This week Cincinnati came to town. Now, imagine for a moment, if as you walked into Citi Field you were handed a ballot where you could choose which Reds you would want playing that day. Safe to say, we Mets fans would probably decide that Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto and Jay Bruce deserve a day off. We could have Jack Hannahan bat clean-up. Johnny Cueto? Are you kidding me? Of course not.

Why would we do this? The answer is obvious. We want our Mets to win.

Now, of course that would never happen. When do fans get to pick their opponent’s team? Unless, it’s the All-Star Game.

Growing up and becoming a fan in the 1970’s, the Mid-Summer Classic was a highlight of the season for me. It gave me a chance to see my baseball cards come to life. The game was steeped in tradition. It showcased the top talent in the game. It was an opportunity for America to see the best and brightest from each league battle for ‘bragging rights.’

We had the opportunity to see dream match-ups that only existed in Strat-O-Matic. We could watch our own Tom Seaver try to fan Rod Carew, a young cocky Roger Clemens trying to sneak a fast ball by Tony Gwynn, Charlie Hustle digging in against Catfish or Rickey Henderson challenging the arm of Dave Parker. Yes, this is what the All-Star Game was. And what it is meant to be.

As we all know the game regrettably has changed. League loyalty is gone. Not only do players not stay with one team for most of their career, but they have no qualms about switching leagues. Guys like George Brett, Mike Schmidt, Reggie Jackson, Jim Palmer, Willie Mays and countless others never would have dreamed about ‘crossing over.’ Nowadays, however, one doesn’t have to look far. Pujols, Cabrera, Fielder, Beckett, A-Gon have all switched.

And that’s fine. But in the midst of this, league loyalty fades away.

Yet, in 2003, Bud Selig elected to add a disturbing nuance to the ASG when he decided that the winner of a ‘meaningless’ game in July determines who has home field advantage for the World Series.

Obviously, thanks to the commissioner, the contest is no longer a simple platform to display the top stars. The game now has major significance, huge importance. The All-Star Game has a direct outcome on who may become World Champions. Since the inception of this rule a decade ago, the league that won the All-Star Game has gone on to win the World Series 7 out of 10 times. And the last four in a row. (The only exceptions were the 03 Marlins, 06 Cardinals and 08 Phillies.)

Now, being a NL fan, I obviously want the NL to win. And since this is the case, explain to me why I should vote for the top stars from the AL. Are you joking? I’m rooting for the NL—But yet I am supposed to vote for Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols and Dustin Pedroia and Torii Hunter??? The heck with that! I’m going to vote for the worst hitters I can find, some guy from Seattle or Kansas City I never heard of. I’m supposed to vote for Ian Kinsler or Howie Kendrick when Cleveland’s Jason Kipnis is on the ballot? Come on people. Get real.

And since Commissioner Selig has turned this exhibition game into something of great significance, I, as a NL fan, want the best NL-ers out there. Since the point is to win, why does every need need to be represented? Why does every player need to get one at-bat? Why are the managers equally concerned with making sure every player gets in the game as they are with winning the game? Since the purpose is to win, I better see Buster Posey and Bryce Harper out there the entire night. I want to see Kershaw for 8 and Romo to close it out.

When Giants manager Bruce Bochy set his line-up for game 4 of the World Series last year, he didn’t decide that perhaps Pablo Sandoval needed a day off. He didn’t elect to give Posey a rest and put Hector Sanchez behind the plate. He put his best team on the field. Why? Because it was a must-win game…just like the All-Star Game has become.

Now, of course, this would never happen. Dodger fans would be up in arms (and rightfully so) if their ace “wasted” a start in the “meaningless” All-Star Game. But really, how meaningless is it?

So, as a Baseball fan, I will vote for the 2013 All-Star Game. But as a Mets fan, and as a fan of the National League, I will be voting for the worst the American League has to offer. And I will continue to do so until Selig reinstates the Mid-Summer Classic to what it was and what it should be: A traditional setting where fans could sit back and enjoy the best our National Pastime has to offer.

Updated Post 7:40 PM

Straight from the files of Believe It Or Not, Mike Puma of the New York Post reported via Twitter that Ike Davis is unlikely to be demoted before the end of the weekend.

“Was told Ike is on double, secret probation, but likely still be a Met on Friday. Mets will use weekend to get a “better understanding.”

If the Mets still need more time to get a better understanding of Davis, they’re not as smart as I thought they were. Obviously I’ve been giving them far too much credit…

Original Post 5:30 PM

Ike Davis has lost his way. Not just at the plate, but in the field too. Terry Collins said after the game today, that the first baseman’s slump at the plate has not affected his play on the field. I beg to differ.

Maybe Terry feels a desperate need to defend his players, but to say that his last few miscues on the field are unrelated to what Davis is going through at the plate doesn’t ring true.

We’ve all seen Ike Davis at his best and have all marveled as fans over his gold glove caliber defense. But that was then and this is now. His instincts at first base are deteriorating and I believe it’s because he has something else eating at his mind. Davis is so unfocused and frequently looks like he’s in a daze.

During the 2010 through 2012 seasons, Ike Davis makes that play today down the first base line rather than just staring at it. The same can be said about his faux pas two days earlier when he stood in front of the runner on the basepath like a zombie and got called for obstruction.

Why can’t Terry Collins see what is so apparent to the few thousand fans who still go to the game? There’s a good reason why Davis is absorbing all the boos at the plate and now in the field. This isn’t the same player we grew to love almost from the first moment he made his debut three years ago. Remember how excited we were? Who didn’t think Ike Davis was a core player right from the start?

We want that Ike Davis back again. The only way that happens is by doing the right thing and sending him to Triple-A where he can sort out his problems and rediscover his stroke, his glove, and more importantly his confidence that is evidently shattered.

I’m not mad at Davis, I’m really not. But I am angry at Terry Collins who constantly makes excuses for bad baseball. There seems to be no more accountability on this team, only a boatload of excuses after each game. I guess that’s what I’m most concerned about. I want a manager who gets pissed off when he sees a breakdown in baseball fundamentals and not cover for his players.

Maybe Ike Davis’ biggest problem is Terry Collins who seems to have become his enabler… I don’t know, I’m not a psychologist, but it sure looks that way…

Davis is a very likable guy and I still believe he has a world of talent. But it’s time for the Mets to save him… It’s time for the Mets to try and get Davis back on track and that’s not going to happen in the major leagues. Don’t let this situation reach the point of no return because if that happens, we all lose. Just do the right thing.

Zack Wheeler

Wheeler looked a tad rusty from the get-go. He didn’t have great command over his pitches, and in fact, he missed the strike zone wildly a couple of times. He got hit hard throughout his five innings of work, and ended up giving up two home runs and a triple that narrowly missed being a third home run.

