Game Summary

Johan Santana was finally able to stop his first inning woes that have been plaguing him lately but would give up a homerun to McCann in the second inning – the only run he gave up. After the second inning, he just got into a pitcher’s duel with Hudson until the sixth inning when Santana got pulled. Santana went five innings, gave up only three hits, one run on the earlier mentioned homerun. Walked one and struck out three. Santana receives his eleventh win of the season.

Santana was pulled in the fifth inning after 65 pitches with a strained pectoral muscle. He was throwing mid 80′s for his fastball before he made his exit. Didn’t even stay in the dugout. He is day-to-day.

Elmer Dessens came into the sixth inning after Santana left with the lead. Dessens got the 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. Pedro Feliciano pitched the seventh inning, allowing one hit but no runs. Bobby Parnell had some trouble in his inning of work. Giving up a run 0 unearned – on two hits, a walk and a strikeout. Takahashi gets the final inning for his third save.

Mets offense got rolling early with two runs in the first and then some insurance runs in the sixth and seventh inning. Mets gather up eight hits, two from Wright – including a homerun.

Carlos Beltran went 1-5 with a triple, RBI, and scored a run.

Joaquin Arias in his Mets debut went 1-3 with walk, strikeout, and an RBI single. Also had an error on ground ball. Welcome to the team.

Lucas Duda went 0-5 with a strikeout. Still waiting on his first ML hit.

David Wright went 2-3 with a walk and a homerun – his 22nd of season, first in Atlanta this season.

Turning Point

David Wright’s HR sealed the deal for the Mets.

Game Ball

Takahashi gets the game ball as he is “fearless” in that closer’s role.

Up Next

R.A. Dickey looks for his career high tenth win of the season as the Mets head to Chicago for a weekend series. The Cubs will have Randy Wells on the mound for them. Wells has only won two of his last ten starts. Game time is 2:20 PM.

The Buffalo Bisons have announced Lucas Duda as the team’s MVP, Pat Misch as the team’s Most Valuable Pitcher, and Dillon Gee as the team’s Comeback Player of the Year.

Duda was 0-3 in his ML debut and had to be taken out in the eighth inning with hamstring cramps but Jerry said he was impressed with Duda and made his claim for his love for Duda talking about the sound the ball made off of Duda’s bat before Thursday game.

Duda hit .314 average with 17 homeruns and 87 RBIs with the Bisons this year.

Gee is 13-7 with the Bisons with a 4.69 ERA and a Bisons record 161 Ks.

Misch was 11-4 with the Bisons with a 3.23 ERA and had 99 strikeouts.

1. Luis Castillo, 2B
2. Lucas Duda, LF
3. Carlos Beltran, CF
4. Chris Carter, RF
5. David Wright, 3B
6. Ike Davis, 1B
7. Joaquin Arias, SS
8. Henry Blanco, C
9. Johan Santana, LHP

The Mets end their four game set with the Braves tonight as they still look to avoid the sweep. Johan Santana will take the mound for the Amazins who need some positive starting pitching (and some offense, but whatever). In his last outing he pitched 7 innings while allowing 4 ER in an losing effort. He is 1-1 this year against the Braves in three games with 21.0 innings logged and a 2.57 ERA. The Braves have these numbers against the ATL:

The Mets have to deal with Timmy Hudson tonight who is 15-5 this year with a sparkling 2.24 ERA. He is coming off of a great start where he allowed only one earned run over 7 innings of work. He is 2-0 against the Mets this year over 13.0 innings pitched with a 0.69 ERA. The Mets have these numbers against Tim:

Lets Go Mets!

Check 213 Miles From Shea!

“Jerry Manuel admitted yesterday that he would ‘love to know’ if the organization plans to bring him back next season, but he also isn’t about to seek out GM Omar Minaya or Jeff Wilpon for an answer.  Manuel, whose contract expires after the season, said he’ll refrain from asking because he doesn’t want to become a focal point – especially if the organization has already decided to dump him – in this final month.”

There was a chance of his return, maybe even had the Mets not made the playoffs, if they continued to play as they did in June when they reached a high-water mark of 11 games over .500. Had they made a real fun an argument could be made for him.

But, the collapse in July, followed by a month of .500 ball – give or take a game – has done him in. August was especially brutal because the Mets played with disinterest, without passion, without spark. There were extenuating circumstances – there always is – but the general apathy the team has been in the past month greatly reflects on the manager.

He has lost his team.

Several things within Manuel’s control have done him in, headed by his handling of the bullpen. He burns out relievers and isn’t always clear in dealing with the players on their job descriptions. Communication is not his strong point, as evidenced when he said Ike Davis had been spoken to regarding his emotional displays at the plate. When asked about this, Davis had no clue.

David Wright did not know when he’d get a day off. Manuel did not discuss with Jeff Francoeur his status following Carlos Beltran’s return.

Manuel threw John Maine under the bus when he said maybe the best day to pitch him would be on off days. He insisted on three catchers in the National League game which is absurd. Manuel’s handling of Jose Reyes’ oblique strain prior to All-Star break was foolish. He insisted on Jenrry Mejia in the bullpen to start the season when it clearly was not in the best long-term interests of the club.

The list goes on and on.

That there is not one Met saying for publication that the fault is on the players and not Manuel is telling. Nobody is in his corner. More than a few Mets stood up for Willie Randolph, while at the time Manuel was telling the brass he’d be interested in the job.

Add it all up, and the Mets are 190-198 under Manuel in his two-and-a-half  years. For the fourth straight year the Mets will not make the playoffs, for the second straight year September will be about showcasing players for the following season.

