Pitching, Pitching, & More Pitching

Jose Reyes will dominate the discussion in terms of 2012 roster decisions for the New York Mets.  He’s one of the most exciting players in all of baseball, so it’s easy to understand.

The problem is, the shortstop position should not be the focus of the organization.  The starting rotation should be.  The Mets could re-sign Jose Reyes, successfully convert Ike Davis into a gold glove center fielder, sign Prince Fielder and they still wouldn’t make the playoffs with their current rotation.  I may be exaggerating a tad, but you get the point.

Besides, their offense isn’t the problem.  The Mets were sixth in the National League in runs scored (718).  That’s five runs better than the Phillies.

The 2011 Mets’ starting rotation sported a woeful 4.11 ERA.  There were nine teams better in the National League in this particular area, including all four playoff teams.  As it stands, the rotation has no legitimate ace, a number two or three guy in Johan (due to injury and age), a number three guy in Dickey, and a collection of #4 or #5 guys at best.

Mike Pelfrey (career 4.40 ERA) and Chris Capuano (career 4.39 ERA) need to go.  To put it simply, they are not part of the solution.

Jon Niese and Dillon Gee still have yet to prove they are worth holding on to, but I wouldn’t be upset if the Mets want to give them both another chance in 2012.  Part of me thinks Niese doesn’t have the stamina or strength to make it as a starter and the Mets need to consider moving him to the bullpen. Right now, his 4.20 ERA in 2010 and his 4.40 ERA this season place him alongside Big Pelf and Cap.

Back to Jose for a second. For those of you new to Midwestropolitan (shame on you for not joining us earlier), I am not saying I don’t want Jose to remain a Met.  As a fan, I hold on to hope they can figure out a way to re-sign him and fix the rotation at the same time.  The realist in me knows that is a tall order.

The bottom line is we should keep an eye on what the front office does with the rotation.  It will tell us a lot about whether or not they truly believe they can contend in 2012.  If there isn’t much turnover, it means they are willing to sacrifice 2012 to give Jenrry Mejia, Matt Harvey, and Zack Wheeler time to develop with hopes that any and all of them form a strong young core in 2013.

Follow Midwestropolitan.com on Twitter  and like us on Facebook.

What’s Up With Gee Lately?

Stubborn S.O.B.

I have a pretty simple philosophy when it comes to starting pitching.  Give me at least six innings, hold the opposing team to three runs or less, and don’t walk anyone.  I.E.,  give me a quality start.  Anything beyond that is gravy and I’ll be as giddy as a goose.

During the course of the season, I feel it is fair to say Dillon Gee has been my favorite Mets’ starter.  I don’t have a clear reason why.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been hoping he would get a shot in the rotation for a while.  Once he did, he took advantage.

Things haven’t been so peachy for my boy recently.  He hasn’t exactly met the criteria I provided above.

For you stat geeks out there, he has averaged 5.40 innings, 3.67 earned runs, and 2.67 walks over the course of his last three starts.  That’s a 1.42 W.H.I.P for my fellow über dorks.

So what’s wrong?

Permit me to read between the lines a bit here.  Terry Collins seems to think Dillon is being a stubborn S.O.B.,

“It goes to show what’s happening right now with Dillon.  He gets frustrated with something and, if he doesn’t make a good pitch, he gets away from things. He’s got to stick to what’s made him successful.”- Terry Collins

My assumption is this comment is based on the fact that after Justin Upton took Gee yard in the 1st inning, he didn’t throw another curveball for another 39 pitches.

Seems like a logical explanation for Gee’s struggles lately.  It doesn’t appear as if he’s hurting at this point.

So knock it off Dillon.  Don’t be so bull-headed already….sheesh.

If only it were that easy…

Follow Midwestropolitan on Twitter  and like us on Facebook.

Fourteen Runs?!?

With 8,000 other Mets blogs out there surely you’ve read a riveting recap of the Mets 14-5 win by now. So, as always, I’ll take no part in that.

Anyway, the 14 run outburst had me wondering just how good the Mets offense is. Naturally I consulted the Midwestropolitan Research staff, and let’s just say I was surprised to find that the Mets are the highest scoring team in the division.

Ok, Atlanta, Washington and Florida are all pretty bad offensively. But I figured at least Philadelphia would be ahead of New York (the Mets hold a 12-run advantage, 329-317).