The two strike outs that Wheeler got in today’s game was his lowest total of the season (opening day he had three). It was promising to see that even though he didn’t have great command, he only walked two batters. Wheeler gave up three runs on five hits, two of which, as I stated earlier, were home runs. It should be noted that the ball was flying out of the park in Iowa today, and through the sixth inning (when I am writing this), there have been a total of six home runs hit between the two teams.

Coming on the heels of what Sandy Alderson said about Wheeler needing about two or three more solid outings before he will be promoted, today’s start was a disappointing one. The good news is, it looked as though he was pitching without pain, and was clocked at 96 mph with his fastball. This outing seemed to be nothing more than Wheeler experiencing a little lag from not pitching in over a week, and I look for him to get back on track with his next start.

Have you checked out MetsMinors.net yet? What are you waiting for an engraved invitation? Come see why almost 5,000 different readers checked us out on Tuesday. We are rewriting the book on Mets minor league coverage and it will never be the same again. Over a dozen dedicated quality posts per day – each packed with insights and quotes we get from the players themselves. Come see what all the commotion is about and I guarantee you’ll be hooked…

Ike Davis’ troubles at the plate and in the field continued as he botched two plays at first, one in which opened the door to the Reds’ three-run ninth inning in Wednesday’s 7-4 loss. With the Mets being swept, they fell to a season-high ten games below .500. Matt Harvey did not have a great start, but came away with another no-decision.

ON THE MOUND: Harvey gave up four runs on nine hits in 6.1 innings. …. Bobby Parnell gave up three runs on three hits in the ninth inning.

AT THE PLATE: Davis walked twice, and in a comment that says it all about the kind of season he is having, Terry Collins said it might be a good sign. … Daniel Murphy had three hits and Rick Ankiel doubled twice and tripled. All other Mets combined for three hits.

IN THE FIELD: Davis hesitated on a ground ball up the line in the seventh and a run scored. He let another get by him in the ninth to let another run score and opened the door for two more. Unbelievably, Collins said Davis isn’t carrying his slump to the field.

THEY SAID IT: “It just typifies everything that’s happened.’’  Collins on Davis’ fielding adventures in the ninth inning.

BY THE NUMBERS: 17-27 record to fall season-high ten games below .500.

ON DECK: Mets off Thursday, then begin a three-run series against Atlanta Friday at Citi Field.

Thoughts from Joe D.

Well obviously Matt Harvey didn’t have his best stuff, but let’s not kid ourselves either – the Cincinnati Reds are a great team. He’s a gamer, he’ll come roaring back next time out. What sucks more to me is that for the next four games our chance of winning are less than half of when Harvey is on the mound. Yeah…

Ruben Tejada looked really good out there today and could be on the verge of getting back into a hitting groove. His play in the field has been spectacular in this homestand.

Murphy being Murphy… He’s just awesome…

Boy does this team need a day off….

Major League Baseball has declined the Mets appeal to change an earned run charged to phenom Matt Harvey on Friday at Wrigley Field reports Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.

The move would have lowered the 24-year old’s ERA from 1.55 to 1.41.

However, it will remain the former as he takes the hill against the Reds for the series finale to avoid the sweep.

Original Post 5/18 1:00 PM

According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, the Mets are appealing to Major League Baseball to slice Matt Harvey‘s ERA from 1.55 to 1.41, which would be within one point of the major league lead shared Clayton Kershaw and Shelby Miller.

Adam says that the thrust of the argument is that there should have been a straight error on Ruben Tejada‘s throw that bounced past Ike Davis and allowed Anthony Rizzo to score from second base in the first inning on Friday.

There has been a lot of bad scoring for the Mets this offseason, and I’m not so sure if it’s wise to defend one instance of it like they are doing here. There will be plenty more bad scoring as the season wages on.

This is baseball and it’s an imperfect game…

I’m thinking that if the Mets are going to this now, then they should do it for every other player who is denied a hit or an RBI or whatever moving forward.

With or without that earned run, Matt Harvey is still a great pitcher and everybody already knows it. Everything evens out in the end as the game is the great equalizer.

This is a bad idea in my opinion…

I bet Harvey, who is a team player, would say so too…

Starting Lineup

1. Daniel Murphy – 2B
2. Rick Ankiel – CF
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Lucas Duda – LF
5. Marlon Byrd – RF
6. Ike Davis – 1B
7. John Buck – C
8. Ruben Tejada – SS
9. Matt Harvey – RHP

Game Notes

• Terry Collins told reporters this morning that reliever LaTroy Hawkins will be unavailable to pitch in this afternoon’s game against the Reds. Hawkins has pitched in the last two games and has appeared in 20 of the team’s first 43 games of the season. The veteran righthander has has a 3.15 ERA for the season.
• Scott Rice leads continues to be used frequently by Terry Collins, and the rookie reliever leads the league with 26 appearances. Rice has continued to be effective and has a 2.91 ERA this season.
• David Wright committed his fourth error of the season and let a two-out grounder go through his legs with the bases loaded allowing the Reds to take a 2-0 lead. Jon Niese took the hit and the loss but after a 48-pitch first inning he rebounded and finished with a solid start.
• The Mets had three hits last night to match a season low. They have scored three runs or fewer in nine straight home games, matching the ninth-longest streak in franchise history. The Mets are 2-10 in their last 12 home games. The last time the Mets were swept in a three game series by the Reds was June 15-17, 2012 at Citi Field.
• Matt Harvey is third in the majors with a 1.55 ERA and fourth in the NL with 68 strikeouts. He leads the majors with a 0.72 WHIP, a .149 opponents batting average against and 4.52 hits per nine innings. Harvey has allowed three runs or less in 16 consecutive starts, the fifth-longest streak in franchise history. Dwight Gooden is fourth on that list with 17 such starts from 1985-1986.
• Marlon Byrd is batting .343 (12-25) with three home runs this month and is five hits shy of 1,100 for his career.
• Daniel Murphy is 15-for-his-last-36 (.417) and has at least one hit in nine of his last 10 games, batting .400 (16-40) with two home runs and five RBI over that clip. He has 13 doubles, tied for the seventh-most in the NL.
• David Wright is hitting .313 with three doubles, four home runs and nine RBI this month. He is sixth in the NL with a .403 on-base percentage and is ninth with a .320 mark vs. righthanded pitchers. Wright is also hitting .444 (16-36) with RISP, tied for the third-best mark in the National League.

Game Preview

The Mets try to salvage this series with Matt Harvey tonight, therefore, happy Harvey Day! Last night Niese was average but the bats just produced nothing, which is becoming a sad theme of the season. The Mets will try to avoid that today against Mat Latos.