This time, the Mets will be showcasing players Manuel will never get to manage.

The third September call-up will join the Mets here on Thursday. His name is Mike Nickeas. He is a 27-year-old catcher who began the year in Double A.

To make room for Nickeas on the 40-man roster, the team transferred John Maine to the 60-day disabled list. Maine underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in July.

He is likely to be non-tendered at season’s end.

Nickeas will provide some insurance for starter Josh Thole and backup Henry Blanco. He was batting .279 with Binghamton and Buffalo this season.

Keith Hernandez spoke out first and said “Hmmm”. Gary Cohen and Ron Darling were a little more enlightening, but still struggled to decipher the results. And even Kevin Burkhardt found it necessary to jump in and try to explain what we were seeing which he aptly did.

I think what many forget is that most Mets fans don’t blog or read blogs, or have a Twitter or Facebook account, and that the great majority of fans simply don’t over analyze and scrutinize every single at-bat and pitch the way the new internet savvy fans do. They don’t go to websites to read charts with a hundred or so different colored dots on them, or view graphs with a half-dozen squiggly lines that resembles the results of their last EKG. Some of the internet’s most popular baseball sites are centered mostly on statistical analysis, and dozens more are popping up every month. And although many of these sites have large internet and social media followings, their analytical views of the National Pastime simply does not resonate with the vast majority of baseball fans.

Many old school fans, especially those who still remember watching “The Hammer” John Milner, or Buddy Harrelson and Pete Rose going at it, still root for their favorite baseball players based on their personality and likability. Nobody ever threw a Coke bottle at Ron Swoboda because he batted .235 in 1969. They loved him and cherished him because he was one of the brightest personalities on the team. He was funny, clowned around in the clubhouse and kept everybody loose.

With a growing number of the new breed of baseball fans, there’s no room for personality and things like that. They can form opinions of players without even watching them throw a pitch or take a swing simply by looking at a boxscore. If a player can’t maintain their prescribed minimum statistical performance levels, then they have no use for that player. He is rendered obsolete and becomes the punchline of millions of social media jokes each one intended to one-up the other in a barrage of ever so clever one liners.

Now getting back to Jeff Francoeur.

I understand that Francoeur wasn’t meeting the minimum expectations of these new-fangled baseball fans, but did Francoeur actually deserve to be mocked and attacked the way he was in over a thousand posts and tweets on Wednesday? Couldn’t all the bad jokes and acrimonious insults be reserved instead for someone like Oliver Perez whose selfish acts actually hurt the team and he continues to be a malcontent that couldn’t care less about his teammates or the fans?

Why persecute a player who always gave 110% of pure effort every time he took the field? Why minimize the many good things Francoeur did, just so you could amplify your arguments and animosity against him? Not even Vince Coleman or Bobby Bonilla was treated this badly.

Reading all the negative posts yesterday really made me wonder about how Mets fans were evolving. I thought  the theory of evolution hypothesized that a species can adapt and improve as they evolved. Surely Darwin couldn’t have imagined that some day a baseball fan would blow his theory out of the water. Maybe we should discard the use of the word fan in some cases, because it know longer exemplifies the fanaticism for a team and it’s players that it once did. Or maybe not…

The one good thing that came out of that Toyota Text Poll, was that it showed me that true fans still exist – - and do so in great numbers.

It reminded me that although me and millions of others baseball fans debate, blog, tweet and opine about the game closely on the internet, that tens of millions more fans simply get their baseball fix by going to the games, tuning in religiously on radio or TV, and reading the back pages of the newspaper in the morning.

It was nice to see those Mets fans give Francoeur the sendoff he deserved by participating in a poll and letting Frenchy know:

Hey, thanks for always trying… and thanks for always hustling… but mostly thanks for being a great teammate and a good Met…

Take it easy Jeff, and good luck to you.

I hope the Mets give Mejia a lot of rope to see what he is capable of doing. Remember he spent a lot of the season in the bullpen, so his innings aren’t what they could be had he been in a rotation all year. Even so, I’m sure they will watch his pitch count.

By rope, I mean let him work his way out of jams and if he gets mauled early, let ’s see how he reacts. I don’t want to hear how getting rocked will shake his confidence, because if he’s as good as the Mets think he’ll learn from it.

This is obviously the right thing to do, as the Mets finally have realized his future is as a starter. Five starts won’t be enough for him to develop another pitch, but it is a start. Even after five starts he might need more time in Triple A to develop, but that’s all right.

I thought they pushed the envelope with him in the first half of the season with how they handled him in the bullpen. There were glimpses where you could tell what all the fuss is about, and there were other times when you knew he wasn’t ready.

The season is lost, so it’s time to plan ahead. For every fifth day at least, when Mejia pitches, there will be meaningful games in September. Let him take his lumps and learn from it. Both he and the Mets will be better off.

I believe that with the trade of Jeff Francoeur last night to the Texas Rangers, the Mets have essentially conceded the season. Not that I truly believed there is a “chance” that things could turn around, but you can never tell with baseball.  I guess I’m a bit naive that I refuse to give up hope until mathematical elimination is complete.  However, I am not going to go so far as to say the trade of Francoeur specifically was white-flag waving.  He is a likable guy, cannon of an arm, lousy hitter.  On this team, unfortunately, offense is key and if he wanted to play every day, well don’t let the door hit you.

Let’s just be thankful that we got a warm body for him at this point.  Although Joaquin Arias isn’t really anything to warm up to, with a lifetime .322 OBP over four partial season (ouch), he can at least play some second-base.  Much like the stomach being the way to a man’s heart, playing second base is the quickest way of getting to the big club these days.