The difference? The Phillies lead the NL in ERA and the Mets are 12th, almost a full run higher. That’s why the Mets only (slim) shot is the Wild Card…unless another one of the fantastic four goes down to injury…

So who is to blame?

Well, the Mets team ERA of 3.99 would be pretty awesome any other year, but it is the year of the pitcher. Clearly Mike Pelfrey (4.78 ERA) is the one dragging down the starting staff. Capuano has picked it up, Gee has been great, Dickey gets no run support and Niese is solid.

Four names have really messed up any chance of the team having a lower ERA though – Carrasco, Misch, Boyer, and Acosta. All of them have 5 or more games pitched and an ERA ranging from 6 point something to 11 point something.

The Point?

There is none!

Texas Walker Rangers Series Expectations

Yup, you guessed it.  Had to do it.

I have to admit, it didn’t take me very long to determine what my expectations would be for the Rangers series.  I’ve got the Mets dropping two of three.

Why?

1.  It’s kind of obvious isn’t it?

2.  The Rangers’ offense is flat-out scary.

3.  Their starting pitching is solid.

I see the Rangers building multiple run leads in their two wins and their weak bullpen barely hanging on.  The sole Mets win will come from a dominating start from either Pelfrey, Niese, or Gee.

Why Not?

1.  The Mets get two dominating starts from Pelfrey, Niese, or Gee.

2.  The offense displays an uncharacteristic display of power in the hot and muggy Texas nights.

3.  The Rangers get so focused on the Mets stealing of their signature “Claw” hand gesture that they lose concentration during the series.

Speaking Of The Claw

I’ve been meaning to bring this up.  Does it bother anyone that the Mets have adopted a version of the Claw when they get a hit?

As far as I’m concerned, I don’t lose sleep over it, but I will admit the first time I saw Jose and crew throw up their long distance high-five I felt a twinge of disappointment that the guys didn’t come up with something more original.

I did ask the Midwestropolitan Research Staff to look into this matter.  They informed me that the claw has actually been adopted by multiple teams including the San Francisco Giants.  Keep that in mind as this will inevitably come up on message boards this weekend.

I enjoyed the following comment regarding this little issue:

“The Rangers stole their uniform and name form a hockey team, so they shouldn’t complain.”-Machinehead 4 Hart

The way I see it, the Rangers should be honored that other teams have copied their style.  Too bad they didn’t trademark it.

You Kiss Your Mother With That Mouth?

This may come as a shock to you but there are many in the Midwest that believe that people on the East Coast, particularly those in The Big Apple, have potty mouths.  During our in-depth research on the Bitchin’ Internet we have discovered that it is possible that Texas Ranger fans may take the cake in terms of their love of expletives.

Check out the comment thread in this post. Wowza! 

The Midwestropolitan Statistics Department provided the following metrics regarding the love of profanity:

• 10 F-Bombs
• 2 Asses
• 1 Shit

Not only did we discover they love some cussin’, but they also seem to have a deep dislike for columnist Randy Galloway.

Follow Midwestropolitan on Twitter  or like us on Facebook.

Walks, Bay, and More Reyes Talk

Walks kill.  Tonight it’s just that simple.

The most shocking thing about tonight’s walk fest is that it came during a Dillon Gee start.  Here’s a guy that usually has good command of four pitches and he winds up walking six batters in four innings.  The humbling nature of the game strikes again.

You didn’t really think Gee would go undefeated did you?  I have confidence he’ll bounce back though.  There’s enough of a track record from the end of last season through this year to lead me to believe so.

At Least Jason Bay Had A Good Game

Unbelievable.  Jason Bay came to play today.  Hopefully this wasn’t a fluke as the Mets sure could use a productive power bat right now.

How shocking was this game for Bay?  Check out my reaction when Tom sent me a text about Bay’s Blast while I was at the little league field:

“My God.  Bay hit one out.”- Tom

“Bullshit.  Not possible.”- Me

More Jose Blather

Reports are surfacing that Jose and his agents have declined to talk extension with Sandy Alderson recently.  I understand that people will want to read something into this.  But the truth is Jose has been saying this all season.