Harvey is now 5-0 on the season with an ERA of 1.55. Over 63.2 innings this year he has walked 14 batters while striking out 68. His performance in May is fairly comparable to his performance over all as he has made three starts, 1-0, with a 1.54 ERA and 23.1 innings. He made a start against the Reds last year where he pitched 7.2 innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 earned run while striking out 8. The Reds have the following numbers against Matt:

Cozart 0-4
Bruce 1-3, 2B, 2 K
Frazier 0-3, 2K
Phillips 1-3, 2B
Paul 0-1

We go from talking about Matt to talking about Mat. Mat Latos has had a good start to season where he is 4-0 over 9 games with a 2.91 ERA. In that stretch he has pitched 58.2 innings walking 19 batters and striking out 51. His last outing was a rebound start where he came back from 6.0 inning, 7 run (6 earned) performance with a 8.1 inning, 2 ER one. In two starts against the Mets last year, he was 0-0 with a 2.25 ERA allowing 3 ER over 12.0 innings.

Wright 2-11, 2B, HR
Murphy 3-9, 2B
Buck 0-8
Davis 0-6
Byrd 2-4, 2B
Duda 2-6, 2B
Tejada 1-5, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas got swept in a doubleheader with Iowa, 2-1 and 6-5
• Binghamton dropped to New Britain, 9-3.
• St. Lucie dropped Dunedin, 5-3.
• Savannah dropped to Charleston, 2-0. 
  

Prospect Pipeline

• Zack Wheeler gets back on the hill this afternoon against the Iowa Cubs. The Mets top prospect is back on-track to pitch every five days beginning today for the Las Vegas 51s. Sandy Alderson stopped by the SNY booth during last night’s game and added that if Wheeler has two or three more good starts, he will be considered for a promotion. When asked if there was anything that will keep Wheeler from being promoted he said, “as long as he’s healthy, he’ll be promoted.” We still believe that his first start will come on the road and probably come during the five-game Braves series in June.
• Rafael Montero got promoted and still dominated. I couldn’t have been more impressed with Montero’s start. He shows command of his pitches, knows how to get hitters out, works quickly, and can battle back from adverse situations — what more do we have to see? If Montero is sent back to Double-A, it will leave many scratching their heads. With his performance today, he showed that he belongs at the Triple-A level. Even more impressive is the fact that he did this against a Iowa Cubs lineup who has a bunch of guys with previous major league experience. Alderson said that Montero will return to Double-A Binghamton, but expects him to be back with Triple-A Las Vegas mid-season. He sees no reason why Montero cant be in the big leagues before the end of the year.
  
• Cesar Puello is one of the hottest hitters in the Mets organization right now. He added another hit last night, a two-run homer, his sixth long ball in May. He is hitting .338 this month. Check out MetsMinors.net for a Prospect Pulse on Puello.
• Mets officials say Brandon Nimmo was prepared to return from a long absence for a bruised hand when he tweaked his lower back. Nimmo, the organization’s 2011 first-round pick, last appeared for Savannah on April 29.
• Darryl Strawberry will be representing the Mets at this year’s upcoming draft.
• After two hits in last night’s game, St. Lucie second baseman and leadoff hitter T.J. Rivera has gotten his batting average back up to .300 on the year.
• Alex Panteliodis has been solid this season since coming off the disabled list, and last night was no different. The 22-year old southpaw went 5.2 frames allowing two runs (1ER) on four hits while walking two and punching out four, picking up his first win of the season. So far this year, he has 17 strikeouts to only four walks in 21.2 innings of work.

Stat Line of the Day

Rafael Montero: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Transactions

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Quote of the Day 

Sandy Alderson spoke about Travis d’Arnaud last night:

He expects that as long as he he returns from the broken foot, he will be with the Mets at some point this season. However, Alderson added that d’Arnaud might not begin playing at Triple-A again until July 1, and he needs to get more minor league games under his belt. “He’s only played in ten or fifteen games over the last year. It’s going to take some time to get back into game shape. Ultimately we need to get him some playing time.”

You hear it all the time: it isn’t about velocity, it’s about location. And no one exemplifies that old adage more than Logan Verrett. The 22-year-old Texas native was taken in the third round of the 2011 draft and has been impressive at all three minor league stops.

Verrett dominated A ball in 2012 in both Savannah and St. Lucie, combining to make 17 starts and finishing with an ERA of 2.70, a WHIP of 0.968, and a strikeout-to-walk rate of 7.15 over 103.1 innings pitched. Beginning the 2013 at AA Binghamton, Verrett has seen a slight regression in his numbers, but a slight regression from dominating is still excellent. After nine starts in the Eastern League, Verrett’s logged 60.1 innings pitched, his ERA sits at a 3.28 ERA and his WHIP is 1.044, good for fifth in the league, and his K/BB is 3.21.

And he’s doing it all with a 91 mph fastball.

“I know I’m not going to blow guys away,” Verrett acknowledges, “so I put a lot of effort into locating all my pitches and being able to throw all of them in any count. I like to keep them off balance and hitting spots helps me do that, especially with all four pitches.

Verrett’s repertoire consists of his fastball, both two-seam and four-seam, a slider, curve ball and change up  His fastball has heavy sink on it and the slider is the out pitch.  He has great command of all four pitches and can throw each for a strike at any time.

“You don’t have to throw 100 mph to get hitters out,” explains manager Pedro Lopez. “Guys who throw harder than he does get hit harder, because of his location. His fastball command to this point has been good. He’s also been able to throw his secondary pitches at any time in the count down in the strike zone.”

“He’s very aggressive and makes pitches when he needs to,” adds pitching coach Glenn Abbott. “He’s very competitive and likes the challenge.”

Lopez agrees. “He’s aggressive with all his pitches. He’s not afraid of contact and as a starting pitcher, when you do that, you find yourself pitching deep into ballgames. He’s been able to pitch deep into games just because he goes after hitters. That’s what he does best. He goes after hitters and he puts it in play early.”

Verrett’s 60.1 innings leads the Eastern League, as does his 6.7 IP per start (minimum six starts).

“Efficient” is how Coach Abbot describes Verrett. “You know what you’re going to get with him. When he pitched against the Yankees [AA affiliate Trenton Thunder], he got through 8.2 innings in his 100 pitches.”

Teammate Jack Leathersich sees the same thing, and from a pitcher’s perspective, adds that Verrett’s deceptiveness also plays a part in his success. “He’s not a 95 [mph] guy, but his fastball jumps out of his hand. I feel like as a hitter, it would look harder than what it actually comes in at. His slider is very, very sharp and looks exactly like his fastball coming out of his hand. That’s kind of his bread and butter.

“He’s really polished,” continues Leathersich, “and that’s how he was in college in the Cape league when I saw him there. He’s pitching really well and giving us a chance to win every time he goes out there.”

Catcher Blake Forsythe really enjoys catching Verrett. “He makes my job a lot easier than it is. He stays in the zone and is able to throw four different pitches for strikes. He’s got a lot of late movement, which forces contact, but not a lot of good contact. His slider is such a late breaking pitch, you have to try and go the other way with it. Hitters have to adjust to so many different things.”