However, I’m not going to lament the loss of Jeff Francoeur, simply because it was bound to happen, and it may as well have been now.  The proverbial waving of the white flag has occurred indirectly, though, and that is in the fashion of the focus on the “kids,” specifically the September 1st callups.

Photo credit by Sharon Chapman

Lucas Duda is starting in left field against the Braves tonight, and Jenrry Mejia will be making his first major league start on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.  They are not the only homegrown talents not named David Wright or Jose Reyes who are playing regularly.  Mike Pelfrey is currently getting shelled at “press time” and Jonathon Niese made the start last night, also of a similar fate.  Ike Davis is our starting first baseman, and Josh Thole is the starting catcher. The Mets’ playing field is green, folks, and I’m not just talking about the grass.

With the Mets lineup on September 1st, we are seeing a lot of homegrown talent, specifically talent drafted and scouted by Omar Minaya & Co.

Isn’t this what we wanted?

It’s entertaining watching them play, to say the least.  I saw earlier a fudged play by young Thole, yet a redeemed play at the plate later on, halting a potential run scored by Rick Ankiel. The Mets did lose Rod Barajas to waivers recently; however, I know he was not figuring into the long-term plans of the team with Thole looming in the distance.

Jon Niese has incredible poise, but the occasional hiccup like a rookie should have.  I won’t argue if the coaches decide to limit his pitches for the rest of the season, but it has been refreshing to see him have a relatively successful rookie season.

Lucas Duda should have a nice cup of coffee with the team in September, at least keeping Jason Bay’s spot warm should he return in 2010 (I’m not holding my breath).  Several of my friends have seen him play on the B-Mets when they would visit the Trenton Thunder.

If ever there were a team Jenrry Mejia should make a start against, it’s the team with a higher payroll and a more disappointing team than the Mets, the Chicago Cubs.  I disagreed with his handling earlier this season, and I hope that has not hurt his development for the long-term.

What confused me though is the pick up of Arias in the Francoeur trade.  I understand the Mets won’t get someone like Josh Hamilton, per se, for Jeff Francoeur, but I wondered why there was a pressing need for a non-power hitting, no-walk taking first baseman who was a career AAAA-er.  I did see, though, the term “infielder” certainly applies to Arias, as he also plays second base and shortstop.  I hope injury-prone Reese Havens becomes less so and emerges as the Mets second-baseman of the future.  Is it too much to dream that perhaps the Mets are gearing up to eat Luis Castillo’s contract or at the very least eat a part of it?

I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing that the Mets are going with the youth-route. I do, however, think it’s a nod to the idea that the Mets are looking to play the role of spoiler, and not be competitive in the stretch.  “Meaningful games” indeed.

I guess the bright spot to this whole thing is that reports of the Mets’ farm system death have been greatly exaggerated.  To say the children are the future though…There’s certainly depth, and I’ll leave it at that.  A youth movement, and less of a dependence on veterans though…can we break bread on that at least?

rf Jesus Feliciano 2 for 4, run, .341
ss Justin Turner 3 for 4, run, 2b (29), HR (11), 2 RBI (42), .318 (.338/.399/.518/.916 with Buffalo, 21 2b, 10 HR in 284 ABs)
2b Russ Adams 0 for 4, 3 Ks, .261
1b Nick Evans 0 for 2, BB, .312
dh Val Pascucci 0 for 2, BB, K, .256
lf Mike Cervanek 0 for 2, run, K, .257
cf Kirk Nieuwenhuis 1 for 3, K, .189
3b Zach Lutz 1 for 3, run, 2b (1), RBI (1), K, .333
c JR House 1 for 3, RBI, .248
Raul Valdes 5 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 1/5 BB/K, 3 era, W (2-1), 100:64:36, 6:1:5
Mike O’Connor 2 IP, H, K, 2.67 era, SV (5), 26:18:8, 0:5:1

AAA International League: Buffalo 1/8/0, Scranton 4/8/0

rf Jesus Feliciano 1 for 4, K, .340
2b Justin Turner 0 for 3, K, .315
ss Russ Adams 1 for 3, run, HR, RBI, K, .262
3b Nick Evans 2 for 3, 2b (13), .320
1b Val Pascucci 0 for 2, BB, K, .253
dh Mike Cervanek 0 for 3, K, .255
cf Kirk Nieuwenhuis 3 for 3, .214 (5 for his last 10)
lf Andy Green 0 for 3, K, .243
c Mike Nickeas 1 for 3, K, .214
Josh Stinson 6 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3/4 BB/K, 2 HR, 3.32 era, L (1-2), 98:58:40, 11:2:4
Jose De La Torre IP, 2 H, K, 3.11 era, 25:13:12, 0:2:1

AA Eastern League: Binghamton 6/7/2, Portland 5/8/0

The Mets jumped out to a 6-1 lead after 3 innings and then held on to win it, 6 to 5, with Manuel Alvarez picking up the 5 out save, saving it for Erik Turgeon, who got his first AA victory. Dylan Owen started and gave up 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and 3 walks in 4.2 innings.

