I am getting a little tired of this whole thing.  He throws really really hard, but THAT’S IT!  He has never been consistent with his secondary pitches and without that he will NEVER be a successful back of the bullpen arm.

Natural closer’s are born with the attitude that you need to succeed with the game on the line. You can teach good mechanics, but you can’t teach the killer instinct you need to be a closer.

Parnell is scared and does not have the guts to get the job done. I wish the Mets would stop shoving him down our throats already!

Why don’t they just banish him to the 7th inning role because that is the only spot he will ever succeed.  If he can’t get it done in that role then he needs to be gone because he will be worthless to us.

He could throw 1,000 MPH, but if he does not have the mental toughness to get it done with the game on the line he’s still going to fail.  At 27 years old he is not a baby anymore and this whole charade of Parnell that has been going for a few years now has just run it’s course.

He got a shot to pitch in clutch situations a few years ago when Wagner went down and he bombed.  Now after a couple seasons of maturation he got another opportunity and he has bombed again.

I’m sick of the questions of whether or not Parnell can be a closer.  Isn’t it obvious that he can’t???

I don’t care how hard he throws, I think Bobby has made it pretty clear that he’s not the guy to succeed Krod!  What I don’t understand is why the Mets don’t see it.

Does anyone else agree with me on this, or am I just Crazy???

Authors Note: To read more of my insights come visit us at BigAppleMetsTalk, you can also follow us on Twittter @BgAppleMetsTalk.

Miguel Batista had another good outing spoiled by a blown save, but Nick Evans had a huge day in the Mets 7-4 win.

Game Notes

Miguel Batista took the mound, and pitched another surprising game, but was not as sharp as his last outing. Batista went six innings, allowing one run on five hits, walking four and striking out three. Batista wasn’t hit hard, but he had Marlins batters chasing bad pitches consistently. While some Mets fans are upset Batista is taking away starts from prospects, Batista may have a chance to be a useful bullpen piece next year, at an inexpensive price.

The bullpen today was solid, but Manny Acosta was charged with an unearned run after another Angel Pagan misplay in the outfield allowed the runner to advance to second on a single. Acosta still got out of the inning without much damage, but it was to be expected. Jason Isringhausen came in for the eighth inning, and exhibited absolutely no control, walking three batters and consistently falling behind. However, when needed Izzy struck out Jose Lopez with the bases loaded, and struck out Emilio Bonafacio to end the inning. Bobby Parnell blew another save, giving up a two run double in the ninth. Tim Byrdak & Pedro Beato combined for two scoreless innings, and Josh Stinson nailed down his first MLB save in the 12th inning.

The offense today was quiet, but did manage to get hits when it was needed. Justin Turner hit an RBI single in the fifth, Nick Evans an RBI single in the sixth and was thrown out trying to advance to second, and Evans yet again in the eighth with an RBI single. In a bit of insurance, Angel Pagan hit a double right off the first base bag, scoring Jose Reyes and moving David Wright to third. The Mets rallied in the 12th inning, thanks to RBI singles by Nick Evans & Jose Reyes, and a bases-loaded walk by Lucas Duda.

Jose Reyes – 3 for 6 with a walk, an RBI and a strikeout and a strikeout. Jose has struggled since his return from the DL.

Justin Turner – 3 for 4 with two walks and an RBI. Any production right now is good, because he is playing for next year.

David Wright – 0 for 6 with two strikeouts and an intentional walk. Rough game for David, not many of these since return from DL.

Turning Point

The 12th inning comeback, showing the offense hadn’t died

Game Ball

Nick Evans – 3 for 6 with three RB, a walkI and a good play on a ball to force the runner at second on a bunt. Nick has been hot as of late, and as most Mets prospects is playing for a spot on the team next year.

On Deck

The Mets will finish the series against the Mets, sending R.A. Dickey to the mound against rookie Brad Hand of the Marlins. Game time is 5:10 P.M.