When asked whether or not he expected to start this strong, Verrett offered a humble, if not sheepish, half-smile and shrug. “You always expect things to go well, until they don’t. But I prepared very intensely this off season  I got to spring training a few weeks early. I was really able to get good one-on-one time with some pitching coaches. I was able to get an early jump on throwing. I think I took a really good approach during the off season and brought it with me to Spring Training and carried that into the season. That really helped with my confidence on the mound.

Verrett credits a high school pitching coach for helping plant the seeds that would eventually become a blossoming professional career. “He was only 10-15 years older than me and just recently got out of the game, so he was really young. It’s my senior year in high school and I have this new age approach to pitching that I’m being taught. He was always giving me tips and tidbits in my sides and bullpens, and that’s in high school. Just to be able to have a pitching coach in high school was amazing, especially one that had just left the game maybe three years before. He knew what it takes and what’s expected at the professional level and that’s the kind of approach he brought to our high school team. That carried over to my Baylor career and I felt like I was real mature for a freshman.

He finished his Baylor career seventh in strikeouts, and third among those who only pitched three years. He ranks second and third in conference-play K/BB and ERA, respectively.

Verrett knows there’s more work to be done. “What makes me successful is my ability to put the ball where I want it with all four pitches. I need to get better at doing that every single time. Not having the three or four mistake pitches that I leave up in a start. Like last night, for instance, I had four or five pitches that I could look back and say, “Yeah, I left that ball up.” If I’m going to be successful in the big leagues, it’s eliminating those mistake pitches and I think I’m on the right path.”

(Photo Credit: Gordon Donovan)

Thoughts from Joe D.

First off, great job on this Xtreem… This is how you present an interview and do a focus piece on a prospect with supporting quotes from his teammates and coaches as well to add context and additional insight… Outstanding work…

Verrett has has been overshadowed by some of the bigger names in the system since being drafted and signed by the Mets in 2011. The truth is that if you put his numbers alongside any of our other top pitching prospects, you see someone who certainly belongs in the same conversation.

What I love most about him is that he knows who he is and what he needs to do to get to the majors. He’s focused on refining his already plus-command and understands that being able to spot any of his pitches will compensate for not having that 99 mph fastball. After only six starts in Advanced-A, he seamlessly made the jump to Double-A where he continues to succeed. Verrett is somebody you want to keep your eye on.

For more minor league interviews liked this and the best Mets Minors coverage you’ll find anywhere else, check out MetsMinors.net. Nobody is doing it better… Nobody…

A year ago Davis was coming off the valley fever scare and ankle injury. His .156/.212/.290 slash line could be intellectualized. Similar numbers (.149/.229/.248) this year are reason for concern. There are many players that are slow starters, but are the Mets’ doomed to Davis not showing up the first ten weeks of the season? Has reality set in that he might be a 4-A hitter with flawed mechanics at the plate?

Davis and Jacobs are not exactly apples to apples comparison. Ike was a highly touted first round pick in 2008. His struggles in Brooklyn during his rookie year in pro ball were well documented. Jacobs was a 38th round pick that nobody talked about when he had a breakout 2005 season in Binghamton. He was supposed to be an injury replacement at the big league level, but If not for Pedro Martinez‘s lobbying after a Sunday afternoon home run, we never would have been treated to Jacobs’ September to remember. It’s also possible that Carlos Delgado would never have been acquired that offseason.

As a full-time first baseman from 2006-2008, Mike Jacobs averaged 23 homers, 75 RBI and a .258 batting average. In his two full seasons of work (2010, 2012) Davis has produced 25 homers and 75 RBI with a similar average. Both produce about the same level of strikeouts, although Davis has the penchant to walk a bit more- although probably not enough for the organization’s liking. Both struggle against left handers. Defensively, there is no comparison. Even when he’s struggled Davis has gold glove potential. Jacobs was only plugged-in at first after failing behind the plate. Still, a first baseman needs to hit at an elite level to be considered valuable. If Jacobs is the best that Davis has to offer, then it’s probably time to question if the Mets have a cornerstone at first base for years to come. Should they package Davis if and when he heats up again? Will a trip to the minors help? Is Lucas Duda the answer? Can they afford to pay for a first baseman on the free agent market?

Many scouts have expressed concern over Davis’ mechanics at the plate. It’s complicated, awkward looking and appears difficult to replicate. The more “noise” a player has in the box the harder it will be to hit a baseball, an already difficult task. Can this be fixed? That is hard to predict, but Davis wouldn’t be the first hot-shot hitting prospect to fizzle at the big league level. At the very least a trip to Triple-A Las Vegas should be on the table.

The Mets got lucky when both Jose Reyes and David Wright developed best case scenarios upon their call-up a decade ago. Prospects are an inexact science and, to date, none of the current group of homegrown players has shown to be consistent everyday big leaguers, much less stars.

WFAN callers rarely provide for intelligent or even interesting commentary. Comedy is more how I would describe my experience. Ironically, a caller to the midday show just might have uncovered a hard reality: Ike Davis is no better than a former flash in the pan prospect. I doubt even a productive final four months of 2013 will net a player any close to Delgado’s capabilities. Remember, lightening doesn’t strike twice.

Alderson is disappointed with the team’s performance this season, particularly with some of the players he acquired for this transition year who did not perform to his expectation.

He no doubt was referring to Collin Cowgill, who he expected to become the team’s leadoff hitter and regular center fielder. Cowgill batted .157/.173/.294 before being demoted to Triple-A after only 19 games.

Andrew Brown failed to make the opening day roster and batted .200 during a brief call-up.

Shaun Marcum, who was signed to a guaranteed $4 million dollar deal, was supposed to replace R.A. Dickey. But the right-hander started the season on the DL, missed nearly a month, and has a 6.59 ERA in five starts since being activated.

Left-hander Aaron Laffey was released after posting a 7.20 ERA in four appearances including two spot starts, and relievers Greg Burke and Scott Atchison have struggled, each with 4.50 ERAs on the season.

Sandy is also concerned with some of the players whom he considered to be part of the future core. When asked to explain who he was talking about, he declined to comment saying only, “I think Met fans know who I’m talking about.”

He left off saying that it’s very tough to watch the team play and not be able to do something to help. However, he will remain patient, but not too patient. Alderson said he would look to some of the younger players in their system to improve the major league roster and named Rafael Montero, Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud as those who could help.

After the game, SNY analyst Bobby Ojeda pointed out that Alderson looked like a man who is very dejected and very disappointed with some of the moves he’s made in putting this team together. He certainly was different than what we’re used to seeing. There were no jokes this time. I think Sandy realizes that it’s time for him to stop talking about the future and deliver on it already. It’s time to produce something tangible. I believe a lot will be riding on how Wheeler and d’Arnaud produce once they are promoted – especially Wheeler.