The Mets offense had 7 hits and 3 walks, while going 2 for 4 with RISP and leaving 4 on base. Jose Coronado (2), and Saloman Manriquez (2) had multi hit games, while Jordany Valdespin, Marshall Hubbard (0 for 3, run, BB, 2 Ks, .249), Eric Campbell and Brahiam Maldonado took 0-fers.

ss Jose Coronado 2 for 5, RBI, .259
2b Jordany Valdespin 0 for 3, RBI (8), K, .225
1b Josh Satin 1 for 4, run, HR (7),  RBI (39), K, .311
cf Sean Ratliff 1 for 3, run, BB, K, .323 (14/26 BB/K in August+today)
3b Eric Campbell 0 for 4, K, .272
c Saloman Manriquez 2 for 4, 2 runs, 2b, HR, 3 RBI, K, .278
rf Raul Reyes 1 for 3, run, BB, .238
lf Brahiam Maldonado 0 for 3, 2 Ks, .265
Dylan Owen 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2/1 R/ER, 3/5 BB/K, 4.23 era, 4:5:5
Erik Turgeon 2 IP, H, ER, 1/3 BB/K, 2.84 era, W (1-0), 1:2:3
John Lujan 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, K, 2.05 era, 1:0:1
Manuel Alvarez 1.2 IP, H, 2 Ks, 2.87 era, SV (8), 27:18:9, 1:0:2

A+ Florida State League: St. Lucie 4/8/1, Bradenton 3/6/2, Game 2 from 8/31, in 8 innings

Scott Shaw started the opener of the doubleheader and allowed just an UER on a hit and 3 walks in 4 innings, he got a ND. Pedro P Martinez was in line for his first high A victory of his career, but Michael Powers allowed a run in the 6th to blow the win for Martinez. Powers ended up pitching 3 innings, and picked up his 2nd FSL victory.

The Mets offense had 8 hits and a 1/6 BB/K, while going 2 for 6 with RISP and leaving 3 on base. Pedro Zapata (3) and Rafael Fernandez had multi hit games, while Stefan Welch, Joey August (0 for 3, K, .259), Ryan Mollica (0 for 3, .291), and Mike Moras (0 for 3, K, .179) took 0-fers.

cf Pedro Zapata 3 for 4, 2 runs, .252, CS (7)
2b Michael Fisher 1 for 3, run, .287
1b Stefan Welch 0 for 2, BB, K, .246
ss Wilmer Flores 1 for 4, run, 2b (17), 2 Ks, .298
rf Rafael Fernandez 2 for 3, 2 RBI (21), .302
Scott Shaw 4 IP, H, R, 3/3 BB/K, 5.54 era, 8:1:3
Pedro P Martinez IP, H, ER, 2 BBs, 3 era, 1:2
Michael Powers 3 IP, 4 H, ER, 1/2 BB/K, 2.81 era, BS (2), W (2-1), 3:4:2

A+ Florida State League: St. Lucie 5/9/2, Bradenton 4/9/2

Scott Moviel by FAR had his best start of the season, going 7 strong innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits and just one walk for his 3rd win of the season. Rhiner Cruz pitched the 9th for his 6th save. The Mets offense had 9 hits and a 1/5 BB/K, while going 4 for 10 with RISP and leaving 5 on base. Stefan Welch had an outstanding game with 3 hits, including 2 triples, while Kai Gronauer and Francisco Pena both took 0-fers.

cf Pedro Zapata 1 for 3, run, BB, K, .253, SB (9)
2b Michael Fisher 1 for 4, run, .286
ss Wilmer Flores 1 for 4, 2b (18), 2 RBI (39), K, .297
rf Rafael Fernandez 1 for 4, run, 2b (9), .301
c Kai Gronauer 0 for 4, .313
dh Francisco Pena 0 for 4, 2 Ks, .304
1b Stefan Welch 3 for 4, 2 runs, 2 3b (7), RBI (62), K, .351
3b Richard Lucas 1 for 2, 2 RBI (50), .209
lf Joey August 1 for 3, .260
Scott Moviel 7 IP, 7 H, 3/2 R/ER, 1/4 BB/K, 5.56 era, W (3-7), 10:6:4
Sam Martinez IP, K, 6 era, 1:1:1
Rhiner Cruz IP, 2 H, ER, K, 3.66 era, 1:1:1

A South Atlantic League: Savannah 11/13/0, Greensboro 0/5/4

The Gnats, over their last 8 games, have scored 58 runs, and were shutout once in that span. Tonight, it was 11 runs on 13 hits, 7 walks and 4 GBO errors, while going just 5 for 20 with RISP and leaving 13 on base. Robbie Shields (3), Juan Torres (2), Cody Holliday (2), and Luis Nieves (2) had multi hit games, while Matt den Dekker took the only 0-fer. Collin McHugh went 6 shutout innings for the win, Michael Hebert made his Savannah debut with 3 shutout innings for the save. Ray Van Gurp also made his Savannah debut, going 1 for 3 with a walk.

cf Matt den Dekker 0 for 6, 4 Ks, .384
dh Robbie Shields 3 for 4, 3 runs, 2b (9), RBI (24), 2 BBs, .285, SB (4)
3b Aderlin Rodriguez 1 for 4, 2 RBI (7), BB, .308
1b Travis Ozga 1 for 6, 2 runs, RBI, K, .273
c Juan Torres 2 for 5, run, HR, 2 RBI, 2 Ks, .195
lf RJ Harris 1 for 4, run, RBI, BB, K, .203
2b Ray Van Gurp 1 for 3, run, RBI (1), BB
>>2b Jet Butler 0 for 1, .218
rf Cody Holliday 2 for 3, 2 runs, 2b, RBI, 2 BBs, .364
ss Luis Nieves 2 for 5, run, 2b (2), RBI (7), K, .297, SB (2)

A- New York Penn League: Brooklyn 4/4/0, Vermont

Prospect watch: Wilfredo Tovar, walk, run. Cory Vaughn single, 3 RBI. Blake Forsythe double. Daniel Carela K.