R.A. Dickey pitched a strong seven innings, but the bullpen combined to give up four runs in the last two innings in their 6-2 loss to the Brewers.

Game Notes

R.A. Dickey looked great today, and had another quality outing. Dickey went seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits, walking none and striking out four. Dickey would’ve gone more innings if not for the Brewers manager walking Ruben Tejada in the bottom of the seventh to force Terry Collins to bring in a pinch hitter.

The bullpen failed horribly for the second day in a row, with Manny Acosta, Tim Byrdak, Jason Isringhausen and Pedro Beato combining to allow another four runs. The bullpen has been god awful, and it can only get better hopefully. Not one arm has been able to shut things down or stop the bleeding.

The bats didn’t do much today, outside of two big hits that were back-to-back, a Lucas Duda two-run blast to the deepest part of the park and a Jason Bay double to LF that was two-feet short of being a home run, and would’ve been out in any other park. Another weak offensive day, with six total hits and only one walk.

Angel Pagan – 2 for 4. Angel has been hitting much better, but over-ran a ball in the fifth and missed a catch.

Lucas Duda – 1 for 4 with a two-run homer. Oh, three strikeouts too. Great way to break up the golden sombrero.

Thoughts

Justin Turner continues to struggle defensively, making an extremely poor throw that cost the Mets two outs, and prolonged the inning.

Ryan Braun stole two bases, and neither throw by Josh Thole was accurate or strong.

Turning Point

Making Terry Collins play for the win in the seventh and pulling his extremely effective starter.

Game Ball

R.A. Dickey, the victim of poor run support/bad luck. Great outing, usual expected outcome. R.A. Dickey is the best 5-11 pitcher in the MLB.

On Deck

The Mets will travel to Philly to face off against Cliff Lee and the Phillies. Dillon Gee will take the mound and game time is 7:05 P.M.

Chris Capuano pitched a great six innings and the Mets defense managed to falter again in their 4-3 loss against the Marlins

Game Notes

Chris Capuano had a great outing after a few bad outing including two against the Marlins. Cap went six innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out five and walking two. As has been Capuano’s strong suit, he gave up two long balls to account for two of the four hits he allowed, and he has always been a flyball pitcher. What kills? It was against Omar Infante, who had one homer before todays game.

The bullpen today picked up where it left off yesterday, sending out Manny Acosta for an inning, allowing one hit. Acosta has looked much better and is splitting time with Iggy it seems bridging the middle innings. Bobby Parnell came out and after giving up a single up the middle, proceeded to throw a pitch in the dirt Mike Nickeas couldn’t handle. Parnell bucked up, and struck out Gaby Sanchez on a 101 MPH fastball on the black and Greg Dobbs on a 99 MPH two-seamer that was well outside.

Jason Isringhausen came out for the ninth and walked the leadoff batter, got an out, and then gave up a single. He proceeded to hit John Buck and loaded the bases with two outs. Izzy then proceeded to get a double-play ball, but Turner threw the ball away and allowed two runs to score. Izzy got himself into trouble, and the defense couldn’t save him. Izzy went an inning, gave up two runs (one earned) on one hit, walked one, hit one, struck out one.

The bats today managed some hits, but nothing that honestly amounted to major rallies. Jose Reyes sent a ball to deep LF for his fifth HR of the year, a solo shot. David Wright drove in Chris Capuano on an RBI groundout in the fifth. Angel Pagan then had a single in the sixth, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Lucas Duda sac-fly. Manufacturing runs is essential for the Mets to be able to win games.

David Wright – 0 for 4 with an RBI and a strikeout. Can’t hit .400 every game.

Mike Nickeas – 0 for 3 with a K – he actually threw a runner out though, which is something Paulino and Thole haven’t done well/at all.

Angel Pagan – 2 for 4 with a run and a steal. One day he drives you mad, the next day he drives the other team mad.

Scott Hairston – 2 for 4 with a K. Caught stealing, but hey. Good day.