“It’s not about the money, it’s about me (being) comfortable.  Nothing’s changed. I want to stay here. Like I always say, I want to be a New York Met all my career. But right now I just want to play baseball.”

Even Alderson isn’t surprised.

“I’m not sure I would even label it a disappointment in the sense that it wasn’t a surprise.”

So neither should we be.  Just another chance for people to get their undies all in a twist.

Dillon An All-Star Contender, Not A Shoe-In

I took a few minutes just now to look through some of the potential starting pitchers for the NL in the All-Star Game. Here is how I’d break down the candidates as of today:

• I would start the game with Jair Jurrjens. His 9-3 record and 2.11 ERA makes this an easy call as of right now.
• The 2nd guy I’d pick is Cole Hamels, who is having a great season (9-3, 2.51 ERA, 0.93 WHIP).
• Roy Halladay (9-3, 2.56) would be next. No way he isn’t taken.
• Tommy Hanson (8-4, 2.48 ERA) is my 4th pretty easy pick.
• It gets a little dicey from here but I think Ian Kennedy would be my 5th starting pitcher selected. He’s 7-2 with a 2.98 ERA and has been a huge part of the D-Backs resurgence.
• Dillon Gee (7-0, 2.86 ERA) would be #6 on my list as of right now. I think it’ll take a few more good starts before the break to get him on the team. He hasn’t pitched nearly as many innings as the other guys (obviously) so it’s important for him to continue pitching well into the break. If he finishes the first half 10-0 or 10-1 with a sub 3 ERA he would then have to be considered a lock.
• Other candidates are Jhoulys Chacin (8-4, 2.81 ERA), Shaun Marcum (7-2, 2.85 ERA), Cliff Lee (…I guess) and a few others I’m too lazy to list.

How would you rank them?

Series Expectations For Non Athletics Supporters

Yesterday, Tom questioned my prognostication skills as he mercilessly made fun of the expectations I published about the Angels’ series.

“I’m questioning your prognostication skills. Don’t screw up the Oakland series or we’ll have to find a replacement.“- Tom

This coming from the same person who picked the A’s to win the AL West interestingly enough.

In my defense, they are my expectations, not predictions.  It is a fine line that even confuses me sometimes.  Basically, I am saying here’s what should happen realistically, but combining how squirrely the game of baseball is with how unreliable the Mets are, I wouldn’t put money on what I say.

Well, Tom wasn’t buying it.  After hours of crying uncontrollably and begging for my job, I started working on my expectations for the series against Oakland.

Here we go:

Even though everything is telling me this probably won’t happen, I still expect the Mets to take the series.

Why?

1.  At some point, the Mets should win a home series right?  Especially against sub .500 teams.

2.  I like the pitching match ups.  The Amazin’s have All World Dillon Gee going tonight followed by R.A. Dickey and Chris Capuano.  Surely that’s two of three.  Unless of course, R.A.’s last start is a sign of a string of games in which he scuffles and Chris Capuano comes back down to Earth.

3.  The Mets are coming off a day off after 13 straight games and the A’s had to travel across country so jet lag may be a factor.

Why Not?

1.  The A’s are on a roll right now as they are riding a five game winning streak.

2.  The Mets haven’t been that stellar at home in 2011 for some reason.

3.  There is a conspiracy that involves every MLB club and the sole purpose is to make me look silly when my expectations are not met.

I Think They Smoke A Lot Of Dope in Oakland

Check out this post by an A’s fan named Robert (last name withheld to protect the innocent…or until you read his post).  The Midwestropolitan Research Staff assures me this isn’t taken out of context, but Robby actually believes that Jose Canseco could still contribute something to the Oakland Athletics.

“I have 1 name that can help all 3 of these problems. You LOVE him and you HATE him.  His name is Jose. And you know exactly who i’m talking about. Go to youtube and search Jose’s videos of him destroying softballs over 500 feet. We could do much worst as a hitting coach AND he could be a late inning Pinch hitter.”- Delusional A’s Fan Robert

All I can say is WOW, and you gotta love this guy’s moxy.  It is out of the box thinking.  I’ll give him that.  That’s like asking Mex to come down from the SNY booth to be our left-handed bench threat (secretly I do believe he could still out hit Willie Harris or Jason Bay).

Follow Midwestropolitan on Twitter  or like us on Facebook.