ss Wilfredo Tovar 0 for 2, run, BB, .271
lf ZeErika McQueen 0 for 3, run, BB
cf Cory Vaughn 1 for 3, 3 RBI (53), K, .304
1b Jeff Flagg 0 for 4, RBI, 2 Ks, .255
dh Joe Bonfe 0 for 4, K, .311
rf Will Cherry 0 for 3, BB, .222
c Blake Forsythe 1 for 3, 2b (5), K, .240
2b Justin Schafer 1 for 3, run, .244
3b James Schroeder 1 for 2, run, .256
Chris Hilliard 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2/2 BB/K, 3.74 era, 6:7:2
Daniel Carela 0.1 IP, BB, K, 2.05 era
Wes Wrenn 2.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, BB, K, 3.69 era, BS (1), L (4-5), 3:3:1

A- New York Penn League: Brooklyn 3/6/1, Vermont 2/4/2

Prospect watch: Wilfredo Tovar triple, run.

ss Wilfredo Tovar 1 for 3, run, 3b (1), .275
cf ZeErika McQueen 0 for 4, .000
1b Joe Bonfe 4 for 4, 2 runs, .322
rf, lf Will Cherry 0 for 2, K, .220
2b JB Brown 0 for 2, BB, .299
lf Kurt Steinhauer 0 for 3, K, .143
>>c Juan Centeno
c Patrick Farrell 0 for 2, .143
>>ph, rf Cory Vaughn 0 for 1, K, .303
dh Justin Schafer 0 for 3, .227
3b James Schroeder 1 for 3, K, .259
Nelson Pereira 3 IP, H, BB, K, 2.57 era, 2:6:1
Michael Weldon 2 IP, H, R, 2/1 BB/K, 0.00 era, 3:1:1
TJ Chism IP, H, ER, BB, K, HR, 3.86 era, 1:1:1
Hamilton Bennett IP, H, BB, 3.08 era, 2:1
Johan Figuereo IP, BB, K, 2.45 era, W (5-1), 1:0:1

“It would be impossible to say I don’t focus on it.  Do I want the Mets to do good?  Absolutely, because this is who I came up with.  Do I want the organization to be better?  Absolutely.  Are there things that maybe I could do better?  Probably.”

I’m a little surprised that Backman would admittedly respond like that. I mean it’s not like he’s pulled a Gary Carter or something worse, but I felt he was playing his cards right by simply saying zip and continuing to add more wins to the best record in the New York Penn League.

I don’t blame him for being so hungry thought after being so close to fulfilling his dream a few years ago with Arizona and then seeing it all blow up.

In all honesty, Backman probably could do a better job than Jerry Manuel and I think most observers would agree.

Yesterday, Peter Gammons said Bobby Valentine was the frontrunner for the Mets managers job. I spoke to someone who is very close to the team and he told me “no way”. He also told me that Wally Backman is well liked by the organization, but the same could be said about a few other candidates that could be considered. I don’t see the Mets making a hasty decision and it looks like they are going to take their time and conduct an extensive and exhaustive process before naming a successor.

A few days ago I wrote that I hoped that’s what they would do, and for now it appears to be that way. So basically, I’m liking what I’m hearing so far.

Here’s just a small part of today’s review…

August marked only the third time in the last 20 seasons that the Mets had a calendar month in which they averaged fewer than three-runs-per-game. The other two: August of 1991, which marked the beginning of the end of the Mets run of success that spanned the previous seven seasons, and September, 2003, the end of a disastrous season in which little went right.

The Mets didn’t have a player reach the 10-RBI mark for the month this season until Angel Pagan did on August’s next-to-last day. They hit below .235 for the second straight month, finishing with a slashline of .233/.303/.329. At least they’re not the 1963 Mets, who went sub-.235 in four straight months.

Any way you spin the numbers, they’re pretty grim (we joked last week with someone that R.A. Dickey, now 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position this season, might be the most dangerous hitter on the team).

There were some positives that the Mets could take out of August, and Simon points them out as well. If ESPN New York isn’t already a part of your daily Mets routine on the web, it should be.

Needless to say – the Mets have propagated their own scheme against its fans this year and it’s pretty safe to say we’ve all had our fill and want some form of retribution. The retribution we seek comes in the form of accountability from the top on down.

Are we to continue believing that the Mets are financially fit as a fiddle when you take into account that they’ve allowed Oliver Perez to stay on the roster all season, forcing the team to play a man short, just so they aren’t forced to eat the remainder of his 36 million dollar contract?

Are we to believe that Alex Cora – who’s credentials as a great clubhouse leader, and who’s batting average hardly ever seemed to hover above .200 – suddenly out of nowhere earned his release? Of course it wasn’t the fact that he was 18 games shy of automatically vesting his $2 million 2011 option? Was it?

Or Rod Barajas, who we were told was the glue to the pitching staff that couldn’t be replaced, but was literally given to the Dodgers who will be paying the rest of his $500,000 salary?

Still don’t think something smells rotten in Queens – and I don’t mean the subway? Take the Frankie Rodriguez fiasco. He beats on his father in law, in the clubhouse in front of players and their children. He’s arrested and suspended by the team for 2 days. A few days later the Mets filed a claim to convert Frankie knuckles – hat tip to Ed Leyro – contract to a non-guaranteed deal, allowing the Mets the ability to release him early next spring, and saving perhaps the remainder of his contract. Add the $3 plus million they’ve saved by placing him on the disqualified list already.