Turning Point

Justin Turner choking in a key situation that could’ve ended the inning in a tie instead of one run down

Game Ball

Chris Capuano did everything he could to keep the Mets in the game against a team that has hit him well.

On Deck

The Mets will end the series with the Marlins on a high note, sending Dillon Gee to the mound to face off against Clay Hensley. Game time is 7:10 P.M.

Mike Pelfrey had another mixed outing, and the return of David Wright helped the Mets in their 7-6 win against the Marlins

Game Notes

Mike Pelfrey had yet another uneven outing, but this one was marred by control issues and some bad defense. Mike went six innings, allowing four runs on five hits, walking four and striking out three. Pelfrey’s been trending more towards a fly ball pitcher, and today two of those fly balls left the yard. Pelfrey has been throwing more breaking balls, but he was punished on two breaking balls he left on the plate. Pelfrey continues to baffle Mets fans, because some games he is very good, and others seems to fall apart at some point.

The bullpen got a lot of work today. Pedro Beato was completely ineffective, giving up one run on one hit walking two in one-third of an inning. Tim Byrdak went one-third, and got one out (deep fly-bal that scored the run Beato was charged with). Bobby Parnell came out for the last out of the seventh, and got Hanley Ramirez to ground out to second. In the eighth, Bobby got himself in and out of trouble, only getting blemished on a bloop-single to LF. Parnell’s final line is one run allowed on one hit, walking one and striking out one while earning the win.

Jason Isringhausen came out to close the game, and pitched a clean inning while striking out one and earning his second save of the year. It could’ve gotten messy, but for the last out Jason Pridie made a great running catch feet away from the wall.

The bats decided today, they’d put in some work early. David Wright, in his first game back since May 15th hit an RBI double, followed by a Daniel Murphy RBI single. Angel Pagan would top off the scoring with an RBI sacrifice fly. In the fourth, Carlos Beltran had an RBI single. Ronny Paulino hit a sac-fly with the bases loaded in the seventh, and in the eighth with the game tied David Wright hit an RBI-double and advanced to third on the throw.

Jose Reyes – 2 for 5, pretty solid day.

Every Mets starting position player had at least 1 hit.

Daniel Murphy – 2 for 4 with a walk, a run and two RBI. Murphy also made a good/risky/stupid play in the eighth to kill the lead runner.

Turning Point

Mets seventh inning set the tone for the rest of the game. After just losing the lead, the Mets came back to put across a lead run and another for insurance.

Game Ball

David Wright – 2 for 5 with two runs, two rbi and two strikeouts. David’s return is very welcome to a Mets team that could use another power bat

On Deck

The Mets will continue their series against the Marlins, sending Chris Capuano to face off against Clay Hensley, who perplexed the Mets in his last start. Game time is 7:10 P.M.

The return of Jose Reyes and big hits from Daniel Murphy and Angel Pagan, in addition to a great start from Dillon Gee secured the Mets a win, 4-2 against the Cardinals

Game Notes

Dillon Gee went out, and in his first start since the All-Star break, pitched a gem. Gee went seven innings, allowing two runs on three hits, walking two and striking out two. Gee was pulled after 96 pitches, and he looked good enough to possibly go into the eighth, but was pulled. Gee looked in control the whole game, and outside of the moonshot home run he gave up to Lance Berkman, only gave up two hits. Hopefully, Gee can rebound because his last two pre-break outings weren’t very pretty.

The bullpen today consisted of Parnell and Isringhausen. Parnell went out for a full inning, gave up two hits and hit a batter, but struck out one. Parnell was either nervous, or just not locating that fastball down in the zone. Closer by committee moments to worry about: one. Isringhausen came out for the ninth and pitched a clean inning to notch his first save as a Met since 1999, and first MLB save since 2008.

The offense today was quiet until the top of the fifth inning, when singles by Reyes & Turner and a walk by Beltran left the situation open for Angel Pagan to hit a two-RBI double. In the sixth, Daniel Murphy atoned for lining out with the bases-loaded the inning before with a double to center field that scored two more runs. The offense obviously missed Reyes for the last 16 days, and missed Beltran for the last few.