It will be interesting to see how this drama unfolds… My gut tells me that by the end of this season, Sandy Alderson will either be on very solid footing or a very slippery slope and I’m leaning toward the latter. His fate will be tied to Wheeler’s immediate performance. Stay tuned…

Updated Post 5/22

During Tuesday night’s Mets broadcast, general manager Sandy Alderson said he intends to stick with slumping first baseman Ike Davis for a little while longer, but added that there’s a chance that he might be better off going to Triple-A Las Vegas for some period of time.

Alderson said it’s hard to ignore what Davis did in the second half of last season, but the big difference is that the team is not playing well at this time and he needs production.

Davis went 0-for-3 during the Mets’ 4-0 loss to the Reds on Tuesday night and is 1-for-his-last-36.

The fans let him have it as they loudly booed him during each plate appearance. ”What are you going to do?” Davis said afterward.

He is now batting .149 with 48 strikeouts and a .478 OPS in 42 games this season.

Original Post 5/21

Perhaps Sandy Alderson knew of Andrew Brown’s strained oblique when he said there was nothing imminent about sending Ike Davis to the minor leagues. Assuming he did not, it is puzzling as to why he’s in no hurry to ship out his struggling first baseman.

Eventually, Alderson said, “everything comes to a head at some point,’’ but evidently it is not hitting .156 two months into the season. Either are Davis’ other miserable numbers.

Alderson said he’s interested not in results, but good at-bats. Sounds good in theory, but that won’t happen if Davis’ thinking doesn’t change, and there’s no indication of it happening soon.

About the minor leagues, Davis said that would not help because he needs to learn to hit at this level. Davis insists he’s a home run hitter, that he likes to hit home runs and strikeouts are part of the equation.

I can’t scream “that’s crap,’’ loud enough. Davis is so married to his pull-everything approach that improvement is almost impossible to attain.

Davis’ extraordinary wide stance offers no alternatives but to lunge, and he doesn’t have the discipline to lay off breaking balls down and away and fastballs up in the zone. Davis’ mechanics and approach must be torn down and built back up. It could take a month for that to happen, and it shouldn’t be a month up here.

Incredibly, Davis said he’s having positive at-bats, that in Chicago he just missed driving a few balls. But, the fact is he missed those pitches so they can’t be considered good at-bats. It isn’t as if he’s hit a lot of balls on the screws or driven them to the warning track.

Davis was 1-for-24 on the trip to St. Louis and Chicago; is hitting .103 (4-for-39) with runners in scoring position; and is on pace for 177 strikeouts.

When he first came up, Davis showed a willingness to go to the opposite field. There’s none of that now.

Davis said he’s still playing good defense, but he’s delusional there, too. He should have been given an error when he short-armed Ruben Tejada’s wild throw in the dirt in Chicago. The ball did not take a short hop and was something he should have snared.

He was also flat out lazy Monday night on a obstruction call that opened the door to a big inning for Cincinnati in the first inning.

Davis’ head isn’t screwed on straight and he’s fallen into a myriad of bad habits that preclude good at-bats. Davis anticipates getting a month to work out of his funk, but how much lower will the Mets sink in that time?

For the past three years, the Mets had to settle for lousy at-bats and performance from Jason Bay because of his salary. Currently, Alderson plans to have the Mets settling from horrid performance from Davis despite a manageable contract.

OK, Brown is out, but what about Zach Lutz? What about making a move and adding Josh Satin to the 40-man roster?

It doesn’t matter what they do, except for standing pat, and Alderson hasn’t given a good reason for choosing that route. That decision is doing a disservice to the Mets and not helping Davis any, either.

Thoughts from Joe D.

What a waste of a month it’s been for Ike Davis. Had Davis been sent down to the minors at the end of April when I first called for such a move, he could of been back by now and contributing to the team again. But instead he continues to deteriorate statistically and it’s dragging the team down offensively AND defensively.

Check out this screenshot of his last ten games:

This is further evidence that Davis is still in a downslide and not making any progress at all. He has struck out in more than a third of his at-bats in his last ten games. His average has sunk from an already woeful .190 to .152 after batting just .080 in his last ten games.

What’s worse is how negatively this has affected him defensively. He’s stabbing at balls, lost much of his range, and mishandling throws to him.

He looked completely out of it yesterday when he was called for obstruction. His instincts are shot. His head is not in the game.

Send him down already before the situation becomes completely unsalvageable.

The Cincinnati Reds (25-18) shutout the New York Mets (17-25) by the score of 4-0 tonight at a sparsely crowded Citi Field.

Left-hander Jon Niese started for the Mets and and after getting the first two outs in the first inning he allowed a hit and a pair of walks to load the bases. Niese had a chance to come out of the inning unscathed and induced a hard grounder to third for what should have been the third out. However, David Wright committed his fourth error of the season as the ball went under his glove and through his legs allowing two runs to score. Niese was rattled after that and allowed another run to score before finally getting the third out to put the Reds up 3-0. All of the runs were unearned.

Niese threw 48 pitches in that wild first inning and it appeared he was heading for an early shower. But to his credit he gutted out five scoreless innings after that and wound up giving the Mets a very solid effort allowing just five hits and three walks in six innings while striking out seven. Niese took the loss, but saw his ERA improve to 4.80 for the season.

The Reds score their fourth and final run in the ninth when Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco greeted Collin McHugh with a home run to leadoff the inning.

Offensively, the Mets had nothing but blanks… Nothing but the same sorry, pitiful offense that has plagued the team all season. Reds starter Mike Leake hurled seven scoreless innings and allowed the Mets’ only three hits of the game – one each by Lucas Duda, John Buck and Daniel Murphy.

It’s getting pretty hard to watch this team and I thought Sandy Alderson would address that while he visited the with gary Cohen and Ron Darling in the third inning, but he was at a loss for words. He said he was going to continue to hang in there with Ike Davis a little longer, which is the last thing anyone of us wanted to hear. Davis batted seventh and went 0-for-three tonight and saw his batting average fall to .149 for the season. Pathetic.

The Mets will wrap up the series tomorrow afternoon at 1:10 PM when right-hander Matt Harvey (5-0, 1.55 ERA) takes on Mat Latos (4-0, 2.91 ERA) and tries to avoid the sweep.

Because of Murphy’s high on-base percentage, batting him leadoff is something I have advocated, and I’m glad Terry Collins was thinking outside the box enough to make the move.

“He gets on base, because he can hit,’’ Collins told ESPN.com. “And, when he’s swinging good, he can get some walks. We’ve got to get some people on ahead of David [Wright]. That’s for sure.’’Notice how Collins didn’t mention getting on base ahead of Ike Davis, but I guess he couldn’t say that with a straight face.

Murphy is the seventh Met to hit leadoff this young season, and of the previous six, is there one who you can note with conviction that will be here next year?

Ruben Tejada (12 times), Jordany Valdespin(10), Mike Baxter (eight), Collin Cowgill (seven),Justin Turner (two) and Kirk Nieuwenhuis (one) have all appeared without much success at the top or the order. Mets leadoff hitters have hit a major league low .179 with a 29^th ranked .238 on-base percentage.