Before you think I’m going to defend his thuggish behavior, let me explain. Fred Wilpon I have a feeling is a fair man, a man who is willing to give others a second chance. He did just that when he brought Wally Backman back into the Met fold and signed him as the manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Backman’s past includes a DUI and domestic violence, yet the same team willing to give Backman a managerial job – is quick to pull the trigger on releasing one of the premier closers in the game.

Don’t get me wrong if it’s based on principle then say it and stand by it, and for God’s sake be consistent. This nonsense that the Wilpons are aghast over Frankie’s behavior, but apparently a-ok with Wally Backman’s is the same snake oil that Bernard Madoff was selling.

The reason Backman is around and probably WILL be next year’s manager is because he makes probably a 20th of what K-Rod does. Sometimes I feel like a jilted lover with the Wilpons. I’d be happier if they just stuck their hands in my wallet and took what they want. I won’t even ask for a kiss when you leave Fred.

According to a source, the Mets are willing to engage in extension talks with Dickey this offseason, in lieu of salary arbitration or a one-year deal. Dickey is arbitration-eligible for one more season, meaning he will be under team control in 2011 regardless of whether he agrees to a new contract. Because of that, the Mets could wait to see if the 35-year-old knuckleballer can duplicate his 2010 success.

Whether they do or not, Dickey will return next season as he is under team control and will be offered salary arbitration.

On Sunday, Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez were discussing a contract extension for RA Dickey during the Mets broadcast on SNY.

Dickey is 9-5 with a 2.57 ERA in 20 starts this season and is 6-1 with a 1.85 ERA in eight starts at Citi Field.

Francoeur had no hard feelings and in fact was grateful to the Mets for sending him to a team that will be heading to the Post Season.

Obviously, the Mets see that I don’t fit in the plans next year here. They’re giving me an opportunity and taking care of me, and for that I can forever be grateful. They’re not going to need me as a fourth outfielder. This is an opportunity for me to go play for a World Series.

There’s tons I’m going to miss, man. I wish everybody on this team the best. I have so many good friends here and so many guys that I respect, and hopefully they can get it turned around.

By the time he finished speaking with reporters, the Mets had already cleaned out his locker, and after a few hugs and hand shakes, he was gone.

So many topics, so little time. We’re hitting it hard and fast this Wednesday.

Pat Misch-take

I heard the fans that thought bringing up Pat Misch was a great idea when Taka II began to struggle at the #5 spot. I’d rather give the shot to Gee or let Mejia do what they were priming him to do anyways. What better place than the #5 spot for a newly stretched out starter? Make up your minds. They’re priming for a playoff push but then look like a small market team already out of the race and testing their AAA guys for 2011. On a team full of inconsistency, it would be a positive takeaway for 2010 if the rotation keeps pushing forward. Last check, they had the 5th best ERA in the NL. Mejia can’t make things any worse. I don’t even see Misch in relief. The Misch Experiment is over. 

The Oliver Strikes Back

Most Met fans will eat this for lunch and lose it all again in the company restroom minutes later. It’s enough to make you sick. Kevin Burkhardt said on SNY that Perez feels he is being treated unfairly by the Mets. Stop. Seriously? Decent secondary pitches. High 80′s fastball. How much love are you looking for? It’s unfair to the fans who want good pitchers that he was re-signed. It’s unfair that after the first mistake, the team didn’t trade or cut him to a team caught sleeping, thereby clogging up a roster spot. I’m sure there were a few suckers, I mean, candidates before the wheels completely came off. How long is the team supposed to wait for you to get it? You are a very expensive mistake and a bonafide headcase. I’m sure even Pittsburgh won’t take you back.

Why Can’t We Be Friends?

Although discussed in an August Morning Grind, I never expected this to continue. It looks like the thread between the Mets coaches and the players is fraying more each day. 1B Ike Davis was quoted by MLB.com after an argument with an ump at the plate.

“I’m an emotional player, no matter what.  If I think it’s a ball and I strike out on something that I thought I was going to walk on, I’m going to be a little upset.  But then I forget about it and go on with my business… It’s not like I hold a grudge against them.  I’m just upset I struck out.”

According to the NY Daily News, Jerry Manuel said he talked to Davis about toning down his arguments with umpires, but Davis says no such conversation took place. Now, that’s not a printing error. He called the coach a liar. Coupled with the comments by pitching coach Dan Warthen about John Maine being a “habitual liar”, it’s safe to say that we have an internal issue. It’s rare that players get fired so pink slips will be aplenty this month. Clean house. New regime. Perhaps a needed breath of fresh air.

Met Nation, what you got? Can’t wait to hear from you. Have an awesome day, guys and gals.

At 65-67, while currently 8.5 back of division-leading Atlanta and 6.5 out of the wild card hunt, it’s hard to make the case that the Mets are pliable enough to rebound over the next 30 games. And not necessarily faulting New York’s talent and drive to do so, but Atlanta, Philadelphia and Florida would have to fall on hard times – and that’s only in the NL East.

With Barajas’ departure, sporadic pitching and corn-can hitting, the Mets’ morale is going down like anyone who stood in front of Tyson in ’86 – fast, hard and bloody.

Surprisingly, however, the Queens borough Metropolitans are doing well on the bet charts. It’s “amazin,” so to speak, that this .500 club is still managing to entice bets via sports books. The practical odds of the Mets making the playoffs are close to hitting a progressive jackpot with online slots—they’re that bad—but the prop bet market is wide open.

The Mets took a hit in the game-by-game odds department after a recent 2-1 loss to the Pirates, and now are facing underdog status with this trip to Atlanta.