Reyes/Turner/Beltran – 7 for 13 with two walks and all four of the Mets runs. They get on base, they score runs. It works.

Ronny Paulino – 3 for 4 – The guy is apparently hitting righties now too. One of Alderson’s better finds.

Jason Bay – 1 for 4, one strikeout. Had a good hit, then look bad in the rest of his at-bats.

Turning Point

Daniel Murphy double in the sixth inning, providing Gee with some breathing room to go out for the seventh inning. Without it, Berkman blast in seventh ties game.

Game Ball

Carlos Beltran, 3 for 3 with two walks. Can’t do much better then .1000.

On Deck

The Mets will look to keep this going, facing up against Kyle McClellan and the Cardinals tomorrow night at Citi Field, and will send R.A. Dickey to the mound. Game time is 7:10 P.M.

—

Although a game has yet to be played after the All-Star break, this Mets team already takes on a new appearance. The bullpen corps is comprised of the same pitchers, and two (Bobby Parnell & Pedro Beato) will look to close out games now. Jason Isringhausen is a candidate to close as well, due to experience but this is a new dawn of allowing prospects to try and carry their weight. If either one of the three closer candidates can prove to be adequate if not excel in closing out games, the flexibility it provides financially is immense.

The thought is that with some added free space on the payroll this year, can they become players for another starter, possibly improve at catcher or add some right-handed bench depth? The options have expanded, and now the Mets can explore in-season options even though this K-Rod move is seen as somewhat of a defeatist move from a standpoint of competition.

In the offseason, the K-Rod option – no loger a worry, opens more options. Will the Mets re-sign Jose Reyes? That still isn’t known, but the amount of payroll that was opened is a much more positive sign today then it was a few days ago. Will the Mets re-sign Beltran? It is a dark horse option, but maybe Beltran won’t feel as betrayed by the Mets since most of the damage was done by the Minaya regime. Will the Mets look to sign some help in the offseason in both the starting rotation and at the catcher position.

This has been an interesting last few months, and with 18 days until the trade deadline, this can become a very exciting time for Mets fans.

For other thoughts, Mets news and Mets related talk, follow me on twitter @TheSeanKenny

Some of you may remember the article I wrote earlier in the season where I predicted the Mets would move Carlos Beltran, Francisco Rodriguez, and others. All the while I predicted Reyes would NOT be traded at the deadline. That now is certain because of this injury, but he would have not been traded at the deadline anyway.

It’s now becoming clear Sandy Alderson is doing one of two things.

A. Truly interested in re-signing Reyes. (This is what he should be doing. It’s obvious Reyes is the best player on this team right now.)

B. Alderson is just gauging interest to see what it may take to bring him back. In this scenario, Alderson can better prepare for his offseason plan now by seeing the range of $$$$ Reyes agents are dreaming about. (We can all thank god Reyes didn’t switch to Boras.)

Forget Reyes for a minute and let’s switch back to our inevitable mini fire sale.

I expect Alderson will attempt to trade Beltran, Rodriguez, Capuano, Isringhausen, and Byrdak. Hell, he may even shock us and deal Pelfrey. I wouldn’t shed a tear. We could move all the guys above and I’d be praising Mr. Alderson for whatever he gets in return.

The Mets have proved one thing this year – They are not the same Mets, but they’re really similar. Extremely injury prone and Streaky (Mets biggest downfall every year in recent memory).

However they’ve shown bright spots in an otherwise mediocre season. Dillon Gee, Pedro Beato and Justin Turner are just a few. These guys could very likely be on many future 25-man rosters. Alderson will craft the team in the fashion he sees fit. If that includes Reyes, amazing. That’s what I’ve been predicting (and praying) would happen all along. If it does not, then it’s obvious he wasn’t interested in coughing up 100+ million for a player that relies so much on his legs. This of course is due to his history of leg injuries. That may very well happen. It wouldn’t shock me at all if Alderson saw Reyes price skyrocket, then decided his money might be better spent in other various areas.