Significant Progress?

The Mets wrapped up their sixth road series win of the year tonight, and in doing so improved their road series mark to 6-5 overall. It truly is hard to fathom when considering that the 2010 version made us wait well into August to win a road series. Not only that, but the Mets improve to 19-17 away from Citi Field, tied for the 3rd best road mark in the National League. If only they could win at home.

The Mets have also now taken 5 of 8 against Atlanta this year, including 3 of 5 at Turner Cemetery. Most importantly, the Mets return to .500 on the year for the first time since they were 22-22. They are now 34-34 and surprisingly enough just 3.5 games back in the wild card (pictured below).

Perhaps the Mets are taking significant strides towards relevancy. I don’t want to get too carried away about a .500 record in mid-June, but judging by the celebrations on Twitter and Facebook it seems as if this is almost as awesome as being in first. With lower expectations comes a certain degree of happiness – kind of.

As for the game itself, there was lots of rain and there were very few hits. Sadly, Dillon Gee did not pick up the victory because weather got in the way. But fortunately the game was not called after four innings (which would have erased it). The Mets are still undefeated when Dillon starts.

A new segment I’ll introduce to Midwestropolitan: Jose watch…

• Tonight he went 1 for 4 with an RBI (28). His average drops to .345 on the year.

St. Louis Cardinals	38	31	—	93
Atlanta Braves	38	31	—	93
Arizona Diamondbacks	37	32	1.0	93
Cincinnati Reds	37	33	1.5	92
Pittsburgh Pirates	34	33	3.0	95
New York Mets	34	34	3.5	94

Which Way Will Uncle Mo Be Heading After The Visit To ATL?

Well here we are.  The Mets are two games under .500 having established themselves as an opponent not to be taken lightly.  That’s a place very few would have placed the Amazin’s a few weeks ago.

So what’s next?

Visiting the Braves in Atlanta has the potential to swing old Uncle Mo one way or the other. The Mets have never played well there traditionally.  A three game sweep would all but kill the little bit of momentum they have been able to obtain.

On the other hand, if they are able to find a way to take two of three it would do a world of good for their confidence heading into a 15 game stretch of inter league play.

What To Expect

Unfortunately, I don’t have a whole lot to make light of this time around.  The Mets will be facing Jair Jurrjens and Tim Hudson again accompanied by Mike Minor.  However, the Mets will be throwing their top three starters right now in Jonathon Niese, Dillon Gee, and R.A. Dickey.

I am actually giving the Mets the slightest edge on the starting pitching front.

The offense of the Braves has started to heat up which scares me, especially when they get to the bullpen.  Expecting complete games out of Niese, Gee, and Dickey is unrealistic and insane.

Using this logic, this means the Mets success will boil down to the lineup trying to build a big enough lead for the pen to hold on.  A big enough lead in my opinion would be a minimum of three runs as I don’t know how you can’t expect the bullpen to give up at least two runs each game.

Based on this reasoning and the fact that the games are being played in Atlanta I am expecting to see the Mets drop the series 1-2.

Who knows?  Maybe Fredi Gonzalez may figure out a way to screw up a game or two with his poor game management skills.  It’s happened in the first two series against the Braves.  That may be the X factor in helping the Mets steal one.  It’s not something I like to rely on however.

Just Need One More Tomorrow

My wishful thinking may actually come true. With a win tomorrow the Mets would finish a 14-game stretch against Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Atlanta at 9-5, thus returning them to .500 overall.

But in an effort to not get too ahead of myself I’ll just highlight upon a couple of things from today’s win.

• This is Chris Capuano’s second straight excellent start. He’s been inconsistent this year but hopefully he is turning a corner. If Capuano and Pelfrey can keep the team in games it would do wonders with Gee, Niese and Dickey pitching really well.
• Jose Reyes continues to lead the world in hitting (.346) with another 3 for 5 day. The “Don’t Trade Jose” craze/cult is going to intensify with each home game I imagine.
• Beltran has now driven in 39 runs on the year, putting him on pace to drive in just shy of 100. That makes Jason happy.
• Speaking of Jason, he was spot on in mentioning that Angel Pagan’s resurgence and the Mets recent success is no coincidence. He had another two hits today.
• Jason Bay had a hit and an RBI. Baby steps.