Collins was non-committal on how long he’ll use Murphy leading off, but considering he’s a .300 hitter with a .337 on-base percentage, he doesn’t have better options.

With their leadoff hitters and Davis, the Mets have two slots in the batting order hitting less than .200, and overall they have four positions in their regular lineup hitting below .240.

Collins thought about Murphy hitting first during spring training, but then he had to come up with a center fielder and decide what to do with Tejada. Meanwhile, Murphy, because of his willingness to take a pitch, also seemed suited to hitting second.

“I thought about it in spring training, to be honest, whether or not to lead Murph off,’’ Collins said. “We’ll just see how it goes. It might be something we’ve certainly got to consider as we get deeper into the season, because he can hit.

“He gets on base. If he does that, certainly we’ve got to keep our options open with Murph being the leadoff hitter.’’

Murphy hitting first seems the way to go for now, but slotting him there doesn’t alleviate all of Collins’ concerns. Rick Ankiel can be an answer defensively in center field, but the outfield remains subpar.

The Mets now need a No. 2 hitter, but because Tejada insists on hitting fly balls, he’s not an ideal fit there.

Let’s face it, currently Murphy and Wright are the only hitters in the lineup who are reliable.

We wonder nowadays if the team will ever score more than 5 runs a game, which they have not done in the last 15 games or who will be in the lineup for each game and will those players actually produce. Rick Ankiel must have read my last post, “Will Ankiel Answer the Mets Need for Their Powerless Outfield?” Since joining the team, he is hitting .304, 2 HR in 7 games, but the verdict is still out on this move and it will take sometime to see if the move was worth the money spent. Without including Ankiel’s numbers the Mets five outfielders combined are hitting .224, 16 HRs, 50 RBIs, which I am sure that Ankiel can top that alone if he continues to get comfortable at the plate.

The team may not have the talent us fans have been accustomed to watching and as the players are aware, Mets fans are very passionate about their team, which Terry Collins recently eluded to when he went after the fans in the media.

He chose to take out his frustration on the fans recently by saying, “They (fans) have no idea what goes on in there. They have absolutely no idea what it means to be a professional teammate at this level.” That may be true to some extent, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t see the writing on the wall. It doesn’t mean that we are not educated baseball fans, plus we feel we understand the game better than most that actually play the game. We may be fooling ourselves, but we just want what other successful teams and organizations have, and that is a chance. A chance to watch our team go out each day and play the game the way it is supposed to be played.

I hope other fans feel the same way I do, but I can do without all the drama. If you have a good player on the team, play him and if you don’t care to then don’t, but make a right decision and leave it out of the news. Give the fans hope that maybe just maybe this team, our team will turn it around. This is baseball, a game we all grew up loving and some playing and we just hope that ownership gets the concept that in order to keep the fans happy, you have to put together a team worth rooting for. They won’t win all the games but have something to build on.

In a recent NY Daily News article, Collins actually said he regret his remarks about the fans, “Of course I regret the choice of words. I certainly respect the New York fans; they’re the most knowledgeable fans I’ve ever been around.” See Collins even admits how smart we are and he goes on to say “They know the game. They know the people.”

We know what we expect and we know that unless there is some sort of hope, this ship will continue to sink and when it finally goes down, usually the captain goes down with it and I am not referring to David Wright.

Updated Post 1:44 PM

MLB Trade Rumors just posted something that would add to the debate on Choo as a potential acquisition for the Mets in 2014. I also updated the original post to indicate that Choo’s best position is right-field.

Of course, as with most free agents, Choo’s next contract will cover post-prime years, perhaps age 31-35.  With Boras doing the negotiating, we can’t rule out a sixth year or a salary in the $18-20MM range, plus the loss of a draft pick.

Are you guys ready for another Winter of debating the loss of a pick, even if in the Mets case it’s a second round pick based on where this season is heading?

Original Post 12:44

Tyler Kepner of the New York Times, had an article this morning suggesting the Mets should make a strong attempt at signing Reds center fielder Shin-Soo Choo if they are serious about contending in 2014. Choo is a free agent at the end of this season.

Choo, 30, was acquired by the Reds in the offseason for highly regarded shortstop prospect Didi Gregorious and outfielder Drew Stubbs. According to Kepner, Cincinnati Choo was charged targeted Choo to fix their problems in the leadoff spot, which produced a .254 on-base percentage last season. So far, Choo has delivered in a big way, ranking second in the National League with a .455 on-base percentage.

The Scott Boras client has always been able to hit for average and get on base as his career .386 OBP would attest. Going into this season, he has averaged 38 doubles and 90 runs per season in his career. He also can give the Mets power and speed while providing solid range and defense in center field, though right field is his best position. The left-handed batter has averaged 15 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a typical season for him and is on a pace to smash both of those marks in his walk year with the Reds.

“He’s the big reason why we are where we are right now,” said Brandon Phillips of the Reds, who hold the second-best record in the National League. “Playing against him when he was with the Indians, I always told everybody he’s one of the best all-around players in baseball — underrated. Right now he’s just being himself. It’s a blessing to have him over here.”

Kepner also adds that the South Korean native, might be a sensation in New York, whose metropolitan area has the second-largest Korean population in the United States, behind Los Angeles.

Obviously, I love Choo and had wanted the Mets to go after him last offseason, and even though he’ll be a year older I would still have no problem bringing him on board for the 2014 season and beyond. I’m assuming it would require at least a four-year commitment and the bidding from other teams will be aggressive. That’s the part that frightens me – or should I say frightens Sandy Alderson. You see, I’ll maintain what I’ve been saying all along about him and that is that he doesn’t have the stomach for these types of negotiations. To quote myself from last October, “Alderson doesn’t have the ability to go after a desirable and marketable free-agent, it sin’t in his DNA.”

There will be other outfield options out there next offseason, assuming they are not re-signed. Jacoby Ellsbury and  Carlos Beltran are among them.

The problem is will Alderson be willing to spend and come out strong?

Or will it be another Winter of waiting for the market to settle to his liking, which of course never happens leaving him to scamper and pick the bones of whatever carcass he can find on the scrap heap?

Starting Lineup

1. Daniel Murphy – 2B
2. Mike Baxter – RF
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Lucas Duda – LF
5. Rick Ankiel – CF
6. John Buck – C
7. Ike Davis – 1B
8. Ruben Tejada – SS
9. Jon Niese – LHP

Game Notes

The Mets signed reliever David Aardsma to a minor league deal. Aardsma didn’t make the Yankees’ roster out of spring training and opted out of his deal with Miami after not getting promoted within a month. He has 69 career saves.

Shaun Marcum joined Jeremy Hefner on the 0-5 club after getting tagged for the loss in the Mets’ 4-3 loss Monday to Cincinnati. Marcum had a rough first inning and pitched well over his final five, but a sixth-inning home run made the difference.