Regardless, selling is inevitable. Let’s hope we get some nice presents for Baseball Christmas (July 31st).

Jonathon Niese had a great start, but the bullpen collapsed YET AGAIN and the Mets lost against the Braves, 6-3

Game Notes

Jonathon Niese pitched a great game, going seven and two-third innings giving up two runs on eight hits striking out seven and walking one. Niese had everything working today, and with most Mets starters recently, the gas seemed to be running low in the eighth inning. What that has meant usually, is exactly what has happened. Worst case scenarios

Izzy came out for another outing…in hopes to deconstruct his arm, and walked a batter, then advanced him to second on a wild pitch, then with some Jose Reyes help (the ball literally went under his glove, he didn’t commit) and allowed a run to score. Izzy final line is one-third, one unearned run, one walk, one strikeout. K-Rod came in for the ninth, and gave up a home run to Eric Hinske, then a double to Martin Prado, an intentional walk to Brian McCann and a double by Freddie Freeman (and a stupid baserunning play to get them out of the inning) left the score at 6-3.

Honestly, someone in the pen needs to step u and stop the bleeding. Or a starter needs to go a full nine.

The offense today had one good inning, and put across all its run on singles, which has been fairly customary with the Mets missing Wright and Ike (Jason Bay’s power stroke, is still MIA as well). RBI hits by Beltran (#RBIWhore) Murphy and Pagan was all the runs the Mets could push across. After the seventh inning, if the Braves send out the 1-2 of Venters/Kimbrel, you don’t have much of a chance.

Ruben Tejada – 0 for 3. Cooling down a little bit, but still good.

Jose Reyes – 2 for 4 with a run and his seventh error of the year in a HUGE spot. That makes two in the last few games, on plays he could’ve made easily.

Willie Harris – I really do hope when David Wright returns, you aren’t on the team.

Turning Point

The Chipper Jones home run/Jose Reyes error. Without Chipper’s HR, that error doesn’t amount to much but a run.

Game Ball

Jonathon Niese. You go out, throw a quality game, and then have it spoiled by bad defense, bad pitching and bad luck.

On Deck

The Mets will hope to hold a lead (if they have it) in the seventh inning, sending Dillon Gee to the mound against Jair Jurjjens and the Braves. Game time is 7:10 P.M.

For levels of rage and ideas about how bad the mets are, follow me on twitter @TheSeanKenny

For the New York Mets, depth was a major issue heading into the season.

Like in 2009, the injury bug has plagued the team, only earlier this year than anyone expected.

However, the Mets have received timely contributions from several players who originally didn’t factor too much into the team’s plans for this season.

Here are five Mets who have been great finds after starting the year in the minors.

5. Jason Pridie

Jason Pridie had only appeared in 11 games for the Minnesota Twins over the last two seasons.

When Angel Pagan went down with an injury, the Mets recalled Pridie because he was the best defensive outfielder in Triple-A.

Not only had Pridie filled in great defensively when needed, but he’s also come up with a few clutch hits, including a pair of three-run homers earlier this season.

Don’t let the .239 batting average fool you. He’s driven in 11 runs and has drawn 11 walks, which has added to his .320 OBP.

He’s a great option to have around as a fourth outfielder and left-handed bat off the bench. He even has good speed which further adds to his value.

4. Ruben Tejada

Ruben Tejada is playing so well that the Mets will be faced with a tough decision once Ike Davis and David Wright are ready to return.

Tejada was in the competition for second base this spring, but the organization wanted him to play every day shortstop so he could be an insurance plan for Jose Reyes.

Tejada has been a magician with the glove, which has been the norm since his call-up last season.

However, this year he’s also off to a .316 clip. He won’t drive in many runs, but he has found a way to get on base.

If he keeps up his torrid hitting, the Mets may have to find a way to keep him on the roster.