For baseball betters out there, all hope is not lost for the Mets this season. There is still time to capitalize as the Mets play weaker clubs to end the season and can try to close the gap. It also opens up the prop market in terms of how close New York actually comes to a wild card berth or even 81 wins.

The Mets’ odds, like any teams odds, are ever changing and intensely fickle. But a weaker schedule as the season winds down does bode well for gamblers and also lends a flicker of hope to NY enthusiasts who refuse to quit on their club.

The Bisons jumped out to a 3-0 lead after 1 on a Nick Evans 3 run HR, only to see Fernando Nieve give up 5 runs in 6 innings to take the loss and virtually eliminate the Bisons from playoff contention, they are now 4 1/2 out with 7 to play.

rf Jesus Feliciano 1 for 4, K, .339
ss Justin Turner 3 for 3, run, 2b (28), HR (10), RBI (40), .313
lf Lucas Duda 3 for 4, run, 2b (23), K, .314
1b Nick Evans 1 for 4, run, HR (6), 3 RBI (24), .317
2b Russ Adams 0 for 4, K, .264
3b Mike Cervanek 0 for 4, 2 Ks, .259
cf Kirk Nieuwenhuis 1 for 4, 2 Ks, .185
c Mike Nickeas 0 for 4, 2 Ks, .200
Fernando Nieve 6 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 6 Ks, 5.77 era, L (2-1), 90:60:30, 8:1:6
Jose De La Torre IP, H, 2 Ks, 3.18 era, 11:7:4, 0:0:2
Chad Cordero IP, H, 1.88 era, 5:4:1, 2:1
Yhency Brazoban IP, 2 H, ER, 9 era, 22:13:9, 1:1:0

AA Eastern League: Binghamton 0/3/0, Portland 6/8/0

Eric Beaulac lasted just an inning today, giving up 3 runs on 2 hits and a walk to take his 2nd EL loss. The Mets had just 3 hits.

ss Jose Coronado 1 for 4, .257
2b Jordany Valdespin 0 for 4, 3 Ks, .233
1b Josh Satin 0 for 4, 2 Ks, .312
cf Sean Ratliff 0 for 2, K, .323
3b Zach Lutz 0 for 3, .289
dh Marshall Hubbard 1 for 3, 2b, .252
lf Eric Campbell 0 for 3, K, .279
rf Raul Reyes 1 for 3, K, .237
c Luke Montz 0 for 2, K, .202
>>c Saloman Manriquez 0 for 1, .267
Eric Beaulac IP, 2 H, 3 ER, BB, 9 era, L (0-2), 1:2
Roy Merritt 3 IP, 4 H, ER, 1/3 BB/K, HR, 3.89 era, 1:3:3
Elvin Ramirez 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, K, 2 HR, 6.23 era, 2:3:1
Carlos Muniz IP, 9.39 era, 1:2
John Lujan IP, K, 1.27 era, 0:2:1

A+ Florida State League: St. Lucie 4/7/1, Bradenton 3/10/4, in 9 innings, Game 1

Even if the ER numbers don’t say it, Brad Holt had an awful outing tonight, giving up 3 runs in 5 innings on 7 hits and 6 walks. Nick Carr worked 2 scoreless innings for his first win.

The Mets offense had 7 hits and a 3/6 BB/K, while going 2 for 9 (.222) with RISP and leaving 8 on base. Michael Fisher had the only multi hit game.

cf Pedro Zapata 0 for 4, K, .238
2b Michael Fisher 2 for 3, RBI, BB, .286
ss Wilmer Flores 1 for 3, RBI (37), .299
dh Kai Gronauer 0 for 4, run, 2 Ks, .323
rf Rafael Fernandez 0 for 3, BB, .296
c Francisco Pena 1 for 4, RBI (3), 2 Ks, .368
1b Stefan Welch 1 for 4, .247
3b Richard Lucas 1 for 4, 2b (18), K, .207
lf Joey August 1 for 2, 3 runs, BB, .262
Brad Holt 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 6/8 BB/K, 7.01 era, 5:2:8
Rhiner Cruz 2 IP, 2 H, 1/2 BB/K, 3.58 era, 0:3:2
Nick Carr 2 IP, H, 1/4 BB/K, 5.91 era, W (1-1), 2:0:4

A+ Florida State League: St. Lucie 3-3 mid 6th, suspended

A South Atlantic League: Savannah 12/10/3, Greensboro 8/12/5

I say again, no reason Matt den Dekker shouldn’t start next season in Binghamton. There’s no clear cut ‘MUST promote and play everyday’ guy from St. Lucie to Binghamton, and from Binghamton to Buffalo, there’s only Sean Ratliff. So next year in Binghamton, you can have den Dekker, Guzman, Maldonado and Rafael Fernandez, with the odd one out DHing. Anyway, den Dekker is hitting .413/.478/.550/1.028 in his first 80 ABs in Savannah. He, Robbie Shields and Jordan Abruzzo had multi hit games, while Travis Ozga, Juan Torres and Cody Holliday took 0-fers. The Gnats had 10 hits and a 5/10 BB/K, while going 5 for 18 (.278) with RISP and leaving 8 on base. Gabriel Zavala picked up the win with 3 innings of relief, allowing one UER.