Rick Ankiel extended his hitting streak to five games and is batting .368 during that stretch, He has hit .304 (7-23) in 7 games with Mets. Meanwhile, Marlon Byrd hit a three-run homer last night and is batting .343 (12-25) with three home runs this month.

Mets starting pitchers are 3-8 with a 5.64 ERA (60 earned runs/95.2 innings) this month. Overall, New York starters are 10-18 with a 4.45 ERA (116 earned runs/234.2 innings), ranking 20th in the majors.

Game Preview

The Mets dropped the opener to the Reds last night but look to get back on the right path as they play game two in Citi Field. Marcum got the Mets off to a rough start last night but was able to limit the damage for the rest of his outing (with the exception of one more run, which ended up being the difference). Byrd was able to tie the game with  homer but the offense as a whole wasn’t enough to keep the Mets going. Tonight it will be Jon Niese for the Mets as he squares up against Mike Leake.

Jon Niese is 3-4 over 9 starts this season with 48.1 innings of work while posting a 5.40 ERA. So far this season he has walked 24 batters while striking out 24. After two bad starts in a row (8.1 innings, 15 ER) he got back on the winning horse last time out with a 7.1 inning, 2 ER performance. Last year he had one start against the Reds where he allowed 4 ER and 6 hits over 7 innings. The Reds have the following numbers against Niese:

Phillips 5-13, 2B, 2 HR
Votto 2-10, HR
Bruce 2-8, HR
Choo 0-3
Cozart 1-4

Mike Leake is 3-2 this season over 8 starts with a 3.72 ERA while pitching 48.1 innings. He has walked 13 and struck out 34 in that stretch. He is coming off a rather interesting start, at least from a statistics stand point. Last time out against the Marlins, he pitched 6.2 innings allowing 9 hits, but no runs, which doesn’t bode well for the Mets who have the following numbers against him:

Byrd 3-15, 2B
Wright 1-10
Murphy 1-10, 2B
Ankiel 3-8, 2B
Davis 1-8, 2B
Turner 3-7
Duda 3-3

Let’s Go Mets!

Despite a major league pedigree and respect for his tools (Baseball America Top 15 organizational prospect three years running), Binghamton Mets outfielder Cory Vaughn had yet to put all his tools together. His power and speed didn’t show up until 2012, but he hit .243. In St. Lucie in 2011, Vaughn hit .286 before his promotion, but only four home runs. After the promotion, he more than doubled his home run total, but the batting average dipped to .219.

That’s all changed, however. Vaughn’s tearing it up to the tune of .307/.392/.500 with five home runs in 130 plate appearances and is fresh off an Eastern League Player of the Week award. He’s got five stolen bases in six chances, and this is all in his first season at AA Binghamton. One would expect an adjustment period after the jump from High A, and even though you couldn’t tell by the numbers, Vaughn has had a lot to adjust to.

“There’s been a lot of adjustments going on, from the weather to this past off season to working with our hitting coach Luis [Natera],” explained Vaughn. “Basically just go out there and play the game hard and never stop working and never stop grinding, you know? So it’s been paying off, but you still have to work hard no matter what.”

Binghamton Manager Pedro Lopez agrees. “I would say that he’s been making adjustments as he goes along. I think he’s got the right mindset right now in order for him to get better. You’re looking at somebody who’s on a mission right now. Every chance that he gets, he’s making the best out of it. The thing is, especially when you get to this level, is to make sure that you got your ears open for any suggestions.”

Vaughn also made an adjustment to his batting stance. He attributes a mechanical adjustment he made to the placement of his hands to his success. The bat used to stand straight up with his hands by his ear, but keeping the bat flatter and lower has helped him stay through the ball.

“I really just kind of sit the bat on my shoulder so my hands would be more in the slot. You know, A to B,” explains Vaughn. “The quickest way to one point is a straight line. So I just try to “A to B” it and it’s been working out pretty well.”

Hitting Coach Luis Natera explains that with the longer swing, he was in an out of the zone too quickly and tended to hook everything. “Now he’s working to stay through the zone a little longer and his lower half is working much better. He was landing with his front foot on his heel. It made him pull off everything. Now he made that transition to landing on his toes and it leaves the front heel up that keeps him through the zone a little longer. Now those balls that he hooked foul are in the left-center gap.”

Both Lopez and Natera also commend his approach at the plate. “One thing he’s doing well to this point is trying to get a good pitch to hit and when he gets it, he’s not missing many,” said Lopez. “That goes with our whole hitting philosophy. Try to get a good pitch to hit and right now he’s doing a good job at it.”

Coach Natera has also been impressed with his new student. “He’s got a lot of confidence. What I hear from other coaches is that he was afraid to hit with two strikes. Now he’s not afraid to take a borderline strike to get to his pitch.”

When asked directly if looking to take borderline strikes detract from Vaughn’s natural aggressiveness, Natera refutes the idea. “Any hitter, if he’s afraid of hitting with two strikes, is going to swing at a pitcher’s pitch [early in the count] and that’s tough to hit. And now he’s not afraid to take those pitches on the corner and wait for that pitcher to make a mistake.”

And despite the fact that Vaughn has improved his slugging percentage steadily over the last three seasons, Coach Natera is still being patient on that front. “Power in young hitters is the last to come,” he explains. “Now he has to work on being a hitter. The power is there. He just has to work the strike zone like he’s been working and keep his hands back through the zone. He’ll hit for power on pitcher’s mistakes and I think everything now is coming together.”

Lopez agrees. “It’s paying off for him to this point and I hope he continues to do what he’s doing.”

AGBAYANI: THE METS’ “BENNY-FACTOR” SLAMS THE CUBS

Did you ever notice that certain players that have toiled in the minors for a while tend to exhibit surges in production when they finally get a crack at the big time? It’s as if they had those hits stockpiled for the Show and can’t wait to get them out of their systems once fortune and the front office permits. So it seemed to be with Benny Agbayani, a stocky outfielder who physique evoked the same comparisons with a pineapple that were applied to his predecessor as the resident Hawaiian Met, Sid Fernandez. Benny flaunted a somewhat more athletic build however, and for a time looked to be a greater source of batting power than his record on the farm had indicated.

A 30th round draft pick by the Mets in 1993, Agbayani spent the better part of 6 seasons moving up the rungs of the farm system with stops at Pittsfield, St. Lucie, Binghamton and Norfolk before getting a 15 AB cameo with the big club in 1998. However, he failed to make a good enough showing to remain, going 2 for 15, and was returned to AAA where he found himself assigned once again the following season.  Never a major power threat, Benny had nonetheless endeared himself to Norfolk manager Bobby Valentine during his tenure there with a combination of hustle and timely hitting. When Bobby V moved up to take the reins of the varsity squad, he lobbied for Benny’s promotion when a wave of outfield malaise necessitated a call up. And so, in May of 1999, Agbayani was given another shot at the majors.