3. Jason Isringhausen

To think, the Mets actually broke camp with Blaine Boyer instead of Jason Isringhausen.

Boyer is long gone, while Izzy has been a mainstay as the setup man in front of Frankie Rodriguez.

Isringhausen has only given up six runs in 21 games, and that includes a recent streak of giving up a run in three consecutive appearances.

He’s shown good life on his fastball and a very good curveball.

The Mets will continue to rely on Izzy late in games.

2. Dillon Gee

When Terry Collins called Dillon Gee a Major League ready pitcher this winter, he wasn’t kidding.

Gee has been phenomenal since his promotion in mid-April. He’s 5-0 with a 3.83 ERA in seven starts.

Once Chris Young went down for the season, Gee was able to cement himself in the rotation.

Though he’ll give up a few runs here and there, he throws strikes and gives his team a chance to win every time out.

When and if Johan Santana returns, Gee will hold down his rotation spot if he continues to put up “W’s.”

1. Justin Turner

Justin Turner has been the glue that has held the Mets together in the absence of Ike Davis and David Wright.

He didn’t get going right away, but really came into his own during the road series in Houston, including the game he drove in five runs and hit his first career home run.

Turner set the Mets rookie record for driving in at least one run for seven straight games. After not driving in a run for two games after that, he now has another six-game RBI streak going.

He’s driven in 21 runs in just 92 at-bats, and is hitting .337 on the year.

His hitting and defense have earned him a spot on the roster, and he should still get plenty of playing time once Wright and Davis return.

R.A. Dickey may have had his best outing of the season, and the combination of Justin Turner and Daniel Murphy provided all the offense for the Mets in their 2-1 win against the Yankees.

Game Notes

R.A. Dickey went out today and pitched a phenomenal game. Robert Allen went out today, and went six innings allowing one run on four hits striking out six and walking three. The only run R.A. allowed was on a Teixiera home run that just went over Carlos Beltran’s glove all of the 320 feet to RF. Dickey got himself in trouble in the early innings, and some strong pitch selection as well as great defensive plays, specifically by Reyes in the fifth ensured Dickey would see the sixth inning

The Mets bullpen today was lights out, going three innings, striking out five and walking none. Mike O’Connor pitched a clean inning with one strikeout, Izzy pitched a major eighth with two big strikeouts and K-Rod pitched the ninth for his fifteenth save, striking out two.

This bullpen has been so crucial in this team’s success.

The offense struggled to get good contact against Freddy Garcia, but after an F.Mart double, Justin Turner kept his torrid RBI pace up, knocking him in with an op.field double in the fourth. The bats were held in check until Daniel Murphy lead off the sixth inning with a home run to that lovely 314 region in right field to put the Mets up 2-1. The momentum of the dog fight style of game seems to benefit the Mets and they play like every hit will win the game.

Justin Turner – 3 for 4 with an RBI – will you be the godfather to my unborn child? If not, cool. Your on a streak right now.

Ruben Tejada – 0 for 4 with two strikeouts (looking) – it’s ok Secret Squirrel, you looked good on defense.

Beltran – 1 for 2 with two walks. Beltran is a major reason the Mets are leading the league in walks.

Turning Point

The Jose Reyes play to end the fifth gave the momentum to the irish hammer Daniel Murphy and his home run.

Game Ball

The Mets bullpen. This is the fourth straight close game and they have continued to do nothing but hold the opponents to NOTHING.

On Deck

The Mets will look to keep their four game streak going, sending Chris Capuano to the mound against the Yankees and A.J. Burnett. Game time is 7:10 P.M.

However, injuries took their toll on Izzy and he was dealt to Oakland at the trade deadline in 1999 for reliever Billy Taylor. Taylor’s career with the Mets lasted all of 18 games, as his 8.10 ERA probably had something to do with the length of his stay in New York. Meanwhile, Isringhausen went on to become an All-Star closer with the Athletics and Cardinals, saving 293 games over the course of his career.