cf Matt den Dekker 3 for 4, 3 runs, 2 2b (11), RBI (15), 2 BBs, .412
ss Robbie Shields 2 for 5, run, HR (5), 3 RBI (23), BB, K, .271
3b Aderlin Rodriguez 1 for 4, 2 RBI (5), 2 Ks, .333, E (2)
dh Jordan Abruzzo 2 for 5, run, RBI, K, .256
1b Travis Ozga 0 for 5, .277
c Juan Torres 0 for 4, 2 runs, RBI, .188
rf Cody Holliday 0 for 3, 2 runs, BB, 2 Ks, .250
lf RJ Harris 1 for 5, 2 runs, 3 Ks, .202
2b Luis Nieves 1 for 4, run, BB, K, .281
Darin Gorski 4 IP, 9 H, 7/2 R/ER, 1/4 BB/K, HR, 4.75 era, 1:5:4
Gabriel Zavala 3 IP, 2 H, R, 2/2 BB/K, 1.60 era, W (1-1), 2:4:2
Luis Rojas IP, H, 3.75 era, 0:3
Brandon Sage IP, 2 Ks, 3.12 era, 0:1:2

A- New York Penn League: Brooklyn 4/8/2, Brooklyn 6/8/1

Prospect watch: Wilfredo Tovar double. Cory Vaughn RBI, walk. Juan Centeno 2 hits, double.

ss Wilfredo Tovar 1 for 4, run, 2b (2), 2 Ks, .283
2b JB Brown 1 for 2, 2 runs, BB, .303
cf cory Vaughn 0 for 2, run, RBI (50), BB, .304 (31/57 BB/K)
1b Jeff Flagg 2 for 4, run, HR, 5 RBI, .259
dh Joe Bonfe 0 for 3, 3 Ks, .316
lf Will Cherry 0 for 2, BB, .226
c Juan Centeno 2 for 3, 2b (6), .354
3b James Schroeder 0 for 2, KJ, .250
rf Kurt Steinhauer 2 for 3, run, .149
AJ Pinera 5 IP, 8 H, 4/3 R/ER, 6 Ks, HR, 2.37 era, 4:4:6
Adam Kolarek 2 IP, 4 Ks, 2.45 era, W (2-1), 1:0:4

R Appalachian League: Kingsport 2/12/0, Bristol 4/8/0

The Mets had 12 hits and a 1/1 BB/K, but were just 1 for 7 (.143) with RISP and left 9 on, losing 4 to 2. Peter Birdwell started and took the loss, giving up . Chase Greene, Ray Van Gurp, Albert Cordero and Nelfi Zapata had multi hit games.

cf Chase Greene 3 for 5, run, 2b (6), .228
2b Ray Van Gurp 2 for 5, run, 3b (3), RBI (28), .271
lf ZeErika McQueen 1 for 4, K, .264
1b Lucas Stewart 0 for 4, .255
dh Albert Cordero 2 for 4, .277
c Nelfi Zapata 3 for 4, .247
3b Brandon Brown 0 for 4, .209
rf Charlie Hinojosa 0 for 3, .53
>>ph Taylor Freeman BB, .174
ss Ismael Tijernia 1 for 4, .259
Peter Birdwell 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2/5 BB/K, HR, 3.94 era, L (2-1), 5:2:5
Jhonathan Torres 3 IP, H, 1/6 BB/K, 5.29 era, 1:2:6
Josh Edgin 2 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 KS, 2.84 era, 3:0:3

The Mets will get another crack at Tommy Hanson who is 8-10 with a 3.76 ERA this season. In two starts against the Mets this season he has had pretty bad luck as he is 0-1 despite pitching 10.1 innings of 2 ER run ball. The Mets have these numbers on Tommy:

Lets Go Mets!

Check 213 Miles From Shea!

As I speculated on Saturday, the Mets have indeed added outfielder Lucas Duda to the 40 Man Roster and promoted him from Triple-A.

The announcement came during the Mets Post game show on SNY by Chris Carlin.

The Mets had to promote Lucas Duda or they would have risked losing him in the Rule V Draft as we had reported on MMO. There was some conflicting information regarding Duda’s eligibility, but shortly before the end of tonight’s game I was able to confirm that it was in fact the case.

To read more about Lucas Duda, check out this post I wrote a couple of days ago. Here is an excerpt:

Since his promotion to Triple-A, he leads the league in extra-base hits, home runs, RBI, and slugging percentage. God knows the Mets can use all the offense we can get right now, but more than that, I want to see him get some regular at-bats as we complete the garbage time portion of another lost season. I want to see if he is really as bad as they say in leftfield and if his bat more than makes up for the lack of a glove.

At this point we have nothing to lose. It’s obvious that Francoeur won’t be back next season anyway, so why not move Pagan over to rightfield (or centerfield) and lets see what Duda can do in leftfield.

Come on Omar! Give the people what they want!

The Mets have also called up young right-hander Jenrry Mejia. Yesterday, I wrote that I believed Mejia would get the start against the Cubs on Saturday.

Here is part of what I posted on Mejia’s last start:

Top Mets pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia made his Triple-A debut a memorable one as he delivered a memorable and dominating performance for the Buffalo Bisons last night against the Syracuse Chiefs.

Mejia actually took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before finally letting up a solo home run to Michael Martinez. Mejia didn’t get the win due to a lack of run support, but his manager Ken Oberkfell was impressed by his swagger and confidence.

The young right hander was electrifying and struck out nine batters while walking one in eight innings of work, and throwing 66 of his 103 pitches for strikes. His fastball was clocked at 95-97 mph, and his curveball was outstanding.

Jenrry Mejia‘s next start is scheduled for Saturday, but I’m wondering if it will come against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs… or for the Mets against the Chicago Cubs. Hey why not?

Lets wish both of them luck, and hopefully we can find out just how ready they are and where they will fit in during the 2011 season.