nelson Figueroa and Pedro Feliciano led the Mets in wins in August, with 2 each. Bobby Parnell led the Mets with 4 losses.

Without counting Jon Niese’s 1.2 scoreless innings, every Met had an ERA of 3.00 or higher but Pat Misch (2.84 ERA in 12.2 IP) and Elmer Dessens (1.64 in 11.0 IP).

Oliver Perez led the Mets in Ks and BBs.

Best Wishes to Johan Santana and Oliver Perez, who both went through surgery on the last day of August.