Had Isringhusen stayed in New York as a reliever (he picked up one save for the Mets in 1999), perhaps Mets fans would never have been subjected to watching Armando Benitez, Braden Looper or Luis Ayala putting the BS in Blown Save. However, that was then and this is 2011, a year that has brought Izzy’s baseball odyssey back to New York.

This has happened before, when a pitcher who made a splash with the Mets went elsewhere, made the postseason repeatedly, including a World Series championship, and then came back at the end of his career in an attempt to close out his career where it all began.

David Cone pitched for the Mets from 1987-1992 and had some of the best seasons of his career in Flushing. But after being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for the underachieving Jeff Kent and Ryan Thompson (whose sole claim to fame was hitting a grand slam off John Smoltz in 1994 that preceded a bench-clearing brawl when Smoltz intentionally hit mighty mite John Cangelosi with his next pitch), Cone had his greatest success in the majors. He won the Cy Young Award in 1994 with Kansas City, threw a perfect game as a member of the Yankees in 1999 and won a total of five World Series rings (one with Toronto in 1992 and four with the Yankees in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000). He then came back to the Mets in 2003 and surprised everyone by making the team out of Spring Training. However, his comeback was short-lived, as he went 1-3 with a 6.50 in five games (four starts).

Jason Isringhausen, on the other hand, pitched for the Mets from 1995-1999 before his trade to Oakland in July of 1999. Because of the trade, he missed out on the Mets’ first playoff appearance in 11 years. But beginning the following year (2000), Isringhausen would become a staple in the playoffs.

In 2000, the A’s won the AL West and in 2001, Oakland made the playoffs as a 102-win wild card team. After signing with the Cardinals as a free agent, Izzy helped St. Louis win the NL Central division title in 2002. The Cardinals failed to make the playoffs in 2003, but then won three straight division titles, winning the National League pennant in 2004 and the World Series in 2006.

Injuries took their toll on Isringhausen following his last successful season as the Cardinals’ closer (2007) and he required Tommy John surgery in June of 2009, while a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Now Isringhausen is back on the Mets, and he is impressing the coaching staff to the point where he might pull a David Cone and make the team out of Spring Training. Mets’ pitching coach Dan Warthen has monitored Isringhausen closely in camp and had this to offer on his progress:

“I’ve seen a lot more than I expected at any time. The ball is coming out of his hand great. He still has the Izzy curveball, and he’s added a nice little cutter and changeup. I couldn’t be more pleased. If Izzy can come in and continue to do exactly what he’s doing right now, he is a major part of this.”

If Isringhausen does make the team, he may be wearing his old No. 44 (which symbolizes the fact that he was a 44th round draft pick in 1991). Right now, Jason Bay is currently wearing the number, but he has only worn it since being traded from the Pirates to the Red Sox in 2008. When Bay was making a name for himself in Pittsburgh, he wore No. 38. Although he hasn’t said that he will go back to wearing his old number with the Pirates (currently new acquisition Chris Capuano is the wearer of No. 38), he has said that he would gladly give up No. 44 to Isringhausen:

“I’ve tried to hit against him and I know how good he is. I hope he makes it because he’s a great pitcher and he’ll make our team better. And if he does, I’m giving him the shirt. It’s his. I want him to have it.”

David Cone tried to recapture some of his old magic when he broke camp with the Mets in 2003 after not pitching in the major leagues in 2002. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t able to come back successfully. Jason Isringhausen didn’t pitch in the majors in 2010 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Will Izzy be able to make the team and succeed in the bullpen? If so, the Mets might have found lightning in a bottle.

There are less than five weeks to go until Opening Day. If there is something left in Izzy’s tank, now is the time to prove that he is still capable of helping a big league team. With the departure of Pedro Feliciano and Hisanori Takahashi, the Mets are going to need all the help they can get in the bullpen. Jason Isringhausen might be one of those relievers, and if he is, lightning will have indeed struck twice for Izzy in New York.