At this point, Benny was a 27 year-old spare part who was generally regarded as a non-prospect by much of the baseball intelligentsia of the time. Prospect or not, he seized the chance afforded by this second go-round and went on a power binge that was so out of character with his past performance that it amazed even him. Inserted into the lineup against the Colorado Rockies (in a weird instance where both starting pitchers that day were named Bobby Jones), Benny collected two hits including his first big league home run. He continued to mash after that, collecting 6 more bombs over the next 2 weeks and an amazing 10 in his first 73 at bats.  He reached the All Star break with a total of 11, but came back to earth in the second half of the season and finished the year with 14.

Still, he had put up solid numbers for the year, batting .286 in 276 at bats while knocking in 42 runs with an OPS of .888. More importantly, he had played a not-insignificant role in helping the Mets reach the post-season for the first time in 11 years.  He would save his playoff heroics for the following year however, and batted a soft .235 between the Division Series and LCS in ’99 with only 1 RBI.

The 2000 season began with the Mets facing the Cubs in the Tokyo Dome in the first major league game played on a continent other than North America. Benny hadn’t had a particularly glorious showing in spring training that year and was lower in the club’s pecking order of outfielders.  In the opening series, Valentine had opted to go with Jay Payton, Darryl Hamilton, Rickey Henderson, and Derek Bell, the latter coming over in the trade that had netted new rotation ace Mike Hampton. Agbayani was relegated to the bench, the vantage point from which he watched the team drop the first contest by a score of 5-3.

The next day found him there again as the teams took a 1-1 game into extra innings. As the game moved to the top of the 11th inning, the Mets looked for a chance to push the go-ahead run across and avoid a sweep. Cubs reliever Danny Young was brought in to start the inning, the seventh pitcher used by manager Don Baylor that day.  After getting two out, he surrendered a single to Mets first baseman Todd Zeile and then issued back-to-back walks to load the bases. The pitcher’s spot in the lineup came up and Valentine tapped Benny as a pinch hitter. After tossing his first pitch to Agbayani wide of the strike zone, Young made his next offering a little too good and Benny promptly knocked it over the center field wall for a grand slam. That shot would prove the decisive blow as Dennis Cook closed out the Cubs in the bottom of the inning for a 5-1 Met victory.

That game marked the initial win in the season that would see the Mets return to the World Series for the first time since the fabled run of 1986. Along the way, Benny would contribute another solid season, hitting a total of 15 HR’s and driving in 60 runs in part-time duty. He continued to shine during the post-season that year, crashing a walk-off 3-run shot off the Giants’ Aaron Fultz to win game 3 of the Divisional Series, and contributed during the subsequent NLCS against the Cardinals and the World Series against the Yankees where he drove in the winning run in the sole Met victory that fall.

After that, alas, the bloom was off the rose as Benny had a somewhat injury-plagued 2001 and saw his numbers dwindle along with his appearances in the lineup. That offseason saw him shipped to the Rockies where he toiled for a time with mediocre results, and then he was briefly with the Red Sox before leaving for the greener pastures of Japan’s Pacific League. There, he found glory with the Chiba Lotte Marines, reuniting with manager Bobby Valentine and helping to win a championship in 2005.

Agbayani may not have been among the greatest of Mets players, but found a measure of glory during his brief tenure that secured him a spot among the most beloved. Aloha, Benny.

Montero makes his Triple-A debut today. Picture courtesy of MMO contributor Gordon Donovan.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas was washed out in Iowa.
• Binghamton dropped New Britain, 6-3.
• St. Lucie lost to Dunedin, 4-3.
• Savannah dropped to Charleston, 5-2. 
  

Prospect Pipeline

• Thanks to everyone who visited MetsMinors.net yesterday and made our launch a successful one. If you are interested in the Mets’ prospects, then MMN is for you. Check us out today!
• Rafael Montero‘s Triple-A debut was rained out yesterday. He takes the hill in Iowa today at 1:05 PM.
• Cesar Puello is one of the hottest hitters in the Mets organization right now. He added another three hits last night, two of them were doubles.Over the past ten games, Puello is hitting .395, and got his season average up to .320, good for the team lead. Check out MetsMinors.net for a Prospect Pulse on Puello.
• Logan Verrett continues to pitch solid. He filled in Rafael Montero’s spot in the rotation yesterday, and the stat line was pretty similar to that what we would get from Montero — 3 ER, 0 BB, and 10 K. Verrett gave up nine hits, one of them a home run, but he is the type of pitcher that is going to allow some hits. You can read my analysis on Verrett in yesterday’s Prospect Pulse feature on MetsMinors.net.
• After a couple of shaky starts, Gabriel Ynoa bounced back with a solid performance last night. The righty held the opposing hitters in check, scattering two hits and two walks while striking out seven.
• Matthew Bowman had another solid outing last night. He scattered six hits, but struck out eleven batters, while only walking one, over six innings of work.
• Two Mets prospects were honored by their respective leagues, as Cory Vaughn took home player of the week honors in the Eastern League, and Rainy Lara took home the pitcher of the week award in the South Atlantic League.

Stat Lines of the Day

Cesar Puello: 3-for-4, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R

Transactions

Ryan Fraser assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Binghamton Mets.

Carlos Vazquez assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.

Tweet of the Day 

So sorry to hear about the devastation in Oklahoma.Our prayers are with you.God bless.

— Frank J. Viola, Jr. (@FrankViola16) May 21, 2013

For a while, it looked like Terry Collin’s weird lineup choice going into the evening would actually work when Marlon Byrd ripped a three-run home run in the bottom of third. Perhaps unsurprisingly, however, the Mets would fail to score again the rest of the night and could not stage a comeback after Jay Bruce hit a go-ahead home run off Shaun Marcum in the sixth. To be fair to Marcum, he handled the Reds lineup pretty decently considering all things. His tough inning was in the first, where he allowed three runs off RBI hits from Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce. He did strike out seven over six innings, and did retire ten straight at one point in the ball game.

The issues of the night were compounded, however, by some bad work on the field from Ike Davis – who was really struggling in every aspect of the game tonight. Davis was called for an interference error in the first that moved Votto up a base into scoring position. In addition to that, he grounded out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first when he had a chance to redeem himself. Davis entered the game in a 1-for-30 slump and finished 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He was actually double switched out in the sixth inning.

The Mets never really showed much life after the three-run home run, allowing opposing starter Johnny Cueto to retire the last eight batters he faced. Latroy Hawkins did some dancing out of trouble in the seventh and shared some words with HP Umpire Tom Hallion, who incorrectly awarded a HBP to Brandon Phillips. Terry Collins left the dugout to argue three times over the game, and was ejected alongside Hawkins.

The Mets continue their series at 7:10 tomorrow when Jon Niese takes the mound for the Amazins’ against Mike Leake.